Comedian and actor Bill Bailey is currently on his 2013 UK ‘Qualmpeddler’ tour, and Emily Shaw (@emily_shaw1) had the chance to see him at Halifax Victoria Theatre on the 4th of May…
As this was the first time I had seen a comedian live, and as a fan of Bill Bailey, I had high expectations, and they were certainly met. The show was a combination of music and comedy, which was so funny that I can shamelessly admit I cried with laughter. The night was packed with laughs and jokes, and the songs that Bill had written were just as funny as his jokes. He is clearly a very skilled musician, with a music shop’s worth of instruments behind him on the stage, each one of which he plays as well as the other.
Highlights included the Reggae version of the Downton Abbey theme tune, and the now infamous set of horns being used to play along to an eclectic mix of songs and artists, including Metallica, a sight that really has to be seen to be believed. Audience participation is a big part of the show, but not in the embarrassing “please don’t make me get on stage” way; Bill will often ask a question he wants answered, and encourages the audience to clap along, a skill that as a crowd we apparently excelled at.
The comedy is witty and quick, and Bill has a unique way of delivering lines so that everyone in the audience found themselves laughing. I also enjoyed the fact that there was no need for crass jokes or swearing in order for the jokes to be funny, and although there were some more adult parts, the show as a whole is quite family friendly.
The theatre itself is beautiful, the type of old fashioned theatre that takes you back through history. There was even a chance to be charitable, with volunteers collecting money for ‘BARC’, a charity that is supported by Bill Bailey and helps the street dogs of Bali.
The tour has ended its two night run in Halifax, however the tour returns to Yorkshire in October, when there are several dates in both Bradford and Leeds. I would highly recommend the show, as it is a very entertaining and hilarious night. I got the feeling that every show is different, since there was inexplicably a large splinter of wood on stage from the previous night, and on our night Bill got so enthusiastic that at one point he actually fell over. Truly suffering for art…
Find out more about the tour at www.billbailey.co.uk and book tickets at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Bill-Bailey. I hope that everyone gets the chance to enjoy the show as much as me, and that Bill will return to Yorkshire on his next tour!