Ideal 20th Anniversary Live Show – The Lowry

Back in 2005, Tony Blair was the Prime Minister, Doctor Who returned to our screens, and another show, with a budget not quite as large, started on BBC Three called Ideal. Set in Salford, it revolved around Moz (Johnny Vegas), a small-time drug dealer, and the weird and wonderful characters who came to see him to buy cannabis. It was lo-fi, a bit of a sleeper hit, and a cult classic beloved by its fans.

Twenty years later, it has been resurrected for the stage, and it is silly, surreal and just fun. You know everyone is up for having a good time when the actors are applauded when they come on stage. It had a pantomime feel, not least in those moments when things went wrong. Audiences always love it when this happens, and it was very entertaining watching the actors try to improvise themselves out of it.

Johnny Vegas inhabited the part of Moz and was superb, even if he wasn’t always on top of his lines. He is such a good comedian, who was enjoying himself on stage so much, that he could make the most out of the situation. The world of the play was so offbeat, and everyone was having such a good time, that he was able to use his comic skills to maximum effect.

His scenes with Colin (Ben Crompton) were a joy because you could see that they were both trying to make each other laugh. Ben made this petty criminal into quite a lovable character, even if Colin is a tad deluded at times. In fact, you could tell the whole cast was having as good a time as the audience.

Writer Graham Duff has created a world that worked according to its own logic, and the plot, such as it was, probably does not withstand serious scrutiny. This is not a play to deconstruct, especially as it is full of fantastic jokes, terrific one-liners, and fabulous wordplay. It is a hilarious script delivered by excellent comic actors, including himself as the outrageous gay character Brian.

This makes it all sound rather shallow, and it is in a way, yet what is wrong with that? Yet Emma Fryer as Tania gave this murderess some depth. Behind the sardonic lines and the controlled manner, she hinted at a backstory about what had happened to this character to make her like this. Despite all the silliness, there was something deeper going on behind her eyes.

Psycho Paul (Ryan Pope) was how the Gallagher brothers would be if, instead of music, they had decided to become gangland murderers. With his cheery, silent sidekick, Cartoon Head (Curt Faltrey), he is happy to feed a body to the piranhas for the right money. Ethics in this world is a county in Southern England.

This is dark, crude and rude comedy, that is farcical in the Ortonesque manner (to be a tad pretentious). Joe Orton used dark farce to explore taboos, and whilst this is just a TV sitcom, made flesh, it does depict a world of drugs and crime with working-class characters in a way we don’t usually see on television and certainly not in the theatre. If you are looking for a laugh, then this show is ideal.

It continues at the Lowry until 12th September – https://thelowry.com/whats-on/ideal-starring-johnny-vegas-ql7t. It will then tour around the UK until 11th October.

Reviewer: Adam Williams

Reviewed: 9th September 2025

North West End UK Rating: