I had already been a Boosh fan when I got this Live DVD, so I was expecting a lot when I put it in my DVD player. At first I was disappointed, though. The live setting didn't seem to work for me. I found people laughing at everything all the time irritating and not fitting for this kind of humour. Also, a lot of bits in the show had already been used before in earlier stand-up acts or the group's TV show and that initially turned me off.
Strangely, though, this didn't bother me the second time I watched the show. The more those jokes are repeated, the funnier they get for some reason. And the live performance really seemed to work, too, all of a sudden. "The Mighty Boosh" had originally started as a stage production, so it's no wonder Noel and Julian know how to use the theatre setting to their advantage. Costumes and props add to the show's charm even more so than they did in the TV series. Suddenly I found myself really loving this performance. There's something about the Boosh that you have to get into it before you can fully appreciate this wacky little universe.
There are some flaws in the show, however. Noel Fielding steps out of character too often, which is not quite as funny as he thinks it is. Rich Fuller can be hilarious. I loved one of his bits about how every private eye on TV has a certain weakness, for instance, but sometimes he just acts like a screaming little child that wants some attention, and that shows all too often in his live performance.
Apart from these little missteps this show rocks, though. It's great to see characters like Old Gregg, The Hitcher and the one who goes by many names again. If a few bad jokes had been cut, out the whole thing would have been even greater, but as it is it's still one of the most original and lovable comedy acts I've ever seen. In the end "The Mighty Boosh Live" is a worthy addition to the DVD collection of everyone who liked the radio and TV series.
