As a child of the eighties, I dreamed of appearing on
A genuinely original and hilarious hour of dungeoneering.
It was must-watch teatime telly and famed for being ridiculously difficult, massively over the top and filled with RADA actors who chewed the computer-generated scenery so much that you wished they could have had a chance on (the recently cancelled) Doctor Who.
Knightmare Live brings the vision-impairing helmet, the scenery chomping and even the inexplicable holes to Underbelly’s giant purple cow and it’s just as magical as I remember from my childhood. Although I’m sure there wasn’t quite as much swearing, recriminations and discussions of the Bechdel Test. Our dungeoneer is an audience member guided by two guest comedians and everyone is playing it for laughs.
A few well-placed props, some fabulous puppets and minimal set replace the 1980’s CGI but it’s not a problem as the real magic is going on amongst the cast. It’s a show of ad-libs and exquisite banter and Paul Flannery and Katy Schutte’s verbal sparring as Treguard and Lady Fear is worth the ticket price alone. Knightmare Live is open to anything happening and highlights include a spontaneous acapella rendition of YMCA from the audience, a lovely moment where the dungeoneer is forced to sing and gives us a snippet of Wild Mountain Thyme and one of the guest comedians grabbing an opportunity to flyer the front row.
There’s only another three chances to catch Knightmare Live as they’ve opted for a limited run this year so, whether you’re an eighties kid who wants to relive the nostalgia or have never before heard Treguard exclaim, “Ohh, nasty!” at the demise of a child, get along to Udderbelly for a genuinely original and hilarious hour of dungeoneering.
