For many years, the art of the tour DVD has remained pretty much unchanged. By and large, the vast majority will follow a simple formula, by showcasing one highly polished recording of a randomly selected show, together with the occasional (sometimes improvised) personal titbit to satisfy audience expectations for that rare intimate moment.
Thankfully, in creating Journey of the Childmen: The Mighty Boosh on Tour, director Oliver Ralfe - better known to diehard Boosh fans as Jimmy the Reach - has avoided such clichés, instead choosing to focus on what really matters; the men behind the show. “To me, it seemed far more interesting to film it as an observational documentary,” explains Ralfe, who is also a member of the Ralfe Band who composed the memorable score to last year’s cult comedy Bunny and the Bull. “I really wanted to focus on Noel, Julian and the others, in the context of this mammoth tour and the massive cult status that surrounds them all over the nation.” A mission statement, which is accomplished with relative ease, illustrated perhaps best by the manner in which Ralfe has chosen to document the Future Sailors Tour. The style may at times seem incredibly basic, but this casual approach merely adds to the film’s stripped back charm.
For instance, the opening night could easily be overcomplicated by fast paced cuts and talking heads of the principal performers explaining their concerns. Ralfe however, opts instead to draw out the tension, using one long taut stationary shot of Noel pacing back and forth in and out of frame, frantically running through last minute lines with a rather anxious and twitchy looking Julian Barrett. ”The thing is everyone already knows what they do and the characters they play, so for me, it was more important to show how they navigate the tour as individuals, and not as the characters on stage,” admits Ralfe.
And yet, this more serious and intimate examination thankfully doesn’t hinder the film or the characters quirky and humorous backbone. “I decided early on that I really wanted to reveal the innate comedic chemistry between the cast,” he adds. “I wanted to show them as they are in reality, naturally funny and away from the TV shows we’re all so use to.”
These refreshingly unscripted moments, such as Fielding’s response to peering at the audience through a stage curtain (“Boosh fans…shit…”) provides the perfect comedy foil to what is a fantastically well-assembled deconstruction and documentation of the gigantic 91 shows that we’re undertaken by the hilarious comedy outfit.
Words: James Wright
Photo: Dave Brown
Journey of the Childmen: The Mighty Boosh on Tour is out now on DVD.