Tuesday 5 October 2010

Bona Ballet - Round the Horne

Our power will be cut this morning, so I'm rushing around trying to get all tasks completed before shut-down. I'd liked to have done something to mourn Sir Norman, but here's a bit of good comedy instead. Scroll down; it's there somewhere!
















For those who've not heard of 'Round the Horne', it was a BBC Radio comedy programme from the 60's. Kenneth Horne was the 'compere', and the cast included Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Bill Pertwee. The early scripts were written by dream-team Barry Took and Marty Feldman.

The two gay characters, Julian and Sandy, who appear in the show became a British institution. This sketch is from 1966 where the two 'out of work actors' are running a ballet company called Bona Ballet. I hope you enjoy the above. Round the Horne was, and still is, one of my very favourite comedy shows.

10 comments:

  1. Yes RIP Norman he is much loved and well know over here to our age group.They just do not make them like that anymore! Carole

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  2. Carole, NW lived in our Sussex village before moving to The Isle of Man, and his son used to mow our grass for us (until be became too expensive). So we felt quite close to him; a wonderful guy.

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  3. Can't say I've heard of this, but I have listened to The Goon Show—rented a set of tapes from the library and thought they were hilarious! It's interesting that this show was being broadcast in the 60's. Were there many at that time, or was the television starting to take over? I'm pretty sure ours (us Americans) had stopped by that time, but I could be wrong.

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  4. Amy, radio comedy is a big tradition in the UK to this day. Current BBC radio shows such as 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue', are part of our make-up. If your library can find tapes of 'Round the Horne', I would thoroughly recommend them.

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  5. Sorry to say I've not heard of Round the Horne. I do know Marty Feldman, though. Hope you're not without power for too long!

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  6. One of the things I missed most about leaving England (twice!) was the Radio. Growing up., it was a tradition in our house, everything from The Goon Show to Hancock's Half Hour to The Archers.
    In Canada, we do have The Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McClean every Sunday and while living in the US, I also enjoyed Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion.
    If you can track down either Cro...both are worth a listen.

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  7. Chicken brother is in the grocery isle right next to chicken daddy.

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  8. Or should I say Isle of Chicken? Aisle, schmile.

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  9. Thanks Willow. When I asked my grocer for it, he told me to 'get stuffed'.

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  10. Thanks for sharing that show Cro...just turned off the telly because there was nothing but rubbish on it and thoroughly enjoyed listening to this little bit of England...sigh...sometimes I still wish I was there...sigh.

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