I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE

Assembly Hall Theatre,

Tunbridge Wells

16th November 2010

Host: Jack Dee

Contestants Barry Cryer & Graeme Garden

VS

Tim Brooke-Taylor & Jeremy Hardy

Pianist : Colin Sell
Producer: Jon Naismith

Having already reviewed this brilliant show when it was in Eastbourne I don't anticipate writing reams on this Royal Tunbridge Wells production. Readers may therefore also wish to refer back to my previous review.

It can be found by clicking here

The show was, as usual, a sell-out and it was refreshing seeing every seat in the Assembly Hall occupied.

Many script changes have taken place since we last saw ISIHAC and Jack's comedy routines at the beginning of each half of the show are brilliantly scripted. For anybody who isn't familiar with this part of the show it is where Jack's jokes relate to the local demographic area and it's history.

To produce such routines for each venue must take a considerable amount of time and research.

The improvisation rounds are as hilarious as ever and the audience participation on the kazoos was particularly impressive.

It's always good to go out and have a laugh and as so many have discovered this is one of the best shows for doing just that. 2 hours of improvised hilarity from 5 of the country's most respected entertainers with Colin Sell on the piano and long-term producer Jon Naismith getting a constant ribbing about the fact he was apparently wearing a 'blouse'.

Would you like to own a piece of unique memorabilia and support a worthy charitable cause? Well the ISIHAC team kindly supported Great Ormond Street Hospital by signing special celebrity charity playing cards.

Please keep an eye on www.starcards.org/ and www.flickr.com/photos/starcards/ to see the mounted end products which will be auctioned on eBay for the famous childrens' hospital. Note it may be a while before they are professionally prepared so keep these pages bookmarked.

Left to right Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jack Dee (host), Graeme Garden, Jeremy Hardy, Barry Cryer

As you can see Jack has signed a Jack D(iamonds) on his own and there is a team collection too with Jack signing the Joker this time.

Thank you so much to Jon Naismith and all the ISIHAC team for their time and generosity and to the Assembly Hall staff for allowing me not to freeze at the stage door.

That reminds me there were 3 men looking for autographs at the stage door, none of whom were seeing the show.

As I waited to be let in Barry Cryer came out for a cigarette, he had a bit of a laugh with us and went back in.

One of the men pointed out that Barry had dropped his cigarette butt on the ground.

Joking, I said "Perhaps you should try putting it on eBay?"

My jaw must have dropped as he said "I hadn't thought of that. Do you think it will sell?", as he promptly picked the dog-end up and put it in his bag. "I'll give it a go he said."

Almost as funny as the show itself. Anybody seen Barry Cryer's Butt on eBay?

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Review Host Jack Dee

I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne

6th Octobert 2009

Host: Jack Dee

Contestants

Barry Cryer & Graeme Garden
VS
Tim Brooke-Taylor & Jeremy Hardy

Who ever would have thought that what is a theatre version of a Radio 4 programme could do what most other productions have failed to do this year............... fill a theatre? !!!!!

Yes apart from the mainly restricted view seats this was one of the largest audiences we have seen at The Congress in a long time. It seems that in a country still depressed in a time of recession laughter is still the best form of medicine.

For anybody who hasn't listened to the iconic radio show it is a madcap collection of different improvisation quiz rounds where anything can and probably will happen. Two contestants against two others are (almost) kept under control by the host who also keeps track of the 'score'.

The format bears striking similarities to the TV series 'Whose Line Is It Anyway'. It's just as funny, completely mad, unpredictable, the 'scoring' is absolute rubbish and in some ways Jack Dee comes across as a younger, slimmer version of WLIIA host Clive Anderson.

Other hosts such as Stephen Fry have taken part in the tour of this production. But this really suits Jack. His humour is traditionally 'slow and dry' and how great it works here. Some obviously scripted parts are torn apart by loads of ad-libbing and some especially good jokes regarding the local area.

And what great and accomplished improvisationers we have as contestents: two ex-Goodies, an alternative comedian and one 'almost' traditional comedian all taking part in this mad, mad show.

With the whole audience taking part in 'guess the tune' rounds by playing well known tunes on kazoos (which were provided) this really is just a good excuse to get out of the house and have a bloody good laugh.

Barry Cryer ,OBE, is now well into his 70's and still performing as sharply as I remember him some 30 odd years ago. Jeremy Hardy I have to admit I'd never heard of before but his off-the-cuff humour was excellent. As for Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden well they are both comedy geniuses anyway and they don't disappoint. When Graeme made the decision not to follow his medical qualifications and to become a comedian rather than a doctor that was a great moment for British comedy.

Returning to Barry Cryer though - he really is a lovely, lovely man. Behind us in the audience was a man who clearly had some sort of mental problem. He was in the wrong seat and didn't understand the ticket/seat numbers. Although his difficulties were clearly apparent the people who wanted that seat were so rude to him and then somebody in our row turned round and gave him more verbal grief before theatre staff intervened to help this poor man move.

Later, outside how refreshing it was to see Barry Cryer meet this man, who was clearly known to him. There were long hugs and kisses for this man who only a couple of hours earlier had to endure the ignorance of non-disability understanding people.

Hopefully the memory that went home with him was the love shown by a real gentleman in show-business rather than a handful of rude, ignorant, individuals. Barry's compassion is certainly something that I will remember from this evening.

If you get the chance to see this great show on tour don't miss it. If it returns next year we'll be there for sure. You can't beat a good laugh and something refreshingly different and this show fits both of those requirements with 5 very funny celebrities taking part.

5 celebrities conveniently leads me to award a well deserved 5 stars for this utterly mad evening out.