ONE of the most eagerly-anticipated world premieres of the Manchester International Festival has been this unique – and as it turns out rather extraordinary and poignant – show from Johnny Vegas and writer Stewart Lee, of Jerry Springer – The Opera fame.
So secret has it been that even its location is not divulged until you’re actually there. How it works is that twenty people at a time board a specially-chartered bus outside the Festival Pavilion twice a day.
They are given an estate agent’s description of a “two bedroom house, Old Trafford/Chorlton border” and are then taken to an ordinary-looking house, where they’re met by Jeffrey Parkin, also known as Johnny Vegas or, in another version of real life, Michael Pennington.
They are then shown around the property by its owner, who’s anxious to sell up so he can move to Montenegro but is equally anxious to point out the unique qualities of the house he’s been busy renovating.
So keen is he on his renovations, in fact, that he insists it’s “not renovation but romance”.
It would be unfair of me to reveal precisely what happens subsequently but a story gradually emerges in which IKEA, allen-keys and world cinema loom as large as love, inadequacy and self-delusion, with a final twist that’s genuinely poignant and thought-provoking.
Vegas/Pennington gives a remarkable, quick-witted performance, especially as many of the audience are obviously expecting something closer to his stand-up persona and are, perhaps, a little too eager to laugh.
Being so close to him throughout the performance can, no doubt, be a little disconcerting and, as the show ends, it’s difficult to know how exactly to react, beyond acknowledging that we’ve all just been part of something that’s genuinely special.
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter