Sitting across from comedy legend Noel Fielding is as surreal as a cheese dream.
Many might now only know him as the loveable co-host of The Great British Bake Off, with an enviable wardrobe of statement knits. But at one time Fielding's winkle-picker Chelsea boots and edgy mullet influenced an entire generation of students, who could hold entire conversations in verses – or crimps – of cult classic The Mighty Boosh.
Noel has been away from the scripted scene ever since the show – which he worked on with his comedy partner of the time Julian Barratt – came to an end in 2007.
Now, thanks to Apple TV+'s new series The Completely Made-up Adventures of Dick Turpin, it's time for Fielding to show us all what we've been missing.
We caught up with Noel and his suitably brightly-coloured jumper, alongside his Dick Turpin co-star Hugh Bonneville, to discuss this new project.
Related: Noel Fielding's new show is a brilliantly absurd hit of nostalgia for Mighty Boosh fans
To kick things off the pair recalled "a bit where we jump off a bridge together" during filming, which they agreed was a real bonding moment on set.
"Then we were manacled together for the rest of the episode anyway," Hugh recalled.
The Apple TV+ series is a bit of a who's who of the UK comedy circuit, with brilliant yet sometimes unlikely cameos popping up throughout.
"It's amazing, that, because they're the people you want. You always aim high," Noel explained. "Mark Heap, I really wanted to work with. Joe Wilkinson is brilliant. There were so many good people in it...."
"And I defy anyone to recognise Jessica Hynes," Hugh added.
With an executive producer credit too, we took the opportunity to dig a little deeper with Noel and talk about the ways in which his Boosh-y brand of comedy informed this new historical satire.
I'm sure you're going to get this a lot, but it was very Boosh-y. A lot of the comedy was taking me back, and there were a few little nods in there, like the courgette village and then the poncho joke. I was wondering if that was something that you were intentionally wanting to breadcrumb for fans?
Noel Fielding: It's weird, because the writers that I work with are much younger than me. So they sort of grew up on Boosh as well. So sometimes they will say to me, "Oh, that's a little bit Boosh." Because they know all of the episodes, and I've forgotten them [laughs].
I think I sort of went away from Boosh because we did 20 years together on it, you know, and it was very special for us. And then I felt like I couldn't really do that kind of comedy in that way.
But I think because [Dick Turpin is] a period comedy, it feels different enough that I can do… That is kind of my humour, really. There's nothing I can do about it. I couldn't just go off and write an episode of Veep instead. It's not my bag.
So there will definitely be a bit of a crossover. What I'm hoping is that Boosh fans like it, because it is a bit Boosh-y.
And, like you say, that is kind of your stand-up style and your humour. The monologue in episode one, where you're kind of talking about becoming the highwayman, that felt very reminiscent of your stand-up as well.
Yeah. That's all I can do [laughs]...
It's very odd, because I think actors and comedians are different beasts. Actors can play lots of different characters, and, you know, comedians, you're always trying to work on this persona, this one clown that works in any situation. Although you can play other characters within that.
Yeah, when things work for you, you tend to take them with you into the next project – hopefully, in a good way.
Your costumes – obviously, that's a huge part of what you do. How was that shaped? Was there anything you wanted to do that didn't quite work out?
The costume department were fantastic, and Rosa, the head designer, was really good, and knew the Boosh, and knew my aesthetic. We worked quite closely together. But, to be honest, she just took it and ran with it, and everything she did was perfect.
These departments are so important on programmes like this, because the look of it is so integral to the story and everything. So the make-up and the costume and the effects – and the director, Ben Palmer – were so good at creating this world. And it was a very filmic world, which I've never had access to for comedy before, because Apple has the budget.
The Boosh part of the joke was: how are we going to make these things work? If you're in Monkey Hell, how are you going to make that on one set, in Three Mill Studios? [laughs] With some dry ice and a monkey mask.
You've made an interesting point there about the budget and the glossy feel of it for comedy, which isn't really something that you see in that genre.
No. It's great. I guess a lot of films are funny, and the scripts are funny. But I guess out-and-out comedies don't usually have access to that kind of budget. You feel very privileged. It's a bit like a gift when you write something, and then you see it, and it's been made, and you just think, "Wow, this is great." That's why you get into this, really. You write a scene, and then it happens.
When we wrote some of the characters, and then we didn't know who was going to be the warlock – and then when it was Asim [Chaudhry], we were so excited about him doing it. And he did it really well. Once he's in his costume, and you're in Wicklow Woods, and you see him doing some strange ceremony in his head-dress – you just think, "This is great." You believe you're there.
I only have time for one more question, so I just have to ask: the running joke with the artwork and the drawings – I know you're really into your art. Did you draw those?
[laughs] I did draw those.
What was quite funny is that the director, George, who did episodes 4, 5, and 6 – I kept sending them to him, and he'd go, "No. Not bad enough. Do another one." I'd do it again, and he'd go, "Not bad enough. Do another one."
And it'd be killing me, because I went to art school, and did life drawing for free. And I had to draw all these terrible drawings.
Have you kept them all?
I think I have got them somewhere, yeah. That was fun to do.
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin premieres globally with the first two episodes on Friday, March 1, 2024, followed by new episodes every Friday exclusively on Apple TV+.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
