By Ron Bingham
It’s been another quiet year on the newsfront, hasn’t it? Ahem…Â
NewsRevue is one of those regular dependable shows that gets full houses every year (Its been a fixture since 1979!) This year it started with a patriotic showstopper about the upcoming US election and ended with a all-star Brexit extravaganza (“I’m So Brexited”). In between there were songs and sketches about the Labour Party (infighting), Conservative Party (infighting), Liberal Democrats (apparently they still exist) and the SNP (all hail Nicola Sturgeon). There were extra segments on the England Football Team’s performance in the Euro’s (justifiable usage of the C word), same sex marriage, more on the US election and Brexit, a rather dodgy sketch about the Labour Party’s love of their Jewish constituents, a soliloquy from the Queen and a lot of little jokelets. It was probably only politeness (and the fact that he is performing at the Fringe) that made them leave 92 year old Nicholas Parsons off the list of possible additions to this roll-call.
Performers this year are Neil Cameron, Steven Dalziel, Rachael Hilton, Jacob Jackson and Faye Reeves, Â who were all very talented at song and dance as well as getting laughs. Songs included a farewell from David Cameron, a recruitment song for ISIS (to the tune of YMCA)and a lovely mid-show song about all the celebrities we have lost (so far) this year. There was also a song about the Olympic Games which I expect will need to be updated as the Fringe progresses and the Games start and finish.
There were a couple of sound problems and pauses between sketches ably filled by the on stage pianist, musical director Patrick Rufey, but for an opening night, NewsRevue was otherwise impressively tight. The performers did an excellent job with their musical numbers, dances, accents and routines and the (almost) full house had a ball, showing their appreciation loudly throughout. It would be interesting to compare the show at the start and the show at the end of the festival, as I think that events (political and Olympic) may change very rapidly in the next few weeks.
NewRevue 2016 is on at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 29
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22NewsRevue%202016%22