Revue’d: QUEER SPACE 9

If you’re a believer in the remedial powers of Paw Paw ointment, a big fan of our four-legged friends, or a stupol hack looking for fresh political talent in unusual places, this year’s Queer Revue might be exactly what you need to see.

Directed by Harriet Jane, Shevvi Barrett-Brown and Rory Nolan, Queer Space 9 offers sketch comedy that’s the perfect blend of wacky and relatable.

Queer Space 9 begins with a glamorous opening number loaded with exposition about the queer community’s escape from an increasingly hot and fascist Earth, and then quickly transitions into back-to-back skits and song parodies, replete with some classic Revue nudity. Although a couple of the more bizarre sketches may have missed the mark, the show’s strong cast was able to turn anything from a simple yawn to an alien screech into audience laughter. The better-written sketches are intelligent and #tooreal, and the show doesn’t let a comedic moment slip, turning even the intermission announcement into a punchline.

The cast is full of shining stars: Grace Franki and Chloe Farrington are particularly memorable as modern-day Rolf and Liesl; Aiden Magro gives a showstopping performance as a saucy Rasputin, and the talented new student politicians of the Mums for USU campaign will steal your heart in the best AV bit I’ve ever seen. Special mentions also to Ruby Innes, for her ability to make both Rupert Murdoch and a sentient wooden cross #relatable, and Holly Rose for her beautiful, if problematic, rendition of The Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World”.

The show’s main flaw was that it didn’t commit to its theme – despite the stunning galactic set design by Kate Zovaro, Lucy Ferris and Siobhan Jensen, the gorgeously inventive space-people costuming, and the occasional mention of Foam Party Planet; the sketches didn’t carry the compelling intergalactic escape story we were promised in the show’s marketing. The closing number is shaky and uncertain, hilarious only for its absurdity – the last habitable planet in the universe is Earth, and the only chance for survival is a queer-squid alliance.

The weak theme, however, doesn’t stop Queer Revue 9 from delivering the witty and creative sketch comedy we all love. So if you’re looking for a good night of laughs, interspersed with a healthy dose of confusion and millennial commiseration, then strap yourself in for your exciting journey to Queer Space 9.

This Saturday night, May 20, is your last chance to head to the Seymour Centre and catch the show.