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By
Rebecca Ting
I once
went to an attractions park, which had a ride with the restriction:
聭No adults allowed, unless accompanied by a responsible child.聮
- Assuming 聭The Chuckles Strike Back聮 to be a similar
affair, I attempt to enlist my little sister to 聭accompany聮
me to the show. Unfortunately, she is otherwise engaged, leaving
me to go alone, and receive many quizzical looks from the Apollo
staff.
As
I settle into my seat amidst the crowd of small children zestily
singing along to 聭Automatic High聮 by S Club Juniors, I
do feel just a tad little self-conscious聟
However, once the lights dim and the curtains raise, I can sit back
and relax, safe in the knowledge that I have no 聭cool cynical
teenager聮 image to protect, and I 聭boo聮 and 聭hiss聮
with the best of them.
聭The
Chuckles Strike Back聮 is, as its name suggests, some kind of
聭every space-epic ever聮 parody, featuring not only the
Starship Exit-prise (groan), but Dark Waders, Luke Sleepwalker,
R2C2 and a plethora of other assorted rip-off characters.
Admittedly,
there is virtually no plot, but the planned and predictable gags
are greeted uproariously by the children, whilst a few unamused-looking
fathers sit, artificial smiles firmly affixed to their faces. The
real amusement lies in when it all goes wrong 聳 forgotten lines,
malfunctioning props etc. At these points, the actors themselves
collapse into fits of laughter, and even the more cynical members
of the audience are entertained.
This
being said, there聮s no doubt that it聮s better than your
average pantomime 聳 the Chuckle Brothers聮 trademark catchphrases
and jokes are consistently amusing, though thoroughly predictable.
Magical illusions intersperse the adventures of Paul and Barry,
and even audience participation is taken to a new level when parents
are dragged onto the stage, dressed in bin-bags, and made to run
around chairs for ten minutes before being smothered in cream! Sadly,
I聮m just beginning to get carried away, shouting loudly 聭ALIENS!聮
聭BEHIND YOU!聮 (much to the surprise of the small girl
sitting next to me). 聟when it suddenly ended聟with a performance
of the Chuckles聮 new single, a whistle-blowing, trance-clubbing聟epic(?)
"Available soon in all good record shops!"
Don聮t
say I didn聮t warn you.
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