Ah, those long hot days of an Italian summer - thanks to Global warming we have them here in Ohio & in Ireland too!
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Dave Allen
About this time every year, when I was a kid I had one mission in life to see Dave Allen's new years eve show on BBC 2.
Dave Allen came into the world as David Tynan O'Mahony, his father was managing editor of The peerless Irish times.
He tried to break into journalism but the doors of Fleet Street were closed to him so he worked his early passage as a Butlin's redcoat and then began the long apprenticeship of British workmen's clubs & variety halls - an arduous experience for many.
He worked for Aussie TV in the 60's and returned to the UK with a reputation, he soon broke into the big-time and some years later had his own TV show on the beeb where his shaggy dog' stories were to make him legendary.
He'd sit on a stool, a glass of whiskey in one hand, a cigarette in the other and regale us with his observations on life & all its foibles not to mention his yarns interspersed with sketches which to this day are hilarious & relevant.
I loved him for his irreverence and indeed for his profound logic & wit...he loved to attack the stupidity & hypocrisy he saw in everyday life, the Catholic Church in particular he was scathing about...those of us who grew up in Ireland during the 60's & 70's found him a breath of fresh air.
Have a look at some of the sketches below brought to you by fellow fans & the good people at YouTube.
As Dave would say..."Good night & may your God go with you!".
(The vagaries of the English language)
(Funeral Sketch)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
I told you I was ill!
Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite (I told you I was ill).
The words on Spike Milligan’s gravestone, as gaeilge (in Gaelic) as the Church would not allow the English translation in its graveyard. Even in death, there was controversy & triumph.
Spike’s foolishness was my staple reading in the years 10 to 14 (and in the years beyond to the present day). I devoured anything I could find by him, his poetry, his wartime memoirs, the irrepressible puckoon... His TV show “Q” was incredible. To others it was self indulgent dross but I loved the anarchic silliness of it all. I remember the start of one episode as Spike turns up at Broadcasting House (the Beeb’s home) and takes out a giant wind up key, inserts it into the building and winds it up, starting the building…..simply brilliant, winding the BBC up which he enjoyed doing…years later I understood why.
The man is known as the father of British comedy but to be honest that is too shallow a title as British comedy is a huge force worldwide, I believe he should be known as a father of Global humour, many comedians today owe their living to this man smashing down the walls of comedy and opening up new vistas for them to perform
The “Beeb” could not understand the man or so they let on. Spike was convinced it was his “humble” beginnings which hamstrung him. He was reportedly very insecure over his lack of third level education which the college idiots at Broadcasting house turned up their noses at.
The fact was though, Spike was a manic depressive. An episode where he was bombarded in WW2 (he was an artllery signalman) had an apparent cataclysmic effect on his psyche. Reading his memoirs, it is apparent that this was the case. It is said that the line between genius & insanity is a thread. This statement unfortunately proved to be true as later on when Spike discovered fame in the Goons, the constant pressure of turning out weekly scripts threw him over the edge. In the rest of his career, Spike suffered a constant stream of mental/nervous breakdowns – Bi-polar disorder was eventually diagnosed. Milligan's own black comedy helping him to deal with this blight.
Spike was proud of his Irish roots, indeed he was proud of his Irish Citizenship and I daresay extremely proud his epitaph perplexed the powers that be! His character was incredibly complex, capable of a thousand moods. I care to remember him as a worthwhile human being who brought laughter to me on many a dark day!
If you want to read some of his stuff, start with "Puckoon", you'll never regret it!
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