Having previously seen the wealth of talent in the Oxford Revue before arriving at Subway on Cowgate, I was excited to see what new material the trio would bring to the stage. I was not disappointed and neither were the rest of the audience, who seemed to lap up the majority of the jokes and characters effortlessly and seamlessly portrayed by the group. The opening verged on awkwardly cheesy, as one of the characters attempted to motivate the crowd with clapping, but the show soon gained momentum and the jokes finesse. What began as seemingly a series of stand-alone skits progressed as the story lines intertwined, and the blurb I had read before entering the theatre became apparent. It follows a journey to Australia made by an American, Scotsman and an Englishwoman in order to hunt down a fascist Youtuber with a number one single, which twists and turns with some hilariously random and seemingly unrelated scenes.
Kathy Maniura plays the rather less child-friendly JK Rowling, teaching kids that a cigarette and bottle of wine are the perfect complement to worldwide fame and fortune. And while I adore a wildly inappropriate Harry Potter joke with a beautifully subtle satirical twist, the American, played by Derek Mitchell, really stole the show. Dawn McIntosh, your stereotypical Christian mum, with her snickerdoodles and crossbow, had an intoxicating enthusiasm when played by Mitchell. Not only did he work the space and the character, he owned them. He plays the mum you’d never want to have while deep down you never want him to leave the stage. While the Scotsman (aka. Mary Macrel), played by Alistair Inglis, may have had some of the weakest material of the show, his characterisation, wonderful accent, and the fact he spends most of the show in an ill-fitting vomit-green ladies suit made him entertaining still. Inglis plays your hyperbolised politician, competing with JK Rowling for most influential woman. Kathy Maniura must also be commended for her musical abilities as well, as Ariel and JK she sings and plays guitar with skill and style. Not only are her musical moments funny and endearing, but a pleasure to listen to.
The humour itself is found in both the absurdity of this show and in the cracking one-liners all three of the trio perform; the humour hits more than it misses with some wonderfully creative forms of satire and ridiculousness. Credit must be given to Laura de Lisle for her wonderful technical work, the use of media to supplement the humour and give time for the trio to change wigs and costume, kept the pace of the show and the audience occupied. Furthermore, the sheer number of cues she had to execute was unbelievably impressive for one person.
This show is heart warming and had me tearing up with laughter, a show truly performed with flair by some incredible talent. Again, I find myself applauding the Oxford Revue.
