Been to a load of shows already? Tired of sitting back as the passive audience member? Want to have your say? Then Britain’s Got F*ck All Talent is for you. Sure, when you’re provided with just a Ready Steady Cook! styled card (green on one side, red on the other) to wave in the air, which is hardly going to release your inner Simon Cowell, but letting the actors know what you think has always got to be fun.
This is a bantering two man show, where Ant and Dec are replaced by the dry-witted Liam Withnail, who introduces the set of farcical contestants that come to life through the vivacious acting of Matthew Ellis. Withnail’s exchanges with the audience and his succinct, comical anecdotes complement the performance nicely, but you can’t help feeling that he plugs his separate stand-up comedy show a couple of times too often. This isn’t too damaging, as the funniest parts of the show definitely come from the absurdity of Ellis’ characters. Everything from a safe-sex preacher to Su-Bo’s cousin Kenny, these contestants had their audience in stitches. Despite the wild extent of their craziness there is something ludicrously familiar about them, as the play successfully mocks the crassness of the reality show it’s based on.
Unfortunately at times the standard of satire slips and failed comic moments risk being nearly as cringe-worthy as those that leave you cowering behind your cushion in front of the TV. At least the differing success of Ellis’s characters meant easy judging and paved the way for some guilt-free red-card waving amongst even the most apologetic of the audience. However, it was definitely the green side of the card that reigned triumphant, as mostly the contestants’ outlandish behaviour was met with glee. So go judge it for yourself, since this show is worth a watch.
