Susan Bullock

I must confess that classical music is not my forte, but a special prom hosted by Tim Minchin has made what is mostly an alien world watchable.

This TV version is an edited down version of the original that went out on BBC Radio 3. Seeing as how this was originally a radio programme some of the choice of acts may seem odd: The Boy with Tape on His Face, for example, as his comedy is almost entirely visual. It's quite a shame, really, as he was one of the funniest acts on the night, with his mime versions of "Lady in Red" and the William Tell overture.

There are some other odd choices of performers, such as the puppets from Mongrels performing one of their songs from their TV show, "Middle Class is Magical". This was definitely a highlight in the show, though - not only was the song pretty appropriate, but this must be the first time that BBC Three and Radio 3 have joined forces - which is slightly worrying. (I always thought that was a sign of the apocalypse.)

There were also other highlights, such as Doc Brown rapping about Sir David Attenborough; a battle between the conductor and the pianist about whether to play Greig or Tchaikovsky's piano concerto; beat-boxer Beardyman performing some musical material you don't associate with the Proms; and Kit and the Widow (Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Richard Sisson) with Sue Perkins and soprano Susan Bullock singing Flanders and Swann's "Hippopotamus Song".

Minchin did well as host - while performing some of his own hits - and was probably the most entertaining of the acts on offer. I for one hope that the Comedy Proms return next year.

Purists might blanch at the idea of this first ever Comedy Prom, but it makes for a raucous and unpredictable evening. Ivory-tinkling Australian comic Tim Minchin curates and hosts, introducing turns from Maestro winner Sue Perkins, the animal puppets from BBC Three's Mongrels, cabaret duo Kit and the Widow, rapper Doc Brown, soprano Susan Bullock and pianist Danny Driver.

On the radio, this event had all the appeal of a party next door, full of people laughing uproariously at each other for no reason perceptible to anyone not actually present. Tim Minchin, the host, lacked any facility to describe to his radio audience what was going on. Papier mâché horses' heads were mentioned, ditto lavatory seats and plungers, none of them visible, audible or worth imagining. Kit and The Widow came on, making fun of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim but not very well. A melancholy song about pollution followed, then soprano Susan Bullock joined them for what was described as curry-oke, a singalong version of Nessun Dorma which was said to be in Punjabi and sounded quite astonishingly patronising and racist.

The interval talk was a bit better, but not much. Comedians Natalie Haynes and Steve Punt talked about comedy in literature, acting out one little scene from Aristophanes and another from Shakespeare badly enough to contradict their claims that, this way, they made sense. The Prom second half began with one of those pastiche piano pieces that meander from parody to parody, Rachmaninov to Tchaikovsky to Gershwin to Nino Rota to Pop Goes the Weasel and Roll Out the Barrel. All praise to the BBC Concert Orchestra for playing throughout with gusto and good humour. Curses on everyone else who took part in this grim exercise in condescension.

BBC Proms 2011 (Radio 3, 7.30pm) is first: a Comedy Prom. Host is Tim Minchin, maverick Australian performer and composer (for his musical version of Roald Dahl's Matilda, for the Royal Shakespeare Company earlier this year). Other attractions include pianist Danny Driver, soprano Susan Bullock, camp cabaret duo Kit and the Widow and comedian Sue Perkins. The BBC Concert Orchestra plays on, regardless.