There is a moment during Alan Partridge’s 02 Arena spectacular when he sees an older version of himself onscreen from the year 2065. Could Partridge still be going in another four decades, albeit in cyberform for tax reasons? Well, he’s already been at the forefront of character comedy for three decades, so why not?
Partridge’s tour – his first for 13 years – finds our hapless broadcaster presenting a “life management system” called Stratagem. It is, he explains, a way of getting what you want. Of course, it’s all self-help nonsense and inane inspirational quotes, but there is plenty of fun to be had watching him sell his snake oil.
And really this is just a comedy clothes line on which to peg a series of sketches, some stronger than others. There are all-singing, all-dancing musical numbers complete with backing ensemble and welcome interactions with familiar characters via video. Faithful retainer Lynn, played by Felicity Montagu, is glimpsed softening her bunions in a foot spa on his home security camera.
Elsewhere Partridge has to deal with an over-exuberant audience member and a superior Stratagem graduate, both skilfully played by Emma Sidi. And fans of Irishman Martin Brennan, who appeared in Partridge’s latest BBC series, will be delighted to see him zooming in direct from County Sligo.
So far, of course, I have not mentioned that Partridge is played by Steve Coogan. This is because Coogan so totally inhabits his desperate, fragile ego creation it is easy to forget that he is the man in naff all-white in the joke-filled first half and equally naff blazer in the more hurried second half.
Maybe after all these years Partridge comes easily, but that does not take away from such a committed performance. It is not just the gags – co-written with brothers Rob and Neil Gibbons – but the pitch perfect portrayal of a man out of time. Our host desperately wants to be down with the kids, but cannot help being derailed when he discovers two female members of his troupe are lovers.
Unlike the latest Ricky Gervais Netflix special SuperNature, Stratagem will not stoke controversy. There are some jibes at the likes of Priti Patel and Piers Morgan but this is largely an apolitical woke-free zone. Occasional asides about diversity rub shoulders with references to the National Trust.
Instead this show offers full-on broad entertainment. A little patchy but never dull. It is a measure of the wide appeal of Coogan’s creation – there were people here not born when he first trod the boards – that he can play three cavernous 02 nights. I wish he was less successful. I would have enjoyed this much more in a smaller West End theatre.
