Review: Eurovision Your Decision at Royal Vauxhall Tavern

11 May

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

If you’re a Eurovision fan, Eurovision Your Decision at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, an iconic LGBTQ+ venue with the perfect atmosphere for this show, is an ideal way to spend an evening during the week leading up to the 2025 Eurovision grand final. The show is an affectionate send-up of Eurovision’s greatest (and most gloriously ridiculous) hits, capturing the spirit, humour, and camp energy of the infamous annual contest.

Writer and director Tim McArthur has crafted a show that both parodies and celebrates Eurovision. Drawing on 14 iconic Eurovision performances, McArthur mines the maximum comedy from every moment. The format sees each act introduced by a pre-recorded video, narrated by Matt Richardson, with tongue-in-cheek commentary. During the interval, audience members vote for the winning act via a QR code, providing an interactive element to the show. In the second act, while the audience’s “pubic” votes are counted and verified, our hosts return to the stage to collect the jury votes from representatives of the countries taking part, complete with awkward flirting and frozen camera feeds, before the final winner is crowned. The show then culminates in the winning act delivering an encore performance (and, of course, some ABBA for good measure).

Michelle Taylor’s costumes are a genuine highlight, with countless quick changes and lovingly recreated looks that Eurovision fans will instantly recognise. The aesthetic is gloriously over the top - just as it should be.

The cast of four (Lucy Penrose, Tim McArthur, David McMullan, and Jo Wickham) are impressively versatile, switching characters and styles throughout the show. Hosts Katie (Penrose) and Dimitrius (McArthur) lead the charge with hysterically awkward chemistry, while all four performers throw themselves wholeheartedly into each number, whether that’s with manic energy or a hilariously deadpan delivery.

Eurovision Your Decision is now in its fifth year and it’s clear to see why it’s become an annual tradition for so many audience members. With audience singalongs, interactive voting, adult humour, and infectious enthusiasm, it’s a joyous lead-up to this year’s grand final on 17th May.

Eurovision Your Decision runs at Royal Vauxhall Tavern until 17th May 2025.

Tickets are available here: https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26510/eurovision-your-decision