An annual feature of Oxford’s comedy calendar, The Oxford Revue’s evening at the Playhouse — alongside their counterparts from Durham and Cambridge — is legendary.

The Revue has an illustrious history, having unearthed the likes of Michael Palin, Armando Iannucci and Richard Curtis in the past, and the show at the Playhouse is nearly always a sell-out.

Opening things up, the Durham Revue’s set is pretty hit and miss. Their sketches are nicely shaped, but seldom produce anything above titters and mild giggles. A few of the sketches could be very funny, but certainly need tightening up.

The Cambridge Footlights’ history is even more illustrious than the Revue’s. Their set is by far the best of the night with an array of clever and creative sketches that never go looking for an easy punchline.

The writing is sharp and witty and the objects of their satire are pleasantly diverse.

Particular highlights are Katy Bulmer’s poem on her obsession with Shakespeare and Alex Owen’s brilliant maths teacher.

As soon as the lights go down for the second half, a cheer rings through the Playhouse, the scale of which is usually reserved for boy bands.

Playing to a passionate crowd in your home town is a given, it’s quickly obvious that the Revue are playing to an audience concocted largely of peers, pals and proud parents, already won over before a gag was fired. There was no need to be original or even funny most of the time.

Their section is strewn with tired clichés, boring stereotypes and sketches which have punchlines you can guess within nanoseconds of them starting.

Though the constant mirth of the audience may not indicate as such, this evening sees Oxford beaten comfortably into third place, on their own patch, with a monumentally disappointing set.

Tom Goodwyn