With thanks to John Random for several pictures, not least this one: me with Noel Christopher– Caroline is also there, trying to hide in the corner of this picture
Given that Ivan Shakespeare Memorial dinners are principally gatherings of comedy writers, they have not been much of a laughing matter of late, with many of our number having departed permanently. Indeed John Random pondered various re-namings this time:
Ivan Shakespeare Debbie Barham Nick R. Thomas Gerry Goddin Mike Hodd Chris Stanton Memorial Dinner
or
“Ivan to Stanton Memorial Dinner”
Yet plenty of us still survive to dine, chat and play silly quizzes. A dozen or so of us gathered this time.
Random gets busy with his camera phone while Barry looks on and……Hugh Ryecroft shows off the new trophy: The Hoddy
Following the departure of Mike Hodd, we toasted our patriarch and played an extra quiz for the above magnificent new trophy: The Hoddy, provided by Mark Keegan, who set the seminal Hoddy Quiz. Professional quiz dude Hugh Ryecroft took that trophy.
Hugh couldn’t win the regular annual Ivan Shakespeare Trophy, as he won it last year and set that quiz this year. Bit of a busman’s holiday for Hugh, setting quizzes for Ivan Shakespeare dinners. Still, it was Keith Wickham who took that magnificent prize, which will no doubt grace his trophy cabinet for most of 2023:
Wickham lands the big one
I was close, but no cigar on both quizzes, in particular one of them on which i only missed out by a couple of points.
But of course all were winners, as it was such a heart-warming and convivial evening, as indeed it always is.
Was that Keith’s classic James Mason impression making me laugh?
That summer, NewsRevue attempted to spread beyond its Canal Cafe (Little Venice) and Edinburgh roots by trying an additional venue, named Bish Bash Bosh, in Willesden Green.
My submission, below, is addressed to Keith (presumably Keith Wickham). I’m not sure how many of these he used – from memory perhaps two or three.
Googling Bish Bash Bosh Willesden reveals only the following relevant piece, click here, which brings back many happy and bittersweet memories of Ivan Shakespeare’s very best work. It also confirms my memories of where Bish Bash Bosh was. If by chance anything goes awry with that link, I have scraped Ivan’s classic to here.
Anyway, here is my June 1993 submission:
LIST OF SONGS SUBMITTED AND TAPE TRACK LISTING
BISH BASH BOSH STARTER PACK
Dear Keith
I enclose your fun pack of lyrics and tape. The pack includes some current ones and some golden oldies. Note the huge spread of music ranging from the 1930s to the 1990s, pausing only occasionally in the good old 70s.
Please let me know if there are any others that you can remember that you want. I have tried to choose the better ones.
This is a useful note, in that it confirms that Keith Wickham went straight from cast to director at that time. It also helps confirm which of my extant batch of songs had not been used yet, to me, still felt current/useful.
If I recall correctly, Keith used plenty of mine, but probably not these ones.
LIST OF SONGS SUBMITTED AND TAPE TRACK LISTING
KEITH WICKHAM MAY-JUNE 1993 RUN
Dear Keith
There seems little point in my submitting the material that is currently being used, as I believe that you and Dan are to continue in the show. I am therefore just submitting material that has been cruelly overlooked before, some of which may match the skills of your new troop and which is not too long in the tooth. I shall obviously submit new material as and when it comes to me.
Please do call me and let me know what sort of things you are short of/need and I shall try to oblige.
I have a heap of jotting pads I’ll want to trawl at some point, as part of my archive wallow, but here is a very rare example of me digitising some NewsRevue-oriented jottings in 1993.
It was the start of the cricket season, for the genuine (i.e. county) cricket lover, but much too early in the year for cricket to be in the news. So what was I doing jotting this stuff for NewsRevue?
Keith might remember exactly what that cricket bat business was…or deny all knowledge/involvement.
Anyway, point is…
…that must have turned my mind to cricket and the potential for cricket-oriented NewsRevue lyrics.
The show had been blessed by a cracker the previous season – I’m pretty sure that it was by Jonny Hurst – You’ve Got To Pick A Cricket Ball Seam to the tune of Pick A Pocket Or Two from Oliver!
Indeed seam picking and inappropriate behaviour with barmaids was all I could think of in getting some ideas onto an e-jotter that April.
My guess is that I typed these ideas up in order to print the page out and chat ideas through with the team of writers at a writers meeting.
Sadly (or perhaps mercifully) nothing came of it – I don’t think I ever wrote a cricket-related piece for NewsRevue in the end – strange really.
(Some Bally Crickers Quickies That Have No Further To Go And May Just Be Enough)
CRICKET MEDLEY (A prize of 10p is offered to the first reader who can name the album from which all three songs in the medley originate)
NO WASIM (To the tune of “No Woman No Cry”)
No Wasim, no crime, no Wasim no crime,
And/or:No Waquar, no crime, no Waquar, no crime.
I SMOKED THE SILK CUT (To the tune of “I Shot The Sheriff”)
I smoked the Silk Cut,
But I didn’t smoke the dope or weed.
And/or:I chased the barmaid,
But I didn’t chase the drag on weed.
And/or:I pulled the barmaid,
But I didn’t pull or pick the seam.
GET UP STAND UP (To the tune of “Get Up Stand Up”)
Get up stand up, England cricket team,
Get up stand up, don’t just blame the seam.
The answer to the music “quiz” is of course Live! by Bob Marley and the Wailers – I must have been listening to side two that day. If you like this kind of music – here are some vids for you to enjoy. Not the versions from the album, but vids of live performances all.
