REVIEW: The Manchester Revue, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

The world is about to end. To save it, Manchester University’s sketch group must perform for the god of theatre, Dionysus. Will they succeed? Who knows! Can they impress a god? Maybe! Is this a thin guise under which five students can loosely throw together a random assortment of jokes, vignettes, and sketches? Yes! Is it a totally riotous and tightly-choreographed show? Absolutely!

As soon as the show begins, it is clear the fresh-faced quintet love what they do; their energy is infectious from start to finish in a way which reminded me how fun sketch comedy can be. Through each sketch, there is a real enthusiasm for the scene, and a total dedication to drawing every last bit of laughter out of a joke, using every weapon in their arsenal for maximum comic impact. What is shocking to me is that in this group, there is no ‘straight man’, no actor who shrinks to the background and allows the comedy of the others to shine. Each performer is 100% committed to their role within the scene and plays it to perfection, exaggerating every movement, micro expression, and vocalisation for total hilarity. 

What sets this group of performers apart from other student sketch groups is how entirely slick they are. Each line, each movement, each glance to the audience is so polished and tightly-honed that the show feels like a well-oiled laugh factory where any excess material has been neatly trimmed away, leaving us with a lean hour of quick-witted sketches. We have coincidences, a sexy Nanny McPhee, a 10-second commentary on homophobia, and an overly sensitive GP. The show barrels along at lightning speed, introducing us to new settings, characters, and comic worlds within seconds, giving the audience just enough time to grasp the joke, then by the time they are finished laughing, a new setting with a new set of characters has appeared before our eyes.

I would love to see a version of this show where we got to spend more time with the characters, allowing for more room to see each performer’s individual merits. However, I have no doubt that as the show develops, the troupe will allow themselves to loosen the sketches slightly, connect with the audience, and find moments to play within some scenes. 

The writing of each sketch is also superb, toeing the line perfectly between relatability and the totally surreal. A great example of this is a sketch which revolves around wearing new jeans out, hoping for a compliment. This mundanity quickly descends into well-rehearsed chaos, with the cast working together to create an acapella jazz number, with exaggerated Chicago-style choreography, as each performer individually begs to know where those jeans are from. The five of them clearly revel in the absurdity and everywhere you look onstage is a visual feast of movement and gurning.

When the time comes to bring it back down to earth with the punchline of the sketch (which I won’t spoil here), its normality reminds you of the everyday nature of the sketch’s premise, making you question how on earth such a juxtaposing song-and-dance could develop from it (which makes you laugh all the more). These five are clearly talented writers and performers, who are all reading from the same songbook, which is a rare find. 

Energetic, slick, and totally funny, The Manchester Revue perfectly demonstrates why sketch is still relevant. I can’t wait to follow these performers in future projects as they develop further… although maybe next time with a more catchy title 😉

Recommended Drink: Apple Sourz or whatever the youths are drinking these days.

Performances of The Manchester Revue have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.