"A wonderful marriage of satire and silliness"-Parahoops @ Winston Theatre

By Sabrina Miller, first year English Literature

Sabrina Miller reviews the sketch comedy troupe Revunions' latest performance.

Parahoops is a wonderful marriage of witty satire and down right silliness. Comprised of dozens of short sketches, the performance knits together in a hilarious explosion of energy and enthusiasm for an evening you certainly don't want to miss.

In Parahoops, the Revunions use the guise of humour to explore some of today's most pressing issues. One sketch, short but very sharp, begins with a man on a train miming the action of scrolling through what is assumed to be his phone. His fellow commuter then asks if he can “stroke the man’s gerbil” - which is in fact what the actor is miming. The moment offers both a wonderful insight into our 21st century obsession with technology, and is amusing in its simplicity. Simplicity is one of Parahoops's defining features, as Revunions impressively use minimal props and an empty stage to their advantage.

"the Revunions use the guise of humour to explore some of today's most pressing issues"

The comedians go on to tackle issues of prejudice in the hilarious game show “Spot that woman of colour!”, which proves all too difficult for its contestants. The group also points out the importance of diversity in the mock company ‘Johns and Johnsons’ - performers note that what the company really needs to broaden its demographic is men with names other than ‘John’.

Scattered alongside these politically fueled sketches are some equally amusing scenes, which focus on the absurdities of modern life. The audience are reminded that even if a cruise ship is about to sink, the stock market about to plummet, and our children have been kidnapped for ransom, Quick Quid will be able to bale us out - even if the boiler is broken as well! Another fan favorite is the ‘high five sketch’ - actors explore the truly traumatizing reality of being ‘too slow’ in an overly melodramatic, but ultimately hysterical, sketch that leaves the audience in stitches. Purely comic interludes aside, the observations which the sketches make throughout are exceedingly insightful, despite the deceptive light-heartedness of Revunions' comedic style.

"the actors are bold and their cartoonish characters nothing but entertaining"

Overall, whilst one or two sketches fall short most strike gold, winning well deserved laughs from the audience. Transitions from scene to scene are polished so that nothing feels disjointed; the actors are bold and their cartoonish characters nothing but entertaining. Revunions should be commended for its originality and all-round fantastic show.

★★★★

(Featured image credits: Unsplash / Jens Johnsson)

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