By Ron Bingham
Apparently this is the Durham Review’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate this, the seven intrepid sketch comedians open a time capsule from the originators, which tells of a curse that is about to befall them, but the tape runs out before the nature of this curse is revealed.
So this is the glue that binds an hour of sketches on everything from A Streetcar Named Desire, Grease, Harry Potter, Brian Cox (the physicist, pop star and … relationship spiker?), Secret Santa gifts, a very dark Bugsy Malone, a magician and many more.
The magician was particularly cruel, as he dragged an audience member on stage for a hypnosis sketch and we were told to “boo” whatever he said he loved most. When he named his boyfriend, I think there were more awws than boos. not sure if he was a plant (he was definitely part of a different show, but whether he was just in the audience or an “extra” for every day, I’ll never know).
The cast were young, energetic and very loud (talking over one another a little too much for my hearing), but most of the writing was good and some punchlines were excellent. A few lines were flubbed, but there was a lot to get through. The audience enjoyed the show very loudly and the surprise finale (with the voice of someone famous) was worth waiting for. One of the members was part of a winning University Challenge team.
Mid-Laugh Crisis is on at Underbelly, Cowgate until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/durham-revue-mid-laugh-crisis