Seymour Mace: Marmaduke Spatula's F*ckin' Spectacular Cabaret of Sunshine Show

He appears on this small stage and sings some seemingly interminable song.  He tells us it’s an interactive show and there’s a little tension.  He’s wearing some sort of comedy pinny and we wonder what horrors could be in store... 

But Seymour Mace (or the Marmaduke Spatula character he is today) is in possession of some incredible charm, and a wonderful imagination we haven’t seen since Vic Reeves in his pomp. And with the ad-libs he throws in, the way he beautifully incorporates everyone into the show, it’s clear there’s far more to this very funny man than thought-out gibberish. The song and set and props are also perfectly judged.

It’s his originality and the enthusiasm which make it all tick, prompting a ‘my face hurts!’ from a voice in the row in front, through the cackles. Perhaps the show could be tightened up, but that’s all part of the allure. There’s not a straight face in the place, and although the venue’s only half full the atmosphere’s huge. More people will inevitably pack in as the run continues.

A refreshing piece of theatre, it’s wonderful to have comedy stripped back like this, away from standard formulaic material, to just witness a room of people creasing up over absolute nonsense. [Simon Patullo]