The Mighty Boosh

I’m not sure if The Mighty Boosh have made it across the Atlantic yet but they will. They are a comedy duo who have made three series for the BBC so far, each more surreal than the last and they are currently on a sell out tour around Britain. Their magic is not easy to explain and surreal is an understatement, they are incredibly imaginative and have created a subtle and gentle kind of comedy which doesn’t rely on adult humour or references to real life. Personally I’m hooked, I recently saw their live show in Glasgow and they were awesome, left me with a sore face from laughing.

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding are the men responsible although their Boosh names are Howard Moon and Vince Noir. They form a kind of double act with Howard as the straight man, a Jazz loving obsessive who dresses like a geography teacher and Vince as the cool fashion obsessed, flirty and fickle shallow moron. They started life in a zoo, working for the repulsive Bob Fossil (played by American Rich Fulcher) as zookeepers and then progressed to the wider world with adventures which could end up anywhere but would always involve them getting into trouble. In the last series they worked in the Nabootique, a weird shop owned by the shaman Naboo and his sidekick gorilla, Bollo.

Barratt and Fielding were both stand up comics before they started the Boosh and they each have excellent comic timing and a real talent for writing and playing characters. There is also a massive musical element to their comedy and they cover all sorts of genres with frequent musical numbers in the show which are catchy and hilarious, a rare combination. The show began life as a radio series developed from three stage shows and they have now done three television series and there are persistent rumours about a film which we can only hope are true.

The Mighty Boosh is a really unique show and to be honest it defies explanation. The art style, direction, characters and outfits hang together beautifully and I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this before. Amongst my friends opinion is completely polarised they either love it or they don’t get it at all and find it weird and unfunny. Of course the people that don’t like it are just plain wrong but you might find you have to invest a bit of time before it grows on you like a psychedelic fungus.

If you are a fan of British comedy, and lets face it Britain is the best place in the world for comedy perhaps as a counterbalance for the miserable greyness and awful weather, then you have to seek out The Mighty Boosh. Get your hands on a DVD, sit back, relax and join them on a journey through time and space. If you’re not sure where to find it or perhaps you don’t feel ready yet then why not check out their official website, you won’t regret it, well you might regret it but hey that’s your problem.