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Bizarre Bath - The Comedy Walk
April 2007
Reviewed by Jez Rose
A
beautiful sunny April evening and I'm here in Bath, that historic city where
many years ago people came to have their ailments healed by the mystical powers
of the Roman Baths but where for the last 16 years people have flocked for a
very different mystical evening...
Turns out that I wasn't alone as I mingled outside the
Huntsman Inn - several people have driven to Bath this evening, especially
to see Bizarre Bath. My trip was two hours and if I'm honest, I was genuinely
excited but very prepared to be let down. You see, there's been a lot of hype
about Bizarre Bath and there aren't any bad reviews about it, which made me a
tiny bit suspicious. Plus, I'd seen Noel do short stints on both television and
live but never a long set - and the walk lasts 90 minutes.
Bizarre Bath is Noel Britten's brainchild of a comedy walk - essentially it's
the love-child of a guided tour of the city of Bath (which is a lovely city and
worth the trip but only if you're planning on doing the Bizarre Bath walk also)
and roaming street theatre, just with very little (...if any) history! That's my
kind of walk! Grandma wouldn't have liked it but so what? She wasn't there! I
took my neighbor along with me to get a normal person's view of it and as we
waited outside, I noticed quite a large crowd of people gathering and wondered
if perhaps the Huntsman Inn was the starting point for several guided tours.
They wouldn't stand still long enough for me to count, but I got to 107 before
it became too much.
Noel dutifully walked out of the pub at 8pm and all 107+ people gathered round
him. They were all here for the Bizarre Bath walk! 90 minutes sounds like a long
time to be walking but I only looked at my watch once and that was only when the
woman we were waving to in a restaurant (yes, all 107 of us) decided it would be
appropriate to lift her top and flash her chest. I felt my oesophagus go into
spasm so to prevent myself from being violently sick, I decided to check the
time in order to avert my gaze. It is simply the finest event/show/walk I've
ever been on, full of Noel's expertly timed comedy (there's no one like him when
it comes to timing and delivery) - so perfect that despite how absurd and
familiar one supposed interruption was (I won't spoil it here because it is
simply brilliant), Noel's delivery and presentation even had me wonder if
perhaps it might not have meant to happen - even though I'd done the same stunt
on television! Another example of Noel's brilliant timing and delivery is the
ring vanish using a helium balloon - as it flies off into the distance it seems
only right, for Noel, to "move on". A head-chopper, keys of baldpate and plenty
of excellent sight gags provided wonderful entertainment which flowed so
naturally - none of the pieces, stunts or tricks were forced, each one woven
into the tour with spoof or comical history that had the entire crowd in fits of
laughter (I'm sure she won't mind me telling you but my neighbor nearly wet
herself - twice). But the piece de resistance for me, and for most on the tour,
was Noel's excellent (it must be a signature piece) rabbit escape - I shan't
tell you anymore than that he ties up a rabbit, puts it in a mailbag, with
weights, and lobs it into the canal. The effect is sensational and gets you
right when you think you've seen it all. He should market it - it's that good.
But only to me, naturally. There is plenty of magic throughout but it is
professionally balanced with comedy, audience interaction, irreverent stunts
(which make you laugh stupidly) and Noels' wonderful persona. You also get to
see a lot of the city of Bath, often stopping outside such landmarks as the City
Cathedral, the Roman Baths and little lanes stacked full of history. I've been
to Bath before and I highly recommend this tour to combine an evening's
entertainment and a sightseeing tour without the distraction of aching feet.
His rapport with the multinational crowd (South Africa, New Zealand, Amsterdam,
America, Germany and Brazil on our tour - odd woman she was) is perfect and you
visibly see them warm to him, racing to get nearer to this funny man who has
even the hardest of men bowing to him while wiggling their fingers, or keeping a
watch out for 'strangers'. The best bit about it is it's only seven quid - or a
fiver if you're a tight student (just pay the full price, the extra two quid
still isn't enough for what you get) and there's no booking - you simply turn
up. There is a (very remote, but still possible) chance that you could turn up
on a day that not enough people are there to do the walk (Noel likes a minimum
of 10). But the average size crowd is 50 so if you turn up and no one else is
there, it probably wasn't a very lucky day for you anyway and I'd advise you
don't drive home.
If you're looking for somewhere to eat, we ate in a delightful and very tasty
fish restaurant (obviously, don't go there if you're allergic to fish) called
OnefishTwofish. It's a family run restaurant and the only independent fish
restaurant in bath. Excellently priced and one of the finest restaurants I've
ever eaten in.
My career as a comedy performer has seen me work with and alongside the likes of
Elton John, Madonna, Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr, Jackie Chan and even Steve
Coogan. I've always like Noel Britten but before now I'd never seen him properly
work, however, after experiencing Bizarre Bath, I rate him as one of the finest
comedians in the country and the fact that he's not super famous, his cheeky
grin and tightly curled hair not beaming out from my ostentatious flatscreen, is
frankly one of the biggest wrongdoings of the 20th century.
For me, any entertainment I see is judged by that warm, fuzzy feeling you get
when it's over. The feeling of fulfillment and the inability to wipe the smirk
from your face. Bizarre Bath does this and more.
I loved it - and so will you.
No conflict of interest to declare.
© Jez Rose, April 2007