Roy Smiles' celebration of the 'Beyond the Fringe' team takes a funny and affectionate look at how four young men from Oxbridge changed the face of British comedy. Starring Matt Addis as Alan Bennett, Rory Kinnear as Peter Cook, Jonathan Aris as Jonathan Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dudley Moore. A CPL production for BBC Radio 4.
Roy Smiles' play about Spike Milligan's last days with the Goons and his complex and often fractious relationship with Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe.
During the 1950s, 'The Goon Show' had England laughing week after week, greatly influencing Monty Python and the Beatles, among others - and paved the way for sketch comedy as we know it today. With 'Ying Tong', rising UK playwright Roy Smiles brilliantly chronicles the Goons' surge from cult status to raving success, showcasing the series' trademark surrealism and profound silliness.
Starring James Clyde, Kai Owen and Toby Longworth.
The story of Graham Chapman's history with the Monty Python team; how he met and started writing with John Cleese, his rise through the ranks writing 'The Frost Report', the glory, glory years with the Pythons and his struggle to overcome his considerable drinking demons. And how the collective kindness of Messrs Cleese, Jones, Idle, Palin and Gilliam saved him from oblivion and gave him the lead in the two funniest British films of all time: 'Monty Python And The Holy Grail' and 'Monty Python's Life Of Brian'. Apparently Chapman was recruited into the RAF at birth and flew bombing missions over Germany in a pram; Cleese got into the Footlights by doing a rather peculiar walk; Chapman had to take a test to become an alcoholic; Cleese returned to a pet shop to sing the praises of a recently purchased budgie and Chapman discovered on his last day on earth that Death likes Spam and drives a Ford Anglia. Written by Roy Smiles.
