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Review: Footlights Spring Revue 2020 – ‘Crossed Wires’

Precisely the quality we’ve come to expect from Cambridge’s comedic heavyweights


Last night a group of very funny people took to the ADC stage to premiere some of the finest sketch comedy that Cambridge has to offer. A whole two hours of sketches is no mean feat but this year’s graduating Footlights provided a plethora of comedic skill that kept us all chuckling throughout.

The theme 'crossed wires' has very little to do with much of the show, but it did provide us with Michelle Spielberg’s fully functional switchboard set and more corded phones than one would expect in this day and age. The lack of a distinctive and coherent overall thread actually doesn’t impact the quality of the comedy at all. In fact, I found it refreshing that there was so little reliance on running gags for quick laughs. Each new sketch was something original and utterly insane.

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Dragon's Den – Pied Piper Edition Photo: Michelle Spielberg

From Princess Diana to Greta Thunberg, Doctor Who to Bake off, nothing is safe from their comedic clutches. But even as we sail from JFKs assassination to Jesus’ career in the royal navy by way of foot fetishes, it always felt that we were being guided. Everything felt very carefully choreographed, right down to the transition music between scenes which was often so well-selected it had me laughing harder than the actual sketch. I mean, really, how do you put Backstreet Boys, Cher, Gracie Fields and the Proclaimers in the same show and make it work?

The transitions weren’t the only musical talent demonstrated, however, as this cohort of Footlights certainly didn’t shy away from a bit of song and dance. There were adaptations of Les Mis for the purposes of an estate agent as well as entirely new numbers about creepy boyfriends and 18th century teens lamenting about not being able to find appropriate husbands.

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Photo: Michelle Spielberg

That sketch was particularly notable not only for the quality of the singing but also for featuring a whole host of wild topics including incest, bestiality, underage sex and, of course, a healthy dose of audience humiliation.

The taboo generally features quite heavily throughout the show, whether that be political or social controversy, or just delightfully crude humour. I did, at times, feel like some topics could be treated with a touch more sensitivity – eliciting a shocked gasp from the audience is not quite the same as an actual chuckle.

Overall, however, I found the lack of PC restraint quite liberating. It is clear (because, of course, it’s joked about) that this talented bunch of people know that they are amongst the most diverse group the Footlights has ever seen. This sadly doesn't speak to much as the cast are still overwhelmingly white and middle class, although at least there are women other than just Emma Thompson.

There is undeniably still a long way to go but it’s encouraging to see timely issues embraced unashamedly – not least because they’re usually so damn funny.

4/5 stars

Cover: Michelle Spielberg