Tag: Comedy

Two soups

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What makes you laugh?

Have you ever seen the “two soups” sketch on the “Victoria Wood as seen on TV” sketch show?

It stars Julia Walters as an elderly waitress.

Two diners are seated at the front of the set, chatting and choosing from a menu. The waitress comes out of swing doors at the back of the set, apparently the kitchen. She is white haired and elderly, she slowly stumbles towards the diners. She takes their order and licks a pencil and proceeds to write it down. I can’t remember all the dialogue but it is funny. The decision is they will have “two soups”.

A bit more conversation happens while the waitress totters off to the kitchen, she is very wobbly with age.

After a wait she comes out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of soup, one in each hand. They are held loosely and because they are sloping the soup is gradually pouring out of them. She approaches the table and the bowls are clearly empty. She plonks the dishes down on the table. “two soups! ” she proudly announces.

It’s hards to explain but it’s so funny!

Four weddings and a funeral.

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I’ve just watched this film for the first time in about 20 years. In turn comedic, poignant, rude, surprising and life affirming

There is a poem by W H Auden in it “stop all the clocks”, so sad and yet to the point. I felt myself starting to cry again. But it helped.

It’s a film from the early 1990’s and has a strong cast of actors including Hugh Grant as the main star. It follows him through the marriages of his friends and perhaps himself. And the death of a close friend.

If you’ve never watched it I think you will probably enjoy it.

Radio 4

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What do you listen to while you work?

I first listened to BBC radio 4 when I was a teenager. I had a little transistor radio and used to listen to an Issac Asimov story ‘Foundation’ that had been dramatised for radio.

From that discovery I got a lot of pleasure and knowledge. When I was doing my homework Radio 4 would be on in the background. Then as I got older I went to college. I listened to shows like ‘The hitchhikers guide to the gallery’ while I learned to paint.

After that I had a job where I could not choose a radio station. The radio station was pop based and I hated it. Jingles and pop music irritated me. I’m definitely happier with speech radio.

Finally my job became much more professional, there was no radio to accompany my work. But when I was on visits to clients I would tune my radio in to 92.7 FM, which is radio 4 and also happens to be the BBC World Service outside the hours BBC radio 4 is being broadcast. There are a great deal of news, drama, finance, comedy and satirical programmes on the channel. Always worth listening to.

British comedy!

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What makes you laugh?

Over the years I have had the pleasure of watching British TV comedy shows and I have to share a few titles with you.

Favourite anarchic comedies are The Young Ones about mad student life which were shown in the 1980s onwards, and Red Dwarf, a survivor on a asteroid mining ship woken after 2 million years lives with a cat that has evolved into a humanoid, a hologram of a dead crew mate and a computer called Holly and an android called Kryton, I think this was from the 90’s? But has recently been resurrected. Also Father Ted, an Irish priest living on Craggy Island on the West Coast of Ireland.

Then there’s the Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French about the first female Vicar of Dibley Village. Absolutely Fabulous, mad fashion designing japes, the Royale family, a strange TV watching family, and so many more.

The thing is these are not rom coms or comedies like Friends or Cheers. They have some very silly and sometimes quite rude ideas. If you find them Enjoy!

Red Nose Day Friday 16th March 2023

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I got my red nose today in aid of Red Nose day on Friday. Its a tellython thingy that began in the eighties when comedian Lenny Henry and his friends started collecting money to support people in Africa and in the UK. The programme on Friday evening will have lots of comic skits and sketches interspersed with short films about how the money they raise is being used to hrlp people around the world. You might be able to Google Red Nose day for more information. This year the nose is mainly paper which is less polluting. I have collected red noses from the first one. X

I think Red Nose day is every couple of years, but time flashes by so fast. Anyway it cheers me up and makes me think about others at the same time. X

Watching a Wonderful Life

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Christmas is the time I like to watch old films, cheerful and poignant. Today I had the pleasure of watching James Stewart in a Wonderful life. Its a lot more complex than I remember it. Stewart plays George Bailey who runs a small savings and loan company. He is up against a villain called Potter who wants to own Stewarts company as well as everything else in the town. The story turns on a mishap with the companies money. Stewart in desperation want to kill himself, but is shown a world without himself, and doesnt like what he finds. I’m not posting any spoilers. Watch it if you can!

Late for Panto…

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Well I decided to go back and join in our local penkhull panto because I need to start getting out and stop moping about. So… Its been in rehersal for weeks, so I’ve not been cast as anyone but I should be helping with the scenery. Maybe some props, it’s bringing back good memories…

The production is Robin Hood and we already had a script from a couple of years ago. It’s not on until the new year. It should be a laugh…. Oh yes it will be… Oh no it won’t.. Oh yes it will

Yes, Prime minister

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Satire, a wonderful thing. I’m watching an old episode of ‘Yes, Prime minister.’ it’s probably forty years old and it still speaks to what’s going on in the UK at the moment. Boris Johnson has been fined for breaking Covid rules, and he will not resign although if he breaks the rules he is expected to do so. Now he’s changed the rules so that he only has to apologise (again). The man is almost more of a ridiculous figure than the Prime minister in the comedy programme!

Relief

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#bandofsketchers prompt on Thursday was relief. I wanted to draw a comic relief red nose (a charity that collects millions of pounds for people in need all round the world) but I can’t find one, (been buying them every couple of years) so I tried to draw one from memory. The telethon has been going for years and mainly relies on comedy to encourage people to donate.
X

Panto rehearsal

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The stage is set. It’s been a few weeks since we started rehearsals but hopefully in February we’ll be putting on a performance of Beauty and the Beast. I don’t have a part, I’m just going to be in the chorus. I am struggling with doing dances, I don’t feel physically up to it. But I’m hoping to help with the scenery, although I’m hoping it won’t be as difficult as it was two years ago when I was a lot healthier.

The panto (pantomime), is a jokey, comedic play where an adventure happens but its funny and mostly for children. There are really ‘punny’ jokes, custard pies in the face, slapstick, kids telling silly jokes and basically mad cap fun. I’m looking forward to a great time next year.