Stop Messing About - Revision history

Kurt: /* Performers */

2024-08-24T16:55:57Z

Performers

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	*[[Hugh Paddick]], who also appeared in ''[[Round the Horne]]'' and ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'', was a foil to [[Kenneth Williams]], as previously heard in the [[Julian and Sandy]] routines in ''[[Round the Horne]]''.		*[[Hugh Paddick]], who also appeared in ''[[Round the Horne]]'' and ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'', was a foil to [[Kenneth Williams]], as previously heard in the [[Julian and Sandy]] routines in ''[[Round the Horne]]''.
	*[[Joan Sims]] is best known for her numerous performances in the [[Carry On films]]. She previously appeared in ''[[A Tribute To Greatness]]'', also with Kenneth Williams.		*[[Joan Sims]] is best known for her numerous performances in the [[Carry On films]]. She previously appeared in ''[[A Tribute To Greatness]]'', also with Kenneth Williams.
	*[[Kenneth Williams]] interrupted ''[[Round the Horne]]'' and ''Stop Messing About'' with often unscripted interjections.~~{{cn\|date=March 2020}}~~		*[[Kenneth Williams]] interrupted ''[[Round the Horne]]'' and ''Stop Messing About'' with often unscripted interjections.
	*Music was provided by the [[Max Harris (composer)\|Max Harris]] Group.		*Music was provided by the [[Max Harris (composer)\|Max Harris]] Group.

Kurt at 20:11, 26 December 2022

2022-12-26T20:11:30Z

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	{{Short description\|British Radio Show}}{{italic title}}		{{Short description\|British Radio Show}}{{italic title}}

	'''''Stop Messing About''''' was a [[w:BBC\|BBC~~]] [[~~radio]] series broadcast in 1969 and 1970. Forced by circumstance into being a follow-up to ''[[Round the Horne]]'', it retained a number of key talents from the previous show, with [[Kenneth Williams]] as the new show's main star.		'''''Stop Messing About''''' was a [[w:BBC radio\|BBC radio]] series broadcast in 1969 and 1970. Forced by circumstance into being a follow-up to ''[[Round the Horne]]'', it retained a number of key talents from the previous show, with [[Kenneth Williams]] as the new show's main star.

	It was rewritten for the stage in 2009.		It was rewritten for the stage in 2009.

Kurt at 20:10, 26 December 2022

2022-12-26T20:10:51Z

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	{{Short description\|British Radio Show}}{{italic title}}		{{Short description\|British Radio Show}}{{italic title}}
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2014}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=July 2014}}~~		'''''Stop Messing About''''' was a [[w:BBC\|BBC]] [[radio]] series broadcast in 1969 and 1970. Forced by circumstance into being a follow-up to ''[[Round the Horne]]'', it retained a number of key talents from the previous show, with [[Kenneth Williams]] as the new show's main star.
	'''''Stop Messing About''''' was a [[BBC]] [[radio]] series broadcast in 1969 and 1970. Forced by circumstance into being a follow-up to ''[[Round the Horne]]'', it retained a number of key talents from the previous show, with [[Kenneth Williams]] as the new show's main star.

	It was rewritten for the stage in 2009.		It was rewritten for the stage in 2009.

Kurt: /* Radio series */

2022-12-26T20:10:22Z

Radio series

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 26 December 2022
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	==Radio series==		==Radio series==
	The sudden death of ''Round the Horne'' star [[Kenneth Horne]] at the end of series four prompted a rewrite of the material intended for series five which then found its way into ''Stop Messing About'' alongside new sketches; ''Round the Horne'' writers [[Johnnie Mortimer]] and [[Brian Cooke]] are therefore credited with series one of ''Stop Messing About'', while series two, which was entirely original, was written by [[Myles Rudge]].		The sudden death of ''Round the Horne'' star [[Kenneth Horne]] at the end of series four prompted a rewrite of the material intended for series five which then found its way into ''Stop Messing About'' alongside new sketches; ''Round the Horne'' writers [[Johnnie Mortimer]] and [[w:Brian Cooke\|Brian Cooke]] are therefore credited with series one of ''Stop Messing About'', while series two, which was entirely original, was written by [[Myles Rudge]].

	''Stop Messing About'' was recast as a vehicle for [[Kenneth Williams]], who on the day of the first transmission wrote in his diary that "It was mediocre and played to a half empty house ... Joan said 'Let's face it dear, our careers are in the ash can...'" Of a later edition, however, he wrote that "It went like a bomb. I was very pleased with the marvellous reception ... and it's a triumph in the face of the terrible adversity of KH's death."<ref>''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' (HarperCollins 1993), entries dated 17 March 1969 and 14 April 1969</ref>		''Stop Messing About'' was recast as a vehicle for [[Kenneth Williams]], who on the day of the first transmission wrote in his diary that "It was mediocre and played to a half empty house ... Joan said 'Let's face it dear, our careers are in the ash can...'" Of a later edition, however, he wrote that "It went like a bomb. I was very pleased with the marvellous reception ... and it's a triumph in the face of the terrible adversity of KH's death."<ref>''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' (HarperCollins 1993), entries dated 17 March 1969 and 14 April 1969</ref>

Kurt: /* Radio series */

2022-12-26T20:10:06Z

Radio series

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 26 December 2022
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	''Stop Messing About'' was recast as a vehicle for [[Kenneth Williams]], who on the day of the first transmission wrote in his diary that "It was mediocre and played to a half empty house ... Joan said 'Let's face it dear, our careers are in the ash can...'" Of a later edition, however, he wrote that "It went like a bomb. I was very pleased with the marvellous reception ... and it's a triumph in the face of the terrible adversity of KH's death."<ref>''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' (HarperCollins 1993), entries dated 17 March 1969 and 14 April 1969</ref>		''Stop Messing About'' was recast as a vehicle for [[Kenneth Williams]], who on the day of the first transmission wrote in his diary that "It was mediocre and played to a half empty house ... Joan said 'Let's face it dear, our careers are in the ash can...'" Of a later edition, however, he wrote that "It went like a bomb. I was very pleased with the marvellous reception ... and it's a triumph in the face of the terrible adversity of KH's death."<ref>''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' (HarperCollins 1993), entries dated 17 March 1969 and 14 April 1969</ref>

	The title was a catchphrase coined for Williams by Galton and Simpson back in the days of ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]''. [[Hugh Paddick]] and announcer [[Douglas Smith (broadcaster)\|Douglas Smith]] were retained from ''Round the Horne'', starring alongside [[Joan Sims]], who had already signed on for the fifth series of ''Round the Horne'' in place of [[Betty Marsden]]~~{{Citation needed\|reason=Evidence Marsden was leaving RTH?\|date=January 2017}}~~ and therefore made a smooth transition to ''Stop Messing About''.		The title was a catchphrase coined for Williams by Galton and Simpson back in the days of ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]''. [[Hugh Paddick]] and announcer [[Douglas Smith (broadcaster)\|Douglas Smith]] were retained from ''Round the Horne'', starring alongside [[Joan Sims]], who had already signed on for the fifth series of ''Round the Horne'' in place of [[Betty Marsden]] and therefore made a smooth transition to ''Stop Messing About''.

	The first episode was recorded at the BBC's Paris Theatre on Lower Regent Street (former home of ''Round the Horne'') on Monday 17 March 1969, and the final show was transmitted on 27 August 1970. Of the show's cancellation, Williams noted in his diary (1 September 1970) that "there'd been complaints about how dirty the script was etc" and described it as "a sad end to about 12 years of radio comedy."		The first episode was recorded at the BBC's Paris Theatre on Lower Regent Street (former home of ''Round the Horne'') on Monday 17 March 1969, and the final show was transmitted on 27 August 1970. Of the show's cancellation, Williams noted in his diary (1 September 1970) that "there'd been complaints about how dirty the script was etc" and described it as "a sad end to about 12 years of radio comedy."

Kurt: /* Radio series */

2022-12-26T20:09:26Z

Radio series

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	[[Barry Took]], co-writer of ''Round the Horne'', pointed out that the show was proof of the fact that Williams, though second to none as a grotesque support actor of undoubted comic genius, didn't have the requisite weight to anchor a show in the way Horne had done so effortlessly: "It was written by a sort of miscellaneous gang of writers who didn't really understand what they were doing. It didn't work. He [Williams] wasn't a leading man, it has to be said. I mean, he was a wonderful support. He was Montgomery to Kenneth Horne's Alexander."<ref>quoted in ''Kenneth Williams Unseen'' by Wes Butters and Russell Davies (HarperCollins 2008)</ref>		[[Barry Took]], co-writer of ''Round the Horne'', pointed out that the show was proof of the fact that Williams, though second to none as a grotesque support actor of undoubted comic genius, didn't have the requisite weight to anchor a show in the way Horne had done so effortlessly: "It was written by a sort of miscellaneous gang of writers who didn't really understand what they were doing. It didn't work. He [Williams] wasn't a leading man, it has to be said. I mean, he was a wonderful support. He was Montgomery to Kenneth Horne's Alexander."<ref>quoted in ''Kenneth Williams Unseen'' by Wes Butters and Russell Davies (HarperCollins 2008)</ref>

	During the summer of 2006 the digital radio station [[BBC 7]] gave ''Stop Messing About'' a regular slot, as a break from ''Round the Horne''. It was repeated during spring 2008.		During the summer of 2006 the digital radio station [[w:BBC 7\|BBC 7]] gave ''Stop Messing About'' a regular slot, as a break from ''Round the Horne''. It was repeated during spring 2008.

	===Performers===		===Performers===

Kurt: /* Stage production */

2022-12-26T20:09:02Z

Stage production

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	== Stage production ==		== Stage production ==
	Forty years after the original broadcasts, ''Stop Messing About'' was rewritten for the stage, making an initial appearance at the [[Rose Theatre, Kingston]] in January 2009. The production was restaged in the [[West End theatre\|West End]] at the [[Leicester Square Theatre]] in April, running for six weeks.		Forty years after the original broadcasts, ''Stop Messing About'' was rewritten for the stage, making an initial appearance at the [[w:Rose Theatre, Kingston\|Rose Theatre]] in January 2009. The production was restaged in the [[w:West End theatre\|West End]] at the [[w:Leicester Square Theatre\|Leicester Square Theatre]] in April, running for six weeks.

	The stage show, penned by [[Brian Cooke]] and directed by Michael Kingsbury, was based on selected material from the original radio show alongside a majority of material written by Mortimer and Cooke for other shows. It starred [[Robin Sebastian]] as [[Kenneth Williams]], Nigel Harrison as [[Hugh Paddick]], Charles Armstrong as [[Douglas Smith (broadcaster)\|Douglas Smith]] and [[Emma Atkins]] as [[Joan Sims]].		The stage show, penned by [[w:Brian Cooke\|Brian Cooke]] and directed by Michael Kingsbury, was based on selected material from the original radio show alongside a majority of material written by Mortimer and Cooke for other shows. It starred [[w:Robin Sebastian\|Robin Sebastian]] as [[Kenneth Williams]], Nigel Harrison as [[Hugh Paddick]], Charles Armstrong as [[Douglas Smith (broadcaster)\|Douglas Smith]] and [[w:Emma Atkins\|Emma Atkins]] as [[Joan Sims]].

	The show came from the same team that had previously mounted the hugely successful ''Round the Horne ... Revisited'', using three of the same actors and even the same theatre. But it was welcomed by critics with less enthusiasm.		The show came from the same team that had previously mounted the hugely successful ''Round the Horne ... Revisited'', using three of the same actors and even the same theatre. But it was welcomed by critics with less enthusiasm.

Kurt: /* Writers */

2022-12-26T20:07:33Z

Writers

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	*[[Johnnie Mortimer]]		*[[Johnnie Mortimer]]
	*[[Brian Cooke]]		*[[w:Brian Cooke\|Brian Cooke]]
	Both Mortimer and Cooke had been latter-day contributors to ''[[Round the Horne]]''. (Cooke was also the writer, over 30 years later, of the hit stage show ''[[Round the Horne ... Revisited]]'').		Both Mortimer and Cooke had been latter-day contributors to ''[[Round the Horne]]''. (Cooke was also the writer, over 30 years later, of the hit stage show ''[[w:Round the Horne ... Revisited\|Round the Horne ... Revisited]]'').
	*[[Myles Rudge]]		*[[Myles Rudge]]

	The producer was [[John Simmonds (producer)\|John Simmonds]].		The producer was [[w:John Simmonds (producer)\|John Simmonds]].

	===Regular features===		===Regular features===

Kurt: /* Regular features */

2022-12-26T20:06:46Z

Regular features

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	===Regular features===		===Regular features===
	*Crack-a-Jackanory with Mother Time was a parody of the children's programme ''[[Jackanory]]''. [[Joan Sims]] would read a story, which slowly developed more adult topics.		*Crack-a-Jackanory with Mother Time was a parody of the children's programme ''[[w:Jackanory\|Jackanory]]''. [[Joan Sims]] would read a story, which slowly developed more adult topics.

	== Stage production ==		== Stage production ==

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-07-21T18:43:29Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:43, 21 July 2022
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