KATHERINE MACALISTER talks to the president of Oxford Revue about keeping up the comedy legacy

Will Truefitt is very aware of the legacy of humour he has inherited, and its mantle presses down on him at every opportunity. But Will views his position as Oxford Revue President with a refreshing degree of realism, saying that at the very least its turnover means that there is a constant source of fresh faces and material to be had. “It’s always a new animal,” he points out.

Bear in mind the likes of Michael Palin, Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Terry Jones, Ian Hislop and Josie Lawrence paved the way, to name but a few, and you’ll understand his position. And yet Will is entirely unfazed by his comedic ancestry, believing that the talent being aired on stage this Saturday night at the Oxford Playhouse, is able to hold its own.

Sharing the stage with both the Cambridge Footlights and the Durham Revue will also dilute the expectation somewhat. “Instead of competing, we are going to mix the groups up, plus we have MC Naz Osman who will being his bombastic dynamism to the show,” Will promises. “Because while I’m all for oneupmanship and showmanship, you don’t want it to be fractious like University Challenge.”

As president, Will not only needs to nurture the acts, but audition the future’s comedy hopefuls and spot talent when he sees it, something which he says this year has been easy to do. “I have been very lucky this year, and as well as finding some sharp young comics there are some really strange comedy interpretations as well, so it’s really exciting. In fact it’s amazing and intriguing how different the culture and tone is of the different acts in 2013.”

There were also “an unprecedented amount” of Oxford University students auditioning for the Oxford Revue this year. So how does Will choose who goes forward into the Oxford line-up? “That’s a good question because the audition process can be very isolating, so we give the candidates material to perform, organise them into groups and assign them different roles, so its quite an arduous process and a big responsibility,” he admits.

“But I also have to maintain a diplomatic stance and think about what other people might make of it, even if it doesn’t appeal to my own personal sense of humour.“ Collecting together a taskforce of about 50 comics, which includes writers and devisers as well as the comedians, the troupe then holed up in Devon at a writers’ retreat over the holidays to refine the show.

So what can we expect? “The Playhouse is an amazing venue and we want to bring our best material possible, as well as incidental sketches woven in throughout, before we take it off to Edinburgh’s Fringe. So this is our ‘best of....’”

Still, it’s a lot of work for someone studying English at Somerville. “It’s been quite full on,” Will grins, “but it’s always worth the extra work for me because I get to put my own stamp on things which is a real privilege.”

  • Join The Oxford Revue on Saturday as it unites with its biggest sketch comedy rivals, The Cambridge Footlights and The Durham Revue. Call 01865 305305 or book at oxfordplayhouse.com