Live Review: Bill Bailey, Eventim Apollo, W6

A version of this review first appeared in the Evening Standard here.

It is often said that a great comedian can make reading the phone directory funny. Bill Bailey has his own variation on this theme.

He gets similarly hilarious results simply reading out exchanges from an Indonesian phrase book: “What will happen if I’m caught smuggling drugs? You will be hanged.”

That is one of many times in his show — titled Larks in Transit — where the wispy-haired wizard heads off down gloriously mischievous avenues. 

Who else would :“who devised the concept of days?” Or spend five minutes playing bird calls on his keyboard before adding them to a Nicki Minaj hit?

There are familiar Bailey tropes here too, such as imagining Tom Waits gruffly crooning a nursery rhyme or turning traditional songs into death metal anthems. 

An eardrum-busting reworked Christmas carol feels tailor-made for the December run he has just announced.

This is someone who respects his audience’s intelligence while relishing life’s ludicrous side. 

One moment he is meticulously discussing ancient civilisations, the next he is recalling the “hazelnut-based violence” in France when the price-slashing of Nutella prompted riots.

What comes across most though is Bailey’s absolutely uncynical niceness, making this gig an unbridled joy. The only riot here was the riotous laughter.

Buy tickets for Bill Bailey's UK tour here.

Tags: 

Articles on beyond the joke contain affiliate ticket links that earn us revenue. BTJ needs your continued support to continue - if you would like to help to keep the site going, please consider donating.

Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by WeebPal.