Bill Bailey - Tinsel Worm (Tuesday 2 December 2008)

It's only just Advent, but Christmas is already here, and I've had my first Christmas present already. A Tinsel Worm - a present from Liz. I've enjoyed watching Bill on TV in programs like QI, and his 'Part Troll' show, again on TV. So as I arrived a Liverpool street for the short journey to Tottenham Court Road Tube Station, I was unaware that the Primary Gifting Season had already started, but was very much looking forward to seeing Bill. So as we took our seats on the Grand circle in the Gielgud Theatre the sense of anticipation was rising. I decided to try to remember some of the lines from the start. The drinks in the bar were at London Theatre prices, and the staff had London theatre attitudes, and would not chat. Still I was not going to let that put me off - nothing unexpected there.
Bill was a little late on stage, but as the theatre was full he was only waiting for people to be seated.
The laughter started right from the first minute. All hope of remembering the steam of stories and asides was gone, for fear of missing the next one. Bill does interact with his audience, but he does not pick on people - which is a good thing. I'd hate to go to a show and end up as the stooge. He also doesn't swear, well not in his act anyway. Again that is good. Constant bad language actually detracts from what is said.
Here are one or two of the bits I do remember. In a stream on evolution and creationism that followed some musings on the American Election, Bill stated his case and praised Darwin. "Barnacles" - a piece of interaction - we all got to say it. Darwin was apparently the worlds expert when he lived. Towards the end of this he says "Thank God for Darwin that's all I can say". There's a pause, the sound of laughter has stopped, and then starts again. Bills response in a very broad Devonshire accent "I hears it ... ... ... I thinks about it ... ... ... I laughs". That didn't need a pause - the reaction was instantaneous. Was that an ad-lib, a planned ad-lib, or part of the script. After a piece where he ended up under the carpet on the stage, he was heard to say "What am I doing?" - another ad-lib?
The "Primary Gifting Season" is from a piece about marketing, and is jargon for Christmas (if you haven't thought about that yet).
After the intermission there was a piece on philosophy where Bill interacted with a video of himselves. It was very clever and well timed, but required a little more thought than the rest of the show. The laughter was diminished, but not for long. At the end there were a couple of songs, one I'd heard before.
There are plenty of stolen clips on You Tube if you'd like a preview. It is a very good show, and was an excellent evening out - Thanks Liz.