The Stage

The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!

Published Wednesday 2 November 2005 at 15:35 by Chris Bartlett

It is a shame that a comedy troupe as original and talented as The League of Gentlemen have latterly become known as much for over-reaching themselves as for the inexhaustibly influential brand of dark comedy that has become their trademark.

It is little wonder that their first stage venture since 2001’s sublime Local Show For Local People sees them revisit their early live roots, harking back to a simpler time before this year’s overambitious big screen debut and their ‘difficult’ third BBC2 series.

Presented as a less than affectionate spoof of seasonal theatre that hangs on the surprisingly slight premise of the residents of Royston Vasey teaming up for a panto, this production is an unapologetic audience pleaser. It also shows no qualms at aiming most of its humour squarely at the already converted, with many of the punchlines and references meaning little to all but the most hardweather of fans. Fitting if, as its title suggest, this show can be interpreted as their swansong.

With that in mind, however, it comes as a disappointment that, on first impressions, they seem to be coasting. After the slightly throwaway first half, with characters quickly rolled out in the manner of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In and only Steve Pemberton’s German pederast Herr Lipp and Reece Shearsmith’s rubbish illusionist Dean Tavalouris standing out, it comes as blessed relief that they up the ante after the interval.

Here all three writer/performers prove remarkably adroit at front of curtain banter and, crucially, seem to be having a ball with the OTT musical numbers and gleefully filthy end-of-the-pier double entendres that liberally lace the script, helping the action to rattle along to its enjoyable, if a mite insubstantial, conclusion.