Review: NEWSREVUE at Canal Café Theatre 24 Sept 2021 (running four nights a week)

‘It’s back! Acutely observed and performed with relish’ ★★★★★ 

Artistic Director of Canal Café Theatre, Emma Taylor is producer of this long running satirical show which went online during lockdown. Now it’s back live in this cabaret style theatre, with patrons sitting at the tables with their drinks, the anticipation is high. Newcomers and regulars alike are not disappointed.

Running four nights a week, the show is an opportunity to laugh at the tomfoolery in politicians and people in the public eye. The sketches are often acutely observed and always performed with relish. With a regular turnaround of material, actors, and directors this show is different every six weeks.   

Tonight, it is the turn of four actors, with triple threat skills, playing a plethora of characters. As a regular patron of the show, I can hand on heart say that the standard is always high but on this particular night there is something extra special about this cast and the material brought together by director Dylan Allcock. 

A particular mention to Laura Beth-Mortemore and Clare Noy for their gorgeous vocals. One song in particular is faster than rap. It must have the trickiest lyrics to articulate ever written, starting with “Pfizer with an S”. When the audience is invited to sing along with the chorus of this tongue twitter there are gales of laughter.  

There was much fun to be had too whenever Sam Gibbons in the guise of Boris talking whiff-whaff returned to the stage. Gibbons has a powerful stage presence. Also, Sam Pote in the role of Chris Whitty, giving a squeezed lemon facial expression making it clear that he’s not very witty at all. There are very many characters lampooned, no one is safe. Favourites making a special appearance included Keir Starmer on being a weak opposition, David Attenborough along with Greta Thunberg on climate change, Nicola Sturgeon wearing the trousers and politicians on the dark side with a thrilling lightsabor battle. 

Liberties are taken with well known songs but it’s all in the constructive use of bringing laughter in these harsh times. “You Ain’t Got No Money” is just crying out to be used in the current economic climate and there’s more than one sketch about bills. I highly recommend keeping a little something in the teapot to buy a couple of mates tickets to this depression busting show in Little Venice (Warwick Avenue tube).  

NEWSREVUE runs Thursday to Sunday

at Canal Café Theatre 

Above The Bridge House Pub

Delamere Terrace

Little Venice

London

W2 6ND

Box Office: https://canalcafetheatre.com/our-shows/newsrevue/ 

Reviewer: Heather Jeffery is Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine