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The Oxford Revue Presents: For Revue Dollars More

 
Rebecca Vines Review by Rebecca Vines 4 Published: 23 Aug 2025 Just The Tonic at the Caves Show Dates: 14 Aug 2025-24 Aug 2025

So many of the UK’s top comics and satirists have cut their teeth in the Oxford Revue that the alumni reads as an embarrassment of riches… Rowan Atkinson, Sally Phillips, Stewart Lee, Armando Iannucci, Al Murray, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Michael Palin and Terry Jones are just a small sample of those who have gone on to become household names.

Sharp and unpredictable

Now in their 62nd year at the Fringe, the OR’s current gang treat us to 45 minutes of innovative sketch comedy, ranging from the observational to the musical to the absurd. Seemingly going through something of a hiatus on our screens at present, with fewer water-cooler moments than earlier iterations, sketch comedy is nevertheless alive and well in Edinburgh, where the new kids on the block are writing and performing their hearts out to appreciative audiences who enjoy the box-of-chocolates nature of the genre.

The eight-strong cast are fresh-faced and witty, with some standout performances suggesting a healthy career in comedy performance may lie tantalisingly close. At its best, the writing is sharp and gratifyingly unpredictable, the essence of sketch work meaning that each scenario lands differently for every audience member. Joining the gymn; New Year’s Resolutions; the overthinking husband; and I’m Too Sexy are particular high points, with The Very First Christmas as the sparkling star on top of the tree.

Watching emerging young performers find their feet is the very DNA of the Fringe, and as such, shows like this are not to be missed.

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The Blurb:

The Oxford Revue's 62nd annual Fringe show is 45 minutes of innovative sketch comedy, ranging from the observational to the musical to the absurd, all written and performed by the rising stars of British comedy from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes! Following a year of sold-out sketch and stand-up comedy shows in Oxford, and with alumni like Dame Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Phillips, Stewart Lee, Armando Iannucci, Al Murray, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, and Monty Python's Michael Palin and Terry Jones, this is not one to be missed!