I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little apprehensive about going to see the Medics Revue. I’d heard nothing but praise about previous performances but I was worried that it was simply a night out for medics with every joke going right over my head. However, it is safe to say that it didn’t disappoint – a really funny, well thought out production that isn’t just for medics.
Medics Revue is an originally written piece, performed by medics from all years at the University of Southampton and this year it was titled Fifty Shades of Gray’s Anatomy. I was laughing from the off, with a rendition of the ‘Friends theme tune’ ensuring a great start to the night. This is one of the first performances I have been to where every seat in the audience is filled, and although a small space was used, the set was well constructed and entertaining to say the least.
The “story” is set in a hospital with medical students and professionals coming together to form an MDT (one of the many medical terms I’ve picked up throughout). The characters are so well put together, with each of them possessing excellent personalities. Credit must be given to the actors for their use of accents in these roles; they sounded fantastic and I am still a little unsure as to whether they were real or put on.
One thing the Revue did exceptionally was scene transition. I find as a theatre goer that some scene changes can take time and I’d love for there to be something to entertain me as opposed to watching people walking on and off stage carrying various items. Medics Revue did just that. The tales of ‘Jimmy the Sperm’ and various other inserts left me breathless through laughter and were a fantastic addition. I was surprised, however, by the vocal talent of some of the cast. With the expectation of it all ‘being a bit of a laugh’, I imagined the singing to be the same, but their rendition of Les Mis favourite ‘One Day More’ entitled ‘Sperm No More’ really shone through as one of the most entertaining pieces of the night, and I am really impressed at the abilities of all of the actors involved.
I was interested to see the cast come out at the end of the interval to play ‘Heads or Tails’ with the audience, while a nice addition and a great way to raise money for charity, the performance was already long enough and I wasn’t sure if it was a valuable inclusion.
Special mention needs to go to Jey Jeyapala, Paul Kilgarriff and Alex Batty, their performances were phenomenal and special mention must go to Brendan Westhoff and Emily Mayo who wrote the whole script – something that is no easy task. The production and stage team deserve credit for the hard work they have put in to the production and the live band can’t go without a mention for the amazing talent.
All in all this was an excellent performance, and minus a few technical issues which are expected on an opening night, I thoroughly enjoyed this as a non-medic and would recommend it to anyone if they’re looking for a good laugh. Keep a look out for renditions of ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Call Me Maybe’ if you do go. Medics Revue is something I will definitely venture out and see again next year, and with all the money raised going to two nominated charities, Headlink and No Limits, it’s a worthwhile watch.
Medics Revue runs until Saturday with tickets at £5 for students. You can get tickets by emailing [email protected] but there is limited availability.
