This live show was their first and definitely one of the best they've made. It takes place at their flat and the storyline is ... well as weird and violent as usual - among other things Eddie will become both Richie's son and wife... you have to see it for yourself to understand. The punchlines and the violence makes up for a one hour and a half nonstop laughing session, and I can ONLY recommend this show. More than the other live shows, this one is close to the series in terms of storyline and "personality", where-as the other live shows go beyond that. If you liked the series I can almost guarantee that you will love this show
13 Reviews
''That was the best Reg Varney I've ever seen!''
Rabical-9117 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
After two television series of 'Bottom', Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson took Richie and Eddie from their normal confines and placed them instead into the setting of a stage show.
Filmed in 1993, the show played to a packed audience at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. Of course, being a stage show, the humour was predictably coarsened, with an F word and C word on the end of virtually every gag. At one point in the show Richie buys an inflatable doll for his sexual gratification and after smothering its orifices in super-glue ( he thought it was hand cream ) ends up getting it stuck to his penis and in another scene Eddie pretends to have sex with a page 3 girl on his tabloid. Impossible to imagine Rik and Ade getting away with this in the original television series.
The main part of the plot focuses on Richie receiving a solicitor's letter informing him of a debt of £15,000 that is being passed onto him following the death of one of his relatives and if it is not settled immediately then he and Eddie ( who is claiming to be Richie's next of kin as he believes the money is a windfall, not a debt ) are to be executed.
The show ends with Richie and Eddie, unable to clear the debt, committing suicide by electrocuting themselves on an electric toilet ( as opposed to an electric chair ). A curtain appears after Rik and Ade's final bow proclaiming - ''That's it, now f**k off!''
'Bottom Live' is crude in the extreme, a world away from the television series, so for those who are easily offended, you are advised to stay away, but those who want a good dirty laugh then tune in. Rik and Ade are their usual zany selves. Overacting is the name of the game here. Some gags from the series, unsurprisingly, find their way in here ( in fact one gag about Weston Super Mare was actually a deleted scene from the season two episode 'Digger' ) but if you are a true fan then it should not hinder your enjoyment.
There are so many great moments in the show it would be difficult to name them all but a few select favourites would be Richie and Eddie's attempt to enjoy their breakfast ( which is nearly a decade out of date ), Eddie's attempt to remove the glued-on doll from Richie's penis, Richie and Eddie destroying their television set when 'Richard & Judy' comes on screen and Eddie attempting to fill in a questionnaire to win a holiday in the Bahamas. There are many good one liners too such as Richie remarking on a piece of graffiti he saw in a toilet cubicle: ''I am eight inches long and three inches round! What an amazing bloke. I wonder what his knob is like!'' and Richie telling Eddie that he is so sweaty it feels like he has been masturbating for a month. ''You have, haven't you?'' asks Eddie, to which Richie replies ''Well, it has been a long tour, hasn't it?''.
Following the success of this show, a sequel followed in 1995 entitled 'Bottom Live - The Big No. 2 Tour', which was then followed by three further shows - 'Bottom Live 3 - Hooligan's Island', 'Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity' and 'Bottom Live 2003: Weapon's Grade Y-Fronts Tour'.
Funniest bit - Eddie searching the house for his missing glasses of booze. After finding them inside a light switch, the entire room is plunged into darkness, making Eddie think he has gone blind!
Filmed in 1993, the show played to a packed audience at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. Of course, being a stage show, the humour was predictably coarsened, with an F word and C word on the end of virtually every gag. At one point in the show Richie buys an inflatable doll for his sexual gratification and after smothering its orifices in super-glue ( he thought it was hand cream ) ends up getting it stuck to his penis and in another scene Eddie pretends to have sex with a page 3 girl on his tabloid. Impossible to imagine Rik and Ade getting away with this in the original television series.
The main part of the plot focuses on Richie receiving a solicitor's letter informing him of a debt of £15,000 that is being passed onto him following the death of one of his relatives and if it is not settled immediately then he and Eddie ( who is claiming to be Richie's next of kin as he believes the money is a windfall, not a debt ) are to be executed.
The show ends with Richie and Eddie, unable to clear the debt, committing suicide by electrocuting themselves on an electric toilet ( as opposed to an electric chair ). A curtain appears after Rik and Ade's final bow proclaiming - ''That's it, now f**k off!''
'Bottom Live' is crude in the extreme, a world away from the television series, so for those who are easily offended, you are advised to stay away, but those who want a good dirty laugh then tune in. Rik and Ade are their usual zany selves. Overacting is the name of the game here. Some gags from the series, unsurprisingly, find their way in here ( in fact one gag about Weston Super Mare was actually a deleted scene from the season two episode 'Digger' ) but if you are a true fan then it should not hinder your enjoyment.
There are so many great moments in the show it would be difficult to name them all but a few select favourites would be Richie and Eddie's attempt to enjoy their breakfast ( which is nearly a decade out of date ), Eddie's attempt to remove the glued-on doll from Richie's penis, Richie and Eddie destroying their television set when 'Richard & Judy' comes on screen and Eddie attempting to fill in a questionnaire to win a holiday in the Bahamas. There are many good one liners too such as Richie remarking on a piece of graffiti he saw in a toilet cubicle: ''I am eight inches long and three inches round! What an amazing bloke. I wonder what his knob is like!'' and Richie telling Eddie that he is so sweaty it feels like he has been masturbating for a month. ''You have, haven't you?'' asks Eddie, to which Richie replies ''Well, it has been a long tour, hasn't it?''.
Following the success of this show, a sequel followed in 1995 entitled 'Bottom Live - The Big No. 2 Tour', which was then followed by three further shows - 'Bottom Live 3 - Hooligan's Island', 'Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity' and 'Bottom Live 2003: Weapon's Grade Y-Fronts Tour'.
Funniest bit - Eddie searching the house for his missing glasses of booze. After finding them inside a light switch, the entire room is plunged into darkness, making Eddie think he has gone blind!
this show ruled
Mmyers200330 October 2002
the stage show was a brilliant move from the makers of bottom the series. It was just as good or better than the series was. Rik and Ade were said to be as fit as men half their age and i totally agree. i rate this 10 out of 10
Masterpiece of stage comedy
dogyorky29 January 2021
I remember going to see this show and Manchester on it's tour. We were absolutely blown away by the script, comic timing and interaction with the audience. Brilliantly clever dialogue and a superb story line. Kept us in stitches all night. So pleased to see Rik Mayal at his best.
Bloody funny.
MikesRightEar24 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Squalid, Violent and Downright Hilarious! It certainly is. Excessant fart jokes, fights with frying pans and cricket bats, shooting a t.v with an old service revolver, eating old special k cereal, sniffing old milk!!!???!!! It just goes to show that these guys are comic geniuses. Even though the stage shows are basically the same, you don't really care because they are just so damn bloody funny. Every time you watch, you blow yourself up with laughter without the help of Eddie!! The funniest part is with Richie getting frustrated with a sex aid. That said, the a**e up's during the show are just as funny because they are unintended. The TV show and the stage shows are genius and if you can get hold of them, they are worth it. If you want to poo yourself stupid with laughter, settle down in front of the telly, whack the video in, phone people and tell them to get lost for the next two hours. You will never see anything like it.
Extremely funny
Bon_Jovi_chick26 October 2003
I've been a fan of BOTTOM and YOUNG ONES for years, since I was 11 to be exact (Im 20 now!!) and I hadnt seen nothing until I saw the BOTTOM LIVE videos!!!!
This is for all you Bottom fans who wanted to see an uncensored Bottom show. There are extremely no limits to this unlike the BBC show. The scenes of Rik and "Monica" had me in stitches and everytime they forgot the lines....... well I split my sides laughing and it shows theyre human!! How ingenious to make forgetting lines part of the show
Watch with caution- you'll be easily offended if you're from Southampton!!!
H xxxxx
This is for all you Bottom fans who wanted to see an uncensored Bottom show. There are extremely no limits to this unlike the BBC show. The scenes of Rik and "Monica" had me in stitches and everytime they forgot the lines....... well I split my sides laughing and it shows theyre human!! How ingenious to make forgetting lines part of the show
Watch with caution- you'll be easily offended if you're from Southampton!!!
H xxxxx
Its just the feckin' bollocks!
Wickidforreal7 August 2003
simply the best
gustovsmoke22 November 2021
To think of this as just slapstick is to miss 90% of the show,
we have Rick Mayall who without question is the finest comedy actor of a generation, and perfectly complimented by the incredibly funny Adrian Edmondson.
It doesnt matter whats happening, what matters is the energy and brilliant comedy timing from two masters of the craft...
It doesnt matter whats happening, what matters is the energy and brilliant comedy timing from two masters of the craft...
This was Great!
The_Hot_Hedgehog6 October 2005
This was Great! Slapstick comedy at its ultimate best. Although, the sound effects were obviously pained on and fake, that's the entire point of it. Ade & Rik again pull off a timeless classic. Although the plot seemed strange, and the slapstick looked ridiculous, that's the entire point of it. I must admit, having loved the timeless classic that was the television series, I was worried that the live tours would be a bit of a disappointment, as so many other live shows have been in the past, and I am delighted to say I was very much mistaken. So whether you're a die-hard fan, or whether you just like watching two losers kicking and bashing the crap out of each other, then this is one DVD for you. Ignore that stupid TC Raymond idiot, this is good.
Absolutely Amazing!
liamw023 April 2005
I absolutely love bottom and this for me was the most hilarious 90 or so minutes i have ever encountered. I especially like Richie, with his extra long weird laughs and when he says Eddie about 50 times and then asks him a question!
I sincerely hope that they will make more live shows, they still have the amazing talent to go on for a life time! Apsolute 1st class entertainment.
All the live shows and series are brilliant.
Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson really should continue their partnership and produce more of what can only be described as the best comedy show in history!
I sincerely hope that they will make more live shows, they still have the amazing talent to go on for a life time! Apsolute 1st class entertainment.
All the live shows and series are brilliant.
Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson really should continue their partnership and produce more of what can only be described as the best comedy show in history!
Meh
harryplinkett148 April 2020
What good is a play that looks exactly like an episode of the TV series? I am glad that as time went by, their plays became more and more removed from the series format and became something original. I never liked the fake 'breaking the character' moments, which were rehearsed and only made to look like improvisation. Anyway, this first live show was nothing special, though it had some good moments.
The best one in the 'live'-series
biff_galaxy29 December 2003
It seems that everything Rik and Ade make is either found brilliant or crap. Being a fan of Mayall i am biased but i didn't found all their live shows that great. This one, their fist is the best. From here it's downhill with the live material of Bottom, with second best being the 3rd "Hooligan's island" show. Ade and Rik have just the most stupid and funny characters you can imagin. The plot is pretty weak, but who cares. If you haven't seen it, please watch. One had to know for themselves if your a Mayall-lover or hater. It's just something you have to know in life.
Bottom line: extreme, high-grade idiocy
Bobs-96 August 2001
I thought I'd put in a comment as one of the few Yanks who, with the aid of a region-code-free DVD player, has seen the videos of the `Bottom' shows.
The original TV series has been unavailable to me, so all I know of the two `Bottom' characters is from the taped stage shows (there are three of them). They seem essentially the same as the two characters Rik and Ade played in `The Young Ones,' so if you found them amusing, you might like them in the `Bottom' shows. However, as this is a live stage show, the elaborate sight gags and editing tricks used in `The Young Ones' are out of the question. Also, while they attack their roles with extreme gusto, they are noticeably older. Rik, in particular, looks likely to expire in a pool of perspiration as the show goes on. Sure, he looks a bit grotesque as he's gradually drenched in sweat, but since he appears on stage from the start in ill-fitting blue jeans with his underpants visibly pulled about six inches above his belt, I'd say some additional grotesqueness was not out of place. This is augmented in spades when the blue jeans disappear. At one point in `Bottom 2,' after a prolonged bout of violence, Rik ad-libs loudly that they are `getting too old for this,' a comment he'd no doubt heard and read in numerous reviews of the shows. I can't help admiring his balls (well, not literally).
Ade's whiplash violence is as ridiculously extreme as a Roadrunner cartoon. For me it's a hilarious release of life's pent-up frustrations, and kind of a rebuke for having wished I could do it to the numerous jackasses encountered in an average day. I would contend that doing that sort of thing safely on stage takes a high degree of accuracy and skill. Besides which, he just makes me laugh.
Experiencing it on video, you get the best seat in the house without having to contend with an unruly or annoying audience, and I found the sheer exuberance of Rik and Ade's performances enjoyable.
As an American, I couldn't appreciate quite all the references to British celebrities, etc., but complete idiocy is a universal thing, and it's depicted here with extreme enthusiasm. To me, these guys are the Three Stooges for the '90s, a mantle I don't confer lightly. It may well be that Rik or Ade would advise me to f**k off. Well, so what? I am one of those who hold the opinion that you shouldn't necessarily meet people you admire, as it sometimes spoils your appreciation of them.
The original TV series has been unavailable to me, so all I know of the two `Bottom' characters is from the taped stage shows (there are three of them). They seem essentially the same as the two characters Rik and Ade played in `The Young Ones,' so if you found them amusing, you might like them in the `Bottom' shows. However, as this is a live stage show, the elaborate sight gags and editing tricks used in `The Young Ones' are out of the question. Also, while they attack their roles with extreme gusto, they are noticeably older. Rik, in particular, looks likely to expire in a pool of perspiration as the show goes on. Sure, he looks a bit grotesque as he's gradually drenched in sweat, but since he appears on stage from the start in ill-fitting blue jeans with his underpants visibly pulled about six inches above his belt, I'd say some additional grotesqueness was not out of place. This is augmented in spades when the blue jeans disappear. At one point in `Bottom 2,' after a prolonged bout of violence, Rik ad-libs loudly that they are `getting too old for this,' a comment he'd no doubt heard and read in numerous reviews of the shows. I can't help admiring his balls (well, not literally).
Ade's whiplash violence is as ridiculously extreme as a Roadrunner cartoon. For me it's a hilarious release of life's pent-up frustrations, and kind of a rebuke for having wished I could do it to the numerous jackasses encountered in an average day. I would contend that doing that sort of thing safely on stage takes a high degree of accuracy and skill. Besides which, he just makes me laugh.
Experiencing it on video, you get the best seat in the house without having to contend with an unruly or annoying audience, and I found the sheer exuberance of Rik and Ade's performances enjoyable.
As an American, I couldn't appreciate quite all the references to British celebrities, etc., but complete idiocy is a universal thing, and it's depicted here with extreme enthusiasm. To me, these guys are the Three Stooges for the '90s, a mantle I don't confer lightly. It may well be that Rik or Ade would advise me to f**k off. Well, so what? I am one of those who hold the opinion that you shouldn't necessarily meet people you admire, as it sometimes spoils your appreciation of them.
See also
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