Author: Simon Dunn
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Edinburgh Fringe ’79 – The Year Of Radio Active Rowan
The build up to the Fringe in Edinburgh in 1979 was all about moving and booming. At least, that’s what The Stage was reporting on the 3rd May. To give this some context, in 2014, over 2,500 companies took part. The final figure for 1979 was 324, giving a total of 4,180 performances. This also…
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Stomping On The Cat
Sometimes, often, I wish that Paul Jackson would publish an autobiography. Here’s an interesting article from The Stage, dated 21st July 1983, announcing a new show that he was working on for LWT. The final title for the show was The Entertainers, which is now notorious for the decision to move the French And Saunders…
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Dead On Time
In the autumn of 1982, Rowan Atkinson filmed a short movie called Dead On Time. It was written by him and Richard Curtis, and directed by Lyndall Hobbs, with music by Howard Goodall. It featured a veritable feast of comedy actors. It received a full cinema release in February of 1983.
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dinnerladies Clippings
The early reporting about dinnerladies focused on two things. First, that this was going to be Victoria Wood’s first sitcom, and second that it marked a new role for Corrie’s Thelma Barlow. Here’s the first mention I can find, in the Dublin Evening Herald from 24 October 1998. On the 3rd November, this interview with…
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The League Of Gentleclips
The first mention I can find of the League Of Gentlemen as a sketch comedy troupe is this, from The Stage on Thursday 4th April 1996. Just four months later, they received top-billing in the same publication’s Edinburgh Fringe preview. A year later, and the trio garnered a few mentions in Phil Gibby’s festival diary,…
