The Sandz and Hopper Show is hidden away in a tiny room in Trades Hall, where the endearingly glum Lou Sanz and cheerfully madcap Claire Hooper are given free rein to construct a whole world for their small audience. This comedy show about making a comedy show riffs happily on the contrasting personae of these two accomplished comics – Hooper’s gangling antics marvellously offset by the subtlety of Sanz’ rolled eye or quirk of the lip – but never gets bogged down in theatricality. Instead, the audience is treated to a flurry of sketches that sparkle with invention, sparsely visual but full of clever detail and sly wit.

The charm in Sandz and Hopper is the interplay between the stars. Lou Sanz, with her reserved and downcast demeanour, is in many ways the antithesis of Hooper’s energetic, goggle-eyed capers. Sanz anchors this piece firmly with her dry, sly wit and subtle expressiveness, while Hooper, for her part, happily indulges in her physicality – all gangling legs and puppy-dog eyes. That a show based on the tension and awkwardness between two performers is so enjoyable – there are moments when that tension seems very real – is testament to the skill on show here. Between the two there are some clever moments of quick-fire wordplay, and – as odd as it sounds – some of the best moments of hilarious silence I’ve yet seen. The sketches themselves draw laughs from the flimsiest premises – I don’t think I’ve ever been as delighted by a cardboard box as I was in the first sketch. There’s some ‘tits-and-bums’ gags here, but sly and wicked ones rather than crude sexual humour – the interplay between two attractive women on stage is fodder for some of the show’s best moments.

The 10:45 PM timeslot of The Sandz and Hopper Show leaves it to the most dedicated of Comedy Festival audiences, which is a shame – Lou Sanz and Claire Hooper could easily shift the show to a larger venue without losing the cheeky, intimate feel. While the content of the sketches is slight, the humour is rich and you get the feeling that these talented women could easily shift this lovable show to TV with ease.