Rory Marshall: Thank You for the Opportunity ★★★★

Following his well-received Fringe debut Pathetic Little Characters last year, Rory Marshall confirms his promise with Thank You for the Opportunity, an autobiographical sketch show inspired by the considerable number of jobs he has racked up, despite his relative youth. Yet this is less a procession of amusing employment anecdotes than an affectionate skewering of the world of work itself. And, more specifically, the strange, irritating and frequently ridiculous people we encounter within it.

Holding proceedings together is Marshall’s comically overcommitted Head of Staff Socials, a man determined to transform workplace bonding into something approaching an extreme sport. Around him comes an expansive collection of characters: overconfident instructors, nightclub staff, hospitality workers and others whose inflated sense of competence bears little relation to reality. Marshall has a sharp eye for recognisable behaviour, amplifying the follies of the everyday just far enough to expose the comedy lurking underneath. Chances are, you will have worked with, or for, at least a handful of these people.

As with most sketch shows, the hit rate inevitably varies, and not every character lands equally. What remains consistent, however, is Marshall himself. He is extremely easy, likeable company, crucially blessed with the acting ability to match his comic timing. Even when a sketch is less successful, there is pleasure in watching him inhabit these characters so effortlessly, while the show’s occasional willingness to turn its gaze back on Marshall himself adds another layer of self-deprecation. Direction from SNL UK’s Will Farrell and Alex Cartlidge keeps the pace brisk and ensures the hour rarely lingers too long in any one place.

Thank You for the Opportunity finds its comedy by taking the mundane seriously enough to reveal how ludicrous it already is. Marshall may still be relatively early in his career, but there is an assurance here that suggests he has the chops to become a circuit standout. The sketches may vary in impact, but the performer at their centre does not. Funny, charming and blessed with a keen observational eye, Marshall proves that even the most ordinary working day can be fertile ground for something wonderfully daft.