{Download PDF} Dads Army: the Story of a Very British Comedy

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

{Download PDF} Dads Army: the Story of a Very British Comedy DADS ARMY: THE STORY OF A VERY BRITISH COMEDY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Graham McCann | 304 pages | 02 Sep 2002 | HarperCollins Publishers | 9781841153094 | English | London, United Kingdom Dads Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy PDF Book The former cricketer Fred Trueman appeared in " The Test ". The statue has since been fixed. Although this book is delightful in recalling the humour and giving biographies of the actors, and addressing the interesting aspects of production, what's best about it stems from what the great Dennis Potter said of it: " Dad's Army is made possible by the extended koke which allows the British, or more specifically the English, to turn every possible encounter into a subtle joust about status. He did not like Brightsea-on-Sea, so the location was changed to Walmington-on-Sea. The first version, used in Series 1 and 2, simply showed footage of the main cast superimposed over a still photograph, with the crew credits rolling over a black background. BBC portal. Buy this book. Don't just describe the show, give me something more! Retrieved 14 June Love anything to do with this excellent show. Retrieved 20 August Loading comments… Trouble loading? Episode list Missing episodes Radio episodes. There was a short chapter about creating the show and then a whole lot of padding which had me screaming at the pages "But I've seen the show, that's why I'm reading the book. And how you still find it being shown on telly to this day. It was originally intended to star Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier, reprising their Dad's Army roles, but Lowe died after recording the pilot episode in , so Bill Pertwee and Ian Lavender were brought in to replace him. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dad's Army. As finally realised, two-thirds of the film consists of the creation of the platoon — this was the contribution of Perry and Croft, and differs in a number of ways from the formation of the platoon as seen in the first series of the television version — and the final third shows the platoon in action, rescuing hostages from the church hall where they had been held captive by the crewmen of a downed German aircraft. You know the saying: There's no time like the present I'vemissed you and would like to write. However, it failed to make it past the pilot stage. Dads Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy Writer The director, Norman Cohen , whose idea it was to make the film, was nearly sacked by the studio. Next 31 July marks 50 years since the first episode was shown, while the last original show was screened in — but repeats still top the BBC Two ratings. Sharpe, ending with the air-raid warning siren sounding all-clear. Aug 08, Gareth Suddes rated it it was amazing. Are You Being Served? Tim rated it it was amazing Feb 19, There was a short chapter about creating the show and then a whole lot of padding which had me screaming at the pages "But I've seen the show, that's why I'm reading the book. This is a great read, and one that you can go back to time and again, select a random page and enjoy it just as much as the first time. Croft was what is now called a showrunner. Sharpe play the closing theme music. Get A Copy. This was expanded by Cohen to try to make it more cinematic; Columbia executives made more changes to plot and pacing. And how you still find it being shown on telly to this day. It was he who renamed the show Dad's Army. The first series has a loose narrative thread, with Captain Mainwaring's platoon being formed and equipped, initially with wooden guns and LDV armbands, later on with full army uniforms; the platoon is part of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. As the comedy in many ways relies on the platoon's lack of participation in the Second World War, opposition to their activities has to come from another quarter and this is generally provided by Air Raid Precautions ARP Warden Hodges, and sometimes by the verger of the local church St Aldhelm's or by Captain Square and the neighbouring Eastgate Home Guard platoon. The actors themselves, Arnold Ridley and John Laurie in particular, are fascinating in their own right, and it's po The author's love and regard for his subject shines through in this detailed and very human account of a unique ensemble of actors who came together, almost by accident, and created something enduring and magic. Discussions were held about a possible sequel, to be called Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base , but the project never came to fruition. Stewart Ogilvie-Goddard rated it it was amazing Sep 01, More description. The show's theme tune, " Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler? At the time it was widely believed to be a wartime song. When an episode was shown to members of the public to gauge audience reaction prior to broadcast of the first series, the majority of the audience thought it was very poor. Facebook Twitter Pinterest. Wikiquote has quotations related to: Dad's Army. Situation comedy Historical fiction. Knowles and Snoad also developed a radio series, It Sticks Out Half a Mile , which told what happened to some of the Dad's Army characters after the war. Channel 4. The statue is mounted at the end of a winding brick pathway with a Union Flag patterned arrowhead to reflect the opening credits of the TV series and the sculpture has been designed so that members of the public can sit beside Captain Mainwaring and have their photograph taken. The Daily Telegraph. Ian Elliott rated it really liked it Jun 19, How they all worked really well together. It was nominated as "Best Situation Comedy" in , and Nicholas rated it really liked it Feb 09, Barry Williams rated it really liked it Oct 14, Jul 10, George Fairbrother rated it it was amazing. Two of the three missing episodes have since been performed as part of the latest stage show. His mother did not like him being out at night, and feared he might catch cold; he partly resembled the character of Private Pike. To ask other readers questions about Dad's Army , please sign up. Dads Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy Reviews Manchester University Press. Perry argued for changes to try to reproduce the style of the television series, but with mixed results. Categories : Dad's Army British television series debuts British television series endings s British sitcoms s British sitcoms BBC Radio comedy programmes BBC television sitcoms British military television series David Croft sitcoms English-language television shows Military comedy television series Television shows adapted into comics Television shows adapted into films Television shows adapted into plays Television shows adapted into radio programs Television series created by Jimmy Perry World War II television comedy series. Retrieved 2 March At its peak, the programme regularly gained audiences of Aug 08, Gareth Suddes rated it it was amazing. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Stewart Ogilvie-Goddard rated it it was amazing Sep 01, On this page you can:. Lavender says he only learned about these tensions through later books and documentaries. Critical reviews were mixed, but it performed well at the UK box office. Sort order. The show's theme tune, " Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler? Even as ratings rose, the BBC remained nervous about the show — an early episode was cancelled after the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. This might have led to more episodes and a second series, had it not been for the sudden death of John Le Mesurier in November Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Two of the three missing episodes have since been performed as part of the latest stage show. Stephen Robert Collins rated it liked it Nov 11, Facebook Twitter Pinterest. The soundtrack of "A Stripe for Frazer" has been mixed with animation to replace the missing images. Adam Tyson rated it really liked it May 11, David Croft sitcoms. Nov 14, Colin Taylor rated it it was amazing. The Guardian. Open Preview See a Problem? Clive Dunn was replaced for half the tour by Jack Haig David Croft's original first choice for the role of Corporal Jones on television. The BBC released two "Best of" DVD sets in October and September , but it was not until September that the full series began to be released, with the first series and the surviving episodes of the second series being released first, along with the documentary Missing Presumed Wiped. Although this book is delightful in recalling the humour and giving biographies of the actors, and addressing the interesting aspects of production, what's best about it stems from what the great Dennis Potter said of it: " Dad's Army is made possible by the extended koke which allows the British, or more specifically the English, to turn every possible encounter into a subtle joust about status. By November , the entire series had been released on DVD, with the final edition featuring the specials "My Brother and I" and "The Battle of the Giants" along with various other appearances, including several "Christmas Night with the Stars" sketches and excerpts from the stage show. Dads Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy Read Online Situation comedy Historical fiction.
Recommended publications
  • Fodimus As Captain Mainwaring (In Bank Manager Mode) to Introduce Our Famous Visitor
    The new season... … got off to a wonderful start with the ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the actor The Newsletter for the Friends of Diss Museum Ian Lavender. This event was well attended and Basil Abbott gave a bravura performance Editor: David Young, 34, Louie’s Lane, Diss, IP22 4LS fodimus as Captain Mainwaring (in bank manager mode) to introduce our famous visitor. Ian’s pal Telephone 01379 642168 Latin: we cultivate Rick Wakeman, last year’s ribbon-cutter, could be seen at the back of the crowd. To join the Friends, email: [email protected] Issue 005, May 2017 With the opening of the new Corn Hall only a matter of weeks away the Museum loaned Here we are, a quarter of the way through a new season and with the AGM upon us. the Burroughes Corn Traders Desk on which the Grammar School clock used to sit in the As part of the refurbishment of the Heritage Triangle, the Shambles has new Interpretation Shambles. After much discussion, we had only a few days to make other arrangements. Boards. This is the posh way of saying window boards. They are in the modern style, with With timber donated by Barry and Sue Davies, a design by David Young and the skills of lighter print against a darker background. There is no doubt that they look very nice but some Premises Manager, Yoshi Shinagawa– Turner, a clock tower appeared in the Shambles. may feel that the old ones (which were brilliant) may have been more legible, especially in After removal of a cross-member, only required during the erection process, sufficient sunlight.
    [Show full text]
  • Cat £750 As Genuine) at £50
    1929 UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION CONGRESS 1 Reproduction of plain FDC with Postal Union Congress London special H/Ss. (Cat £750 as genuine) AT £50 1935 SILVER JUBILEE 2 Forgery of Westminster Stamp Co. illustrated FDC (Cat £550 as genuine) AP £24 1937 CORONATION 3 Illustrated FDC with London W1 M/C. Cat £20. AT £8 1940 CENTENARY 4 James Chalmers of Dundee FDC with Dundee CDS. Cover a little tatty but very rare. UA £195 5 Plain FDC with printed address "British Pavilion, New York World's Fair London" with London CDS. Cat £40. AP £24 1953 CORONATION 6 Plain FDC with Royal Automobile Club reg CDS. Some foxing around stamps & reg label. Extremely rare - only known on plain handwritten cover. AW £85 1960 GENERAL LETTER OFFICE 7 Illustrated FDC with Eastbourne slogan "International Postal Conference Eastbourne". Cat £160. AT £85 8 with Eastbourne slogan "International Postal Conference Eastbourne". Cat £160. AT (see photo) £95 1961 CEPT 9 with Torquay slogan "CEPT European Conference of Posts & Telecommunications". Cat £15. Neat AW £2 10 with London slogan "Post Office Savings Bank 1861-1961". Weak strike of slogan but very rare. Cat £225. AT £125 1962 NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY YEAR 11 (Ordinary) with Castle Bromwich, Birmingham CDS. Relevant - Castle Bromwich is a heavy industrial site. AT £85 1963 PARIS POSTAL CONFERENCE 12 (Ordinary) Dover Philatelic Society Official FDC with Dover Packet Service special H/S. Cat £45. AP £20 1963 NATIONAL NATURE WEEK 13 (Ordinary) with Brownsea Island Poole special H/S. Cat £120. UA (see photo) £60 14 (Ordinary) with Sandy Park Road reg CDS.
    [Show full text]
  • Menace from the Deep Free
    FREE MENACE FROM THE DEEP PDF Michael P Spradlin | 240 pages | 25 Jun 2013 | Scholastic US | 9780545506717 | English | New York, United States Menace from the Deep | Dad's Army Wiki | Fandom Menace from the Deep is the tenth episode of the third series of the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted Menace from the Deep Thursday 13 November Marooned on the pier head, the platoon have no food or phone - then along comes Hodges and a sea-mine. Two sailors are patrolling the Walmington-on-Sea pier. They grumble that no one will be coming down to look after it for two weeks. They laugh as they realise the Home Guard will have to take over each night for a week. The platoon are discussing their latest assignment. Frazer will carry them over to the pier in boat, because he has the best Naval experience. Jones will provide food for the night, Walker will bring along a bottle of whisky and Wilson's brought some acid drops - Menace from the Deep it will be a "gastronomic orgy", according to Wilson. However, when Mainwaring attempts to teach them how to get into a boat, he and Frazer have a falling out and it is determined that Mainwaring will row them over, so it takes longer than expected to get Wilson and Frazer across. As Pike is the last man across, he will be in charge of securing the boat. Mainwaring quickly commandeers the only hammock, but Wilson persuades him that they should take it in turns, but Mainwaring will go first.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of English and American Studies English Language And
    Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Gabriela Gogelová The Home Guard and the French Resistance in Situation Comedies by David Croft Bachelor‟s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph. D. 2015 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………… Author‟s signature I would like to thank my supervisor, Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D., for his professional advice, encouragement and patience. Table of Contents General Introduction 5 Chapter I: Situation Comedy and the BBC 8 Chapter II: Analysis of Dad’s Army 12 Description of the Characters 12 The British Home Guard vs. Croft and Perry‟s Dad’s Army 25 Chapter III: Analysis of ‘Allo ‘Allo! 30 Description of the Characters 30 The French Resistance vs. Croft and Lloyd‟s ‘Allo ‘Allo! 41 Conclusion 46 Works Cited 52 English Resume 55 Czech Resume 56 General Introduction The Second World War was undoubtedly the most terrible conflict of the twentieth century and one of the most destructive wars in history. It may therefore seem surprising that comedy writer David Croft chose exactly this period as a background for his most successful situation comedies. However, the huge success of the series Dad’s Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo! suggests that he managed to create sitcoms that are entertaining for wide audience and not offensive despite their connection to the Second World War. This thesis focuses on two of David Croft‟s sitcoms, Dad’s Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo!. The firstly mentioned sitcom was created in cooperation with Jimmy Perry and ran on BBC1 almost ten years from 1968 to 1977.
    [Show full text]
  • How Does Context Shape Comedy As a Successful Social Criticism As Demonstrated by Eddie Murphy’S SNL Sketch “White Like Me?”
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Honors College 5-2012 How Does Context Shape Comedy as a Successful Social Criticism as Demonstrated by Eddie Murphy’s SNL Sketch “White Like Me?” Abigail Jones Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors Part of the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons Recommended Citation Jones, Abigail, "How Does Context Shape Comedy as a Successful Social Criticism as Demonstrated by Eddie Murphy’s SNL Sketch “White Like Me?”" (2012). Honors College. 58. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/58 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors College by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HOW DOES CONTEXT SHAPE COMEDY AS A SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL CRITICISM AS DEMONSTRATED BY EDDIE MURPHY’S SNL SKETCH “WHITE LIKE ME?” by Abigail Jones A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Degree with Honors (Communications) The Honors College University of Maine May 2012 Advisory Committee: Nathan E. Stormer, Professor of Communication, Advisor Kristin M. Langellier, Professor of Communication Sandra Hardy, Associate Professor of Theater Mimi Killinger, Honors College Rezendes Preceptor for the Arts Adam Kuykendall, Marketing Manager for the School of Performing Arts Abstract This thesis explores the theory of comedy as social criticism through an interpretive investigation. For comedy to be a potent criticism it is important for the audience to understand the context surrounding the sketch. Without understanding the context the sketch still has the ability to be humorous, but the critique is harder to acknowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • The Return of the Deadly Attachment by Niles Schilder Based on the Series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft SCENE 1
    The Return of The Deadly Attachment By Niles Schilder Based on the series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft SCENE 1 Wilson is in the office reading the newspaper, Mainwaring enters. Wilson: Hello, Sir. Mainwaring: Hello, Wilson, it’s good news, isn’t it. Wilson: What is, Sir? Mainwaring: They’ve relaxed social distancing measures for Home Guard; we no longer have to stand two meters apart. Wilson: Oh, that is good news Sir, it was getting rather tiresome. Mainwaring: Yes, although I like my men to set a good example to the rest of the town. Wilson: Indeed, have you heard the news about the U-Boat crew? Mainwaring: No, I don’t think I have, what is it? Wilson: Well the day after they furloughed half the guards at the prisoner of war camp, a whole U-Boat crew escaped. Mainwaring: Oh dear, I don’t entirely approve of the furloughing of members of the British Army. I’m sure we will be roped in to recover them. Wilson: Yes, well they weren’t British sir, they were Polish guards. Mainwaring: Well what do they expect one load of foreigners, being guarded by another load of foreigners. Wilson: Well you see Sir, they are not foreigners to them only foreigners to us. Anyway that wasn’t the point I was making, I was wondering if they are the same U-Boat crew we dealt with a couple of months ago. Mainwaring: I should think it would be highly unlikely; they are bound to get caught though. I mean how do they expect to get across the country during a lockdown, they would need a damn good disguise.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nation's Matron: Hattie Jacques and British Post-War Popular Culture
    The Nation’s Matron: Hattie Jacques and British post-war popular culture Estella Tincknell Abstract: Hattie Jacques was a key figure in British post-war popular cinema and culture, condensing a range of contradictions around power, desire, femininity and class through her performances as a comedienne, primarily in the Carry On series of films between 1958 and 1973. Her recurrent casting as ‘Matron’ in five of the hospital-set films in the series has fixed Jacques within the British popular imagination as an archetypal figure. The contested discourses around nursing and the centrality of the NHS to British post-war politics, culture and identity, are explored here in relation to Jacques’s complex star meanings as a ‘fat woman’, ‘spinster’ and authority figure within British popular comedy broadly and the Carry On films specifically. The article argues that Jacques’s star meanings have contributed to nostalgia for a supposedly more equitable society symbolised by socialised medicine and the feminine authority of the matron. Keywords: Hattie Jacques; Matron; Carry On films; ITMA; Hancock’s Half Hour; Sykes; star persona; post-war British cinema; British popular culture; transgression; carnivalesque; comedy; femininity; nursing; class; spinster. 1 Hattie Jacques (1922 – 1980) was a gifted comedienne and actor who is now largely remembered for her roles as an overweight, strict and often lovelorn ‘battle-axe’ in the British Carry On series of low- budget comedy films between 1958 and 1973. A key figure in British post-war popular cinema and culture, Hattie Jacques’s star meanings are condensed around the contradictions she articulated between power, desire, femininity and class.
    [Show full text]
  • American Comedy in Three Centuries the Contras4 Fashion, Calzforniα Suile
    American Comedy in Three CenturieS The Contras4 Fashion, Calzforniα Suile James R. Bowers Abstract This paper is a survey of the development of American comedy since the United States became an independent nation. A representative play was selected from the 18th century(Royall Tyler’s The Contrast), the 19th century(Anna Cora Mowatt’s Fashion)and the 20th century(Neil Simon’s Califoグnia Suite). Asummary of each play is丘rst presented and then fo110wed by an analysis to determine in what ways it meets or deviates from W. D, Howarth’s minimal de且nition of comedy. Each work was found to conform to the definition and to possess features su岱ciently distinct for it to be classified as a masterpiece of its time. Next, the works were analyzed to derive from them unique features of American comedy. The plays were found to possess distinctive elements of theme, form and technique which serve to distinguish them as Ameri. can comedies rather than Europeal1, Two of these elelnents, a thematic concern with identity as Americans and the technical primacy of dialog and repartee for the stimulation of laughter were found to persist into present day comedy. Other elements:characterization, subtlety of form -145一 and social relevance of theme were 6bserved to have evolved over the centuries into more complex modes. Finally, it was noted that although the dominant form of comedy iロthe 18th and 19th centuries was an American variant of the comedy of man- ners, the 20th century representative Neil Simon seems to be evolving a new form I have coined the comedy
    [Show full text]
  • List of Notable Freemasons List of Notable Freemasons
    List of notable freemasons ---2-222---- • Wyatt Earp , American Lawman. • Hubert Eaton , American chemist, Euclid Lodge, No. 58, Great Falls, Montana . • John David Eaton , President of the Canadian based T. Eaton Company . Assiniboine, No. 114, G.R.M., Winnipeg. • Duke of Edinburgh, see Prince Philip , For Prince Philip • Prince Edward, Duke of Kent , (Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick), member of the British Royal Family, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England , member of various lodges including Grand Master's Lodge No 1 and Royal Alpha Lodge No 16 (both English Constitution). • Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany (25 March 1739 – 17 September 1767), Younger brother of George III of the United Kingdom. Initiated in the Lodge of Friendship (later known as Royal York Lodge of Friendship) Berlin, Germany on July 27, 1765. • Edward VII , King of Great Britain . • Edward VIII , King of Great Britain . • Gustave Eiffel , Designer and architect of the Eiffel Tower. • Duke Ellington , Musician, Social Lodge No. 1, Washington, D.C., Prince Hall Affiliation • William Ellison-Macartney , British politician, Member of Parliament (1885–1903), Grand Master of Western Australia . • Oliver Ellsworth , Chief Justice of the United States (1796–1800) . • John Elway , Hall of Fame Quarterback for Denver Broncos (1983–1998), South Denver- Lodge No. 93, Denver, Colorado . • John Entwistle , Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member of the Who . • David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan , Scottish socialite, Grand Master of Scotland (1782–1784). • Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie , Scottish musician, Grand Master of Scotland (1763–1765. • Sam Ervin , US Senator. • Ben Espy , American politician, served in the Ohio Senate.
    [Show full text]
  • Doc » It Sticks out Half a Mile: .Continued \ Download
    Y4NOAYBWN6 // It Sticks Out Half A Mile: .Continued ~ PDF It Sticks Out Half A Mile: .Continued By Harold Snoad BBC Audio, A Division Of Random House, United Kingdom, 2012. CD-Audio. Condition: New. Unabridged edition. Language: English . Brand New. John Le Mesurier, Ian Lavender, Bill Pertwee star in four more episodes of the radio sequel to Dad s Army Inspecting the Piles (Episode 4) In order to save money, Hodges, Pike and Wilson decide to inspect the foundations of Frambourne Pier in an inflatable rubber dinghy at night. Pike in Love (Episode 5) Uncle Arthur is called in to give Pike a lesson on the birds and the bees. The Friends of Frambourne Pier (Episode 6) Pike and Hodges decide to launch a campaign asking for volunteers. And so The Friends of Frambourne Pier Association (FOFPA) is born. The First Meeting (Episode 7) The first meeting of The Friends of Frambourne Pier Association is convened. Arthur Wilson attends, but has to explain his evening out to a suspicious Mrs Pike. With John Le Mesurier as Arthur Wilson, Ian Lavender as Frank Pike and Bill Pertwee as Bert Hodges, It Sticks Out Half a Mile was written by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles, who also adapted Dad s Army for radio. READ ONLINE [ 2.83 MB ] Reviews Extensive manual! Its this kind of very good read through. I actually have read and that i am confident that i am going to planning to study once again once more in the future. I am easily could possibly get a delight of looking at a composed publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Theatre Archive Project: Interview with David Simeon
    THEATRE ARCHIVE PROJECT http://sounds.bl.uk David Simeon – interview transcript Interviewer: Kate Harris 10 November 2006 Actor. Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; censorship; comedy; drama schools; Cyril Fletcher; John Gielgud; The Guildhall School of Drama; Johnson over Jordan; The Method; John Osborne; pantomime; Harold Pinter; repertory; Derek Salberg; Reggie Salberg; Salisbury theatre; television; Dorothy Tutin; variety. KH: This is an interview on 10th November with David Simeon interviewed by Kate Harris. Can I just confirm that I have got your permission for copyright on this interview? DS: You do indeed, absolutely, yes. KH: That’s great, thank you. I would just like to start by asking you about the beginning of your career, how you became interested in working in the theatre. DS: My first knowledge that I was going to be an actor was when I was round about four years old, and I’ll tell you… My grandmother taught me how to read by the time I was two. OK, not Proust, but I could read by the time I got to infant school. I must tell you this story because it actually has a bearing on what happened later. When I got to infant school I was four and I could, as I said, already read and so I was terribly bored watching people put A, B, C and D up on the blackboard, and by the time I was about five, suddenly this horrible man came into the second form of the infants who turned out to be the headmaster of the primary school opposite and he ordered me out, took me across the road, put me on a dais in front of the whole of the primary school, and I was made to read from the Bible at the age of five.
    [Show full text]
  • Roy Williams Has Been Quoted in the Guardian Saying: "We Only Ever Get
    Comedy, drama and black Britain – An interview with Paulette Randall Eva Ulrike Pirker British theatre director Paulette Randall once said about herself and her work, "I'm not a politician, and I never set out to be one. What I do believe is that if we are in the business of theatre, of art, of creating, then that has to be at the forefront. The product, the play, has to be paramount."1 A look at her creative output, however, shows her political engagement in place – not so much in the sense of taking a proffered side, but certainly in the sense of insisting on participation in the public debate. To name just a few of her recent projects: Her 2003 production of Urban Afro Saxons at the Theatre Royal Stratford East was a timely intervention in the public debate about Britishness. The staging of James Baldwin's Blues for Mr Charlie (2004) at the Tricycle Theatre provided a thought-provoking viewing experience for a British audience in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. For the Trycicle and Talawa Theatre Company, Randall has staged four of August Wilson's plays. Her most recent theatre project was a production of Mustapha Matura's adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2006.2 However, Paulette Randall also has a professional life outside the theatre, where she makes her impact on the landscape of British sitcoms as a television producer. The following interview focuses not so much on specific productions, but more generally on her views on television, Britain's theatre culture, and the representations of Britain's diverse society.
    [Show full text]