They’re a real pop-will-eat-itself phenomenon, these live shows by TV personalities. As with Griff Rhys Jones a few months back, so now with Joanna Lumley: a small-screen celeb taking to the stage to talk through clips of things we’ve already seen them do on TV (top-price tickets: £62.50). They seldom make for gripping live performance, and sometimes – tonight, for example – descend into tedious love-ins, as Lumley fields written questions (“Will you marry me?”, “Can I have a kiss?”) submitted by her crowd.
The entire second act is given over to these questions, mediated by Lumley’s sometime TV producer Clive Tulloh. You might think the Q&A format would occasion spontaneity on Lumley’s part. And so it does, to a very small degree. The rest, though, is contrivance, as the audience’s questions are corralled to fit around her precooked anecdotes and clips.
No one’s complaining, mind you, because Lumley has such a rich back catalogue to dip into. If tonight’s potted history proves anything, it’s that she has had a remarkable career and that her national-treasure status is built on solid foundations. Act one takes us from convent school drama class via swinging 60s modelling work (archive interview footage suggests Lumley’s confidence and charisma emerged fully formed) right up to Ab Fab self-satire.
Her Zelig-like tale features interventions in seemingly every pop-culture phenomenon of the era (James Bond! Steptoe & Son! Hammer horror! Coronation Street!), each one apostrophised with a “gosh, it was exciting!” or an “it was all fabulous and wonderful!” There are few insights and plenty of droll anecdotes, be it the one about the helicopter stunt on The Avengers, or turning her bra into shoes for TV castaway show Girl Friday. (“Gosh, I loved it!”)
From travel jaunts with the queen’s cousin to partying with Trump, It’s All About Me is a bit gilded for my tastes. But Lumley remains charming company, ever ready to send herself up – as per the story of being starstruck by Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s enjoyable enough – if 50 quid more expensive than a night in with YouTube and her autobiography.
Joanna Lumley: It’s All About Me is touring until 11 November.
