Review: Science Revue - ABsCience

The Arts are out, STEM is in, and Play School is in trouble.

Image: Angus Crampton

So begins 2022’s Science Revue ABsCience: a spectacular showcase of music, dance, and comedy that revels in reliving and reimagining iconic media and experiences from childhood. The show, directed by Harry Charlesworth and Skye McLeod, was a roaring success that was both thoroughly amusing and, in the words of one scandalised parent, “a little raunchy.”

In the glorious tradition of university revues, the cast was bolstered by plenty of students from the Arts faculty (half the contact hours of STEM students really frees up time to partake in uni life). Nevertheless, the subjects tackled throughout the night certainly covered a breadth of scientific disciplines, exploring the differences in biology between vampire and victim, the chemistry between a man and his Roomba, and a meditation on the physics of making a playground swing perform a full revolution. Last but not least, even earth and environmental sciences received a shout out in a climate crisis-inspired rendition of ‘The Rainbow Connection’, featuring a pair of star-crossed lovers: a poisonous jellyfish and a hunk of plastic waste. 

Undoubtedly, the show’s writing was at its best when it took simple concepts and executed them cleanly. A barbershop quartet running an actual barbershop, a pair of bros ‘shooting hoops’ at croquet practice, and a terrible terabyte joke were three of the night’s most effective sketches. Another hit was the Ibis ballet: an ensemble piece that oozed restraint yet had the audience in stitches. What stood out about this segment was that took something widely maligned and imbued it with grace and beauty — a refreshing break from the impulse to 'crude-ify' something innocent or nostalgic (don’t get me wrong, the sketch where the formulas to save humanity are “C=3” and “80085” brought the house down, but this was a great change of pace).

What’s more, a major strength of the show was its ‘more is more’ approach to, well, most things. Costumes were gaudy, glitzy, and frequently changing, and the revue’s brilliant backing band became as much a part of the show as the performers themselves: standing for solos, participating in sketches, and generally exuding a brassy, slightly cocky sense of playfulness that set the tone for the whole show. There was also ‘more’ in the sense of the physical number of people onstage: a cast size of over 30 across singing, dancing, and acting troupes gave a sense of gravitas to the opening and closing numbers, helping the performance avoid the common revue pitfall of too few, too timid singers. Another happy surprise was the prop work incorporated throughout the show, with cast members deftly wielding knives, swords, and bras inside of bras to great effect. 

However, the same big numbers that gave the show its sense of spectacle were also its least polished. There were some sound hiccups throughout the performance, particularly when handheld mics were held a little close by some performers, and the differing vocal strengths of the cast were most on show during these moments. 

Nevertheless, in terms of spirit, this cast had it in spades. Whilst I would have liked to see what the ‘Sex education escape room experience’ actually entailed after it was teased all night, the show’s major framing device — the quest to secure additional funding for Play School by incorporating more STEM content — came to an unexpected and hilarious conclusion as Jemima, Big Ted, and the rest of the ABC program’s cast show the kids at home how to make a nuclear fusion reactor. 

Overall, Science Revue 2022 was a triumphant return to the revue space for the second time in 2022 after several years spent in lockdown, and will certainly be a tough act to follow next year.