Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Television comedian and former journalist, best known for his stand-up and TV shows where music plays a small part.
On the island
Eight records
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:08Have you any musical skill? Do you play an instrument?
I occasionally play the table.
Presenter asks
0:57Why did the theatre become more important [than journalism]?
It was economics, actually, more than anything else. I came to England hoping that within six months I would be the top of the pile in Fleet Street… but the gentleman who sit at the editorial table didn't quite agree with me… and in the meantime I had to support myself, so I went to Butland's.
Presenter asks
3:51Where did you get your material from in those early days? Did you write your own?
Uh no, I didn't. I like most young comedians, I would pinch it or hear a gag and use it. Which I think is the only way you can do it.
Presenter asks
4:05What was the turning point? What was the first break that you had?
The luxury
Not recorded.
I went to Australia. I worked with Sophie Tucker. And she advised me to go to Australia and half-arranged it… And while I was there they did some television shows, and somebody spotted me… the television company offered me a pilot show for a chat show, a talk show, tonight type show. Which I did and they offered me a contract for a year… That gave me great knowledge regarding television studios and cameras and microphones.
Presenter asks
5:03What happened when you came back to Britain?
I came back and I was lucky enough to have two Sunday Night London Palladium in sixty-five… which probably brought back memories to a few people… The BBC offered me a series with Val Doonigan… I was there for 13 weeks. We gradually built up… I would say that would be the break in English television for me.
Presenter asks
9:21Your religious gags about the Pope and the confessionals and so on — you're an Irishman working in a Protestant country. Doesn't this get your audience laughing at rather than with you?
I have never given that any thought at all. Uh I do know that I am an Irishman. I do know that the Irish people, as a whole, generally laugh at religion… I get a fair amount [of complaints], but what I do have is a tremendous amount of friends within the clergy, both Church of England and Roman Catholic… I've yet to find really the priest who gets angry… in general they can laugh where people think they shouldn't laugh.
“I didn't. I like most young comedians, I would pinch it or hear a gag and use it. Which I think is the only way you can do it.”
“I went to Australia. I worked with Sophie Tucker. And she advised me to go to Australia and half-arranged it. And I went out there for a nightclub season. And while I was there they did some television shows, and somebody spotted me.”
“It gave me great uh knowledge regarding television studios and cameras and microphones and gradually after two or three weeks I never bothered about them. It was their job to spy in on me, not my job to work through them.”
“I love fairies and I love magic and I love eternal youth and the hate that the children would radiate… it was literally a physical thing. I mean, they would throw sweets at me.”
“She was glaring at me and sticking her tongue out and screaming and hissing and everything, and I was front, middle stage, and I moved two paces towards the box and you have never seen a child disappear so quickly in your life.”
“I have never given that any thought at all. Uh I do know that I am an Irishman. I do know that the Irish people, as a whole, generally laugh at religion.”