The special 20th anniversary stage adaptation of multi-award winning BBC TV sitcom rather aptly kicked off it’s tour of England at The Lowry in Salford on Monday night
It’s not exactly the TV comedy-to-stage show revival anyone was partially begging for. Still, IDEAL – the stage show based on the award-winning sitcom starring Johnny Vegas – easily eclipses its peers, dining out on nostalgia with a touring production.
I’ve never wanted to see how Only Fools and Horses fares as a musical or John Cleese milk his Fawlty Towers success with a lucrative stint on the West End. Still, on Tuesday night, I jumped at the chance to see Vegas reprise his role as Moz, Manchester’s longest-serving weed dealer.
The special 20th anniversary stage adaptation of the multi-award-winning BBC TV sitcom aptly kicked off its tour of England at The Lowry in Salford on Monday night.
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IDEAL, created by Graham Duff, ran for six years and produced a whopping 53 episodes before its abrupt cancellation in 2011. Duff was disappointed to be denied the chance to pen an eighth series and wrap things up, and Vegas admitted in July this year that the stage adaptation was a way to give fans the ‘final’ episode they never had a chance to film.
But, set in the present day – with plenty of current comedic references to let the audience know Moz and the gang are very much in 2025, not 2011 – IDEAL on stage is less of a swansong that neatly ties up loose ends and works more as a nice bonus episode.
Nothing has really changed; Moz is still a low-level drug dealer in his bleak flat, joking that the council is considering putting a blue plaque outside to honour his local legacy.
Brain is still dishing out double entendres. Pyscho Paul hasn’t ditched a life of crime and found respectable employment. Colin is no longer on prohibition but fresh out of prison – dying to go back inside – and Cartoon Head’s identity remains under wraps.
The stage adaptation certainly isn’t a flawless production, with crackling mics and the odd blunder reminding those watching that it’s very much a live show, but it weirdly adds to IDEAL’s charm.
Thanks to Vegas’ quick reactions to missteps and ad-libs getting huge laughs from the audience, you’d be forgiven for suspecting some of the gaffes were scripted; they work that well.
IDEAL is undoubtedly one for the fans—it’s not a guarantee that someone who has never seen the TV show would love the stage revival—but that’s not a bad thing. Not everything has to be for everyone; some things can just be for the misfits who appreciate a cult classic.
If you fancy catching IDEAL in Salford this week, you’re out of luck—it’s unsurprisingly sold out. However, from next week, it will tour theatres nationwide until the 11th of October, when it will conclude in London.
The new stage adaptation is produced by Edge Street Live & Woolyback Productions. It will run from 8th September 2025 at Lowry until the 11th October at Bloomsbury Theatre.
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