Weather Afternoon: 12°c Light showers Tonight: 8°c Light showers

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteAn awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurancequote

Andrew O'Hagan 2012 Theatre

Fiona Mountford

quoteThe show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie Cquote

Fiona Mountford Blood Brothers Music

John Aizlewood

quoteThe British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeedquote

John Aizlewood Muse

Reader reviews

Theatre

Rachel Dalziel

quoteI was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining playquote

Gilbert Is Dead Restaurants

Raja, London

quoteI totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian foodquote

Babbo Music

Katy, London

quoteAlways been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!quote

Muse

Theatre & comedy reviews London,

The Mighty Boosh

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
O2 Academy Brixton
Stockwell Road, SW9 9SL

Evening Standard rating Bruce Dessau's rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review


Description: Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt bring their quirky TV show to the stage.


Trains: Tube/BR: Brixton Overground network, Tube / Bus: 2, 35, 37, 59, 109, 133, 159, 333, 432 Transport for London

Phone: 0844477 2000
Website: www.brixton-academy.co.uk
Email: mail@brixton-academy.co.uk

Extra info: Pub

 
Please wait the page is loading extra content
  • Show details
  • Hide details
  • Book Online
  • Show map
Close X

Directions

 

Illogical fun with The Mighty Boosh

By Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard  21.10.08
 
Mighty Boosh

Logic isn't their forte: Mighty Boosh

Look here too

Is this the sound of the comedy bubble bursting? Steve Coogan disappointed fans in Liverpool, a critic bid “good riddance” to French and Saunders, and Sarah Silverman was heckled for Sunday’s woefully short set. Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt’s Mighty Boosh tour has received mixed notices but in London they kept their stock afloat with an ebulliently crazy show.

The structure lacks reason but logic isn’t the Boosh forte. The first half was an extended introduction to various bizarre characters, from Fielding’s eight-legged Harrison to blinged-up shaman Naboo. The second half was a mock-earnest eco-drama by Julian Barratt’s alter ego Howard Moon, hijacked by Fielding’s swaggering Vince Noir.

Conventional punchlines are out, replaced by the duo’s vision of a surreal Morecambe and Wise. Fielding is a garrulous glam peacock, jazz-buff Barratt’s elbow patches hide a saucy secret. They could bicker for England and there is also a classic spot of score-settling with the Honey Monster, proving that, like cereal, revenge is a dish best served cold. 

This does not match the dizzyingly daft heights of their last tour but neither is it a rehash of their sitcom. An ill‑fitting pantomime cow of a show, yet with more than enough moments to keep the Boosh bandwagon rolling.

Until 25 Oct (08444 77 2000, www.themightyboosh.com)

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Reader reviews (10)

 Add your review

Saw the show last night at the O2. Love the TV series but found the show very weak. It seemed poorly put together, relied on smut for cheap laughs, and lacked any of the weird but cleaver twists and turns we love from the Boosh. They will have to work a lot harder to keep up the standard or I think that it might be time to move on.....for me and them!!

- Robert Hunt, London UK

I love the Boosh, I have watched ALL the programmes and last years live show so this year I knew I HAD to get tickets to see it no matter what. To be honest.. I was rather disappointed, they spent half the show introducing the characters, which was okay apart from the fact they've made Naboo into a pimp like rap star.. He was hardly in it though. There were funny parts in it but they were mostly using their show as an oppertunity to kick off their band. Eels was very good live and so were the other songs but I wish they had done a kind of play not just characters and music.

The sketch at the end was rather.. Weird.. It didn't really make much sense to me, where as I always get the boosh, this time I didn't. I think they are trying too hard to realise everything at once, their book, their band and their live tour, maybe they should just concentrate on one thing at a time.

- Becky, Essex

I really enjoyed seeing the mighty boosh t.v show and also the festival but was really dissapointed by last nights show which seemed at moments to over lap with the material performed at the festival. The best thing of the whole evening was the honey monster bit but in my mind it should have been a crimp off . I also was rather irritated by the fact the when i was outside the threatre and suddenly saw Mr noel fielding coming out i said ''Can i please grab autograph'' to which his big burly bouncer replied "you ain't grabbing nothing lady'' how rude is Mr noel to got to spare a little time to sign his name ?? or is he illiterate. On the other hand julian Barrett was very friendly and nice so was the chap who plays bollo so fareplay to them the seem down to earth and rather nice. There is no excuse for rudeness aspecially when you have three people wanting your autograph not thousands and all he was doing was going to a club 3 seconds away and not in a major hurry. what a drama queen his bouncer is !!

- Lou, Newbury

Saw the Boosh the other night in Bristol. I consider myself a huge fan and can quote all 3 seasons and the previous tour.

I loved the first half of the show especially Bob Fossil's skits. Coming back for the second half which started good but sadly went downhill.

People who attended seemed to laugh like an applause box on puchlines only. But it was half-hearted to say the least. Laughing for laughing's sake is just plain false.

Naboo might have well not turned up, he was hugely underused, Rich was the only member who didn't seem like he was going through the motions. All in all so glad I saw them but a big disapointment, I went for the Boosh and what I got was a 20 minute (seemed like 4 hour) concert of bad rock.
Guys stick to the comedy and throw the songs in as well just not all the time, if it was called The Mighty Boosh Musical I would have no problem with it.

But even the younger people watching felt robbed you could feel it in the air.

But they will never say because they feel they can't. But I will, it was pretty lame.

- Andrew, Cardiff

Helen I totally agree. The kids think they are so cool and laugh at anything they say. Vince says baguette and everyone is in fits, I don't get it. Proof that a good haircut can get you quite far these days.

I love the TV show for the mystical stories, characters, colours and quotes - I thought it was a kids TV show for adults. This live show is like a school pantomime; targeting people who still think swearing is clever for the comedic effect. Howard's musings were enough to keep me awake but every other part of the show was unprofessional and mostly completely forgettable.

- Nader, Southampton

Just saying what I saw, Michelle. And of course my opinion is no more valid than theirs. But it is as valid. And in my humble opinion, they sucked! If any Noel Fielding-worshipping teenager feels the need to defend their beloved, they can, but I doubt the kids give a monkey's what a geriatric 29-year-old thinks.

- Helen, East Duwich, London

"They know all the 16-year-olds are going to laugh whether they're funny or not, so why bother."

How patronising! As if "older" people are more enlightened than the fans who the show is obviously for. The adults that I know that went to the show had a great time. Are their opinions any less valid than yours?

- Michelle, Canada

I went last night - expected to be disappointed after all the terrible reviews - and was. Last year's live show was brilliant - it had a narrative, and was funny, which seems vaguely important somehow in a comedy act. This year's was lazy, self-satisfied and sooo boring. They know all the 16-year-olds are going to laugh whether they're funny or not, so why bother. Wish I'd left before the huge 40-minute interval. Such a shame.

- Helen, East Dulwich, London

Sorry guys, but Tuesday's performance was pretty lamentable by your previous standards on radio, TV and live. It was quite noticeable that at times the audience were slow on the uptake of applause and when it did come it wasn't anything like as strong as it was when you first appeared through the curtain at the start. At the beginning of the second half there were a few seats that had been previously occupied that were vacant.

Where was the joy?

- Rich, Medway

This show is like a wonky, wonderful amateur dramatics production. It looks thrown together and largely made up on the spot which is fabulous because it's not. The boosh are great fun. Don't miss it.

- Dot, Manchester UK


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Afternoon
Light showers
12°c
Tonight
Light showers
8°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas