Review by Steve Bennett

A press release for Darts Wives sent out several months ago boasted that one of its creators ‘has just finished filming on Ben Elton’s sitcom’. Given the critical mauling The Wright Way received, Lauretta Gavin – who played ‘Shopkeeper’ in episode one – might want to keep that quiet.

Darts Wives, thankfully, is a lot more subtle than the Elton car crash. It’s a character-led piece set in the world of ‘DWAGs’, the larger-than-life partners behind the most unlikely of sportsmen.

Its strength is the affectionate portrayal of a certain breed of ballsy working-class woman, here represented by a quartet of professional rivals bonded by their similar situations. There’s Trina, who’s remortgaged the bungalow to allow her husband to stay in the game, the raunchy Angel who pep-talks Tel ‘Bugs’ Bunny with sexual promises and bad raps; and sisters Lorraine and Fay, whose vow to share everything is put under stress.

A sitcom-like plot holds the hour together, interspersed with scenes of the girls mentally and physically preparing their husbands for the big competition – despite one of them suffering a crippling bout of ‘dartitis’ – as well as giving a press conference and going out on the piss.

Each of the quartet is a credible, well-drawn character. Lauretta’s brash Faye with her expensive, tacky tastes has a great line in passive-aggressive putdowns; while Philippa Sarll is great as Trina, the bedrock of a relationship and profressional partnership.

Lauretta stars alongside her real-life sister Sharon. The pair, who first performed a Fringe show together as the Gavin & Gavin double act back in 2002, wrote the script with Angela Wilson, and spent several months researching the darts world, which has paid dividends in authenticity.

Yet Darts Wives, were it the TV show it clearly aspires to be, would be a comedy-drama than an out-and-out sitcom; which is the diplomatic way of saying it’s not quite funny enough. Occasionally a line hits the bullseye, and although you enjoy spending time with these women, for all their faults and idiosyncrasies, laugh-out-loud moments are few, and occasionally feel tacked-on; such as Angel doing her rap.

So while the creators clearly have an ear for dialogue and an instinct for character, there’s not quite enough to elevate this from an enjoyable hour to a must-see.

Review date: 2 Aug 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett