Doktor James' Akademy of Evil

It’s a tough gig trying to make it as a supervillain when you live in your mum’s basement and you’ve been turned down by the Big Nasty People (BNP) group. And it smarts even more when your twin brother is a universally adored superhero who can access Skype anywhere. Oh, and who can fly.

That’s the wonderfully daft premise behind this blast of a show from comedian James Bennison, who plays the titular Doktor James, alongside his minion, Timion (Tim Kennington). They’re a superb pairing, bouncing off each other brilliantly while firing quips into a delighted audience of kids and parents like fun deathrays.

Kicking off with a great sight gag about those "other" minions, the show pivots on interactive "lessons" in being evil that also power Doktor James’s Deadly Doomsday Device (DJDDD). It’s all fast-paced fun, with the "Akademy"—the audience—practising their most evil laughs, making tinfoil robots or dobbing in their parents.

A spiky shoulder-padded Bennison sulks and throws tantrums like an overgrown teenager. He and Kennington create an air of controlled chaos that works as well for adults as for kids. The DJDDD definitely isn’t a hoover and Skype calls from Doktor James’ smug twin brother are a treat. No joke outstays its welcome and the show’s dynamic on-stage duo revel in the nonsense.

With its giddy sense of fun, blasts of disco, tinfoil and games of "Cake or Bomb?", this stupidly enjoyable hour is like the evil twin of Blue Peter. You’ll leave wanting to take over the world.