Review: Footlights Spring Revue: Chaos Theory

Footlights Spring revue is one of the biggest nights of the Cambridge comedy calendar, taking place each year to showcase the quick wit and humour of the town.

As someone who had never been to a comedy show in Cambridge before, I was well aware of the dangers of such a performance – that I would sit there for a couple of hours cringing at crude jokes and ill-timed humour, experiencing the second-hand embarrassment we all fear. I am relieved to report that this dreaded outcome was not, in fact, reality, and I was pleasantly surprised at the sketches performed.

Image credits: Dik Ng

With more than 30 sketches performed by a variety of actors, even Hugh Grant would be hard pressed not to find something which didn’t tickle him. The variety of humour on show is a huge asset to the performance, since there are multiple sketches that appealed to specific groups in the audience (economists, historians, classicists, politics-lovers etc.), really drawing those members in. That being said, the opposite was also true – quite a few times I found myself confused during the act since the topics were too niche for the average university student to understand (even if it is Cambridge).

Image credits: Dik Ng

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Furthermore, when portraying accents, these were hard to understand and took away from the comedic aspect as no one heard the punchline. As a result, certain sketches fell a bit flat when they had potential to make the audience roar with laughter. However, standout sketches (without giving too much away) include a Bond licence to kill/driving test collab, a twist on the classic PGL trip, a sketch highlighting the joys of working from home and a confusion over directions to reach a courtroom. My personal favourite (a guitar song about wanting a posh woman) topped this list which illustrates the wide range of themes, storylines and level of crudeness in this show.

Whilst it’s obvious comedy resonates with some people more than others, I felt that at times the humour was a bit childish and first-schoolish. Several sketches are focussed on excretion and urine which whilst funny at first, felt overdone by the end. The actual set and lighting of the stage is basic but enhances the performance rather than making it boring. Additionally, the different types of sketches are advantageous in engaging the audience for two hours – video sketches and ones that “broke the fourth wall” are integrated between the usual style.

Image credits: Dik Ng

Although there were a few technical hitches (sounds missing between sketches and played at incorrect times), in general transitions between sketches are smooth flowing. The actors are clearly talented and professional, however at times the actors broke character. Whilst I found this funny, it’s important to recognise that it did ruin the flow of the sketch and is something that should ideally be avoided. The actors’ costumes are simple (grey t-shirt and dark grey trousers), something I have no opinion on as it neither detracted from the performance nor added a great deal, but I appreciate its practicality.

Overall, Footlights Spring Revue is worth the watch because it’s guaranteed you will laugh at something due to the sheer diversity of sketches from this talented cast. Let’s be honest, we all need some laughter (and chaos) at Cambridge.

3.5/5

Footlights Spring Revue 2025: Chaos Theory is showing at the ADC Theatre from Tuesday 25th February to Saturday 1st March. Get your tickets here.

Featured image credits: Dik Ng