The day the Chuckle Brothers went on the rampage in Oldway Mansion

Oh dear, oh dear – the bad guys inside Oldway Mansion never stood a chance when faced with the combined might of two of the UK’s comedy giants.

Ten years ago this week the Chuckle Brothers unleashed a hitman killing spree around the former home of Torbay Council, leaving bodies strewn around the historic building.

At one point they hurled a hapless baddie over the balustrades to plummet to his death on the marble staircase below. At another they dispatched a butler with a heavy wrench before slipping into his clothes and assuming his identity.

But no bad guys were harmed in the madcap rampage through the house and grounds which ended when our ‘hero’ fled the scene in a Ferrari.

Because it was all an elaborate stunt to promote a video game, and Paul and Barry Chuckle were safely seated in a studio, directing actors playing the roles of the protagonists in a live version of the ‘Hitman’ video game which had just been released.

Some of their best one-liners are kept back for the ‘gag reel’ at the end of the video, but there is plenty of trademark Chuckle Brothers humour scattered through the carnage.

The Chuckle Brothers playing 'Hitman' at Oldway Mansion (Image courtesy: Io-Interactive/Realm Pictures)

They direct the ‘hitman’ into the house with a ‘to you, to me’ and an ‘oh dear oh dear’. In the background the theme to the brothers’ TV show Chucklevision plays, and the hitman complains before conceding: “It’s quite catchy really.”

Then, when the action builds to a chase down Oldway’s back stairs, Paul Chuckle instructs him: “Take him out! Take him out! And can you bleed that radiator while you’re there?”.

During the video the agent says to The Chuckle Brothers: “Give me an order, from you to me.”

The stunt was devised by Hitman creators Io-Interactive and created by Realm Pictures.

Marc Skouborg, brand marketing director at Io-Interactive said at the time: “The objective was to try and see if it was possible to create the feeling of a real life Hitman game experience for the participants.

“Realm Pictures went above and beyond in their efforts and we’ve been completely blown away by the detail and how well they managed to capture the essence of the game.

“It’s simply fantastic.”

The video found a new audience two years later after the death of Barry Chuckle.

Yorkshire brothers Paul and Barry Elliott had started performing as the Chuckle Brothers in the 1970s and became hugely popular fixtures on television, starring in their own series. They also toured the country with stage shows and starred in pantomime.

When Barry died in August 2018 after a period of ill health, Paul said: “I’ve not just lost my brother, I’ve lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend.”

Oldway Mansion housed Torbay Council offices until it closed in 2013. It is currently undergoing a massive restoration and is shrouded in scaffolding. Its interior is currently closed to the public.