Rinty Boos, Jollyboats and Legions of Doom

It’s been a good ‘un this week, with the chance to see a few new things, as well as seeing old favourites in a different way. The Spike Theatre Variety Pack fundraiser was held at the Kazimier on Thursday night, to help them in their effort to send their show The Games up to Edinburgh (have a look at the taster here). Not only was it a very worthy cause, but the Spike guys pulled together a great night of entertainment. It was a chance to see a few folk as MadeUp had never seen them before, including Spike’s directors – Adrian Turrell-Watts was queen for a day (see pic below), and Mark Smith gave us a song – and Francis Tucker, better known as the Everyman’s panto dame, performing as Francois the Gypsy. Among a strong bill of sketches and musical comedy acts there were a few highlights (the picture is of our host for the evening, Paul Duckworth in character as Rinty Boo). Actresses Gillian Hardie and Keddy Sutton teamed up to create Kaz and Britney, two Scouse chavs behind “Scotty Road – the Musical”, for which they had changed the lyrics to songs from Chicago to very clever comic effect. Jollyboat rocked the house, and Lauren Silver’s psycho song – with a good Ryan Giggs gag – was hilarious. The next night MadeUp checked out sketch trio Legion of Doom with their first ever full-length show at Studio Liverpool (catch up with an introduction here). The three – brothers Rob and Oli Bond and Lee Hithersay – have created a madcap parallel universe exaggerating each into a grotesque version of themselves. In time honoured comedy tradition, they’re all flatmates: Rob, the David Mitchell-esque straight man, tries to keep a semblance of normality as Oli cooly and secretly works at taking over the world, and Lee lives a life of chaotic energy in which kidnapping dolphins and creating weapons such as the “bomb-axe” are everyday occurrences. Will their comedy act be successful enough for them to make the rent? Why is Lee so desperate for the prawn flavouring sachet the others have hidden? And is that really Satan living in their computer? Like a live-action sitcom this show, titled The Rise & Fall of the Legion of Doom, was full of Young Ones-type silliness and lively, laddish humour. Endearingly daft with likeable performances, the format suited the indie act – usually confined to sketches – well. It will be interesting to see what they get up to in future. Finally, in sadder news, it transpired that the arrival of Giant Freddie, as reported in the last post on this site, has been held up. Poor old Fred was supposed to be put up in Liverpool One on Friday, but the company doing the honours left behind the bolts needed to secure the 15ft statue. Unfortunate. He should be up and reigning supreme some time in the week.

Thanks to John Garfield-Roberts for the pics.