Trigger Happy TV - Live

“HELLO? HELLO? No, I can't talk. I'm in Epic Studios”.

Born in Beirut to English parents, Dom Joly moved to England and studied politics at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. He was later sent to Prague to serve as a diplomat. But only later, after returning to London and teaming up with friend Sam Cadman, did the world really sit up and take notice of Dom Joly. At nine o'clock, on the evening of Friday January 14th 2000, the very first episode of Trigger Happy TV was broadcast on Channel 4.

Trigger Happy TV ran for three series, and was broadcast in over 70 countries. Following in the tradition of vox-pop pranksters like Jeremy Beadle (and even Esther Rantzen during her days on The Braden Beat) Joly created a brand new blend of anarchy and surreality by filming crazy stunts that were performed in full view of unsuspecting members of the public.

Joly later left London, and moved with his wife and children to Gloucestershire. He wrote a regular column for the Independent on Sunday, and also published a number of travel books. Last year he realised that 25 years had passed since the broadcast of that first Trigger Happy TV show, dug out the old video tapes, and that giant Nokia mobile phone, and put together a celebratory show, which was initially performed in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Buoyed by the success of those four sold-out shows, Dom Joly has now committed himself to almost 100 more dates, with venues now booked as far ahead as June 2027. This Thursday's September stopover was show number five, at Norwich's Epic Studios.

I have to admit to being a long-term fan of Trigger Happy TV. In 2001, I even hosted a Trigger Happy Christmas, with friends turning up dressed as characters from the show. But, 25 years on, will all of that innovative Noughties madness, daredevil cheek, and guerrilla-style filming, still entertain and amuse. How will it still stand up in an entertainment world now dominated by computer generated imagery and digital effects? Will those crazy, low-budget sketches still seem funny? And how will they be recreated in a live theatre show?

Well, spoiler alert, they aren't. What we get instead is a very genial and courteous (remember, he was a diplomat) Dom Joly, delivering what are, essentially, two forty-five minute power-point presentations. Each one takes us on a journey, explaining how the show was conceived, filmed and put together, delving into the stories behind many of the best pranks and celebrity interviews, and playing clips of some of the more hilarious skits and sketches that were shoe-horned into those 40 classic shows.

And where better to experience a show like this than in a former television studio? Epic Studios still has some of the best in-house audio and video facilities in the country – it was, after all, once home to shows like Sale of The Century, Loose Women and Trisha. With Joly guiding us gently through the sketches, and watching them return to life on the venue's dazzling video screen, the memories of Trigger Happy's anarchic style, classic London locations, hidden cameras and quick-fire vox-pop filming come flooding back. I am taken back a quarter of a century, and I am once again chuckling away at the sheer audacity of the show's fearless, and dare I say timeless, comedic style.

Joly's personal commentary provides a fascinating insight into how the original idea for the show came about, how it took off and how it became such a television classic. Clips of prank interviews with the likes of Bill Wyman, Peter Stringfellow, and Sir Patrick Moore remain priceless. The original musical soundtrack, from the iconic opening bars of “Connection” by Elastica to the esoteric delights of Beta Band's 'Dr Baker' remains a testament to Joly's own musical taste, for it was he that hand-picked every track to each and every episode.

And yes, he did bring along the giant Nokia phone that featured so prominently in those original sketches.

“HELLO? HELLO? No, I can't talk. I'm in Epic Studios”.

Dom Joly will next be returning to our neck of the woods, and presenting his Trigger Happy TV 25th Anniversary Live Tour, at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds on November 17th, Diss Corn Hall on May 15th , and Lowestoft Marina on April 1st.