review of Ipswich Regent Clue show
27/09/2007 00:00 GMT

Posted by lisa

The following review appears on the Suffolk & Essex online website.  Please note that it CONTAINS SPOILERS.


The perfect antidote to panel games
27 September 2007 | 17:23

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue; Ipswich Regent, September 25

This gloriously daft radio series, currently in its 35th year, has taken to the road and made an innuendo-filled stop over at the Ipswich Regent. The lovely Samantha was way-laid first in Framlingham, then in Woodbridge and finally in Ipswich where she was invited to lick a large Neapolitan but the rest of the regulars Humphrey Lyttleton, Colin Sell, Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and the show's creator Graeme Garden were all present and on fine form.

The revolving fourth chair vacated by the late Willie Rushton was filled by the tone-deaf Jeremy Hardy who delighted the sell-out crowd with some truly appalling singing in such rounds as One Song To The Tune of Another and Pick-Up Song.

The evening was really a greatest hits collection of favourite moments from the series. It was a wonderful nostalgic evening as this 'antidote to panel games' conjured up bizarre round after round.

The silly things the panellist were given to do included Stars In Their Ears where the panellists sing unsuitable melodies as various celebrities, Sound Charades which is carried out without the benefit of mime, Sound Effects Storytime which was self-explanatory and Topical Nursery Rhymes.

But the round that got the biggest cheer of the evening was the ever-popular Mornington Crescent - the rules of which appear to be as incomprehensible as ever and on this occasion were merged with those of Scrabble.

It was a delightfully daft evening and the packed auditorium filed out at the end of the evening still chuckling and reciting their favourite lines to one another - many of those belonged to Humph (as Lyttleton is affectionately known) and although on the surface seemed quite innocent were, on reflection, positively filthy.

It's a series which revels in wit and fast-thinking by its players and we were all dazzled by their cleverness. A fantastic evening and we await their return with eager anticipation.

Andrew Clarke