Anyone lucky enough to be in Edinburgh this month and catch Newsrevue on its sojourn there has had a real treat, a top-class comedic night of madcap ingenuity.
What’s billed as the ‘world’s longest-running comedy show’ fortunately has a permanent base in London’s Canal Café theatre so head straight down there if in need of a night of sparkling satire and witty repartee.
Mercilessly lampooning the great and good and the ineffably pretentious too, a cast of two men and two women tackle all the topical themes of the day.
From the endless furore surrounding our outgoing premier Boris Johnson and the political vacuum enveloping the nation to climate change and the money stored by Russian oligarchs; there’s only one dud note that jars and that’s a questionable scene involving The Queen and Sir David Attenborough, everything else offers different degrees of comic gold.
A real highlight was the satire on Alexa technology as a baffled Keir Starmer struggles with constructing an Ikea unit, it’s a brief, but beautifully played scene, economical and hitting its target with a deft bullseye.
The four-strong cast are on top form, exuding inspired creativity and playing their quick-changing roles with the sort of manic effervescence that such a revue demands.
it’s high-calibre, quickfire entertainment that should revitalise even the most jaded soul, the perfect tonic for both heart and mind in these challenging times.
Newsrevue is on in Edinburgh (Pleasance at EICC) until 28th Aug and permanently at the Canal Café Theatre every Thursday to Saturday at 9.30pm and Sundays at 9pm. Tickets: www.canalcafetheatre.com/our-shows/newsrevue/
