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Following the BBC’s decision to cancel Mock the Week, this show provides refreshing proof that political satire is alive and well.
Opening with Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and Nadine Dorries performing a medley of songs from The Greatest Showman – with reworked lyrics becoming a homage to the man who possibly believed the title belonged to him – the versatility and talent of the team is clear from the start.
This isn’t just a sketch show or a dissection of the week’s news, it’s a mixture of songs, sketches and the occasional one-liner, all carefully crafted to hit their target without ever forgetting its first aim is to make audiences laugh.
The Conservative party leadership contest, that seems designed to blur the lines between politics and parody, means that they account for the largest share of the jokes. But his isn’t a party political show. Wherever you are on the political spectrum you’re likely to find much to laugh at and recognise the caricatures of party leaders, as proved by a closing routine that saw a similar musical medley of S Club 7 songs by the Labour Party and Nicola Sturgeon singing a reworked version of It’s Raining Men.
The four performers – Camille Hainsworth-Staples, Charlie Keable, Edward Bourne, and Phoebe Coop – alongside musical director Kieran Stallard and the team of writers that work on the show, also move way beyond the obvious and immediate targets. This is a show with a broad brush approach to current affairs that moves effortlessly from Covid to climate change, Trump to Biden, and much more.
Occasionally they miss the mark, most notably an Ant and Dec ‘Heating or Eating’ game show parody that feels like it was hastily written. But elsewhere they offer unique and imaginative takes on issues from the last three years. Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance reflecting on their time in the limelight and the chances of them returning to TV screens in the event of a new strain of the virus, was a particular highlight that showed there is still a fresh approach to Covid that can be taken by comedians.
A solid hour of satire that can cheer you up while the world falls apart.
Pleasance at EICC, to 28 August (not 22)
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