Talk Radio

This version of Eric Bergosian’s mid-eighties tale of one broadcast in the life of trail blazing shock jock Barry Champlain is one of the most hyped in this year’s festival. The coming together of director Stewart Lee (writer of Jerry Springer, The Opera), the brash, new high profile purple cow venue that is the Udderbelly and the fact the show is offered by the newly formed Comedian’s TC have led to reams of pre-publicity.

There’s no real plot. Champlain deals with a series of callers to his night time radio show, and we do start to get involved and worry about what is happening to some of them. Interspersed we get a series of monologues from Barry’s colleagues in a rather clumsy “I first met Barry when….” style.

The overall impression is of a slickly produced but rather ordinary realisation of a very ordinary, dated play. Phil Nichol is very charismatic as Champlain, but he does often fumble his lines- not surprising in that he must have over half the script – and on occasions even jumps cues, answering questions he hasn’t heard yet or responding to jibes before they hit home. The rest of the cast are excellent as over two dozen sad or perverted call-ins to the radio show, though strangely less convincing as their on stage characters. Why, for example, is the weird teenager Kent played by Will Adamsdale who is clearly too old for the part. Because he’s a comedian? Sorry, not good enough – the essence of the part is his youthful stupidity and wacko, unformed mind. Go and find an eighteen year old comedian to play it if that’s the Company’s manifesto.

I’m not saying this show isn’t worth a visit, but I’m not sure why it’s such a hot ticket. You may also like to bear in mind that the night I saw it started twenty two minutes late (queuing in the rain compulsory) with no explanation or apology, but the usual “go to that entrance, no you can’t sit there,” orders from the front of house, ear-piece wearing Gestapo prevalent at most of the big venues this year. It then finished half an hour later than the publicised time, so don’t make plans to rush off to another show or you’ll miss it.

Enjoy.