The Magical Mystery Tour – Freshers’ Play 2013

Questionable Russian accents, too many puns to count and a stoned panda – the 2013 Freshers’ Play.

‘The Magical Mystery Tour’ is a two hour show at Bedlam Theatre consisting of ten minute sketches based on Beatles song titles. I went in with little expectations, but the creativity and witty writing was remarkable considering the time restraints.

Only in Freshers’ Play!

The show was opened with ‘Back in the USSR’. This is where the dodgy Russian accents came in. A four piece band travelling back to the USSR from Edinburgh with each country being stereotypically and hilariously represented by two cross-dressing students. Total anarchy ensued, with fake moustaches constantly falling off and one character being slapped to the floor every other line.

The Beatles reunited?

Highlights included ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ which took inspiration from two of the most well-known celebrities in Edinburgh – the pandas. The female was a nymphomaniac. The male a ‘bamboo’ chain-smoker. Both at an American restaurant with a particularly annoying (but hilarious) bear waiter. These girls got the biggest laughs of the night, and with their bear-based puns and commitment to their characters, you couldn’t help but laugh.

Loving the rollerskates! The pandas not so much…

Another very current topic inspired a ‘Keremy Jiles’ sketch in which David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Boris Johnson sit down to talk out their differences. Throughout all the sketches there were constant Freshers’ Week references, poking fun at the infamous ‘Snap Fax’ man, those all too excitable people in halls and generally drinking too much – all spot on.

Overall, this year’s Freshers’ Play were really enjoyable to watch, and you couldn’t help but be impressed at what they achieved in their first couple of weeks here in Edinburgh.