Original Review:

Show Rating:

There is clearly something inherently funny in seeing a scrawny, middle class white kid wearing a gold Adidas tracksuit and asking those around him how “mad for it” they are feeling.  This is why Saturday evenings in most provincial town centres are constant sources of comedy.

However, Danny Robins has managed to tap into this source of humour and take it one step further by creating this secondary school teacher / aspiring DJ character.  It is certainly a hybrid with a lot of promise, even if this show may not quite realise it all.

As he tells the audience, DJ Danny doesn’t have any musical ability; ‘that’s why I became a DJ’.  However, assisted by his ‘clique’ (including the wonderfully droll Mr Walker, who constantly sits at a desk in the corner never once cracking a smile regardless of his actions), he dedicates the next hour to raising his audience’s ‘mad for it’ level up to 110%. 

To this end, he has created a seven-point plan, by the end of which he judges that the mission will be complete. 

This show structure allows DJ Danny to perform several individual set pieces of varying success.  The best of them involve the whole audience – whether it be practising dance moves, creating sound effects for a ‘banging’ Ibiza summer anthem or shouting out random numbers to select songs to be mixed together.

 The show’s late timeslot comes in handy here as a day of alcohol weakens the inhibitions, and therefore the show is often riotous, with DJ Danny proving quick-witted enough to control and keep things moving.  On the other hand, there are a couple of points on his ‘lesson plan’ that are almost treated as non-entities, and appear to simply be used as filler material.

Of course, the sight of a secondary school teacher so breathlessly trying to be a DJ is hilarious, and Robins exploits this fully in the script by inserting as many juxtapositions of the sides of his character’s life as possible.  Although his  CD mixing remains the most impressive  part of the show, even if it is more clever than actually funny. 

Generally, Robins’ creation has the potential to gather a sizable cult following, even if he isn’t quite there yet. The character is tremendous fun and produces some moments that honestly need to be seen to be believed.