The Oxford Revue: Bonfire of the Ottomans

The sketch business can be a tough nut to crack. On choosing this genre, comedians are knowingly walking in footsteps of the likes of The Fast Show, Smack the Pony and, of course, Monty Python. What is more, this field of comedy requires acting skills; not common among stand-up comedians.

One can safely say that the actors in this year’s Oxford Revue have been hugely successful. Their set of intelligent, shocking and bizarre sketches leave the audience permanently laughing for the full hour. Their twenty sketches cover a wide range of topics, spanning from attacks on the Welsh, the French and the Tabloids, to satires of Harry Potter, Question Time and self-help groups. The humour is both highly sophisticated and universally accessible, making this a show for all ages. In addition to this, the sketches are brilliantly acted, with an entertaining and apt soundtrack to boot.

There are certain sketches that fail with the audience, relying on jokes that are clearly inferior to others. This can certainly be said of a sketch revolving around a regurgitation of advertising songs. However, this has to be expected considering the sheer number of skits, and discontent with any particular sketch is rapidly remedied by the brevity of its duration.

Whether it’s an abusive father dressed as a rain-deer, or a randomly defecating old man from Suffolk, the Oxford Revue has something for everybody. The actors showcased here will surely be launched onto a far larger stage very soon.