Barry Potty & His Full Blood Brother Paul In The Ghostly Shadows

Certified veterans of children's entertainment The Chuckle Brothers have come to Oxford with a brand new show! Loosely based on the Harry Potter series, the play follows the pair attempting to overthrow an evil wizard who is trying to take over their school of magic. Armed with ill-fitting school uniforms, oversized magic wands and an endless supply of one-liners, the duo are setting out to prove that they have what it takes to be fully qualified wizards. Oh, and there's a few song and dance routines thrown in for good measure.......

A sizeable crowd on a wet Sunday afternoon proves that the duo have an elusive staying power, one that is rare amongst old school comics of this generation. Whilst many of their contemporaries have either faded away or are playing to lukewarm audiences in downsized venues, the Chuckles have managed to keep their TV show Chucklevision, a show I, along with millions of other children in this country, grew up watching; and are still pulling in the crowds in relatively big venues such as this. For this, you have to admire them.

The show itself is an entertaining mixture of pantomime theatrics, old school magic tricks and good natured knockabout comedy; silly enough to appeal to the kids, and with enough cheeky quips to keep the parents happy. Predictably, the sections which feature our heroes Paul and Barry get the biggest laughs; some of the scenes in which they do not appear seem a little long and drawn out, as if they were pressed to think of enough material to flesh out the two hour duration of the piece, and as a result what semblance of a story may have existed in the first place invariably gets lost along the way. However,to complain about narrative coherence seems a little pointless; there is enough slapstick and mirth to prevent things from ever getting truly boring, and this is reflected in the enthusiasm of the audience.

Notable scnes include the boys squirting the lower section of the audience with large water pistols (luckily, I was seated in the upper seating area of the auditorium!), a genuinely funny scene which involves the boys trying to bake a cake based on a recorded rcipe, with catastrophic results, and a highly entertaining musical sequence featuring fluorescent monsters dancing to a variety of pop and rock songs! It is genuinely heartening to see the affection bestowed upon the pair by a new generation of children, and the duo's big hearts are confirmed by an appeal for the crowd to donate a few pence to a third world charity via bucket collection at the end. The play is well choreographed, with some impressively garish stage sets on display, and the supporting cast make an admirable job of keeping straight faces, with only a few minor slip ups!

Ever the consummate professionals, after the show the brothers make their way to the front of the theatre signing autographs and posing for photos with members of the audience, most of whom are under the age of twelve! Forget the cynics and theatre snobs,this is a fun production which makes for perfect family viewing; and I, for one, can think of far worse ways to spend two ways on a wet afternoon! To me, to you......

Sean Diamond (DI Reviewer), 28/02/11

We're pleased to reproduce this preview, sent to us by the New Theatre. Check back Monday for a full review! 
Join Paul and Barry Chuckle in their latest hilarious adventure!

Barry Potty and his full blood brother, Paul, arrive accidentally at Pigsnorts School of Magic (after taking a wrong turn on the motorway due to a second-hand sat-nav bought at a car boot sale that only speaks German). Strange things start to happen when the evil Lord Fonterall plots to take over the school and he isn’t happy that the two bumbling brothers have arrived! Will he win and stop the Chuckle brothers from spoiling his evil and wicked plan?

Featuring ghosts, ghouls and spectacular magic in this exhilarating brand new show - guaranteed fun for all the family from ages 3 to 103!  

Barry Potty and his Full Blood Brother Paul in The Ghostly Shadows plays at the New Theatre Oxford on Sunday 27th February at 2.30pm. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased from the New Theatre box office on George Street, by ringing 0844 847 1585 or by visiting our website at www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk (phone and internet bookings subject to booking/transaction fees).

DI Staff (Unverified), 23/02/11