REVIEW: 123movies.com, Chuck ‘n’ Jeck, EdFringe 2026 ★★★

Welcome to the Oscars… ish. Sketch comedy duo Chuck ’n’ Jeck (Charlie Lacy and Jess Render) poke fun at the award ceremony as well as the film industry as a whole in this multimedia show designed for the TikTok attention span.

From judging the campest red carpet looks to announcing best picture, nothing goes quite as you’d expect it to in this chaotic comedy extravaganza. Hosts Charlie and Jess are genuinely charming and lead their audience through a wide range of segments but also regularly disappear from the stage to make room for film.

The show in fact begins with a collection of production logos which had the audience in stitches before the performers even entered the stage. We were told at the end that Lacy had learned to animate just to make these, and that some of the visual elements of the show were supposed to make fun of AI. Put a pin in that.

As the hosts introduce themselves, we learn that Render’s character only got the job because of nepotism – her dad is ‘Oscar’ – but that she’s eager to learn as they go. We’re also told that we’ll get a say in who wins best picture. The options are, in fact, pictures of the comedy duo, and the audience are given thirty seconds to vote. This is one of the ways the shows involves its audience; later on, we got to see live reactions through a camera pointed at us, and even a kiss cam moment.

Another part of the stage becomes the studio for red carpet commentary, which was genuinely funny, but as with any awards show the different elements are also interrupted by advertisements. This was a real standout as the duo presented a satire campaign for BetterHelp, the controversial online therapy platform. Segments such as this one in which Chuck ’n’ Jeck managed to combine humour with social commentary definitely made for the most powerful moments of the show. It was clear they had something to say about the film industry, advertisement and people being chronically online.

However, whilst the many different elements of the show – use of multimedia, comedy and commentary – came together beautifully in some sections, others seemed to lack polish, direction and clarity. There was a lengthy section during which a behind the scenes film was shown, with both actors off-stage for the duration of the clip. Whilst the film itself was funny, the empty stage somewhat sucked the energy out of the room. Could there have been a way for the performers to still be on stage or perhaps even in the audience to keep the momentum going and continuously integrate the live element of the show?

In another segment, some of the video footage used was made by AI. However, this wasn’t commented on in the moment and only at the very end of the show did the performers mention that they were making fun of AI. Now, I approve of making fun of AI, but if you have to explicitly tell me about your intention in order for me to get it, then perhaps that section of the show needs reworking.

That seems to be the main issue with this show; it has fantastic potential and the sections that are working are genuinely hilarious, witty with something to say. But other parts of the show lack direction and clarity and need workshopping to live up to their full potential. Both performers are clearly very talented and 123movies.com is full of promise, it just doesn’t quite deliver (yet).

Recommended Drink: Sprite in a prosecco flute.

You can catch 123movies.com at Bothie at Guilded Balloon Patter House August 5-30 (not 17, 19) at 22:40 (60 minutes). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.