EdFringe Review: Remember, Remember!

While history is traditionally written by the victors, in the case of Remember, Remember, it is being rewritten by London-based company WIT? Theatre with a deep love for high camp. Playing at the Pleasance Dome, this new comedy musical takes the 1605 Gunpowder Plot and turns it into a slick, irreverent, and fast-paced romp. Think Operation Mincemeat meets Horrible Histories, heavily dusted with anachronistic culture.

The production centres around the infamous Catholic conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament, repositioning the historical conspirators into a ridiculous, highly choreographed double act. Bungling mastermind Robert Catesby (co-writer Kluane Saunders) and delightfully suave fall guy Guy Fawkes (co-writer Lucy Buncombe) anchor the narrative brilliantly, with Catesby watching his “Rob-o-lutionaries” get hijacked by history’s most renowned explosives expert.

They are flanked by a tyrannical, effeminate King James I (Ross Tomlinson) and Tom O’Kelly in a brilliantly chaotic array of supporting roles, including a memorably busty, accent-ridden Anne of Denmark. The entire cast attacks the material with an infectious, high-energy commitment. Directed with a sure hand by Alex Pritchett, the staging makes excellent use of the Queen Dome space, keeping the pace blistering from the moment the lights go down. With musical director Isabella Guilar anchoring the silliness from the keyboard, every performer seems aligned in leaning into the ridiculousness of the premise with bright-eyed, unapologetic glee.

Sketch Comedy Pacing and the Search for Musical Earworms

However, the show’s greatest strength—its relentless, rapid-fire humour—does come at a little cost. Relying quite so heavily on a specific, heightened style of gag delivery, the production occasionally feels like a Saturday Night Live sketch stretched just a little too thin. What prevents the show from ever dragging is the sheer talent and willpower of the performers.

The creative team is also so determined to inject a punchline into absolutely every single line of the libretto that composing a memorable banger seems to come in second place. Numbers like “Just Blow It Up!” are unquestionably fun in the moment, driving the plot forward and giving the cast plenty of opportunities to chew the scenery, but I didn’t leave humming any of the tunes. In my opinion, at least, if the show is to enjoy a long shelf life, at least one proper earworm will be needed.

Despite these critiques, there is no denying that this is a first-class piece of Fringe musical theatre. It knows exactly what it wants to be: a joyful, fantastically lighthearted hour of historical revisionism that encourages the audience to sit back and laugh… a lot! This is a polished piece of Fringe escapism that I guarantee you will enjoy.

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