Live Review: Ross Noble, Eventim Apollo, W6
Ross Noble is all set to have a busy 2015. In May he joins the cast of the touring production of The Producers, playing pigeon-fancying Franz Liebkind. When this was announced I asked Noble if he was going to have to get his hair cut. Luckily, he pointed out, Liebkind wears a helmet. He also happens to ride a motorbike, which is another thing that appealed to Noble about the part. Jason Manford and Phill Jupitus are also in the cast, so it ought to be a laugh a minute offstage as well as on.
Before that Noble will be on our TV screens in a new series of Freewheeling on Dave. Each week he goes where Twitter tells him. The series has already been filmed so watch Noble as he visits a Barbara Cartland-themed fish and chip shop in Scotland, delves into the starry-studded history of Northampton and is chased out of town by The Krankies.
He is currently on tour with his latest show Tangentleman. Tomorrow (Jan 29) he is in Portsmouth and the UK leg continues until February 21. Then, after a short break, he tours Australia. Ticket details here. This review below first ran in the Evening Standard here.
It was announced last week that Ross Noble is going to make his musical theatre debut as pigeon-loving Franz Liebkind in The Producers next year. As stories go that was unexpected but not as unexpected as some of the surreal tales Noble came up with last night.
The Geordie’s latest show is called Tangentleman because he loves digressing. His backdrop of inflatable synapses also evoked his pinballing brain. “I’ll get back to that” could be his catchphrase as he surfed from Bruce Forsyth hosting zombie dance-offs to bird-related riffing prompted by a squawking audience laugh.
As is his habit the first half laid foundations for post-interval madness, with ideas returning to be pulled apart and reassembled. A fan’s gift of a lime on a string teed up a mix of scurvy jokes and an impression of Johnny Cash singing “I walk the lime”.
Occasionally some structure could be spotted. Owl-inspired whimsy jostled with relatable tales of his two young daughters, a blend of Michael McIntyre-style kids-say-the-craziest-things humour with added Noble lunacy.
The only real fault was that there was too much of a good thing. His set had already overrun when a Q&A had fans fretting about last trains. The only train Noble had to worry about was his train of thought, and while it was derailed a few times it was never less than full-speed-ahead impressive.
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