The Durham Revue don't know when to end a sketch. That's not necessarily to say that their sketches are always too long; in fact, in a show that just scrapes past the 50 minute mark despite being billed as an hour long, they could afford to be more substantial. Rather, the Durham Revue consistently close out their sketches one laugh too late, blunting often brilliant punchlines with a superfluous addition intended to wrap things up that only stalls their momentum between sketches.
It's a shame really, because otherwise this group make the absolute most of the various talents at their disposal. The towering frame of Jack Harris is deployed early and often, with cunning blocking and his own physicality making for a few hilarious sequences, notably his turn as Lanky, Snow White's eighth dwarf and his spectacularly absurd dancing in a Swan Lake skit. Harris doesn't rely on his height alone for laughs: his loveable, almost goofy delivery quickly endears him to the audience. David Knowles, who stars opposite Harris in a hilariously mismatched Kung Fu sequence, is also something of a star, reminiscent of a young Hugh Laurie with his wide-eyed, occasionally manic performances.
Between these two stand out performers and an otherwise solid cast, the Durham Revue could have a great show on their hands, if only their writing didn't so frequently take the edge off things.
