Kitten Killers are loud, proud and they’re having fun. We’re asked to shout “woof” if we’ve seen them before and “woof” if we haven’t. This simple silliness characterises much of their humour. While Fran Bushe, Kat Cade and Perdita Stott are unapologetic, their sketches are a mixed bag. Ultimately, despite flashes of brilliance, the trio currently lack the structure and development needed to bring out the best in their comedy.

There’s something distinctly Miranda-esque about the Kitten Killers: three young women displaying a childish sense of humour. However, mixed with this innocence is a running theme of women exploring their sexuality. For example, a running sketch was teenager Fran and her sexual fantasies about One Direction, Harry Potter and Elmo. It was material like this that made the show feel somewhat like it was created by hyperactive sixteen-year old girls.

Kitten Killers aim to shock, but this repeatedly veers into crass humour. To their own discredit, many of their good sketches end with an easy sexually vulgar punch line. For example, their opening number ends with Bushe vomiting out a thong. On the other hand, some sketches don’t go far enough. Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men living in an oppressive fascist state would have been much funnier if they had actually been racist. The show seems to repeatedly miss the mark, not quite achieving a balance between humour and disgust.

There is something distinctly Girl Power about this comedy group, and they are best when they ironically tackle political feminist ground. The anti-Tampon Tax version of Adelaide’s Lament is a stroke of genius, as is the through-the-ages song about body hair, in which the three maintain the simplicity of their humour, while also having something important to say. This felt like the material that had the most personal investment from Bushe, Cade and Stott, and also the most potential.

The stand-out performer in this trio is clearly Cade, who has a natural comedic talent. Her performance as an aggressive unicorn was one of the most memorable of the show. I would like to see the Kitten Killers develop some of their best sketches more, so that they create a show with builds on their strengths, and creates a greater coherence as a whole. They could also tone down a bit on the Katy Perry, and let their comedy speak for itself.

Kitten Killers: Woof played at The Museum of Comedy on 5 October. For more information, see the Kitten Killers website.  Photo by Kitten Killers.