The Exeter Revue hosted its first Open-Mic night of the year at Oddfellows pub on 11 October, with a whole host of new and old students performing to a sizeable crowd.
The event, hosted in the cosy surroundings of the upstairs section of the New North Road pub, is well attended by a mixture of wannabe comedians and excitable pundits. Kicking off the proceedings at around 8:15pm is society President Jack Smail, who warms up the audience with some excellently delivered if a little groan inducing gags.
The mic is open to anyone who wishes to come up and perform, which contributes to a warm and friendly atmosphere as the first act, Amedeo Felix, gets up to perform. A debutant for the society, Felix shows little signs of nerves as he dispatches a confident set that plays on, amongst other topics, the well-worn stereotype of the British Weather. His segment on the irony of pornography is also well received, although his final gag about a girl losing a finger in a nightclub drags a tad.
Next up is George Young, whose witty observations on the bizarre history of onions in cooking and irrational fears surrounding salmonella go down a treat with the student heavy audience. Christopher Jenkins, however, goes one better and draws heavy laughter on the subject of Panda’s and their (lack of) reproductive abilities. It is Jack Edwards, though, who really sets the room alight. Making the bold decision to perform his entire set in verse form, he brings howls from the crowd with poems such as ‘Netflix and don’t touch me’ and ‘The Great British Bake Off,’ that offer brilliant and relatable insight into student life at a distinctly middle class university.
Following Edwards is a tough ask, but one that Exeposé editor and Staffordshire-born redhead Sarah Gough makes look very straightforward. Being the first female comedian of the evening plays into her hands well, and her use of accents make her observations about her parents and people she met inter-railing infinitely more entertaining.
The stand-out performer of the evening, however, is undoubtedly debutant Josh Holmes. With a stage presence of a seasoned expert, Holmes interacts with the audience superbly, and his set ties in running jokes fantastically to bring the audience close to tears. A highlight is his use of physical comedy in portraying a cycle home from the supermarket, weighed down with bags.
The night is wrapped up by Louisa Griffith-Jones and Darren Walsh, who both play on stereotypes to accompany their observational comedy. Walsh’s particular brand of comedy strays a little close to the line of political incorrectness for my own personal taste, but is generally well received.
In all, the night represents an unqualified success for The Exeter Revue. All of the acts were well rehearsed and enjoyable, whilst the free entry ensured a more than respectable turn out for a Sunday evening. The society intends to host more nights at Oddfellows in the future, and on the basis of this event, they should have no qualms about doing so.
