Review by Steve Bennett

Bob and Bill must be the most mild-mannered double act in comedy.

The amble quietly onto their stage - as cluttered with junk as Albert Steptoe's spare room - and start politely chatting to the audience about how they got here, and whether any latecomers are expected.

Thankfully, their entire show is not as low-key as this - although it doesn't get any more hard-hitting.

For although this slapstick pair clown around with the energy of the Three Stooges, rarely is so much effort expended for so little result.

While capable of raising the odd smile, this likeable duo come across more as a pair of children's entertainers way out of their league than a comedy force to be reckoned with.

Their show, too, is deliberately juvenile - based on the premise that they are aliens hell-bent on controlling our minds by baking the magic ingredient Sweet Bobabola into our cakes.

But rather than regressing us into the innocent laughter of childhood, the pair merely get us thinking: "This is all a bit childish, isn't it" and interest soon saps away.

And once that happens, the frantic action starts to look more like desperation than inspiration, making for a totally unfulfilling experience.

Review date: 1 Jan 2001
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett