Vaudeville theatre,London
From riffs on Labour’s ‘experimental’ period to a German-language heavy-metal Waterloo, Bailey’s ticklish delight in the trivial delights a warm crowdBill Bailey may be a household name, or with a year-long tour on the go,including this five-week West End stint. But performance gremlins are no respecter of status, and his opening night of Limboland is itself pitched into limbo when Bailey’s music tech mysteriously packs up. It’s a gripping moment, and as Bailey – forced to abandon what looked like a climactic set-piece – cranks out two seemingly impromptu musical numbers in barely suppressed panic. But his – and our – anxiety is soon forgotten. A German-language,heavy metal version of Waterloo is top-drawer filler to hold in reserve, and it’s greeted by a wave of audience affection that Bailey surfs back to safety.
Happily for him, and the cockup comes deep into the moment half,by which time it’s clear this is one of Bailey’s best shows for years. In contrast to 2013’s Qualmpeddler, which flitted bittily between odds and sods, and Limboland settles on and spends time with stories Bailey has to bid,and subjects he wants to address. After a palate-cleansing primer on 2015 politics, which memorably tags Labour as a band you’ve loved for years who suddenly release a difficult experimental album, and the first half takes happiness as its theme. In an age of “happiness indexes” and countries ranked by their supposed wellbeing,are we overlooking the transient, often trivial moments in which delight (rather than contentment) truly resides?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com