Writing Comedy

Posted on 2008/08/09 11:20:21 (August 2008).

[Friday 8th August]
Went to the usual end-of-the-week beer and pizza thing. A few people hung around until about 7PM and then went home, and I decided to do the same at that point.

Chie had made us a quick dinner as she was heading out for the evening (her Hiroshimakenjinkai - the night out for people from Hiroshima). I decided to give the kenjinkai a miss this time as I was a bit tired, and it can be hard work speaking Japanese all evening. So instead I just stayed in and watched telly.

There was a program on called Comedy Connections which this week focused on Michael Palin and Terry Jones, and in particular the post Monty Python series they did called Ripping Yarns. I found this very interesting, particularly as I have recent been reading the (auto?)biography of the Pythons (a present from Rob by the way - thanks Rob!).

Reading the book has made me quite envious of the lifestyle of the Pythons around the time they were writing it - whilst I'm sure being a writer can sometimes mean hard work and long hours - and the constant fear that what you're doing isn't good enough - it sounds like at least some of the time they really enjoyed sitting round writing comedy together. Or more accurately, writing in their respective pairs - Cleese/Chapman and Jones/Palin - with Eric Idle working mostly alone. Their work days sounded pretty free form, they'd often work at somebody's house, or even go and sit in the park, and there were plenty of pub lunches etc.

Whilst I have no real intentions of seriously trying to pursue any other career, reading that book has made me keen to have a go at doing a bit of comedy writing myself. I'm obviously a million miles away from natural born comedians like John Cleese and Michael
Palin, but I know what I like when it comes to humour, and surely everyone has the potential to write a few sketches in them...?

Hawkins and Lang?

If you write it, I'll help you perform it! I'm quite keen on doing more writing, especially now a print version of Icar is sitting on my desk.

Posted by Rob Lang at 2008/08/17 12:34:17.

John can't come out and write sketches, he's been a very naughty boy.

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:20:26.

No body expects John to be funnny.

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:21:25.

John is the real comedian, I should know. I've followed a few.

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:22:09.

It's only a scratch.

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:22:37.

Comedy? Take one cross, through the doors, line on your left.

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:23:28.

Apart from Roads, Comedy, Lizard hands, doctorites and Microsoft loving Corporate sell out. What has John Ever given us?

Posted by Jon E at 2008/08/18 11:24:52.

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