It’s been 20 years since BBC Three debuted Ideal, the left-field sitcom written by Graham Duff.
Made at the Beeb’s (now gone) studios on Manchester’s Oxford Road, for seven series it starred Johnny Vegas as Moz, a perennial no-hoper drug dealer and ringmaster of a cavalcade of attendant oddballs and low-lifes. In recent years there have been rumblings of an Ideal revival, possibly as a feature film, but for its anniversary it’s materialised as a stage show for a tour launching at Lowry – appropriately enough, as the series itself was set in Salford. The question is, can it capture and equal what won the TV show an adoring cult following?
Various key elements are present and correct, including Vegas and several members of the cast. Even the original theme pops up (originally written, strange fact fans, for a Wicker Man-themed album by a band featuring Philomena Cunk co-creator Joel Morris). The original series rarely left the confines of Moz’s scuzzy flat, which makes it entirely suitable for a stage adaptation. In fact, the show plays out across two sets – Moz’s flat and another – and the narrative flits between them, allowing us to catch up with favourite established characters, each of whom gets a hearty cheer when they first appear, and tell a sprawling, all-new tale taking in plenty of crime and a good degree of passion.
So, what works and what doesn’t? Well, there’s plenty to like. There are lots of big laughs and it’s often seriously out-there, very much in the spirit of the TV version. There are technical niggles – a persistent nasty crackle on a radio mic – but then this is the first night of a tour, so it’s entirely forgivable that a few kinks still need to be ironed out. What’s less forgivable is the fact that scene transitions, which involve zero scenery changes, seem to take forever, sapping the narrative of any momentum it might have. It’s baffling that this hasn’t been spotted and sorted before now.
Another major head-scratcher is the fact that, as Moz, Johnny Vegas seems lost and unrehearsed.
Having made his name as a live performer driven by raw emotion and instinct, here he demonstrates only a shaky grasp of his lines, and though this is fuel for some funny moments, often it, um, isn’t. As a result, he’s probably the weakest link in the show (maybe leaning into more improvisation, Vegas as a kind of weed-dealing panto dame might be an option?).
Thankfully, there’s some excellent work being done elsewhere in the cast. Joanna Neary makes a top-notch return as mildly demented neighbour Judith, and Ben Crompton, as jailbird Colin, seems to be having the time of his life, which is hugely infectious, while writer Graham Duff remains a quiet linchpin onstage as Brian. Indisputably, though, the show is stolen wholesale by Psycho Paul (Ryan Pope) and Tania (Emma Fryer), Salford’s own Romeo and Juliet. Truth be told, the comic potential in their simmering romance is probably strong enough to do without the other side of the plot entirely.
Yes, this is sometimes barmy stuff with inconsequential tangents and the odd bit of iffy plotting (plus the odd missed opportunity: what, not a different celebrity guest playing Cartoon Head every night?). But it succeeds in conjuring up the warm, languid charm of the TV show. It’s a delight, and certainly no disappointment, to see these characters reconvened and back in action. As the tour goes on, though, it would be good to assume that Vegas might start to shine more brightly in a show in which he is essentially the star. His underwhelming performance here just isn’t, well, ideal.
Main Image by Andy Hollingworth
Ideal is at Lowry in Salford until September 13, 2025. For more information, follow this link:https://thelowry.com/whats-on/ideal-starring-johnny-vegas-ql7t
Full tour dates:https://edgestreetlive.com/ideal
