Edinburgh Festival 97 / And the winners are...

And the winners are...

Do not be deceived by the dapper dinner jackets and suave manner of The League of Gentlemen. These three young men are more twisted than an Alpine road. But that's a good thing. On a comedy circuit over-stuffed with stand- ups shouting "Love me do", it is really refreshing to come across something so downright nasty.

Paedophile murderers and the accidental death of children are not the stuff of commonplace "have you ever noticed?" comedy. Against all odds, The League of Gentlemen manage to make bullying and cruelty funny. Their great skill lies in subverting expectations.

As if that wasn't enough, the Perrier-winning trio are exquisite actors, able to sum up a character with just one gesture - as when a jittery actress at an audition clasps her arm to steady her nerves.

Most of my fellow panellists are equally enthusiastic about this show. "It's beautifully scripted and performed," one says. "They surprise you by coming out with cheesy intros and make you think you're going to be seeing an ordinary sketch-show performed by clean-cut humans. But nearly every sketch has a twist to it, which sometimes veers into very black humour."

"They keep within the sketch tradition," chimes in another, "but their writing and performances take it to blindingly surreal depths. They are the only people who can be so funny about human frailty."

The League of Gentlemen come as a particular relief in what was threatening to be a pretty barren year for comedy in Edinburgh. We were overdosing on bad comedians pretending to be bad comedians. There was also an excess of 1970s showbiz kitsch references. If I hear another allusion to Keith Chegwin, I'll reach for my Luger.

Chilling, sometimes sickening even, The League of Gentlemen could never be accused of using such hackneyed material.

Memo to the swarms of TV execs loitering on the Fringe with intent to sign up new comedy talent: give these men a series now.

The League of Gentlemen are at the Pleasance, Venue 33, to 30 Aug (0131- 556 6550)