Seven Raymonds

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A comic review troupe founded by various Oxford University undergraduates in 1987. Despite the name there were only six Raymonds and none of them was called Raymond.

These were Stewart Lee, Richard Herring (both well known comedians and writers), Richard Canning (a successful academic ^{[citation needed]} and writer on English and American literature presently working on a biography of the British novelist Ronald Firbank), Michael Cosgrave (renowned jazz musician formerly with Celtic band Sine and now with the bluegrass/jam band Daily Planet), Emma Williams (former President of the Oxford Review and now, known as Emma Kennedy, a British TV presenter, actress and writer) and Jo Renshaw.

They received some public acclaim when asked to support the Oxford Review at the Edinburgh Festival in 1987. However the troupe fell out over the continuing involvement of Jo Renshaw. After Jo was told she could not take part further, arguments ensued and Richard Canning subsequently walked out of the Troupe. Richard was replaced by comic writer Tim Richardson (now a journalist and writer for various British newspapers and magazine and recent author of a history of confectionary).

Despite the short lived nature of the troupe, they were one of many student comedy groups since Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s whose members have gone on to develop mainstream professional careers in the media, arts and comedy.