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The Razzle Presents: The Working Man's Club at Latitude 2010
Live Review

Having reinterpreted the office party for an entertainingly immersive show at the Barbican Centre and Edinburgh Fringe, the same team have now had a bash at the working men’s club; an atmosphere that’s surely ripe for reinvention.

This first outing at Latitude has a marvellous spirit, but doesn’t go nearly far enough in creating an all-round experience beyond the turns on stage, huge fun though these undoubtedly are.

Chris Green – the man behind Tina C and Dame Ida Barr – here channels the spirit of Eighties comic Duncan Norvelle to play compere Derek Diamond, a man with an intriguingly hinted-at back story that involved an injured child and the need to change his stage name from Daz Vegas. As you might expect, the character’s well-formed, and Green sets the perfect tone for the night, inviting audience member to make use of the pool table and buy tickets for the meat raffle.

His frequent collaborator Ursula Martinez plays Dazzle’s deranged stalker Maureen, with a surprising twist for anyone not aware of the signature move that defines her career. Also in the line-up is Australian circus performer Jess Love, here performing an inventive, wonderfully witty – but all-too brief – burlesque turn.

The night, though, belongs to Mrs Barbara Nice, the housewife superstar of the North West, utterly at home in an environment that could have been built for her. She banters affectionately with the crowd, leads the singalongs and generally celebrates the joys of life, however modest. Grabbing a bargain at TK Maxx is source of infinite pride for this middle-aged mum, as warm and sunny as a fortnight in Benidorm.

In fact, this pretty much was the Barbara Nice show, with a few side attractions thrown in. But you can see how there’s plenty of potential for this fine idea to be extended into a whole word the audience can be absorbed into, entirely separate from the Phoenix Nights route of cheesily bad entertainers.

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Barbara is an absolute star! I went with a big group of drunken primary school teachers she had us in stitches. Many a quote is banded around the staffroom now. Especially when we're ording new equipment which is definitely NOT 'people's price'. A lady not to be missed.

Helly, May 2005

Our Barbara is the unniest person i have me. She is the loving, caring, doting mother everybody wants, she is doing a fantastic job at the Nightingale Club (every sunday) as the compere. Keep up the good work Barbara

Jamie Law, April 2005

A true comic genius. Amazing and very funny.

EmmaMcGaz, April 2005

What a genuine comic talent with real presence. Why does this woman not have a show on the telly?

Cath, February 2005

Barbara (as in Streisand) Nice (as in biscuit) is outstanding. Come on Janice, bring our favourite house wife out to play more often down here in Brighton.

Stuart, January 2005

Saw her as the Soho Theatre and she was amazing. Great night ended with her getting all the guys on stage and she actually crowd surfed! So funny, so loveable. A star.

Mikey, November 2004

It's because of Barbara Nice, that I can't stop singing,"I'm climbing up sunshine mountain". Very funny lady indeed.

Larry, November 2004

Last night at the Theatre Royal St Helens, I saw Barbara and she was amazing, I have never laughed so much in my life, and the stage dive was fantastic! We need to see more of Barbara she is a true star.

Jayne, November 2004

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