It is a radio programme - that has been on the air for forty years (a fair attempt is made to explain it
here)
Tickets for the live recording were advertised on 1st October and went on sale at 10:00am on 16th October - by 10:03 when I finally managed to log on to Symphony Hall Website there are only ~50 tickets remaining (it is a 2000+ auditorium). I got one of the last - only £5 though - it is a BBC event after all and we all pay our licence fee (even though I don't own a TV).
I have been listening at watching Messrs Cryer, Garden and Brooke-Taylor for all of my (remembered) life - my earliest datable TV memory is "
Do not adjust your set" (that Mrs Black was so evil), I nearly burst a blood vessel laughing to "
The Goodies" (somebody did die laughing
(See Kung Fu Kapers)) and my earliest Radio memory is "
Hello Cheeky" and now I get to see them live:
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| The whole auditorium is balanced on rubber pads - there is a mainline rail track underneath - all designed and done by my friend Deb Turnbull |
One problem is that the audience is very knowledgeable and is fully in with all the in-jokes. This leads to a lot of before-the-punchline premature laughter. After the recording the producer comes on stage and makes us all do those bits again, and again until we get the timing right (especially the midlands history section about the Iron Age tribe from Worcester coming up to the smelt around
Shirley)
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| All ready now - it is a radio show so the staging is pretty simple |
During the show they played a game of "Mornington Crescent" (described
here and with a guide to playing here - the rules are a little tricky - you will find playing advice
here). I did not follow it all - being only a novice player but with an hour to kill waiting for my train from Euston I made a little pligrimage:
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| Contrary to 'received wisdom' I have found Londoners to be friendly and helpful - a chap called Martin offered to take my photo (I think a lot of folks are rather lonely and glad to find someone who has the time to chat) |
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| The goal of the game |
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| And I made it - via Euston, Highbury & Islington, Old Street, Embankment, Tottenham Court Road, Embankment (again, sneaky move) and finally... |
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Mornington Crescent!
I win, you lose, ha, ha, ha!
