hecklergigs: Little Britain, Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, 29/4

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last three years, you’ll be fully aware of Matt Lucas and David Walliams’s  comic creation Little Britain.

Everyone knows the catchphrases which have plagued the office/school playground for what is seemingly an eternity. How many times have we heard the phrase “I want that one” pointlessly dropped in to conversation? Sometimes too much for our liking.

Whilst the third series of Little Britain started to show signs that the programme was beginning to run its course with the jokes and catchphrases wearing thin, its good to see that Lucas and Walliams haven’t just decided to ride on the show's success and squeeze every little bit of comedy they can out of it. Some thought and a lot of planning has gone in to making this show something to remember with some sketches good enough to be recorded for real and put in to an episode of the show.

Nearly every Little Britain character who's featured over the course of the three years made an appearance tonight. Andy and Lou kicked off the evening with Lou coming out and explaining that he’s again lost his friend. Cue Andy being lowered down from the top of the stage and into his chair. What also made the show was the improvisational skills of Walliams who plays Lou. Whilst everyone in the front row was screaming he’s behind you, he responded out of character “this isn’t pantomime”.

But like pantomime, there were a few characters who involved the audience which were brilliant due to the public not being able to know how to react, as they were caught up in the twisted humour of the show. Most notable was Margery from Fat Fighters, who picked on some poor bloke and weighed him in at 48 stones. Ouch. And just like the show came the barrage of insults that we all know and love from Little Britain.

Local banter was also mixed in to keep the locals chuckling away even more at the expense of rival town Sunderland. Computer Says No featured a women trying to book a holiday for her daughter to go to Florida. After the constant computer says no remark, it is revealed that there is a flight to Sunderland. Cue booing from the crowd. Again out of character, the line “Well, who would want to go there? It is a shithole. Well it is!”*

The only gripe of Little Britain doesn’t come from anything physically connected with the show - the scenery, costume changes and overall comedy was outstanding - but the venue itself didn’t suit the performance. The Newcastle Arena is a big place and if you got tickets at the back (like this reviewer unfortunately did) then it takes a little bit away from the show. The giant screens provided that all was not lost. Maybe it should have taken place somewhere smaller like the City Hall where it has been toured to before. 

Having said that, it’ll probably be chucked onto a DVD in time for Christmas, so we’ll probably be able to watch it again and again.

*For anyone whose never been to Sunderland, it really is a shit hole. He speaks the truth.

[review by Matthew Laidlow]