The Oxford Revue’s initial introduction takes advantage of its location’s atmospheric setting. With a dramatic entrance Oxford Revue begins its show, a collection of sketches, some stand-alone and others that run throughout the entire performance. A vast range of topics are covered, including the habits of grannies and the betrayal of Jesus. The Oxford Revue present a solid sketch show that, while never eliciting raucous laughter, is still accompanied by chuckles throughout. The quality of the sketches is varied, some are very amusing and clearly well thought out and written, but others do not seem to have the same effort put in. Jokes that involve Buckingham Palace being covered in lubricant clearly go for the cheap laughs. The performers are all clearly talented and enjoyable to watch, they certainly help to carry some of the weaker sketches. However, the show lacks what it needs to make it truly great. It goes for easy rather than well crafted laughs and the sketch that runs through the entire show is the weakest of all. The central sketch focuses around a failed officer of the law trying to get back on his feet. It makes fun of the classic law enforcement genre. Whilst it does have its entertaining moments the overall premise falls rather flat. The sketch doesn’t have enough humor to sustain it for as long as it runs, it feels dragged out and squeezed dry of every drop of comedy it may have once possessed. This brings down the atmosphere of the whole performance. When a sketch takes up such a large portion of a show it has to be amazing and able to sustain itself throughout.
