I think you're right, but it's also true that a lot of comedians are - although not the best actors in the world - still the best at performing their own material.

Compare Lee & Herring's radio work, where the duo themselves (and other non-Equity comedians) were doing the voices, with the TV version of Fist of Fun, which utilised a lot of 'proper' actors. Many in the latter camp were technically competent, but had absolutely no understanding of L&H's humour - hence would-be deadpan lines were delivered with aural knowing winks, killing the comedy.

Also, a lot of comedy acting rests on 'the idea of a comedian doing a show' being funny, rather than the show being funny per se. 'Rhona', for all its faults, is actually quite endearing because Rhona Cameron herself is pretty likeable. Similarly, 'The Mary Whitehouse Experience' was great because, unlike 'Dead Ringers', the comedy rested on the fact that half the satirised celebrities were really obviously Hugh Dennis feyly standing in front of a radio mic.

I always liked Paul Mertons non committal,bloke whos wandered off the street approach to his sketches in his old series.
However, when Jo Brand attempted this style it came accross as wooden.
On a different tact
the main problem of comedy types playing straight roles is they feel they have to act so humourlessly inert, that all the charisma that got them the part in the first place is buried : ie Barbara Windsor in Eastenders in her first year.Thank god she finally relaxed and realised she didnt have to restrain herself as much.
However,some drama actors doing comedy can have the reverse effect and overdo it like Phil Daniels in Sunnyside Farm.

< 'Rhona', for all its faults, is actually quite endearing because Rhona Cameron herself is pretty likeable.


Likeable's not the same as funny - is it? Do you mean, Rhona Cameron is quite endearing, even though the show she helped write is crap? So, Charlie Brooker, you know what to do - give a big smile and the Corpses will be pacified.

Just realized who this Sandy Nelson is. Read his comments on the guitar comedy thread and decide for yourself who is the real boring loser. (Clue: it's the one who thinks he's a radical socialist Scottish Nationalist, and thinks Scotland is part of the British Empire.)

Of course, my last posting could have been meant for a totally different thread...



D'oh! Stupid brain...

>ie Barbara Windsor in Eastenders in her first year.Thank god she finally relaxed and realised she didnt have to restrain herself as much.

Y'know Gimlet unwittingly I overlooked Barbara Windsor as my archetypal example. How wrong I realise I was.

Barbara Windsor's not strictly a comedy actress, though. She did loads of straight theatre prior to Carry On etc.

What about Mike Reid then.
He still does the odd stand up I believe

Yeah but Eastenders is a naturalistic drama isn't it? A sitcom is more like a play the way it is staged and performed.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying comedians can't act, they just need to brush up their technique i.e actually be heard. Where this fault is most apparent is actually on stage. Eddie Izzard was monotonous and meagre sounding as Lenny Bruce compared to all the other actors. As was Richard Herring in his last Edinburgh play. Surely they would have stolen the show rather than corrupted it if only they had projected their voices.

Blimey that's the first time I've ever been accused of not being able to project my voice. I have one of the loudest voices in the world!
Also as a trained singer I do understand projection and have never had any complaints before.
Mind you that Pleasance 1 is a big cavern and has v bad acoustics, so if you were sitting near the back (unlikely on last year's audience figures) I suppose you might have missed some of what we were saying. I always thought everyone else was a bit quiet in it to be honest. I felt like I was too loud.
But who I am to argue with the wisdom of kinder s?

Yes but you do have a voice quite a bit higher than the average male's. Maybe I didn't hear you due to dissonance.

I thought Richard Herrings performance in his play Punks Not Dead was spot on and genuinally affecting.

My high voice may account for my many appreciative fans amongst the dog and bat communities.
Also, you're right, I have completely flipped kinder. I have turned into a mad axeman murderer. You are to be my first victim. You have disobeyed the first rule of staying alive - don't bait the mad ones.
One day you will all see my power.

>My high voice may account for my many appreciative fans amongst the dog and bat communities.

I know Pleasance 1 was a 'big cavern' but I assumed the audience were actually real people (Al Murray's audience on the other hand...)


>One day you will all see my power.

But I thought you had gone on record refusing full frontal nudity shots.

(name removed) and (name removed) write this website.(name removed) and (name removed) write this website.(name removed) and (name removed) write this website.(name removed) and (name removed) write this website.

Bored now.

Ahh Octuplets! explains many things...
Don't care who writes it As long as the edit news it accurate and when they have a pop at someone its funny ( nearly always is...)