Review: The Armstrong And Miller Live Show – Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle
Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller
I can’t imagine that a live tour could be anything less than nerve-scrapingly trouser browning for comic actors accustomed to working on television. Gone is the comfortable workspace of the television studio, replaced by the glare of thousands of judging eyes sitting in darkness, goading you to be as funny as you are after script writing changes, meticulous use of edits and a flourish of special effects. What makes matters worse for acts like Armstrong and Miller is that they’re touring on the back of a sketch show, a notoriously patchy television format, and one that requires dozens of scripts and character traits to master seamlessly and flawlessly over the course of two hours. The temptation to throw fondly remembered sketches from the show into the mix to guarantee an easy ride must be tremendous.
Of course nobody on television has to embark on a fifty five date trek across the land – that kind of commitment is more an optional perk of having a critically and commercially acclaimed series (unless you’re a stand-up comedian, or one of Little Britain). However as soon as the night starts, with one of four sketches based on Armstrong and Miller’s most recognisable creations, the yoof-language speaking 1940’s pilots, it’s clear that the duo are here because they enjoy the stage and the audience reaction, and not just as part of any sort of obligation.
As a show the set-up is pleasingly low key, with Alexander and Ben joined by a supporting cast of one, the highly capable Katherine Jakeways (with disgruntled stagehand Sean Weager providing back-up when needed) and with only a single video screen providing the backdrop to each sketch.
In terms of material, the duo have found a healthy balance between the new and the familiar by dreaming up new scenarios for almost every recurring character that they’ve ever embodied. It’s a method that works well, and the sketches themselves are mostly excellent, seemingly accrued from three years of writing on their BBC show, with a only a small few missing their mark (The Cavemen’s ‘Origin of Speech’ section for example lacks direction and overstretches itself into a song).
Such opinions though are obviously going to depend on your view of each character from watching the pair’s parent show, and thankfully a moment of genius is never too far away. Witness for example Ben Miller’s Jilted Jim, a man still bitter about his wife running off with the DJ at his wedding (“I said ‘It’s 3’oclock, somebody will be relieving the DJ soon’. I just didn’t think it would be my misses!”), prowling the front rows for an unwitting couple to play a decidedly different game of Mr and Mrs, or filthy music hall performers Brabbins and Fyffe leading a sing-along about the former’s unfortunate accident involving a music stand and his perineum.
The real joy of the Armstrong and Miller Live Show though is in seeing all the characters that frequented only one series being brought back to life; Armstrong’s mortifyingly inappropriate dentist gets to prey on an audience member, The Jane Austen dancers come and go with a surprise backing track that sees Armstrong bounding about the stage to Gay Bar like a man possessed, whilst the prudish sex shop workers manage to make the entire audience squirm in their seats with one fairly sizeable prop. Even the “Kill Him!” microphone gets a run-out.
By the time the final pilots skit flies off toward the horizon and the pair embark on one last musical number about friendship (I’ll not spoil it if you’re going to a future show), the impressive quality and range of the amount of characters and situations really hits home. With such strong recurring characters as this, not to mention the one off sketches on the show, it’s no wonder that Armstrong and Miller’s partnership is going from strength to strength. One can only hope that after their latest series finishes they’ll be back on the nation’s stages sooner rather than later.
