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Mitch Benn: The Lehrer Effect

 
Victor Black Review by Victor Black 4 Published: 24 Aug 2025 Underbelly, Bristo Square Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

There are a whopping three shows dedicated to Tom Lehrer at the Fringe, so it was tragically poetic that the great muse shuffled off this mortal coil a mere week before this year's festival started, aged 97. Hearing Mitch Benn talking about this icon in the past tense struck a different chord to the one I expected to feel when I bought my tickets a month prior.

Deserves to be resurrected for the next generation – and Benn is very much the man to do it

Benn introduces the show speaking in Lehreresque language, his voice a recognisable attempt at emulation but not quite verging on “spot on”. However, the song he wrote in Lehrer’s style would have made the maestro proud – establishing a theme that would run throughout the show, with every lyrical amendment.

The show isn’t exclusively about Lehrer, as Benn also regales us with updates on his recent diagnosis as neurodivergent, elite-level commentary on nerd culture, and quality material covering a brief biography of radio comedy.

We’re treated to a couple of piano performances – the first time Benn has performed on one since his teens – but he spends most of the show on guitar. In an ideal world, we’d have the piano songs played on piano, but of course they translate well to guitar, and having optimal performances should rightly take precedence over hearing the music in its natural habitat.

Being a tribute show rather than a tribute act affords Benn the creative freedom to update a number of the songs, which can at times contain outdated lyrics. One piece that is ripe for it is Lehrer’s signature tune, The Elements Song. Benn performs it as the comedy god intended, then adds his extra verse containing the elements added since inception (significantly improving on my smug adjustment of the final lyric for karaoke performances: “These were the only ones of which the news had got to Harvard. But since this song was written, 16 more have been discovered”).

There’s plenty of variety throughout, with a glorious Lou Reed parody, Arnie impression and heartfelt finale. I took a friend who had never heard of either Lehrer or Benn before and she loved it, as did the teenager sat in front of me. The music is timeless and deserves to be resurrected for the next generation – and Mitch Benn is very much the man to do it. So get yourself along while you still can. I promise, it’s even more fun than poisoning pigeons in the park.

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The Blurb:

When, years ago, a teenage Mitch discovered American comic songwriting legend Tom Lehrer, the course of his life was changed forever. Mitch looks at the legacy of the elusive Lehrer, the creative debt owed to him by all those who mix humour and melody, and performs some of the more Lehreresque of his own songs. Since Mr Lehrer (at time of writing, still slogging obstinately along at the age of 97) recently placed his entire catalogue in public domain, expect a few Mitch Benn-ified covers of some of Tom's most famous creations as well.