Dizney on Dry Ice is a cartoonish slapstick mafia spoof that doesn’t hit its mark. A few shows have been running long at this year’s Comedy Festival, but this show is just too long. And that is its major flaw: the script. It needs a lot of work. Some of the set ups to jokes are so long the audience are at the punchline before the performers, and other running jokes outstay their short welcome.

The show is based on a very good central idea, taking a hostage that isn’t alive, in this case, Walt Disney, so there is less chance of an escape. Disorganised mobsters, police snipers and a cult for the disabled all become involved in the plot to ransom the cryogenic frozen head of the beloved cartoonist.

At about half an hour in, the show loses all direction. The plot becomes nonsense and the quality of the jokes deteriorates. That being said, the performances were a highlight, especially Teri Brabon as Wilma, the ditzy New York gangster’s mole. The entire cast are enthusiastic and work very hard to get the maximum laughs out of the material they are working with. Staging and lighting design were also of a high standard; the digitally projected backgrounds were very effective. But it is a show that has lost its way. The script needs to be cut down and worked on some for it to become a winner.