Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
Comedian and writer known for his unique invented language, used in radio, television, and books.
Eight records
the artist Roy Dewar rang me one day and said ... 'why not write a book?' ... that was the birth of the Messilian manuscript
it's called House and Garbage. It's a thing on Do It Yourself. Again, wonderfully and copiously illustrated by Roy Dewar.
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
Stanley, how do you think you could endure the loneliness of a desert island?
Well, I think the deep refresh, if I do a little quote of Omar Khayyam, of the crusty cheese all dangling on the bough in the wilderness, there'd be a great joy in this.
Presenter asks
Stanley, when did you first become aware of this gift of having your own special language?
Well, you were kind to say so. I think it really began during the war when we had a pantomime at Devontry, when the engineers wrote the script and took part in it, and the engineer in charge, Douglas Birkinshaw, composed the music. We had a great lot of fun doing this panto, and I was given the part of a Chinaman. And I found as I spoke a sort of pseudo-Chinese and popped an English word in, it got a laugh.
Presenter asks
When did you first broadcast [in your nonsensical language]?
Um well, the first nonsensical broadcast, because I did do one serious one, a young producer in Birmingham put me on the air seriously. The first nonsense one, I think, was in nineteen forty eight.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Speaker 1
BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne, and this is the Desert Island Discs podcast. This is the only extract the BBC has of this episode. The presenter is Roy Plomley. I hope you enjoy listening.
Presenter
Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to speak a second language, but I know only one man who speaks as his second language, one that he makes up as he goes along, and that's Stanley Unwin. Stanley, how do you think you could endure the loneliness of a desert island?
Stanley Unwin
Well, I think the deep refresh, if I do a little quote of Omar Khayyam, of the crusty cheese all dangling on the bough in the wilderness, there'd be a great joy in this.
Stanley Unwin
Do you think that would apply if it was for a long time? No, probably not. As one eyes the ever rolling recedi of the sand, all undulaty in the disto, it would get terribly boring. I do admit that.
Presenter
And Stanley, can I suggest we do this in your first language, Queen's English, rather than Unwins? Of course, of course. Stanley, when did you first become aware of this gift? Because it undoubtedly is a gift of having your own special language.
Stanley Unwin
Well, you were kind to say so. I think it really began during the war when we had a pantomime at Devontry, when the engineers wrote the script and took part in it, and the engineer in charge, Douglas Birkinshaw, composed the music. We had a great lot of fun doing this panto, and I was given the part of a Chinaman. And I found as I spoke a sort of pseudo-Chinese and popped an English word in, it got a laugh. And this was a sort of beginning. I wanted to get on the other side of the mic, I think.
Presenter
So
Stanley Unwin
So you developed this? Yes, from that, little anecdotes and experiences, it began to evolve. You know, these things start very slowly.
Stanley Unwin
When did you first broadcast? Um well, the first nonsensical broadcast, because I did do one serious one, a young producer in Birmingham put me on the air seriously. The first nonsense one, I think, was in nineteen forty eight.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Stanley Unwin
when Francis Dillon, a features producer, was doing a satire and he put me in as a visitor from Atlantis interviewed by a radio newsreel reporter.
Speaker 1
When
Stanley Unwin
Yes.
Presenter
I remember we first met the following year in London doing the recording of some monthly reviews produced by Pat Dixon and you did a running commentary on the game of Lurkey and how the new rules were working out.
Stanley Unwin
Oh yes, because FR Buckley, who's a great authority on this, said that they threw a foul croyle and it landed in the lurky box and they'd never been the same.
Presenter
And if
Presenter
Yeah.
Presenter
And since then, of course, um, you've cropped up in in a lot of comedy shows on the air and on television.
Stanley Unwin
Yes, I think the first real impact came when Royce Beer introduced me to Ted Ray and I got in a sound series with Ted called The Spice of Life. I remember. And in television, your first series? Yes, well, it takes a series for anything offbeat to register, as you know. And I was lucky to meet Bernie Brayden, and I went in with a series with Bernie, and we had an awful lot of fun.
Presenter
Yeah.
Presenter
Mm-hmm. And of course a lot more comedy series too.
Stanley Unwin
Yes.
Presenter
Now you're doing all this in your
Stanley Unwin
Spare time while you were working as a BBC engineer? Yes, a great problem this, because, you know, it's a very important job, this engineering, and uh to be a bit preoccupied with something that's in your spare time, which is very attractive, makes difficulty. So you decided to leave the BBC? Yes, yes. Well, I'm old enough, you see, for my problems to be resolved now, and uh this was a a very difficult decision.
Presenter
Yeah.
Presenter
Mm-hmm. Well, since that decision you've done quite a lot of films.
Presenter
And Lot of radio and television. And you're doing
Stanley Unwin
Yes, indeed. Oh yes, yes.
Stanley Unwin
Um uh filming is very exciting. But uh you know, as long as one can keep sort of IK tockering along, you know, causing a little mirth, it's a great it's a great mission in life. Now, Stanley, this new language now has a literary
Presenter
Share you written a book in it.
Stanley Unwin
Yes, can I tell you how it happened? Well, the artist Roy Dewar rang me up one day and said, Here, you turn off talk like my drawings, you know. And I thought, hello, is another one. And he said, Why not write a book? And I said, Well, I haven't the temerity. You know, I've submitted manuscripts and had them thrown back at me. And he said, Well, I'll tell you, I've got a publisher interested. And that's really how it started. So that was the birth of the Messilian manuscript. You're busy on another one now. Yes, it's called House and Garbage. It's a thing on Do It Yourself. Again, wonderfully and copiously illustrated by Roy Dewar.
Presenter
Hmm.
Presenter
Now, although this this double talk, this this language of yours, sounds funny and makes millions of people laugh, i it is a successful means of communication. It has its own sense, hasn't it?
Stanley Unwin
Yeah.
Stanley Unwin
Yes, well actually one would hope at its best it has uh a conscious stream of sense going through it uh and uh unless I'm feeling very good I can't do it at its best. There's a great sadness in this.
Presenter
I've had the privilege of of listening to some of those privately made recordings in which you talk on the telephone to various unsuspecting people, or indeed talk to them with a with a concealed um tape recorder. And it's only after quite a time that they seem to be getting confused and and doubtful. To start with, they seem to get the idea, although you were giving them your own language. I remember in particular this thing in which you were talking to a garage man about something very techni-
Speaker 1
Yeah, you'll
Stanley Unwin
Nicole, what was wrong with your motor car? Yeah, well, he was with me so much that I was getting a bit worried, you see, and um I thought, well, I'll give him complete nonsense and see what sort of reaction I get. So I said, Look, if I come and see you, shall I be able to get in under the civil with the O? He said, Definitely so. We close at six. That'll be all right.
Presenter asks
You were doing all this in your spare time while you were working as a BBC engineer? ... [Did] you decide to leave the BBC?
Yes, a great problem this, because, you know, it's a very important job, this engineering, and uh to be a bit preoccupied with something that's in your spare time, which is very attractive, makes difficulty. ... Yes, yes. Well, I'm old enough, you see, for my problems to be resolved now, and uh this was a a very difficult decision.
Presenter asks
Now, although this double talk, this language of yours, sounds funny and makes millions of people laugh, it is a successful means of communication. It has its own sense, hasn't it?
Yes, well actually one would hope at its best it has uh a conscious stream of sense going through it uh and uh unless I'm feeling very good I can't do it at its best. There's a great sadness in this.
“Well, I think the deep refresh, if I do a little quote of Omar Khayyam, of the crusty cheese all dangling on the bough in the wilderness, there'd be a great joy in this.”
“Well, you were kind to say so. I think it really began during the war when we had a pantomime at Devontry, when the engineers wrote the script and took part in it, and the engineer in charge, Douglas Birkinshaw, composed the music. We had a great lot of fun doing this panto, and I was given the part of a Chinaman. And I found as I spoke a sort of pseudo-Chinese and popped an English word in, it got a laugh. And this was a sort of beginning.”
“Yes, well actually one would hope at its best it has uh a conscious stream of sense going through it uh and uh unless I'm feeling very good I can't do it at its best. There's a great sadness in this.”