Laugh? I nearly cried
Yesterday afternoon, we went to see Marcus Brigstocke interviewing The Goodies, with a screening of the episode Bunfight at the OK Tearoom, and a Q&A session. Well, that was the theory; unfortunately, Graeme Garden was ill, so he couldn't be there. But it was still a great hour and a half; three comic greats on screen, two great and a very good on stage, and Barry Cryer in the audience.
I nerved myself to ask a question - which bit of their work have they most enjoyed? Bill Oddie said his mid-period work on I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again; Tim Brooke-Taylor said his work on stage.
Funniest bit? Marcus Brigstocke's account of Nicholas Parsons interviewing Ross Noble, with Ross talking about Richard Pryor's work on Blazing Saddles despute his cocaine addiction and attempted suicide. Nicholas was really surprised at this, as he had known Richard Briers for a long time, and this seemed completely out of character. Ross played along ...
After The Goodies, we went to see Ian Lavender and Rick Wakeman presenting two Buster Keaton films. Only, Rick Wakeman was ill, so he was replaced by Robin Ince. And then Robin Ince had a family emergency, so he was replaced by the director of the Bristol Slapstick festival, Chris Daniels. But it was still pretty good.
The films were Paleface (20 minutes) and Go West (68 minutes), both with new music, performed live (piano drums for the first, joined by violin and guitar for the second). Rick Wakeman had been going to play the piano ... but again, no complaints about the replacement.
Paleface was a restored print, and Go West was a fresh transfer from the original negative, and both were really well done.