Review: Plenty of cricketing laughs in Bazball of a Tailenders show
Not so long ago, a night out at a cricket-based theatre show would have been a gentle affair.
Comfy armchairs, a microphone and a couple of elder statesmen of the game to entertain us with words of whimsy and perhaps a the odd forthright view on the ills of the modern game.
But cricket, like everything in life, is changing. The gentle sound of leather on willow has been replaced by the crash, bang, wallop of the T20 era.
And as cricket changes, so do the voices, sights and sounds of those we seek out to learn more about the game.
That brings us to the Tailenders Live show, which packed in fans at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Thursday evening.
Living legend Jimmy Anderson, joined by Tailenders podcast pals DJ Greg James, Felix White and Matt ‘Mattchin Tendulkar’ Horan watched by hundreds of their deidcated podcast followers.
There is plenty of cricket chat, as you’d expect, but this is more than a live version of their podcast. This is a cricket show that seeks to entertain and provides plenty of laughs alongside a rock’n’roll soundtrack.
In the first half, England hero Jimmy is somewhat of a bit-part player with Greg and Mattchin providing the laughs. Current England spinner Jack Leach joined as a guest and delighted the audience with a tale of being fiercely sledged by Anderson in a county game – only for the paceman to have forgotten all about it when they met up for England duty just a few days later.
In the second half, there are plenty of insights into, with Anderson front and centre opening up on characters on the game and being pretty frank in his answers to fans’ questions – as well as bowling out an 11-year-old fan on stage.
It’s a fast, frank and fun night of cricket laughs. If you like a gentle night of cricketing conversation, this may not be for you. If you like fast, furious bouncers and plenty of six-hitting, Tailenders Live is. It’s Bazball brought to stage.
Russell Youll
