It's a funny old thing. . .
Michael Vestey
In recent years the standard of radio comedy has been abysmal to the point where I stopped listening or switched off soon after the latest offering came on. I put it down to the lower fees in radio, the chaos of constant Birtist restructuring and the greater attractions of television. But then I realised television comedy was not much better either. I can only assume that comedy reached a saturation point — too much derivative mediocrity for more sophisticated audiences and fewer shows capable of the desired quality and originality.
Then, as I mentioned in an earlier column, I saw the Dead Ringers team, Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens and Mark Perry, performing at St James's Palace for the 50th anniversary of The Archers, an occasion hosted by Prince Charles, and realised how good they were; Kevin Connelly is the fourth performer. I had in the past switched off their Radio Four show thinking it would be like any other quite weak satirical programme but I couldn't have been more wrong. So I've stayed with the current, rather short four-week season of Dead Ringers (Fridays, repeated Saturdays) and realise the team comprises not only excellent impressionists but inventive writers of comedy as well.
I missed last week's programme because I was in Italy but the first two of the season demonstrated their range of voices, from President George W. Bush to Brian Perkins, the Radio Four announcer and newsreader. Both examples by Culshaw are superb. With Bush they've seized on his alleged tortured syntax and malapropisms. It is true that Bush is not exactly a walking Fowler's but it doesn't matter that they're satirising a myth; something similar happened to Ronald Reagan — bumbling old Ronnie — who turned out, with Margaret Thatcher, to conclude the Cold War, thus becoming the most successful president of the United States in its history.
Although we know that Bush isn't thick the opportunity for laughter is there, as with this exchange: an aide tells the Presi dent that the Chinese are releasing the US aircrew. Bush, 'I am aware of the currentness of the situation at this point in the current press. I'm not a complete witnit. Of course they're releaserating the capturerated crew. Expedating their lack of imprisonment wasn't complicaterised."How, sir?' 'The problem with the Japanese is ... they do not clarificate themselves in complicatory stylisation in the manner of a citizen of this great country of ours which is the United States of Armenia which is this one.' Culshaw has caught Bush's voice beautifully and it sounds better than it reads on the page.
There is a touch of surrealism in putting Brian Perkins in the role of some Radio Four Godfather who controls the network and a number of shows are deliciously sent up: Today: 'You're listening to Today with me Sue MacGregor, the only person who thinks Brian Sewell's a bit common'; You and Yours, as well as various television programmes, such as Anne Robinson's The Weakest Link, Parkinson (not so good) and Jonathan Ross: 'Hello and welcome to Film 01 with me Jonathan Woss, the man with all the dress sense of a pimp but none of the manners.' Perry will be doing Ross in future as his is thought to be better than Culshaw's.
The sketches that also succeed are those with Tony Blair and William Hague (Culshaw again). With Blair's the actorish, simpering, consonantal style is as effective as Rory Bremner's, Hague's is good too and there was a superb sketch of Hague ringing up and offering the lyrics to the Star Wars theme music and singing them flatly down the phone. The myth here is that Hague is a Yorkshire anorak and although we know he isn't it is still hilarious. The strongest voices are those of Bush, Blair, Hague, Perkins, Tom Baker, MacGregor, Jonathan Ross, Anne Robinson, Brian Sewell, Fergal Keane (an easy lampoon) and a particularly delicious Alan Bennett and Sir Patrick Moore with his Spy At Night. The weakest are Humphrys, James Naughtie, whom the team have, at the time of writing, found difficult to crack though they're working on it, and Parkinson though overall the standard is remarkably high. Mimicry is not easy even to many accomplished actors.
The programmes are devised by Bill Dare and produced by Mario Stylianides. The performers are backed by a team of writers; all would seem to have a rosy future if they can maintain this level of comedy. Too rosy, perhaps. Television beckons, inevitably. However, mimicry on television is not quite the same as on radio. Make-up and the physical mannerisms of your subjects are essential extra ingredients and you have to be as talented as a Mike Yarwood and Rory Bremner to succeed in this voracious medium. Fortunately, until they're lured away they're coming back to Radio Four with an election special and two runs during the summer with the show coming from Edinburgh and elsewhere.
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