REMEMBER, REMEMBER!
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
★★★★
“the songs are fun it’s a genuinely fun story to tell”
Remember Remember! is a very silly, very camp retelling of the Gunpowder Plot, which, as we’re told at the beginning of the show, took place in England ‘literally ages ago’. Four figures enter the stage in dark brown cloaks as a David Attenborough-style voiceover sets the scene, before we’re launched into a musical comedy about Guy Fawkes, and the events leading up to the fifth of November; which they assure us are all definitely actually accurate.
Lucy Buncombe as Guy Fawkes puts on a particularly comical voice and physical characterisation. I think there is potential for more physical comedy here though and I would have liked to see the cast push the different characters further. The costumes, with the cast wearing ruffs and pantaloon-style shorts, are really fun.
As with most at the Fringe, the set is minimal, but the design here does a good job at leaning into the show’s humour. The back wall is covered with portraits of familiar faces from gay pop culture dressed in the style of the period, including Katie Price, Graham Norton and Kim Woodburn. It’s a really nice idea which gives the show plenty of personality and let’s you know what you’re in for from the start.
The songs are similarly fun. They’re jaunty, silly and performed really nicely by the four-strong cast, who have good voices and bounce off each other well. There are some lovely moments where they get to properly use their singing voices, and I would have liked a bit more of this. I think the score could also lean a little more into the parody-world if it wanted to; there a few obvious references, but they’re either not super consistent, or just too subtle for most people to catch.
Whilst most of the show is really entertaining, the comedy could definitely be pushed further. Perhaps it’s because it’s late in the Fringe run, but it felt like there was quite a lot of air between the jokes, and it’s definitely the type of show that needs to play at a snappier, faster pace. There are also references which already feel a little dated, including jokes about the viral ‘read the standing orders’ council meeting and Rebecca Vardy’s account. These are quite specific moments in recent British internet culture, and I wonder if updating some of these references might help the show feel a little fresher. One of the highlights for me was the final song which Tom O’Kelly performs with the sort of fever-dream energy of a Eurovision entry.
However, there’s a lot to like here. The four performers have a great dynamic together, the songs are fun it’s a genuinely fun story to tell. With a bit more development, especially around tightening the comedy and jazzing up some of the numbers more, I think Remember, Remember! could be an even bigger hit when it returns.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER!
Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Reviewed on 27th August 2026
by Joseph Dunitz
