Review - Puppetry of the Penis - Cheltenham Town Hall.

THE show promised to be mind boggling and hilarious. A capacity audience (98 per cent women) filled the hall.

The lights dimmed, everyone squirmed and the famous puppeteers came on stage wearing shiny cloaks.

They didn't look much like the two strapping Aussies that the publicity material had spoken of.

They looked younger; one was English; they were definitely fit but not particularly strapping.

Never mind, no one cared. In a sudden flourish, and to a chorus of screams and giggles, they stripped off and got on with the job.

The job in question was the fine art of penis puppetry as learned by Aussie blokes in footie changing rooms across the land.

You will have to use your imaginations to envisage the "installations" which had names like Uluru and the Hairy Backed Turtle.

There was much hilarity, eyes were popping out of heads and then the fifty minutes were over and we all filed out.

In the lobby we joined a bank-length queue, of women wanting to buy the book of the show. Finally we reached the front and discovered that the two young men signing copies were indeed not the original comedians.

They were young actors, playing the part. The show has become so popular that there is now a franchise.

If the real comedians are busy touring Australia, they'll send another two (younger) blokes along to act the show in their place.

That explains a lot. The guys we saw had been taught the jokes; they had not thought them up; and that makes all the difference.