Live Shows 2016-2019

“Part flesh, part felt and packed with heart, AVENUE Q is the laugh-out-loud musical that tells the timeless story of a bright-eyed college grad named Princeton. When he arrives in the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account, he has to move into a shabby apartment all the way out on AVENUE Q. Still, the neighbors seem nice. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Lucy (the slut), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet entrepreneur), superintendent Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman) and other new friends! Together, they struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.“

Location: Bristol Hippodrome
With: Wesley Mead
#EverythingInLifeIsOnlyForNow

“Devout Mormon missionary-in-waiting Elder Kevin Price is keen to teach his classmates how to convert people to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, by just ringing their doorbells and smiling winningly. But Elder Price’s real dream is to be sent to Orlando, Florida for his two-year mission. Things go dramatically amiss when, instead, he’s sent to Uganda with Mormon misfit Elder Cunningham in tow.“

Location: Prince of Wales Theatre, London
With: Wesley Mead

“Hand to God follows the story of quiet student Jason who discovers a new way to express himself through a sock puppet named Tyrone. Things immediately go downhill once this inanimate object comes to life, taking on a truth-telling, foul-mouthed personality. Tyrone forces everyone in his path to confront their demons, with hilarious and shocking results.”

Comment: Since we were already traveling to London to watch The Book of Mormon, we thought we’d try and fit something else in while we were there. Hand to God didn’t meet the musical criteria, but it did have a deranged puppet, and seemed to fit nicely with the somewhat religious theme of the weekend. It was a bizarre tale about a Christian ministry puppet who seemingly becomes possessed by the devil. We rather enjoyed it.

Location: Vaudeville Theatre, London
With: Wesley Mead

“Illusionist Derren Brown reinvents the concept of “faith healing” through a series of stunts that debunk the confines of fear, pain and disbelief.“

Show Title: Miracle
Location: Bristol Hippodrome
With: Wesley Mead

“Approaching its decade anniversary, BBC One’s Not Going Out follows the jokes, jibes and general misunderstandings of happy-go-lucky Lee (Lee Mack – also series creator and writer) and his friends. This new series comprises of eight episodes and is based seven years on from the last, with Lee and Lucy now married with children and living in suburbia.“

Show Title: Series 8, Episode 1 – Romance & Series 8, Episode 3 – The Car
Location: BBC Elstree Centre, Borehamwood
With: Wesley Mead
Starring: Lee Mack
Comment: This was the first time we had been to see a TV show recorded. We knew already that tickets were over distributed, so we needed to get there early to ensure we were allowed in. The drive went surprisingly smoothly, and we parked with time to spare. Just a shame we then got incredibly lost on foot trying to find the centre! When we finally got there, we were too late for guaranteed entry and were left with reserve stickers. This meant we could go in if there was still space once all the people with priority tickets turned up, with the promise that we’d get priority tickets for next time if we didn’t make it in. That didn’t really make us feel better when the venue was a 2.5 hour drive from home. Luckily there was space in the end, and the evening was hilarious.

“The Rocky Horror Show is the story of two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet. When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter. It is an adventure they’ll never forget, filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity.“

Location: Bristol Hippodrome
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: Considering how many times I’d watched the Rocky Horror film, it was surprising I’d never made it to a live performance before. The whole thing was great fun, and the costumes in the audience were amazing. I wasn’t brave enough to dress up properly, but I did wear fishnet tights with shorts and a “Don’t Dream It, Be It” t-shirt.

“Lugging a huge amount of gear over to our shores isn’t the cheapest thing to do – it’s fair to say the band don’t tour here for a money-spinner. The reason BNL have been coming back to the UK for over 25 years is because, simply, they love it. Different audiences, more intimate shows, and a fresh challenge all keep the band on their toes, which brings out the best in their live act.“

Location: O2 Academy, Bournemouth
With: Wesley Mead

“Every Monday we host the very best up and coming comedy talent, as well as more established acts. With the opportunity to test out their new material, our Bunch of Japes Stand Up Comedy Nights are not to be missed.”

Location: Smoke & Mirrors, Bristol
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: We bought these bargain priced tickets to a new material night in a tiny venue for a comedian we hadn’t heard of at the time – Jordan Brookes. He went on to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2019.

“After four years writing and performing his TV show ‘Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle’, ‘Content Provider’ is Stewart’s first brand new full-length show since the award-winning ‘Carpet Remnant World’.”

Show Title: Content Provider
Location: Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: More photos available on the “Celebrity Encounters” page.

“The Cornley Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does! The accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!“

Location: Duchess Theatre, London
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: So cleverly done – we were in stitches all the way through. We were excited to see Penn Jillette in the audience too, which we later found out led to the creation of Magic Goes Wrong.

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“Starring Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood as the Wicked Queen, television legends The Chuckle Brothers as the Wicked Queen’s bumbling Henchmen, and Britain’s Got Talent finalists Flawless as the Wicked Queen’s attendants. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be spectacularly brought to life with an abundance of comedy, sensational song and dance numbers, fab-u-lous costumes and stunning scenery.“

Location: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: In all honesty, we only booked the tickets for the sole reason of seeing the Chuckle Brothers live, and they were as hilarious as our inner 8 year olds hoped. We couldn’t bring ourselves to queue up with the children to meet them afterwards though, which we now regret, as Barry died only a few months after this show.

“Butlins Minehead hosts Steps Weekend on the Dancefloor, a break showcasing three days and nights of glorious pop happening from Friday 2nd to Monday 5th February 2018 at Butlins Minehead Resort.“

Location: Butlins, Minehead
With: Wesley Mead
Headliners: Steps
Music Highlights: Vengaboys, The Honeyz
Comedy Highlights: Joanne McNally
Comment: This was the best weekend – all the excitement of a festival, but with a real bed at the end of the night, and water slides to wake up to. Steps were so good we immediately went back to our room and booked tickets to see them again a few months later.

“The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton, who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that, although the residents seem nice, it’s clear that this is not your ordinary neighbourhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life.“

Location: Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: This was a local theatre company performance, rather than the original, but it was still just as good, and the person playing Kate Monster was brilliant!

“In his first solo show for some years, the noble Count takes us back to what he does best… not that he wasn’t doing his best before… because he was. He only knows how to do his best… So in this wonderful new show he’s still doing the best…he can…The show business colossasus (check that), takes us back on a journey through his early career. Using the latest technology and all that, he will be delving into his own personal box of video cassettes and talking us through the highlights of his glittering TV career and many of his trademark stories we’ve come to love him for.”

Show Title: Alive and Unplugged
Location: Komedia, Bath
With: Wesley Mead

“One time I bought a lasagne from the supermarket, heated it up in the oven and ate a bit of it and it wasn’t very nice so I put it in the fridge because it felt wrong to dump a whole lasagne in the bin and then later on I ate a spoonful of the cold lasagne because I was drunk and it was absolutely delicious. It was 4am. I then changed the name of a WhatsApp I was a part of to COLD LASAGNE HATE MYSELF 1999 because I had been thinking a lot about how 1999 was the best year of my life and also about how much I hate myself sometimes. The next day I was asked to name my new show. Come along.“

Show Title: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999
Location: Red Brick Building, Glastonbury
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: Our 9th anniversary was spent watching one of our favourite comedians in a venue which was so small and intimate that we were sat on a sofa for the show.

“Kermit and the ultimate diva herself – Miss Piggy will be joined by very special celebrity guests for musical performances, sketches and more. Highlights of the show include the fabulous Miss Piggy in a show-stopping musical extravaganza, a rocking musical jam by The Muppets’ legendary house band Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, with legendary drummer Animal.  Plus the debut of all-new original chapters of those classic Muppet Show sketches – Pigs in Space, Veterinarian’s Hospital and Muppet Labs and many, many more extraordinary surprises.”

Show Title: The Muppets Take the O2
Location: The O2 Arena, London
With: Wesley Mead

“Summer 1958. Minneapolis City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond. An escaped convict is dead set on pocketing the gem with the help of his screwball sidekick, trickster girlfriend… and the maintenance man. With mistaken identities, love triangles and hidden agendas, even the most reputable can’t be trusted.“

Location: Criterion Theatre, London
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: This play was even funnier than The Play That Goes Wrong, and immediately confirmed Mischief Theatre as a firm favourite.

“In his first new live tour show in four years, Dave Gorman brings his laptop and projector screen to offer detailed analysis of those parts of life you’ve never stopped to think about before. Hey, not all heroes wear capes.“

Show Title: With Great Powerpoint Comes Great Responsibilitypoint
Location: Bristol Hippodrome
With: Wesley Mead

“You couldn’t make it up; surely the German Comedy Ambassador Henning Wehn hasn’t bosched out yet another new show? And what’s he still doing here anyway? Well, his lack of transferable skills is what keeps him here and his belief that practice makes perfect is what keeps him going. This show is a much needed call to arms. Listen, everyone: stop pondering and hand-wringing. Instead get on your bike and put your face to the grindstone!”

Show Title: Get On With It
Location: Westlands, Yeovil
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: More photos available on the “Celebrity Encounters” page.

Location: Fleece, Bristol
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: More photos available on the “Celebrity Encounters” page.

“Unruly, ridiculous and surprisingly satisfying, The Horne Section combine music and comedy in a typically unpredictable way, blending stupid songs with a carnival atmosphere and plenty of puns. Expect a mixture of toe-tapping tunes, exceptional musicality, and five talented musicians being made to do silly things by bearded comedian, and creator & star of Taskmaster, Alex Horne.“

Show Title: That’s How I like My Tour
Location: St David’s Hall, Cardiff
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: Alex picked on me all night, even serenading me with a song about scratching bottoms! More photos available on the “Celebrity Encounters” page.

“Loulie, AKA the face that launched a thousand dicks, examines conduct (in the media, baby), mental health (other people’s, I’m fine) and perverts (that one is mainly me, actually). I’ll be oversharing, wanging on about spirituality and giving everyone some much unwanted advice.”

Show Title: Say Hello to Your New Step Mummy
Location: Pound Arts Centre, Corsham
With: Wesley Mead & Lindsay Pearce
Support: Pierre Novellie
Comment: We spotted Lou in the supermarket before the show but spent so long debating whether it was appropriate to go and say hello that she had already checked out.

“Following the record-breaking success of his 2017 tour Round The World, Russell Howard returns with his biggest globe-spanning stand-up tour to date. Hot on the heels of his critically-acclaimed hit Sky One show The Russell Howard Hour, and his global smash Netflix special Recalibrate, Russell is back on stage where he belongs, making sense of a world that’s spinning out of control. It’s time for Respite.”

Show Title: Respite
Location: Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: We’d accidentally written this on the calendar for the following week, and only realised when I saw one of my Facebook friends “check in” at the event. I was already in my pyjamas but literally threw on my clothes and we shot straight out the door – I didn’t even do my jeans up until we arrived at the venue. We got there just as the support act finished, phew.

“It’s nearly Christmas and the country’s best comedians are coming to Bath for a spectacular festive show! US stand-up sensation, co-star and co-writer of Channel 4’s multi-award-winning hit comedy ‘Catastrophe’, the ‘jaw-snappingly funny’ Rob Delaney headlines! Joining Rob is the fast-rising Taskmaster and Have I Got News For you star Phil Wang, Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Rose Matafeo and Mock The Week’s resident plucky-scamp Ed Gamble as host!“

Show Title: Live at Christmas
Location: Bath Forum
With: Wesley Mead

“Join a hapless gang of moderately skilled and accident-prone magicians presenting a charity fundraiser. As the accidents spiral out of control, so does their fundraising target! Created with Magic legends Penn & Teller, this evening of grand illusion with breath-taking tricks and typical Mischief comedy will tickle your funny bones and fill you with wonder.“

Location: Vaudeville Theatre, London
With: Wesley Mead
Comment: This is the show Penn was preparing for when we saw him in the audience at The Play That Goes Wrong.