I seem to vaguely remember this. Wasn't it part of a series of documentaries. I think they did one about a theatre crictic as well.
I think the guy in question was comedy critic for The Independent. The point was that all the circuit comics deliberately turned out to heckle him for the gig he did at the end. But I read once that it was edited to fit a pre-decided story, and that the critic actually did OK (well, he said he'd come back the next year, on the programme). Dunno if the latter story is true.
Oh yes, yes I remember this programme. Wasn't the critic turned comic's name Ian Shuttleworth? That's how I remember him anyway. His material consisted of holding up quotes and riduculing them.
Yaeh, I'm sure it was an Ian. I read that one of his opening lines was "I'm a cretin - er, critic!" ie. He pretends to say the wrong word out of panic, then realises and corrects himself in a split second.
You're bringing the memories flooding back Jon. And Sean Hughes was interviewed confessing to booing him off stage.
Hang on, Joe, I've got the tape here...
It was part of Jon Ronson's series 'Critical Condition', broadcast by C4 on 5 August 1998. It followed Financial Times comedy critic Ian Shuttleworth premiering his show 'Critical Mass' at the Festival the previous year. The man on the Perrier panel who nominated him was Times theatre critic and friend of Ian's, James Christopher. The incredulous bloke who said 'hang on a minute' was called Rory.
It's a superb documentary, and should be required viewing for anyone who thinks SOTCAA is populated by paranoid conspiracy hunters. A full transcript will appear here pretty soon.
>Hang on, Joe, I've got the tape here...
>
>It was part of Jon Ronson's series 'Critical Condition', broadcast by C4 on 5 August 1998. It followed Financial Times comedy critic Ian Shuttleworth premiering his show 'Critical Mass' at the Festival the previous year. The man on the Perrier panel who nominated him was Times theatre critic and friend of Ian's, James Christopher. The incredulous bloke who said 'hang on a minute' was called Rory.
>
>It's a superb documentary, and should be required viewing for anyone who thinks SOTCAA is populated by paranoid conspiracy hunters. A full transcript will appear here pretty soon.
>
I saw it, and it was class. There was another one with Christopher Tookey (guardian of the nation's morals/film critic for...can you guess? Two points), and there was one about opera critics although I missed that one.
I think Shuttleworth did return to do another show the next year (his posters proclaiming a five-star review from the Sctosman). If memory serves, one paper gave his second show one star, stating 'Like a dog returning to its own vomit....', and isn't that what Stewart Lee has on his blurb this year?
'Rory' is Rory Ford, now a journalist at the Edinburgh Evening News. If you're interested
Full transcript of the show now in the 'Comment' section of SOTCAA...
Now that's not strictly true, is it Rob? Very accurate depiction, though...but the standard of illustration is dropping slightly. That's a point - the artwork on this site must've been done on a PC - why not buy a modem to go with it? They're only about £40 these days...
Transcript of the Jon Ronson's series 'Critical Condition' - not Edinburgh or Bust ...
>the artwork on this site must've been done on a PC - why not buy a modem to go with it? They're only about £40 these days...
£40 more than I can afford, Ewar. Then of course there's the matter of a net account. And perhaps an outgoing phone-line might help too. And I imagine there'll be subsequent phone bills to consider. Still, let me eat cake, eh?
Sorry you didn't like the drawings. They would have been screengrabs but my vid-capture's broken at the moment. They're probably rubbish in that piece due to a passionate disdain for the subject matter.