The Mighty Boosh @ SECC, 28 Nov

This show has been crafted specifically for the fans, the very fans who yell lust–infused nonsense at the stage, ruining punchlines and causing general consternation. Lines from the television show are dropped in randomly for the sheer recognition value. For a franchise that is so heavily labelled and a group whose talent is beginning to be overshadowed by the heavy rolling machine of commerce, has the unthinkable happened – have they over-milked the Funk?

In the first half of the show, it looks very much as though that might be true. Their variety show format involves 'guests' (characters from the show) taking to the stage for a series of sketches, until the ice breaks with a set malfunction. This forces Noel Fielding, flailing hopelessly inside an armchair, to eventually give up and ad lib; suddenly the show finally gains a sense of spontaneity. The first act ends with a beautifully macabre, Dickensian rendition of their cult hit 'Eels' which sets the tone for the rest of the show. The second act becomes more wonderfully bizarre, settling into a coherent story line featuring the environment, the future and mutants. Prog and glam rock begins to creep in and they fall off the script from time to time to great comedic effect. Then it just becomes pure, glorious music and the whole show takes off. The Funk is alive and well and The Boosh’s musical and comedic virtuosity is outstanding, which is why the televised version suffers by comparison to the sprawling, brilliant energy of the live show. But the act deserves a stage that is close enough to the audience to be able to properly react. The audience deserves to be able to stand up and jump up and down with glee to the music. I can't help feeling that if they broke further away from the TV show and went back to smaller venues, they might just find themselves not at the height of an inevitably terminal corporate franchise but at the beginning of a truly ingenious future.