IT'S the comedy game show with a difference that is currently taking the country by storm.

That's WiFi Wars, the new, live, interactive show featuring top gamers Steve McNeil and Rob Sedgebeer where the audience plays along too.

Login with your smartphone or tablet (make sure it is fully charged) and compete in a range of games, quizzes and challenges to win the show - and prizes.

Featuring in the BBC Radio 4 documentary about video gaming, While My Guitar Gently Bleeps, and with the TV adaptation of the original live show, Go 8-Bit, now on Dave, the show was first performed as part of the Royal Institution’s 2015 Summer Programme after Steve and Rob Sedgebeer’s appearance on their 2014 BBC Christmas Lectures.

Since then the concept has really caught the imagination of the gaming world and beyond.

They've been Time Out's Critic’s Choice, part of Metro's Top Ten London Geek Nights Out as well as The Guardian Not To Be Missed. They also had their own stage at Eurogamer’s EGX, welcoming more than 80,000 people to the event over its four day run at Earls’ Court.

And it doesn't look like stopping there with Go 8-Bit, hosted by Dara O’Briain, attracting a whole host of celebrity names who want to take part including Bob Mortimer, Russell Howard, Rachel Riley and Ed Byrne.

Now on their autumn we caught up with Steve and Rob to find out just what all the fuss is about.

Tell us, why should people come along to a WiFi Wars show?

Steve: "Because a legitimate genius, King Rob aka Rob Sedgebeer, has created an insanely fun experience that you can’t do anywhere else in the known universe."

Rob: "They should come and play a range of fun video games with the rest of the audience, using the latest smartphone technology. With the added bonus of watching two sweaty men panic on stage."

How did the idea for the show WiFi Wars come about?

Steve: "Rob was the boyfriend of someone who came to my double act’s (McNeil and Pamphilon – Go 8 Bit) live shows. He came to an early version of Go 8 Bit and then, afterwards, showed us the first game he’d developed his tech for, which was Pong.

"He agreed to let us use this in the live show (and then the TV show) and ever since then, Rob and I have been developing a whole show of shenanigans that take his technology further and further."

Rob: "I've been going to live comedy for more than 20 years and my girlfriend, a fellow comedy fan, introduced me to Steve and his sketch partner, Sam Pamphilon.

"I offered them my tech for their Go 8 Bit live show and became part of the team. Somewhere along the way the Royal Institution mistook us for actual scientists and asked us to give a talk about the technology used in the show, which is how WiFi Wars came about."

What’s the dynamic like between the two of you in/out of the show?

Steve: "My favourite tweet about the show was from an audience member, who described us as 'Penn & Teller for video games. One does the talking, the other the impressive stuff'."

Rob: "Outside the show, Steve does all the admin work, I do all the coding. During the show, Steve does the talking, I do the buttons. It's a fair division of labour."

Can you explain how the audience gets involved in WiFi Wars?

Steve: "You log in to a WiFi network that we build in the venue, then you go to a webpage. Once you’re there, we can beam buttons, graphics and entire games to your phones using what I assume is some sort of wizard magic."

Rob: "The audience connects to our WiFi network using their phone or tablet. From there I can send games and controls to their device, using web-based technology. No wizard magic required!"

How does the show differ from other live shows out there?

Rob: "It's the ultimate in audience interaction. No other live show demands you keep your mobile phone switched on."

Steve: "EVERYONE in the audience PLAYS THE ENTIRE SHOW."

What excites you most about the show?

Rob: "It's an entirely new form of live entertainment. We get to build and play video games with huge numbers of people in a way that has never been done before."

Steve: "Smartphones and games can often become scapegoats for antisocial/lonely experiences. At our show, we take both, and make them celebratory, communal things. Instead of staring at your phone and ignoring everyone and everything around you, at our show, by tapping away at your screen you become part of a shared and joyful experience."

Do you have to have pre-existing knowledge of both gaming and technology to enjoy the show?

Rob: "Absolutely not! The tech is basically a means to an end, in that it allows us to build games that we can all play together. Forget for a moment that we're talking about video games, and imagine instead, that we’re using other forms of multi-player games; board games, card games, or sports games."

Steve: "Imagine a massive footie game. With hundreds of players and multiple balls. It would be absolute chaos, but so much fun. That's our show, as that's what the tech lets us do. But with loads more different games.

"All you need is a phone, a finger, and a desire to have fun."

Go 8-Bit was your original live comedy gaming show that is now on Dave. How is the TV series similar/different to WiFi Wars?

Rob: "Go 8 Bit is all about watching beloved comedians making fools of themselves playing classic video games. The audience do get to play along with a few games, but in WiFi Wars they get to play ALL the games. It's a much more interactive show."

Steve: "We will be playing a couple of our adaptations of the classic games in the TV show (Pong, Track and Field), but the live show takes things to the next level technologically."

Wi-Fi Wars

Colchester Arts Centre

Church Street, Colchester.

Sunday, November 27. Doors 6.30pm, show starts 7pm.

Tickets £15, £13 concessions, under 16s £10. 01206 500900.

www.colchesterartscentre.com

Unfortunately Windows phones are not compatible with WiFi Wars but all Android and Apple/iOS devices should work fine with the show.