TOsketchfest23 Review: Snakes Are Cool - Abridged & Potato Potato

Sketch comedy troupes Snakes Are Cool and Potato Potato joined forces for a double feature at the TOSketchFest. While Snakes Are Cool, starring Jake Martin of the Sketchersons, features a whacky collection of delightfully chaotic scenes ranging from a few choice words from divinity above to a sexy and yet confederate-leaning Cap’N Crunch, Potato Potato chose to keep their performance in theme for a hilarious romp on Toronto politics featuring Loblaws No Name iconic yellow branding.

Martin took the lead in Snakes Are Cool and did much of the heavy lifting in this performance delivering numerous highly energetic sketches that were quick and delightfully biting. Setting the pace with a self-deprecating commercial for a windows and doors company - praise the windows but please ignore the doors - they followed up with the ultimate Canadian Freedom Convoy prepper. 

The strength of Snakes Are Cool truly lies in Martin and his sketch partner’s pacing. It’s near exhausting watching them perform but the seriously fast paced comedic timing kept the audience in cackles and at the edge of their seats.

Potato Potato’s performance was incredibly cohesive and stood out with the various elements that were repeated to great comedic effect throughout. The iconic yellow No Name branding signs identifying prominent Ontario political figures from Justin Trudeau to Doug Ford were a hit as were the politically charged rewrites of songs made popular on TikTok. The team here were nearly seamless in their transitions (save for a wig snafu here and an audio imbalance there) and creative use of props, puppetry, and, well, stage garbage. 

Highlights of Potato Potato’s set includes the integration of product placement into streaming television, Feltmo the puppet’s explanation of misplaced blame and wanton capitalism, and their hilariously bad yet still on point politician impressions.

Potato Potato stood out as my personal highlight of the evening but both troupes were riots to watch on stage and I’d gladly go see them again.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival runs until March 19.
Snakes Are Cool - Abridged performs again March 17.