THE beginnings of what has become known as The Boosh lie in the Wycombe Swan theatre in Buckinghamshire when Noel Fielding saw Julian Barratt perform stand-up.

Much like Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer before them, they discovered a shared surreal sense of humour and formed a double act, creating their zoo keeper characters, Vince Noir and Howard Moon.

Noir’s quick wit and charming south London persona, and Moon’s delusions of grandeur based on his artistic talent and intelligence have earned them legions of fans and a cult following.

They were welcomed to Tyneside like a rock and roll band, with whoops of delight from an audience clearly delighted to see their heroes in the flesh.

“Coo, its like a giant game of Guess Who,” Fielding told his fans. “Can everyone with a goatee bread and sideburns lean forward?”

With a backdrop of red theatre curtains, the gruesome twosome actually reminded me more of Morecambe and Wise, with Fielding the clowning gagsmith to Barratt’s tortured self-important artiste.

This was reinforced by the announcement, by Barratt, that the second half was to consist of a serious play about environmental Armageddon, taking off The Play What I Wrote, a tribute to the aforementioned celebrated double act.

It was, of course, ruined by the more playful Fielding and a range of characters fans of the TV series will be familiar with, including Naboo, Bollo, Bob Fossil, Tony Harrison and Hitcher.

The Boosh have carved themselves a comedic niche with in-jokes, a chanting technique known as ‘crimping’ and a well-earned obsessive fan base, some of whom dressed as the characters for the occasion.