“Stand and ship! Please?”
If you happen to’ve come right here for a historic account of the adventures of England’s infamous 18th century highwayman, it’s best to have learn the label. Apple TV+’s rambunctious comedy collection The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is precisely that, full fabrication, with comic Noel Fielding leaping into the highly effective purple footwear of the titular anti-hero who, to our information, by no means wore such flamboyant footwear (his loss).
A knowingly revisionist historical past in each sense of the phrase, the collection seems like Monty Python meets Our Flag Means Loss of life so far as historic parody goes, with inevitably surreal The Mighty Boosh vitality. It is the friendliest freeway theft round, that includes probably the most outlandish bunch of characters plucked from English historical past portrayed by a few of Britain’s largest comedians.
What’s The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin about?
Set in England in 1735, the six-episode collection is a self-aware retelling of the tales of Essex brigand Dick Turpin, typically following an adventure-per-episode format. Every chapter seems like a great ol’ common yarn instructed over pints of lager in a darkish tavern, as characters themselves do. And it is all captured by true crime “punchy pamphlet” author Eliza Bean (Dolly Wells), who desires to “construct the legend” and gas that candy, candy notoriety for the gang.
At 33, the true Turpin was hanged for horse theft in 1739, so the present is technically set within the final 4 years of his life. The English equal of outlaws like Australia’s Ned Kelly or America’s Jessie James, Turpin is the stuff of English legend, and was dramatically romanticised after his dying. On this occasion, the present cleverly weaves in Turpin’s movie star throughout his lifetime, starting from Eliza’s writing to the “Turpin Excursions” operating by the forest the place friends anticipate “unique Dick motion” — not the one Dick joke within the collection, what do you’re taking the writers for? As there’s a lot rumour round Turpin’s legend, it is ineffective to anticipate the present to stick to any sort of historic accuracy, which suggests vital artistic freedom (and a few extraordinarily after-school-TV supernatural components) for the writers: Jon Brittain, Richard Naylor, Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis, Stuart Lane, and Fielding.
Aside from one episode set in London (“the place the streets are paved!”), the collection is ready in Turpin’s dwelling county of Essex, the place he by accident finds himself the chief of the less-than-professional Essex Gang: Ellie White as sharpshooter Nell Brazier, Marc Wootton as extraordinarily delicate muscle Moose Pleck, and Duayne Boachie as dramatic, empathetic tracker Honesty Braveness. They’re making an attempt to stake their declare within the county’s forests, politely robbing coaches and making an attempt to determine a hideout that is not frequented by canine walkers.
Like its fellow rapscallion journey parody Our Flag Means Loss of life, Dick Turpin renders historic figures with gentleness and silliness, particularly eroding poisonous masculinity with a satisfaction in much less aggressive attributes and a flippant use of contemporary language: “What’s mistaken mate, you’ve got hardly touched your rat?” Whereas a number of the jokes really feel somewhat dated (a Fro-yo bit, in 2024?), the script gives real chortles for the drama-crushed amongst us.
Noel Fielding’s Dick Turpin might be Vince Noir’s ancestor
“My first freeway theft! I have never been this excited since I found my very own cheekbones!”
Along with his number of feathered tricorne hats, star-spangled pleather cape, velvet justacorps, and people highly effective purple footwear, Fielding wears this model of Turpin nicely, presenting much less a highwayman extra a merry bard consistently placing one leg up on a stool to tell-you-a-tale. He is a vegan and a pacifist who prefers knit-offs to duels, constructing villages product of courgettes to slaughtering swans, and he polls these he robs “to enhance your freeway theft expertise.” Basically, he is horrible at this job, preferring allure and panache to violence and intimidation, leaving many of the actual felony work to his equally floundering gang.
Extra involved with the ability of friendship and fine-tuning his tailoring abilities, Fielding’s Turpin isn’t the outlaw of English legend. Fielding’s in nice comedic kind right here channelling his earlier work into the function, particularly bringing The Mighty Boosh vitality into the notorious felony as if Turpin was one in all Vince Noir’s ancestors. The Bake-Off host’s extra healthful model of narration comes into play when he is explaining the advantages of needlework to his gang members or explaining “I’ve received a simple allure that the mums get pleasure from,” and there is even somewhat “Fantasy Man” in his disguise as a person pretending to come back from quarter-hour sooner or later.
This longtime dalliance with the nonsensical and surreal makes hard-to-sell scenes really feel easy for Fielding; one second that entails convincing a ghostly baron at hand over some glittering curse-lifting mittens is a troublesome ask, however it’s a delight. Fielding’s allowed to go on lengthy runs of fanciful descriptions topped off together with his signature “Think about that!” that serves to infuriate the assorted tough characters within the collection. And his costumes, designed by Rosa Dias and Richard Cooke, look drawn proper from the comic’s personal wardrobe — sure, together with that nun-habit-and-bolero-jacket “disguise” in episode 3.
Followers of The Mighty Boosh will be capable to spot lots of Fielding’s former collaborators among the many solid, together with his brother Michael Fielding as Dick’s cousin Benny Turpin, Wealthy Fulcher as the driving force of “The Unrobbable Coach”, and Simon Farnaby as unwitting wealthy man Lord Saltley. However after all, they’re just some of a veritable tidal wave of British comedians that make up the solid.
The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is a cornucopia of British comedians
In what turns into a Pointing Rick Dalton marathon of British comedians and comedy actors, The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin has a stacked supporting lineup — a number of of whom just about steal the entire present. With a lot comedy expertise showing in six brief episodes, the collection takes full benefit, brimming with Abbott and Costello-style “Who’s on First?” routines, seeing characters cyclically repeating the identical strains or unsuccessfully avoiding saying a sure witch’s identify.
Joe Wilkinson is a deadpan delight as Geoffrey the Gaoler, Asim Chaudhry brings relatable fluster to Craig the Warlock, and each Sindhu Vee and Cunk On Earth‘s Diane Morgan are wildly underused because the fanciful Girl Saltley and warlock council member Maureen, respectively. Downton Abbey‘s Hugh Bonneville brings enjoyable gravitas to Turpin’s nemesis, the relentless thieftaker normal Jonathan Wild, who’s given the lion’s share of Dick jokes within the script — Bonneville delivers each one with stone-faced finesse.
Nonetheless, the actual highwaymen of the collection, hijacking each scene they’re in, are Tamsin Greig because the highly effective Girl Helen Gwinear, Greg Davies because the grizzly Leslie Duvall, and Intercourse Schooling‘s Connor Swindells because the extremely named Tommy Silversides. Because the execution-happy aristocrat and chief of the felony Syndicate, Grieg doesn’t waste a single line of sharply aimed dialogue. Roaring by his second, Davies is an absolute delight bantering together with his fellow By no means Thoughts the Buzzcocks panelist Fielding because the growling chief of the Hellbenders gang. But it surely’s Swindells who takes the supporting crown.
Swindells paints the theatrically charismatic Tommy Silversides because the Hansel of highwaymen. So scorching proper now, he flaunts his Krav Maga coaching, horse-bound acrobatics, and penchant for push ups in an ideal blonde wig and sky blue cowboy boots. Swindells’ job is to “smash the panache” of Fielding’s Turpin and he does it with flamboyant gusto and a musical introduction. As if the writers acknowledged Swindells’ potential, Tommy at one level says (accurately) aloud, “Observe to self: should do extra comedy roles.”
If you happen to’re in search of a enjoyable, history-adjacent comedy journey, The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is a gratifying, surrealist romp. Fielding’s Turpin will not be traditionally correct in any respect, however his unfaltering optimism and love of knitting makes for one of many extra distinctive interpretations of the legend.
The right way to watch: The Fully Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is streaming on Apple TV+ from March 1.
