Bill, the new feature film about the lost years of William Shakespeare’s life, from the team who brought us Horrible Histories, has been wowing critics.

Inspired by her own visit to the cinema to see the film (which boasts a bevy of TVO faces), Velveteer Mog rounds up the recent Bill reviews (and adds a sprinkling of her own opinion for good measure):

Anyone familiar with the likes of Monty Python, Blackadder and Horrible Histories will testify to the fact that mashing together historical facts with the funnies can be a wonderful combination. Bill continues this fine tradition, while wearing its ancestral influences well. Best described as ‘Monty Python for 12 year olds’, the jokes come thick and fast from a strong cast, most of whom play multiple roles.

With high production values, tight, inventive story-telling and a phenomenal gag to screen time ratio, the result is hugely entertaining: funny, daft and clever. All the performances are excellent, but a special shout out should go to Simon Farnaby, who is a treat every time he’s on screen. Plus it was a joy to see so many of ‘our lot’ adding to the giggle quota: Rufus Jones, Justin Edwards, Richard Glover and Tom Meeten.

If there weren’t enough TVO faces on screen, we were lucky enough to see two more in the audience at our local cinema, in the form of James Cook and Julian Barratt. I’m delighted to report that they seemed to enjoy Bill as much as we did.

But don’t just take our word for it; here’s what the critics have had to say about Bill (click on the links to read the review in full):

The Guardian awards Bill 4 stars, describing it as exhibiting “hints of the Carry Ons, Blackadder and especially Python.” The Observer also gives 4 stars, saying, “Nicely balancing its historically literate gags with broad knockabout slapstick, Bill is a crowd-pleasing treat that should tickle audiences young and old alike.”

4 more stars from Time Out, who say, “Mathew Baynton’s plucky Bill, Jim Howick’s grumpy Marlowe and Ben Willbond’s testosterone-fuelled Philip II of Spain are all up there with vintage ‘Blackadder’.” Den of Geek also loved it, noting that “fans of the team’s previous work will not be disappointed here,” adding, “their speciality lies in combining the grandeur of the historical or the fantastical with pure silliness, creating a bathos which is amplified in Bill by the cinematic ambition of the project.”

Even the FT gave Bill a big thumbs up, saying, “This is a comedy. And a puckish, inventive, funny one.” And The Express called it “daft fun for all the family”. A very good thing in our book.

But the final word goes to one of my notoriously difficult-to-impress kids, who summarised the film as: “Very good, funny and a bit cheeky.” High praise indeed!

Bill is currently on general release in cinemas across the UK; check local listings for details.