Original Review:

Show Rating:

Want hard-hitting, biting satire? Incisive political comedy to challenge the existing order? Well, you'd better look elsewhere.

Newsrevue is a much cosier brand of topical comedy, a glorified drawing room musical revue that gently pokes fun at the famous rather than offering any sort of agenda.

But this Fringe institution is only doing what it has always done over the 24 years it has been coming here - and doing it fantastically well, thanks to a talented and energetic young cast.

Although the performers and writers of the London-based show changes every few weeks, the formula never does, and it's become as traditional a part of Edinburgh as the tattoo, and just as staid.

Many of the sketches don't even fall into the topical. So we get to hear what Scooby-Doo would sound like having an orgasm, but there's no mention of Tony Martin, David Kelly or the dodgy dossier - items which have made more than the odd headline over the past couple of months.

One reason is that this show is a 'best of' compilation, reprising the ensemble's finest moments from the past 12 months. Newsrevue has up to 40 writers at any one time, but if this is the best of their output over a whole year, the worst must be terrifying.

Every other items is a comic song - essentially a one-joke pun stretched out for a couple a minutes ("I can see clearly now Hussein has gone," or "Monarchy!" to the tune of the Bee Gee's Tragedy) These, and the more straightforward sketches, use the same comic shorthand as Dead Ringers, Alistair McGowan, The News Quiz and any of countless other topical programmes you care to mention. It's George Bush, so he'll mangle the language; David Beckham is thick; Tony Blair is insincere; Edwina Currie is... well, five years out of date, but still getting a mention here.

This would be more forgivable in the weekly London show where the sketches were first performed, their immediacy giving hem an added kick, but when they have to stand alone, months after the event, the weaknesses are clear.

The show has plenty in its favour, not least the exuberant cast and tight direction. Some of the central puns are very good - almost as good, in fact, as the writers think they are - and the script lifts on the rare occasions it builds around a simple idea, rather than simply stating it, then repeating it.

None of this concerned the audience, who all went away happy. Who cares about the lack of bite or originality in the script, when you can go away humming one of the jaunty, catchy tunes.