Nørdic nøir... with a twist

The incomparable comic duo LipService have done it again with another wonderfully funny literary spoof.

Entitled Inspector Nørse, or “The Girl With Two Screws Left Over... a self-assembly Swedish crime thriller”, this one takes the mickey out of the genre now called Nordic Noir.

In the course of a murder investigation, hunting the killer of a member of a quartet of singers not unlike ABBA, Sven (Maggie Fox) and Sandra (Sue Ryding) in a Sarah Lund (The Killing) type jumper, travel the length and breadth of Sweden in a battered car, encountering various small and larger animals in the road including two unusual reindeer. Is it the blonde one or the brunette who is dead? The whole plot is hilarious and has the usual LipService mixture of live action, film and puppets, all done by the two comediennes.

The set is a joy and owes so much to an incredible band of knitters, all listed but too many to name. However I did like the name of one group, Auntysocial and Knittaz with Attitude. Never have I seen such witty and clever things done with wool. I don‘t want to give away too much, but I won’t look at TV series like Silent Witness and CSI in the same way again!

Inspector Nørse continues on tour through February, March and April and you can catch it in Leeds, Lancaster or the Lowry and there will be more dates to follow in the spring and summer.

The Oldham Coliseum is putting on an innovative version of “David Copperfield”, one of Dickens’ best-loved tales, the story of a boy growing into a man in harsh circumstances until he finds true love. It runs from February 8th to 23rd and then in March there is the premiere of a John Godber play, “Losing the Plot”, and Alan Ayckbourn’s “Sugar Daddies”, two dark comedies to be enjoye,d and finally in April the terrific musical of 1940s swing, “Blonde Bombshells of 1943”. Much to look forward to in this newly refurbished theatre.

PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN.