David Porter » Entries tagged with "comedy"
No Lack of Madmen
No Lack of Madmen is my third self-published novel. Drawing on my experiences in Parliament (1987-97) and my own ageing processes, I’ve set it in an East Anglian care home designed for one-time MPs, Lords and senior civil servants. Furthermore, the place boasts its own ‘Commons Chamber‘ for residents to relive their glory days. The Protagonist Prone to increasing falls and mobility issues, my former MP James Ellington reluctantly moves in to calm the worries of his … Read entire article »
Filed under: Online and Web Writing, Writing
Slyghtly Hystorical
Slyghtly Hystorical presented by Charmed Life at the Fisher Theatre, Bungay Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 28 September 2016 ‘Slyghtly Hystorical’ was the clever comedic, theatrical, fun nonsense staged by Charmed Life Productions to mark 10 years of Bungay’s reborn Fisher Theatre. It’s an achievement well celebrated in play that raised a host of historical people with connections to this ‘fine town of renown’ who left their footprints on Bungay. Tim Hall played David Fisher, the impresario out of his depth trying to stage ‘Hamlet’. Dawn Briggs was an earthy Boudicca, Josh Gould portrayed martyred King Edmund and a lofty Ethel Mann while Sarah Curtis was Eliza Bonhote and the Buttercross’s justice statue. Lawrie Hammond was a swashbuckling H Rider Haggard and painter Munnings, Mark Burridge the hilarious love-sick French Vicomte Chateaubriand with … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Handbagged
Handbagged at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 November 2015 Handbagged? Well, The Audience featuring the imaginary conversations between The Queen and her 12 Prime Ministers in their weekly meetings has already been a stage hit. Now it’s just Her Majesty and Mrs Thatcher. Liz versus Maggie, two powerful women born in the same year is a comedy that speculates what these two women, these icons of power in different ways actually talked about in private. Or they might have done. Critically acclaimed as witty, confident, mischievous and clever it’s ‘tea at four, handbags at dawn’ subtly moving from slapstick to the real stuffing of life as the women look back on their younger selves in what could have become a history lesson but is priceless theatre. Moira Buffini’s West … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 3 September 2013 No, no, no, yes!, TV’s Dibley works on stage It’s a challenge to put the bunch of well-loved, well-known characters who people the TV village of Dibley on the stage with inevitable comparisons with the originals. Director John Hales excels in a masterful showcase of comic madnesses personified by deliciously loopy Alice Tinker (Sharn McDonald), irascible David Horton (Ian Hart), gently eccentric Hugo (Will Isgrove), stuttering sex-obsessed Jim Trott (Bob Vivian), strangely dark Frank Pickle (Roger Lee), earthy farmer Owen Hewitt (Nick Murray-Brown) and culinary experimenter Letty Cropley (Marion Small). The Vicar, Geraldine Granger, is played by Agnes Lillis who captures the essence of Dawn French’s version but brings a self-knowing amusement that makes the part all her own. Laughs … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
Unbelievable-But-True Stories Amuse Media, Public and Comedians
Cynics would say that tales of the bizarre cannot possibly be factual. But actually, the weird, unusual and strange show that ‘you couldn’t make it up’. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not has been thrilling people with odd and amazing, unbelievable exploits, mishaps, deformities and human failings from the ‘World of the Weird’ in museums and attractions since 1919. In effect, it’s a franchise, enabling entrepreneurs to open museums of artifacts so strange and unusual that people might doubt their claims. The idea has also been developed into radio and TV programmes, events, books, posters and a pinball game. Over 12 million visitors a year marvel in the museum chain, confirming the fact that people like to be amazed; that the unbelievable-but-true has a place in a world where technology has made the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Life’s Aphorisms are as Good for Comedy as for Living By
Laws, theories, principles, rules, fallacies and conundrums explain life. The most memorable maxims are the funniest and truest. Across much of the world ‘Murphy’s Law’ or a variant is used to explain the notion that ‘if something can go wrong, it will’. It’s based on the idea that there is a perversity operating in life, and the human lot is to expect the downside. If toast falls, it will fall buttered-side down. In Britain, such tiresome inconvenience is often styled ‘Sod’s Law’, while in the US the handy epithet SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fouled Up) serves the same purpose. It’s claimed this term began in the US military around 1941, when radio message encoding required scrambling into five letter code groups. When these groups were used to make sentences for fun, SNAFU … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Stand-Up Comedy Is Alive, Well and Flourishing in the UK
Heard the one about stand-up enjoying a rebirth in Britain? Well, it’s no joke, it’s true. In hard times, people need laughter and comics are bringing it. 2010‘s Royal Variety Show saw more stand-up comedians on the bill than anyone can remember. This, along with shows devoted to the genre on British TV, rising popularity of cruise ship entertainment and the growth of corporate comedy, confirms that solo comics working crowds with gag after gag, are ever popular. Stand-up comedians, whether the natural clown in a classroom, at work or out for the night, or the jester who entertained the royal court in days gone by, telling people how foolish life is, are vital. Nonetheless, it’s a difficult performing art because everybody’s humour is unique. Humour is not only personal, it varies regionally … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Bringing Comedy to Audiences Is No Laughing Matter
One person’s comedy may be another’s tragedy. People don’t always laugh at the same things, but no serious performance student can ignore comedy these days. Some performers claim they don’t do comedy, or are not funny on stage, and some training establishments frown on comedy. However, if one can be funny with friends, then a true performer can get a laugh out of an audience. It is hard work, unless a person is naturally gifted in the art of self-mocking willingness to endure the prat fall, of being the butt of the gag, of publicly suffering error, failure and defeat and of enjoying the tears of the clown. Peter Ustinov, the late Russian raconteur who made a career on stage and screen … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101