Yeah but no. This is brilliant

Matt Lucas as Bubbles

Little Britain
Guildhall, Portsmouth

The score after one night is Emily Howards three, Vicky Pollards four.

You can tell an act has hit the big-time when grown men in the audience are prepared to copy their frocks and women happily ape the shabbiest shell suits.

Little Britain's gargantuan national tour hit the ground running in Portsmouth last night.

Of course there will be a backlash eventually. With a third BBC series next month, the pressure is on. But for now Matt Lucas and David Walliams are loving every minute.

The lucrative merchandising spin-offs and recent Emmy nomination are also nice, but the pair clearly enjoy their performances.

When they held hands and took a bow in their PVC outfits, I'm sure there was a tiny tear in Walliams's eye. The stage show offers a sneak preview of some new outrageous characters due to hit our screens. How do you follow vomiting chums Maggie and Judy? With Walliams's Mrs Emery, surely a homage to Dick Emery, who has a serious incontinence problem.

Then there is greasy-pated dysfunctional Dudley ( Walliams), meeting mail order bride Ting Tong (Lucas). Taste-wise it sails close to the wind, but Lucas is so funny in a figure-hugging mini-dress and black wig that accusations of racial stereotyping fizzle out in fits of giggles.

It is hard to decide who should take top billing. Lucas is the more naturally gifted actor, while Walliams has greater nerve.

The high point for many women in the audience was Walliams as Mandelson-ish parliamentary aide Sebastian stripping naked.

In the same way that one wants bands to do the hits, everyone was here to see the established characters. Lou and wheelchair-bound Andy opened proceedings with Andy arriving on a jet pack before rubbish transvestites Emily and Florence gruffly flirted with a sailor.

Vicky Pollard arrived with her "six children by seven different fathers". Her "yeah, but no, but yeah" catchphrase is undoubtedly becoming the "You wouldn't let it lie" de nos jours.

In the same way that Vic Reeves had to rework his trademark line to keep himself interested, so Lucas is already chucking in some "ouis" and "nons" to keep things fresh.

Bubbles revealed all to pay her overdraft, fat-fighter Marjorie-Dawes mocked her portly fans and Dennis Waterman dreamt of writing the theme, singing the theme and starring in Grange Hill. Backstage the costume team must have been thanking the heavens for Velcro. Tom Baker's mellif luous voiceovers and solid support from actors Paul Putner and Samantha Power also provided precious breathing space.

Analysts can easily spot social comment in some sketches, but Little Britain is as keen on honest vulgarity as making a political point. At their best, however, they do both, as in Lucas's big finale as Welsh homosexual Dafydd defiantly singing: "I'm gay, get over it."

There is little subtlety here. Most of the gags are shamelessly crowd-pleasing. When David Walliams pulled his pants down, the laughs could be heard from Brighton to Bridport.

By the time this reaches the capital next year there are going to be many more devoted lookalikes in the audience.

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