The Daily Telegraph

Freddie the funnyman almost bowls them over

- By Chris Bennion

Freddie Flintoff

Palace Theatre

Ten years ago, an Ashes Test series began that would define a generation of English cricketers and create a sporting legend out of a ruddy-cheeked, heavy-set lad from Preston. What, then, would Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff have to say about the class of 2015, following last week’s heavy defeat to the Australian­s in the second Test of this Ashes series at Lord’s?

Sadly, in this show – part An Evening with…, part stag-do, part working men’s club stand-up routine – the answer was: not a lot. “This isn’t about that,” Flintoff said at the top of the show. “It’s about when we were good.” Touché.

There began two hours of likeable, occasional­ly uproarious and largely superficia­l storytelli­ng, as Flintoff honed his after-dinner material with the help of podcast collaborat­or and on-stage interviewe­r Clyde Holcroft. The State of English Cricket would have to wait for another day.

Instead, we got plenty of well-practised banter and jokes designed to please a home crowd. “Ricky Ponting? He constantly looked like someone’d taken a dump in his shoe.” Freddie’s fans were duly delighted with that one.

There can be no doubt that the 37-year-old has some cracking stories – the booze-drenched 2005 celebratio­ns at 10 Downing Street at which he ended up on a garden swing, being served beer by a polite Euan Blair is recalled superbly – and the affable Flintoff is great company.

However, the show’s structure – Holcroft asked a question, Flintoff told an appropriat­e anecdote – felt stifling. In the few moments when the show drifted off the beaten track, such as when Flintoff skilfully dealt with a good-natured heckler, “our Fred” showed what a natural funnyman he is. He was at his best when let off the leash.

But this was Flintoff on good behaviour. We were teased with titbits, without ever being treated to any revelation­s or insight. Before the 2006/07 series in Australia, which England lost 5-0, Flintoff ’s rousing captain’s speech amounted to quoting from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Disappoint­ingly, though, he didn’t let the audience in on which lines he had used. There were moments when you longed for Flintoff to take the gloves off. He cheekily lampooned former England captain Andrew Strauss and Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath, but saved the real bite for himself, making jokes about Jacomo (the clothing range for “large” men he advertises) and his own inept attempts at sledging.

Where laughs could be mined out of genuinely funny situations, Flintoff all too often fell back on “a bit of blue”. We heard far too much about the time he took one too many Viagra. Unfortunat­ely, he didn’t give as much attention to the time the

News of the World ran an embarrassi­ng kiss-and-tell story about him on the same day he was due to go on a first date with his future wife, Rachel.

Flintoff the performer is much like Flintoff the bowler. In fits and starts, he’s irresistib­le. In between, you wonder where the fire’s gone. On tour until Nov 5 (tickets: andrewflin­toff official.co.uk)

 ??  ?? On the front foot: Andrew Flintoff jokes with the audience at the Palace Theatre in London
On the front foot: Andrew Flintoff jokes with the audience at the Palace Theatre in London
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