ComedyFest 2025 review
‘Never did I think I would hear the line, “You’re a Mr Muscle whore” on the Gala stage, but I did, and it was fantastic.’
It was no surprise walking into the Gala theatre, that it was absolutely packed and buzzing with people ready to see not only Durham’s own Durham Revue, but also the Leeds Tealights and the Cambridge Footlights. The audience is welcomed in by our two comperes of the night, Nat Pryke and Sam Bentley, who are also writers for the revue. Sam and Nat are a magnetic duo who bring so much energy onto stage, hitting the exact right balance between exciting the audience for what is coming, and a light teasing of the non-Durham troupes. Sorry Cambridge and Leeds!
The Leeds Tealights was the first troupe to take to the Gala stage, dressed in matching Burgundy shirts and baffling the audience with what can only be described as a rave dance to start their 25-minute set. Their set was excellent, and credit must be given to the number of out-of-pocket references they managed to squash – Flat Stanley, Michael Collins, and the Strictly curse being some of my favourites. I absolutely loved the first men on the moon sketch, and I’m sorry Neil Armstrong, but I can only wish that man’s first words on the moon were actually ‘its Moon Time!!’. Alas. Whilst some of their longer sketches did feel overstretched, the Leeds Tealights shone through their shorts – specifically the three male actors wishing fervently on a shooting star, only to then look in their trousers and let out a dejected sigh. Overall, the Leeds Tealights were a brilliant way to start this night of comedy!
The Cambridge Footlights were next, bringing us a set of sketches that ranged from James Bond’s ‘license to kill’ becoming only provisional, to a serial killer protest. Undoubtedly, their best sketch was one set in a boxing match, where there was to be no hitting below the belt, and one of the troupe members slowly raised her belt until it was high above her head, making her untouchable. Another strong sketch was when a detective figure went on increasingly long metaphors to put the wrong man behind bars – the concept of crime being like golf balls was very out of pocket, but very funny! However, I thought that their final sketch, one about a massive talking gnome, failed to hit quite the right notes, with the meta-aspects of the actors discussing the merits of their writing feeling a bit forced and confusing, and the sketch not having a proper ending.
After the interval, the long-awaited Durham Revue finally took to the stage, and it was completely worth the anticipation. There was honestly not a weak moment throughout their hour performance, from their hilarious introductions (did you know that Sam was short for Sandwich?) right until their final sketch, the entire audience was kept laughing the entire time. Endless praise must be given to Alannah O’Hare, who played each character effortlessly and with a conviction that left you confident in her immense comedic talent. Her performances of both Ocean Breeze and Henry VIII were fantastic, mentioning in the Henry the Eighth sketch that ‘most people worship me’ - after tonight, so did the audience. Jude Battersby was another stand-out performer, with his facial expressions leaving me cackling. He held the stage completely in every scene he was in, with even an eyebrow lift sending the audience into pieces. Alice Barr excelled in her performance, with her one-liners and strong sense of physicality dazzling the audience, and praise must be given to her dedication, getting into full clown attire and makeup within seconds. Phoenix Ashworth was another brilliant performer, knee-sliding into every role he took on (literally); he brought so much energy onto the stage, and I am not convinced that he ever stopped moving throughout the performance. Finally, Lex Irish was also fabulous, and had the audience cackling at his incredible switch-ups from his intensity in characters such as Gollum and James Bond to his regular self.
When watching this performance, what was truly amazing was the writing talent of all members of the Durham Revue troupe. Not a second of their hour performance wasn’t used to the max, and the sheer amount of different sketches they had was insane, with each packing a different hilarious punchline. Standouts include the Bear Grylls sketch, with Battersby stealing the scene with his portrayal of Grylls, and the Trojan Horse scene, with classical references effectively intermingled with modern ones, the Four Wise Men, and the Mr Muscle Sketch. Never did I think I would hear the line, ‘You’re a Mr Muscle whore’ on the Gala stage, but I did, and it was fantastic.
Comedyfest 2025 was not one to be missed – all three troupes brought so much life into the Gala theatre, with the Durham Revue establishing it as a night not to soon be forgotten.
By Nell Hickson.