Bill Bailey Unplugged (work in progress), Leicester Square Theatre

The year is young, but one the hottest comedy tickets of 2014 is already upon us. Bill Bailey Unplugged is an exciting run of 10 work-in-progress shows from one of the best-loved musical comedians on the circuit. 

‘Knock us down with a feather!’ we said when we heard. The comedy rumour-mills were a-grindin’ last year with speculation that the multiple Time Out, Edinburgh Fringe and British Comedy Award winner was on sabbatical from stand-up for the foreseeable future. Surprises don’t come much better than this.

If you’ve been unlucky enough to have missed his acclaimed, box office smashing shows and tours these last fifteen years (Bewilderness  [2001], Part Troll [2004], the brilliant Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra [filmed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2008] and Qualmpeddler [2013 at the Hammersmith Apollo]) you’ll very likely recognise him as the troll-haired erstwhile star of BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks, comedian Dylan Moran’s 2004 sitcom Black Books, and pop-up appearances on QI and Radio 4. 

A trained multi-instrumentalist with perfect pitch, Bailey’s shows are a blend of razor sharp observational humour, incredible original songs and sharp musical parodies. His set typically draws on a stagefull of guitars, keyboards and novelty electronic instruments as he turns a talented analytical eye to the musical structures of everything from 1970s Chas ‘n’ Dave to the chord progressions used in French police sirens. 

To see a show of his is to see a true master of parody at work, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in Bailey’s passion with each lovingly-constructed, carefully observed musical satire and pastiche. 

Bailey’s charm lies in his ability to pack out vast West-End theatres while somehow managing to enrapture each and every audience member individually. This is a smaller-scale work-in-progress show, so don’t expect West-End numbers, special effects, or the slickness of a finished act. But do expect the intimacy and charm of a still-evolving show, and the satisfaction of being the first in the world to hear this new material. 

Click here for a list of the 10 dates from January to March. Never have we meant it more when we say: book now before tickets sell out!