Homepage News Reviews - Acts - Shows - Screen - Radio - Books - Clubs Interviews Awards 2006 Edinburgh 2005 - Reviews - Blog - Previews Features Archive Awards 2005 Edinburgh 2004: - Previews - Shows - Diary Guestbook Forum © Emporium Of Mirth 2004 Editor: Lauren Murphy Reporters: Fiona Wilkie Natalie Joanne	Emporium of Mirth Boothby Graffoe In No Particular Order As the title suggests, this is comedy at its most random. Comedy without a context. Comedy with no home. Boothby and his co-star Stephen Frost take the audience on a meander through disjointed accounts of supposedly true life events, sketches, spoofs of Radio 4 quiz shows and songs. The latter is somewhat surprising, since Boothby himself can’t play the guitar and sings badly... but perhaps that’s the point. It seems that listeners would have benefited from being in the studio audience, since the show has a distinctly “live” slant. The standard of audience involvement is high, with the unfortunate Boothby at one point asking the Sunday Telegraph radio reviewer his occupation. Taking this route in comedy is always a dubious option; it invites heckles and put downs, which Boothby is usually adept at shrugging off (failing this, the beauty of editing is never to be underestimated). To the more cynical listener, it may also hint at a lack of material... but, perhaps that’s the point. To me, the format of this show is excellent, allowing for flexibility in delivery, thus increasing audience enjoyment. What lets it down is that Boothby seems to pass up this opportunity to showcase his talent, instead relying on rather predictable and uninventive jokes (such as David Beckham needing to learn a few stock Spanish phrases, or the amusing noise made by seagulls sounding just like old women moaning about their shopping). Occasionally, however, he will come out with a comic gem (such as the moment Pachalbel composes his canon and immediately phones Ravel to say “ner!”), which makes you wonder why the whole show can’t be to this standard. But, perhaps that’s the point. Boothby Graffoe In No Particular Order is on Thursdays, 6:30pm, Radio 4. Reviewed by Nat (The FM Queen) RSS  Printable version	Visit our Siamese Twin Sister Site!