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NewsRevue
Verdict: Feeling its age
London - Canal Café Theatre - Oct/Nov 05 - 21:30 (22:30)
I'm new to the NewsRevue phenomenon (writes Eloise Emanuel). It's 'London's longest running satire show' according to the Guinness Book of Records, and celebrated its 26th birthday in July 2005. That means it's been around longer than the cheeky twinkle in my dad's eye. And, well, it feels like it.
I know it must have its down-days, the less successful runs. It's just that the whole thing has the feeling of being part of a well-used, slightly tired, machine.
The format is basic and remains untouched. 2 boys, 2 girls, a director, a musical director and a plethora of writers, all ground together for 9 days - and squeezed out like a sausage into 40 sketches and songs performed for 4 nights a week.
While the all-new material of the 'ground-breaking run' (my colleague Brad Hall's review is here) of 15 Sep to 16 Oct 05 may have been 'a relief from the recycling of NewsRevue material (which can span years)', tonight's material really does feel like it's done the rounds.
Yes, the sketches deal with all the 'controversial' subjects that must be addressed by a topical show - including terrorism and the war against it (Muslim fundamentalism to the tune of The Bear Necessities), major politicians (UK PM Blair to Chancellor Brown: 'Didn't you ever know that you're my hero?'), and stars (Harry Potter to Hermione: 'Let me see your golden snitch') - it just seems less like controversy and more like old news.
Musical numbers draw on a stock of vocal vernaculars which have been around for decades. I know that West End musical runs go on forever, but there have been new ones in the last couple of years which could be used to break the monotony of Cats (again) and Les Mis (again).
Although it is cleverly executed and at times chuckle-funny, there is nothing new or innovative or well-enough observed to prompt a belly-laugh from the partially discerning, mainly inebriated audience. It is just too obvious.
To carry NewsRevue forward for another quarter century it needs to take some risks. It must dare to challenge the audience. It must do more than a little subverting to make us think and laugh just a little bit more.
We know US President Bush is stupid and ignorant, but playing him as a spoilt child in numerous sketches is re-hashing a weak joke. Substituting words in big musical numbers is clever, but it isn’t particularly revolutionary or even opinionated.
The show tries too hard to be too all-inclusive – there isn’t one contentious or risqué moment that would step outside a pretty safe parody of our collective Western view.
All the cast are clearly talented actors with great comic timing. The script at their disposal tonight is too weak to show their skills off properly. They could play the characters a little straighter. They seem too nervous or dubious to trust the script alone to carry them. They milk each character for everything - often to the extreme, with every possible facial or bodily contortion to get a laugh - rather than relying on the words to seal the payoff.
But there are some inspired moments. Will Kenning as John Prescott MP aka the nodding dog from the Churchill ads ('Have you got two jags?' / 'Steady now'); Gemma Arrowsmith and Robbie Scotcher filling-in a pre-sex consent form while debating golden showers and whether to tick the spit or swallow box; a lone gunman mowing-down a classroom of kids singing the Birdie Song with the line 'Well, you can’t be too careful'; Yasmin Kerr as a belligerent air stewardess who - to a blind passenger's request to see the person in charge - replies 'Well, you can’t can you? You’re blind. Now fuck off'; Claire Short MP singing 'Where are the Browns?' to 'Bring Out The Clowns'; and a surreal yet dire sketch about pizza which is saved by my favourite line of the night - 'Captain Birdseye will fuck you'.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Gemma Arrowsmith. Will Kenning. Yasmin Kerr. Robbie Scotcher.
Writer Credits: Writers on this run include (alpha order): Gemma Arrowsmith. Phill Barron. Piers Beckley. Jules Bower. Christopher Bryant. Noel Christopher. John Cowen. Alan Duffy. David French. Ross Mc Givern. Simeon Goulden. Christopher Hale. Hil Jennings. Tom Johnstone. Paul Jones. Will Kenning. Yasmin Kerr. Ann Morgan. Terry Newman. Christine Patton. John Random. Gavin Ritchie. Gordon Robertson. Ross Salvage. Anna Schwarz. Robbie Scotcher. Jason Smart. Matt Smith. Matthew Stott. David Thompson. Kieran Wills.
Company Credits: Company Credits: Director - Damian Sandys. Musical Director - Pete Smith. Technical Director - Ross Mc Givern. Assistant Producer - Louis Brownhill. Producer - Emma Taylor. The Bridge House: Manager - Tracy Allum.
END
(c) Eloise Emanuel 2005
reviewed November 05 / Canal Café
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
