The Oxford Revue is a sketch comedy show which has existed almost as long as the Fringe itself. It has been an impressive breeding ground of comics with an alumi which includes Michael Palin, Al Murray and Rowan Atkison. With a fresh cast this year one would hope that at least a couple of them could join the ranks in years to come.Etch a Sketch is a revue which has quite a varied palate of themes. These stem from everyday awkward situations such as offending overweight women by suggesting they are pregnant to more abstract situations like meeting God after crying the ill fated phrase take me and not him. The show leans to go more towards the abstract than the everyday, in fact they tend to take ordinary situations and turn them surreal. For example there is one sketch where trying to pick up women at a bus stop then becomes a musical. All the cast are clearly talented comics. Especially look out for Adam Reeve. Some of the insights of the sketches are verging on genius. However, as one would expect from a revue, the performances could be much slicker and the sketches would be funnier if they were shortened. The combination of these two factors generally ends up with the idea being played out until it is exhausted. This aside, the sketches and ideas were clearly tried and tested through many performances so very few of them failed to make me laugh. The wit is intelligent and the ideas are brilliant. It is just too long and not quite paced enough. This is definitely worth watching if only to steal brilliant ideas for your own selfish ways.
