Review of the UKErevue 2024

On Thursday, 3rd of October, UKA in Ås kicked off with the student premiere of the UKE Revue "Slutt å fjÅs" – a year-long project that culminates in 11 performances held throughout UKA, running until the 25th of October. Tuntreet attended the premiere to review the revue and left Aud Max highly satisfied.

Journalist: Kine Lie
Translator: Mathilde Buttedahl

Strong Performances All Around

What a talented group on the Aud Max stage this October! Throughout the performance, it’s clear that much work has gone into the directing, writing, music, props, set design, and especially the acting. More than once, I found myself thinking, “They’re only eight actors on stage; how do they pull it off?” With scripts, dance, and song typically covered by around 15-20 people in other revues, here we see eight students delivering a performance every bit as impressive. Hats off!

The actors’ enthusiasm and commitment don’t waver for a single sketch – they maintain a high energy level throughout the show, and the audience can’t notice a hint of hesitation. All the actors deliver strong singing performances as well, showcasing a range of styles from rap to pop and everything in between. Their synchronization in dances and movements is spot-on, and it’s clear early on that a lot of effort went into each sketch.

Naturally, the actors' performances are elevated by an outstanding live band. The direction makes great use of the band, with an atmospheric song at the start of the second act. The band are even included in sketches as extras. In addition to the story interacting well with both the band and audience, the stage space is well-utilized with different levels and a staircase. This setup allows the show to transition smoothly between scenes, as one sketch ends on one side of the stage, and another begins on the other.

Good Satire

As in most revues, we’re served plenty of relevant satire. The highlights of the Trump-Biden feud are recreated and naturally the constant drama surrounding Marius Borg Høiby. The sketch about Høiby is humorously resolved when Mette-Marit enters to downplay and defend “little Marius’s” actions. Gro Harlem Brundtland also makes an appearance as a motherly figure to Jonas Gahr Støre, comforting him as he has nightmares about “monsters” from other parties – such as Erna Solberg and Bjørnar Moxnes. Brundtland’s comforts him and symbolises the “real” leader of the party, constantly having to guide Jonas.

Another satirical sketch that receives a great audience response focuses on the UN and human rights. A quirky lecturer presents on the UN and human rights, reminding us how they work. This is a sketch with many layers: the lecturer is portrayed as a whimsy teacher who has played around with PowerPoint and filled her presentation with various effects and images. The audience's reaction shows that everyone has had a teacher like this, and the satire surrounding human rights enforcement is cleverly executed. The satire is somewhat dark but highly topical, hitting the nail on the head. Unfortunately, this doesn’t hold true for the entire show.

An Odd Thread on Paedophilia

Several times during the performance, both I and friends were puzzled by why paedophilia became a recurring theme. Early on, a group of dermatologists sing about how they’ve found a loophole for their paedophilia by giving older people a moisturizer that makes them look younger. This way, they can sleep with people who appear underage without breaking the law. The sketch and its message come across as both random and narrow, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste rather than a smile. The same undertone appears in other sketches later, which initially had different themes. We were left scratching our heads, unable to see the humour in it.

Similarly, there’s a sketch on partner violence. Something which initially is a quite dark, and relevant theme, is attempted to make humorous – with an emphasis on attempted. The attempt fails miserably. The song’s solution, sung by the women, is to kill men before they can kill them – before the girls concludes with killing everyone. Despite well-written lyrics and solid delivery, the song feels tasteless and random, and the content again feels narrow and random.

Must-See

Despite some simple humour and a too-predictable Temu sketch, the revue is a must-see. Even when the content might have come across as a bit tasteless or simplistic, the impressive and professional performances had me overlooking the obvious weaknesses. This year’s UKE Revue is a major success, and the entire team onstage and backstage should be immensely proud of themselves and each other. If you haven’t already secured yourself a ticket, do it quickly!