Rowan Atkinson Live (1992)

Rowan Atkinson is one of Britain's greatest comedians responsible for giving us such brilliant creations as BlackAdder and Mr. Bean. Recorded in Boston in 1991, this one-man show proves that Atkinson can be funny not just on TV but simply just by himself. It showcases his true genius for verbal and silent physical comedy. Many of these sketches are hilarious and are as fresh as ever. Some of them are character vignettes while others are pantomime routines, which are very much in "Bean" style (in fact the "Sitting in Church" sketch was used in Mr. Bean). My favorites are "Welcome to Hell", "Invisible Drum Kit", "Amazing Jesus", and "No One Called Jones" just to name a few. A must watch for any fan of Atkinson or British humor in general.

This TV special was released when I was less than six years old, before I had ever seen comedian Rowan Atkinson in anything. It was later in the 90's when I first saw episodes of "Mr. Bean", with Atkinson's famous goofy, dimwitted alter ego. After that, I would later see the comedian in the role of the bitter, mean-spirited, sarcastic "Blackadder", and I think both characters are really funny, as different as they are. I had never heard of "Rowan Atkinson Live" until four years ago, in late 2005. It had not yet been released on DVD at the time, but I rented a VHS copy, and as I expected, it was hilarious! Late last month, I watched it on VHS again, for the first time since 2005, and finally this month on DVD. These second and third viewings didn't change my opinion.Filmed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1991, this TV film shows Rowan Atkinson performing a series of comedy sketches before a live audience at the Boston University Theatre. It begins with "It Started with a Sneeze", which "Mr. Bean" fans are bound to recognize, but then expands into a variety of different sketches, often very different from that first one. There are more Beanesque sketches, such as "Invisible Man", plus a lot of dry humour in such sketches as "Fatal Beatings", "The Good Loser", and "With Friends Like These". The only other actor who ever joins Atkinson on stage for any of these sketches is Angus Deayton, who plays supporting roles in some of them. Whether Atkinson uses dry verbal humour or goofy, mime-like visual humour, none of the sketches fail to make the audience laugh! My least favourite sketch here is probably "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props", which is a little tedious, but even that one is far from laugh-free. I would say most of the special is hilarious (which was just what I thought the first time), mainly thanks to the dry wit, though the sight gags are usually very funny as well. "Elementary Dating," "Guys After the Game," and "Tom, Dick and Harry" are apparently all sketches missing from the original version (I never saw them on VHS), but they are bonus features on the DVD release, which is good, since they definitely deserve to be seen as well! There's not much else to say about "Rowan Atkinson Live", except that if you're a fan of the comedian, and are old enough for some crude humour (especially in "No One Called Jones") and occasional swearing, I don't think calling this a must-see it too extreme! Even if you're one of his fans who don't like "Mr. Bean", then you wouldn't like every sketch here, but would probably still like the majority of them.

I caught parts of this performance on cable and was very impressed. Then I was in Sun Coast Video and saw the entire show for sale on VHS and I immediately bought it. I was not disappointed.Mr. Atkinson is trapped by his Mr. Bean character and it's a shame. I'm sure there are quite a few folks out there that would not bother to watch this type of performance thinking it will be filled with his somewhat gross line of comedy. There is some of that but for the most part, this video contains very thoughtful, and more importantly, very funny pieces of sketch comedy. In some places I laughed so hard I cried.Get a few friends together and laugh till you pass out.

What can I say about Rowan Atkinson that hasn't already been said? He is brilliantly asinine, wonderfully silly and a greater comedian I have yet to see... if he made you laugh in the "Black Adder" and "Bean" series, you'll love his blend of naughty humor in this live show. There are ten sketches in the show, and each one is a gem. My personal favorites are "The Good Loser", in which he is a bitter actor who has lost an award to a loathed castmate; "With Friends Like These", in which three of his 'near and dear ones' each give a toast at his wedding; and "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props", in which our man Rowan gives one of his most hilarious performances ever as an acting instructor (watch for when the evil brother is 'fatally' wounded and 'dies in character'. I screamed with laughter and tears ran down my face! I also had to run to the loo, 'cause I laughed so hard!) All in all, I just want to say: "DO NOT BUY THIS TAPE IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO LAUGH!"...and you might want to put a plastic cover over the couch cushions just in case! (smile!) ENJOY!