I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue will return!
The Independent have published an article quoting producer Jon Naismith as saying
“We have decided we want to continue with the show. We enjoy it too much to stop altogether.”
Now we wait patiently …
(and watch with interest the debate over who should be the new chairman)
Friday evening I took a lovely drive round the lanes of Oxfordshire. Pretty though my journey was, it did have a purpose. A little while ago I’d spotted that there was to be an arts festival in the village of Leafield and one of the events was “An Evening with Graeme Garden”. Well, how could I not accept an invitation like that, which was practically on my doorstep? So with C for company, and to help with navigation (not that I don’t trust my satnav, but it does take interesting routes to places), I set off on a lovely drive on a beautiful summer’s evening.
Arriving at the church where the event was being held, we had intended on sneaking in and sitting at the back. However, this was very badly scuppered by the sight of a very familiar face as we walked through the door! But we took a pew at the back anyway and settled, waiting for the evening to begin.
After a slightly muddled introduction, the show got underway. It took the form of questions from the audience, which Graeme answered with some wonderful stories and anecdotes. There was a good mix of questions about comedy influences, writing, performing and the origins and rules of Mornington Crescent. C even asked about Pocket Orchestra (finally!). I didn’t ask a question (although I thought of quite a few after the event – typical!), but Graeme did mention the lovely Goodies fans in Australia and the few in the UK, mentioning that there were two sitting at the back! (We did find another one after the show who’d come all the way from Sheffield!)
There was, of course, the inevitable question about the future of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, which made me cringe a little when it was asked. But Graeme answered in beautifully by not actually saying anything specific, other than they’d like to carry on at some point.
Afterwards we went to say a proper hello to Graeme and as we were talking the ‘official’ photographer was taking pictures which he promised to send to us (and of course I wouldn’t post them all over the internet! Honestly!!). There was just time for a quick hug before it was time to find my car and head home.
You may remember last year I wrote about a new radio comedy panel game called The Unbelievable Truth. Well, it’s back! The new series began yesterday on Radio 4. I’d managed to get to two of the three recordings (again), but I got distracted from writing about them, so thought I’d post something now.
The first one was great fun. I arrived nice and early, so as to be able to get good seats and waited for Cand Wackywales (from GROK) to arrive. The recording was at the Shaw Theatre, which I like as a venue, although it would be better if there were more seats to sit on whilst waiting – it’s a long time to stand, especially when it gets crowded. While we were waiting I spotted Tim Vine arriving and a little later C spotted Adam Buxton, so we suspected that it was going to be a good panel. They were joined by Ed Byrne and Lee Mack and all four of them seemed to be on the same wavelength for both the shows they recorded – there was some great banter between them, some of which I suspect won’t make the final edit.
I won’t say much about the content of either of the recordings, as the shows have yet to be broadcast, suffice to say they were all very funny and I was laughing a lot. I think the show seems to be improving with each series (of two – yes I know there’s not a lot to go on, but I think it’s definitely a grower) and I hope there’s some more to come.
The second recording I went to was the final one of the three. C was there again, but we also met up with two of The Giddies. Much chatting and giggling was done before the show – spotting Fred Macaulay arriving, discussing iphones and trying to see what was going on in the theatre through some tiny windows. The most we got to see was that one on the panelists was wearing a pink shirt (now who do we know who wears shirts that colour??). After what seemed like years of waiting we were finally let in to the theatre and managed to grab four front row seats.
The producer, Jon Naismith, surprised us all in his usual intoduction by telling a new ‘genuinely funny joke’. Well, I say new, but I had heard him tell it before (I suppose it was less ‘new’, more ‘different’), but it made a pleasant change from the one he’s been telling recently (I still prefer the goldfish one though). Then the panel was brought on – Michael McIntyre, Fred Macaulay, Lucy Porter and Graeme Garden. They were all very good and very funny, although they didn’t seem to have quite the same rapport between them as the previous week’s. And I’m not sure Michael McIntyre did himself any favours beginning the evening by saying that he didn’t understand why anyone would listen to the radio! At the recording of a radio programme, in front of an audience probably made up of radio listeners, I’m not sure this was a good idea. But generally much fun was had and I surprised myself as to how much I knew about a couple of the subjects, spotting the truths myself and waiting to see if anyone else did.
I can’t wait to hear how both recordings turn out on their broadcasts. I’m sure they’ll be very funny and highly recommend listening if you haven’t already.
And so it came to Friday and the reason we chose to be in Cardiff the day before the most important rugby match of the year – another I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue tour date. Now I realise that two shows in a week does seem a little excessive, but we hadn’t intended that. It was just that I suggested Cardiff as easy to get to, not realising it was the same week as Buxton.
So late in the afternoon we found ourselves in the lovely cafe in the Wales Millennium Centre with copious amounts of tea and Welsh Cakes. We’d found a couple of comfy sofas from where we could see the doors leading to the stage door and might possibly see the guys arrive (unless they were already there – we had no idea). C chose to go for a walk just before I spotted, though a gap behind the stairs, Humph walk in. So we assumed that they all must be already backstage and settled down to wait for the show. It was a bit of a shock when we turned to see first Tim and Graeme, followed by Colin, then Barry and Jeremy walk right past where we were sitting (they’d come in via another door)! They all seemed deep in conversation so didn’t seem to see us …
Finally it was time to take our seats for the show. We were on the front row, which was curiously named row GG – we wondered if all the rows were named using the initials of the performers?! We caught up with IRL, who was a couple of rows behind us, while waiting for the show to start. This was our first time in the main theatre space at the WMC and I have to say how fantastic it is. It looked and felt amazing as a member of the audience, so it must be fantastic to perform there.
The show was fairly much the same as always (there was a comment made afterwards that we should know all the words by now. I don’t, mainly because I’m rubbish at remembering things like that, so it’s always a bit of a surprise what comes next). I did spot some slight changes – a couple of Humphs introductions were different and Graeme’s chainsaw chat-up line was back. I have to say I still think Jeremy’s singing is improving (he did much better by not sticking his fingers in his ears like he had at Buxton), although he missed the pause between the verse and chorus on his Pick-up Song, so lost the timing! I was slightly worried that during the audience participation round they would ask us to play Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau as my Welsh isn’t that good.
We wondered whether or not we’d been spotted during the show, but had no chance of escape when the mic and stand for Swanee Kazoo was placed on the edge of the stage right in front of our seats and Graeme and Tim came and stood in front of us. We all grinned!
After the show we waited near the stage door (the area by the door is closed to the public for building work), in an indoor space which made a change to wait in the warm. By the time the guys all appeared there were a whole three of us waiting; IRL, C and myself. Colin appeared first, and we not only managed to stop him, but had a lovely little chat to him. I’d said how much I’d enjoyed the show he and Barry had done the previous Saturday (at my old school!!) and he talked to us about that and about working with Willie Rushton. It was nice of him to spare some of his time to talk to us.
Finally the others appeared, but because there were only three of us it was a bit difficult to know who to talk to. Barry and Graeme didn’t stop very long (Graeme didn’t seem very talkative at Cardiff or Buxton and I’m worried that we’ve said or done something to offend him. I apologise is we have), but the others stayed for autographs and photos. Tim very nearly left without hugs, but we managed to set that right before he went.
So the week of fun seeing some of my favourite things was at an end, but I’d had a great time.
While we were in Cardiff for a few days we’d decided to explore the giant filming location for Doctor Who and Torchwood that the city has become. I was already far too excited from the previous evening, having seen the Torchwood fountain, the Millennium Centre that was used in New Earth and the Assembly building from the Lazarus Experiment. Topped off was the sight of Executive Producer and Doctor Who genius Russell T Davies walking past me in the Bay – twice!!
So already bouncing with giddy fan-girl enthusiasm we set off to explore. First stop was the other Torchwood entrance down by the water while we waited for the Doctor Who exhibitionto open. The exhibition was great – plenty of costumes and monsters from the series and the chance to be scared by some close encounters with Daleks, Ood and an Angel from Blink.
Then it was off to explore the town. We’d been given some tips as to where to find filming sites by some of the KInDA guys the previous evening, so armed with maps and advice we explored all sorts of parks and paths and streets. We stumbled across playgrounds with graffiti and ghosts, Tardis landing sites, streets, buildings, underground stations and alleyways. All great stuff.
The evening was back to the Wales Millennium Centre for a show celebrating the life of Linda Smith. It was a lovely couple of hours spent recalling some of Linda’s best comedy with stories, stand-up and songs in front of a small, but appreciative audience. The show finished with a clip of Linda from I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue singing Psycho Killer to the tune of Save Your Love. It seemed somehow highly appropriate.
While in Cardiff, C and I decided to add to the whole Doctor Who experience by seeing Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf. It’s a show both of us had wanted to see, but so far had never managed to catch. But it was worth the wait.
We joined the crowds in the Weston Studio, managing to grab some front row seats and waited excitedly for the show to begin. Well, I was excited – on the stage was a sofa with various books including a 500 year diary and the very first Target novelisation I owned, Arc of Infinity. I could see that I was in for a treat. And the fact that there were more blokes wandering round with long scarfs (there was even a season 18 one) than I have ever seen I felt in good company.
The show began with Toby Hadoke appearing from behind the sofa, where he had been hiding for the past half hour! He proceeded to take us through some of his life with the Doctor, how it had influenced and educated him in the ways of the world. It was incredibly funny. It was also quite strange to hear someone else talk about what they’d thought and felt about things like the 1980s hiatus and eventual ending of the show, the wilderness years of the 1990s when fandom was something you didn’t speak of, to the excitement and build-up to the series returning in 2005. Many time I was chuckling along because I remembered that, and I remembered thinking or feeling the same things.
Although very heavily infused with Doctor Who, the show was supposed to be aimed as much at non-fans as it was at fans. I’m unsure about this, but I’ve been absorbing Doctor Who for so long that it’s impossible for me to see things from a non-fan point of view. There’s no explanation needed for the jokes about the Myrka!
The show ended with the very poignant story of Toby watching an episode of the new series with his son. A hush had descended over the whole audience as we listened to his tale. And I think that almost everyone had a tear in their eye by the end, whether through the beauty of the father/son moment or the recollections of the episode in question – School Reunion.
Overall it was a fantastic show which I would recommend everyone goes to see. Although if you can’t get to see it there is a very reasonably priced CD of the recording which was done for BBC7.
After the show I hung around trying to spot some of the KInDA lot from the Doctor Who Forum. After much debate as to whether some of the faces were familiar from my memory of their avatar, I went over to ask. Soon we were all chatting and much discussion of the show and the Doctor in general pursued in the very pleasant surroundings of a nearby pub.
You may remember my trip up to Buxton last year. Well I was back there again last week to see another date in the I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue tour with C, K and G. We’d found a nice little hotel in town and after settling in there, we took a stroll down to the Opera House to pick up the tickets and then across the road to the pub for something to eat before the show.
The show is still essentially the same as before (Jon Naismith is still introducing it as the first ever tour), but with slight differences each time I’ve seen it. Things like the letter writing are always different and always hilariously funny, but I also spotted some different nursery rhymes, Uxbridge definitions and chat-up lines – we did comment during the interval how we’d all missed Graeme’s chainsaw one!
After the show it was round to the stage door as usual, although this time we knew to wrap up warm as it does get a bit chilly in Buxton! We were first there, but a little crowd gathered while we were waiting and by the time Tim appeared at the door there were eight or ten of us, all young and female, so very typical of the Clue audience! While we’d been waiting I’d had the rather strange experience of someone coming up to me and saying hello, as they’d recognised me from the Saucy Gibbon (it was IRL) – I’ve never been ’spotted’ at the stage door before!
All the guys came out – I had nothing to get signed (not that I’ve run out of things, more I couldn’t be bothered to bring them all that way) but was happy to just be there. Humph asked if I was there for autographs or if I wanted a dance, which threw me a little. It’s good to see that he was in such a cheerful mood. All too soon they were all heading off, but I managed to stop Tim and ask for a hug. He said it had been such a long time since the last one. Then IRL stepped in for a hug too, at which Jeremy looked slightly exasperated as he’d been trying to leave. He did manage to drag Tim away from us with some comment about needing to untie a prostitute … !!
You may remember my going to see the recording of The Frost Report anniversary show last November. Well, it’s finally going to be broadcast on 24th March on BBC4 as part of a season of programmes looking at the 60s and comedy. Sounds like it could be a laugh …
When I heard that the I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue tour was going to my old hometown, I thought there was something I couldn’t miss. And so it was that on Monday night I spent a few hours sitting on the front row of the Grand Theatre joyfully laughing. As the town isn’t far from where I grew up, I took my mum along too and she enjoyed the evening just as much – many times she had tears of laughter rolling down her face.
The show was basically the same as last year’s, with all the same rounds and games, but still just as much fun to watch. it didn’t all start terribly well as while Jon Naismith was doing his introduction it transpired that half the audience had missed getting a kazoo on their way in – I don’t know how you can miss someone standing in the doorway with a bright orange bucket?! Anyway, the buckets were passed around and soon everyone was armed with their kazoo and ready for the show.
I don’t know if it was just me, but the audience seemed a bit slow on the uptake with some of the jokes. There was a definite pause sometimes while they thought about what had been said before laughing. Having said that, they were quick enough to respond to the comments about the local football team, not all of them good, but all very funny (and true!).
The teams played the best round of 84 Chicken Cross Road that I’ve ever seen – lots of laughter from everyone, including those on stage. And Jeremy was amazing on his Pick-Up Song – he was perfectly in time when the music was faded back in (and I think he may have been in tune too, although I couldn’t be sure).
After the show it was round to the stage door as usual (It was nice to know where it was for once, having spent more years than I care to mention walking past it) where a nice little crowd had gathered by the time everyone came out.
I said hello to Graeme first, and he asked after my sofa, which I hadn’t taken with me (It’s still sitting on my desk in front of me as I type). Photos were duly taken. I did manage to ask for a hug from Tim, but I was very aware of my mother standing right next to me, so I cut it a bit short (sorry). I was very aware when standing next to Jeremy to have my photograph taken that perhaps the two inch heels on my lovely red shoes weren’t such a good idea, although it meant I didn’t look quite so short next to Humph!
All too soon it was time to make our way home. But what a start to what promises to be another great tour.
The other Christmas day treat was the I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue special, Humph in Wonderland.
It was as much fun as I remembered from the recording, and seemed to pack almost the whole night into just under an hour – the only thing I missed was a round of Sound Charades and a song or two.
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