Horrible Histories: More Best of Barmy Britain, Garrick Theatre ★★★★★

With this one-hour whistle-stop tour of the most bizarre bits of British history, the Birmingham Stage Company – who are also performing an adaptation of Gangsta Granny this summer – prove themselves worthy of their reputation as masters of children’s theatre.

Incredibly witty – several gags a minute including a few to keep the adults engaged – and surprisingly informative, the show is performed by just two seemingly tireless actors. They don various period costumes as they take us right through from the insalubrious Anglo-Saxon era to the shocking irresponsible military escapades of WWI.

The sketches add a distinctly modern flavour to this highly unusual history lesson. There is the ancient Roman version of Master Chef, ‘Manky Chef’ (featuring a great impression of Greg Wallace who probably would have done well in B.C. Britain); a spoof of Undercover Boss where Elizabeth I descends into the slums of Tudor England and ends up boogieing to ‘I Got A Feeling’ with Will.i.am Shakespeare; an old-school TOWIE; and – most ridiculous of all – a rapping Charles II with a slightly suspect Jamaican accent (think less Restoration, and more ‘Res-tah-ray-shun').

There is also, of course, much audience participation but, mercifully, not the kind that makes you want to slip underneath your seat and vanish without a trace. The actors seem to be having such a good time on stage that, in fact, you almost (almost) want to get picked.

The sound effects team does a lot of work here, helping to carry much of the humour along. As with the actors, who never put a foot wrong even in their dance routines, the timing is impeccable.

While this is only the condensed ‘greatest hits’ Barmy Britain, let’s hope they bring back the full-length version soon.