What happens when you put an army of young working professionals together and allow them to use the stage as their creative outlet? For those not already in the know, The Revue is an annual artistic get-together by Carbolic Productions very akin to popular comedy variety show Saturday Night Live.
Last Call is another jam-packed program featuring a fun and facetious smorgasbord of skits, jokes, videos, live music, dance and even the odd informercial thrown in for good measure. This year’s shindig has been set up to be the ‘best party in town’ and for the most part, they do deliver the goods.
The main over-arching storyline centres around a group of friends at the aftermath of a party which feels much like the premise of Hollywood flick The Hangover. Interspersed between their piecing together the night before and the lineup of short sketches, the audience are also treated to tunes by Revue house band “The Look”.
From hilarious puns and comic one-liners to silent film mimicry and satirical musical numbers, there is a little something for everyone. Particularly enjoyable and impressive was the hip hop performance near the end of act one – judging by the applause that was the clear crowd favorite of the night.
With such a massive cast and the narrative made up of so many varying vignettes there are a lot of moving cogs in this show. It is no surprise then that it requires a band of directors to pull the whole thing together and credit must be given to Shuchi Ghosh, Alysha Jensen and Shawn Moodie for managing to bring such a massive operation to the stage.
There are some solid comedic gems but there were also some misses. The main plot point didn’t feel altogether necessary while the format of this style of show unavoidably involved a lot of fading in and out and logistical activity which did feel quite distracting. The infectious energy of the cast does somewhat make up for it and the inclusion of the band in the proceedings was definitely a welcome break as well.
The Revue 2017: Last Call is an entertaining albeit mixed bag but with such an eclectic selection on offer, there will be something to tickle everyone’s funny bone. For a night out at the theatre that offers something a little different, give this a go.
Check out Carbolic Productions to find out more about this project and follow them to be in the know about next year’s Revue.
comedy | theatre | live entertainment | performing arts 