Moot, adj. Having little or no practical relevance. Moot, verb. Raise a question or topic for discussion.
‘Moot Moot’ embodies both these definitions: Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill are two radio chat-show hosts, Barry and Barry, in matching bad suits, bad moustaches and bad glasses. They also have identical cheesy patter, as they invite listeners to ‘get in touch’ over and over and over again, and twirl around the stage on wheelie chairs. ‘It’s all about you and your opinion’ they repeat, suggesting that radio phone-ins might be a way of ‘making sense of some of the kerfuffle’ in the world at the moment.
The mooted topics for discussion escalate daftly with a bit of wordplay, from bad smells to smelting, from ennui to games ‘on the Wii’. Yas Clarke’s sound design puts an echoey wobble on their voices, throws in larky sound effects, jingles and muzak.
‘This is a show that matters – all about what matters most to you.’ But actually, it’s a show where nothing at all matters, that literally has no matter. They don’t get callers, and instead just repeat inane catchphrases.
As a ‘Fast Show’-style sketch, this pastiche would absolutely entertain for about six minutes. But it goes on for a teeth-grinding 60, as if Smashie and Nicey got really into Beckett. I once spent a Friday night stuck in a traffic jam on a minibus tuned to actual LBC that was more enjoyable than watching this play, and more insightful.
The tone remains broad, and does offer moments of humour – there’s a pretty funny vocodered-to-hell synth ballad at the end – but the payoff or twist that you think they must be building to never comes. ‘Moot Moot’ has, as its title promises, little or no relevance.
Is that the point? If so, it’s a massively tedious point. As a comment on the state of communication and debate in the world today, ‘Moot Moot’ is obviously satirising vacuity. But lame radio DJs are a lame target. Given the world really is in ‘a kerfuffle’, if you’ve got nothing to say about it, maybe actually say nothing.