BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2019 and on BBC Sounds

Puckoon – a small town on the border between Ulster and Eire. Literally on the border…

If you need a good laugh to help your Christmas food go down – or something to bring a smile back to your face if your Christmas hasn’t been a good one – then tune in for this hysterical version of Spike Milligan’s lunatic novel. From the moment we meet Dan Milligan (41 years of age) and his legs – you mustn’t forget his legs even if Dan believes that Certain People might – brought to life wonderfully by Ed Byrne (who presumably hired stunt double legs), you know you’re in safe hands. And legs.

Ian Billings’ script had me crying with laughter at times, and Dirk Maggs brings his own directorial comic genius to the production – if you’re a fan of Milligan’s other work, you’ll catch a few terrific aural Easter eggs. You’ll also never listen to a certain Very Famous Piece of Classical Music the same way again – much as there are generations of children who know the Barber of Seville and the Wagner Ring Cycle thanks to their interpretation by Mr B. Bunny.

For all that it seems like a piece of farce where Milligan (Spike, not Dan) is trying to throw every gag he can think of about the Irish at the story, it’s actually a very well constructed drama, with the various elements brought in at the right times so the situation can escalate appropriately. Barry Cryer holds it all together as the Narrator with grand turns from Pauline McLynn, Kate Harbour, Jane Milligan, Wilf Scolding, David Shaw-Parker, Colm Gleeson and Tom Alexander.

Verdict: Neddy Seagoon would approve. (Or sing If I Ruled the World). A comic triumph. 10/10

Paul Simpson