Bottom Live

To think of this as just slapstick is to miss 90% of the show, we have Rick Mayall who without question is the finest comedy actor of a generation, and perfectly complimented by the incredibly funny Adrian Edmondson.

It doesnt matter whats happening, what matters is the energy and brilliant comedy timing from two masters of the craft...

I remember going to see this show and Manchester on it's tour. We were absolutely blown away by the script, comic timing and interaction with the audience. Brilliantly clever dialogue and a superb story line. Kept us in stitches all night. So pleased to see Rik Mayal at his best.

I thought I'd put in a comment as one of the few Yanks who, with the aid of a region-code-free DVD player, has seen the videos of the `Bottom' shows.

The original TV series has been unavailable to me, so all I know of the two `Bottom' characters is from the taped stage shows (there are three of them). They seem essentially the same as the two characters Rik and Ade played in `The Young Ones,' so if you found them amusing, you might like them in the `Bottom' shows. However, as this is a live stage show, the elaborate sight gags and editing tricks used in `The Young Ones' are out of the question. Also, while they attack their roles with extreme gusto, they are noticeably older. Rik, in particular, looks likely to expire in a pool of perspiration as the show goes on. Sure, he looks a bit grotesque as he's gradually drenched in sweat, but since he appears on stage from the start in ill-fitting blue jeans with his underpants visibly pulled about six inches above his belt, I'd say some additional grotesqueness was not out of place. This is augmented in spades when the blue jeans disappear. At one point in `Bottom 2,' after a prolonged bout of violence, Rik ad-libs loudly that they are `getting too old for this,' a comment he'd no doubt heard and read in numerous reviews of the shows. I can't help admiring his balls (well, not literally).

Ade's whiplash violence is as ridiculously extreme as a Roadrunner cartoon. For me it's a hilarious release of life's pent-up frustrations, and kind of a rebuke for having wished I could do it to the numerous jackasses encountered in an average day. I would contend that doing that sort of thing safely on stage takes a high degree of accuracy and skill. Besides which, he just makes me laugh.

Experiencing it on video, you get the best seat in the house without having to contend with an unruly or annoying audience, and I found the sheer exuberance of Rik and Ade's performances enjoyable.

As an American, I couldn't appreciate quite all the references to British celebrities, etc., but complete idiocy is a universal thing, and it's depicted here with extreme enthusiasm. To me, these guys are the Three Stooges for the '90s, a mantle I don't confer lightly. It may well be that Rik or Ade would advise me to f**k off. Well, so what? I am one of those who hold the opinion that you shouldn't necessarily meet people you admire, as it sometimes spoils your appreciation of them.

This live show was their first and definitely one of the best they've made. It takes place at their flat and the storyline is ... well as weird and violent as usual - among other things Eddie will become both Richie's son and wife... you have to see it for yourself to understand. The punchlines and the violence makes up for a one hour and a half nonstop laughing session, and I can ONLY recommend this show. More than the other live shows, this one is close to the series in terms of storyline and "personality", where-as the other live shows go beyond that. If you liked the series I can almost guarantee that you will love this show

I've been a fan of BOTTOM and YOUNG ONES for years, since I was 11 to be exact (Im 20 now!!) and I hadnt seen nothing until I saw the BOTTOM LIVE videos!!!!

This is for all you Bottom fans who wanted to see an uncensored Bottom show. There are extremely no limits to this unlike the BBC show. The scenes of Rik and "Monica" had me in stitches and everytime they forgot the lines....... well I split my sides laughing and it shows theyre human!! How ingenious to make forgetting lines part of the show

Watch with caution- you'll be easily offended if you're from Southampton!!!

H xxxxx