think the jokes weren'ttoo bad. ltwas three minutes and I think we did come up with three tunny minutes. It had a big impact I think. I went to Leicesterl remember and sombody on a bus recognised me .l couldn’t believe it'.
But Lenny is no Nookie Bear. with one act burnt out belore you can say Teddy Bear's Bloody Picnic. He has been lairly consistent in stopping and reassessing his comedy. With his BBC show he tookthe radical step at abandoning the sketch lorrnat to concentrate on the development at the Delbert character Lenny describes as ‘somebody who thinks he isthe most crucial persom in the universe but hasn't any milk in the lridge'. ‘l'm glad about the series because it has shown people lots at sides to the characterthat they wouldn't normally have seen. It he
had just continued doing monologues he'd still have been just the guy whotalks about cars and clothes and the police.‘
This. says Lenny, is likely to be the last series inthis lormat. ‘Doing Delbert is so hard. he's such a relentless character. I want to do one all proiects and short lilms torthe BBC and things like that. I don't want to do series as such because it is so dilticult to maintain the quality. In a series olsix there's usually tour or live you really like and one or two you think God. wish we hadn't done that.‘ Clearly it's time to move on again. Lenny has set himsell another challenge lollowing a trip to America where it was suggested that ilhe wanted to get into movies he ought to do something about it himsell. On his return to Britain. Lenny set up the appropriately named Crucial Films: ‘We've developed one script
already which is up tolirst dralt level and people are
reading it at the moment.’ Lenny's lilms are unlikel
to be bland — he has a well known dislike ol the much at television comedy and its middle classtormulas. Even in a briel conversation it‘s easy to draw him on his political opinions. ‘I was talkingto somebodythe other day who said he was thinking at buying a house in Glasgow because the prices were so cheap and commuting to London. I thoughtJesus Christ. lt‘s justlrightening. Everybody istalking about making money and no-onetalks about people any more. and lthink it's sad. lthinkit's this Government. I mean. she actually said “We're nota governmentabout caring.'. it's like. well OK at least yourhonest. . .' (Nigel Billen)
Lenny Henry is atthe Pavilion. Glasgow. See Theatre Listings.
Lenny Henry
GUEST LIST '
MARC ALMOND
With a new single ‘Tears Run Rings‘ now denting the
‘charts tor the lirst time in
ages. Marc Almond is sounding understandably chirpy. ‘They're even playing my record on daytime Radio One. which is quite a surprise'. he exclaims in mock astonishment. Yet. in some ways. the upbeat orchestrated poplones at current album ‘The Stars Are We' mark a return to the commercial mainstream alterthe critically acclaimed (ie noteasy listening) adventures in torch song introspection on last year's “Mother Fist' ottering. ForAlmond though itwasn't a matter at producing a newly
accessible sound; ‘I lind it impossible to tailor whatl dolorlhe public. Idoleel though. that there's a very positive leel to the recent material. which people tend to maybe pick up on more than the more melancholic stult. With the arrangements we're using nowthe music is quite disciplined. I hope it's like the big pop at the Sixties. someone like Gene Pitney. but with very much an Eighties edge to it.‘ October 1st sees Almond and his band La Magia. still
- leaturing longtime
Track29
collaborators Annie Hogan and Martin McGee. aboutto begin their lirst British tour in two years belore setting olt round the world. ‘Actually we‘re booked up all nextyearin America. Japan. South America. and alterthat we'll probably be taking some time all so it's unlikely that I'll be playing again in Britain tor quite a while.’ He promises thatthe lorthcoming shows will not only showcase the broad spectrum at his solo work. and also most agreeably lit in a section olJacques Brel's gorgeous melodramatictunes. ‘He‘s part at my roots and inspiration because he uses words in a poetical sense. For me the delivery ollhat emotion is very important. even though it means I might not get the notes in all the rightplaces.‘
Marc Almond and La Magia play Glasgow Barrowland,,1 Dctoberathm. See Rock Listings.
DENNIS POTTER
Dennis is widely and lrequently hailed as Britain's most innovative and exciting television dramatist. Opinion on his cinema work is more divided. Pennies lrom Heaven(1981)and Brimstone and Treacle (1982) were unsatislactory big screen revamps ol television originals. The
’3‘: 5%.
know each other. butthere
script lor Gorky Park (1983) was an expansive it unenthralling adaptation ot a Martin Cruz Smith novel yet his own scriptlor Dreamchild (1985) was genuinely beguiling and unusual. Now. he has collaborated with Nicolas Roeg on Track 29. a strident exploration oltheirmutual preoccupations with sex, violence. synchronicity and personal relationships.
Closely related to a trilogy ot histelevision plays lrom the 19703. Track 29 uses the Oedipus myth to illuminatethe world ota suburban American wile. trapped in a loveless drudge at a marriage and troubled by the arrival ota strange young Englishman who may or may not be her long unseen illegitimate child.
‘I don‘t like those stories where everything happens in neat order—we know lrom ourown experience that we have so manythings going on in our heads in any situation. some olwhich are lantasies. some realities. some memories. regrets. hopes. What is true about this character is that the lid was on her. she was suttocating. lull ol yearning. and her husband acknowledged none ol these. and herwishto escape lrom him would at some point have incorporated the wish that he was dead.‘
Recognising the many vagaries olthe lilm industry. Potter admitsthat the script has been around lora while waiting torthe right meeting at creative and commercial minds. Nicolas Roeg appears to have been an ideal interpreter at his work.
‘ltseems to me so obviously a Nic Roeg lilm. and yet is also lookslike something written by me. and that doesn‘t happen all that olten. We had never worked together. and didn't
“
was an immediate rapport overworking methods. We didn't have to go into a lot ot those boring literal things. you know. did this actually happen. did thatactually happen)
Track 29 seemstoo unsubtle a harangueto represent eitherartistat their best but. as withtheir tine eitorts. itwill undoubtedly attract admirers and detractors in equal numbers.
Potter‘s next challenge to
the intelligent viewer is Christabel. BBC series lilmed in Scotland aboutthe tile 01 Christabel Bielenberg. an English wile in Nazi Germany. Expected the unexpected. (Allan Hunter) Track 29 is at the Glasgow Film Theatre lrom October 9-14. See lilm listingslor details.
RACKET AND CRINGE
Dame Hilda Brackethad just returned lrom her osteopath‘s. dear. and was leeling a little crumpled. ‘He‘s pulled me intoshape. but I do leel ratheras thoughthey‘veiumped on me. lthinkit's allthe driving I do. You see. Doctor Hinge doesn‘t drive. so it's rather down to me.‘
Durlirst attemptat acosy
ear-a-earhad tailed miserably. because Dame Hilda (illmay call herthat) had locked her carkeysin the boot otherEorF registration Jaguar. She had to hurry oltto attendto it in order to retrieve her vanity case in time lorthat night‘s perlormance ol‘The Importance olBeing Hilda.‘
The duo are currently pursuing lheirtheatrical careerall overBritain. ‘We've been attracting marvellous audiences. at all ages‘ oozed Dame Hilda. ‘You have to understand that we are sincere in what we do and itshows.‘The adaptation olWilde‘s important Ernest isa serious artistic interpretation. ‘An American director(who's originally awlBroadway) helped us slightly. lplay Lady Bracknell. a dominant. lrightening woman-a challenging role lorme becausethese characteristics are so againstmy nature. DrHinge takes Miss Prism. 3 mealy-mouthed. bitter. twisted. dolelul woman. Dr Hinge doesn‘t have to act at all.‘
Dame Hilda hasreceived much critical acclaim. ‘I've been comparedto Peggy Ashcroft. And DrHinge has been likened to Bertrand Russell.’
(Kristina Woolnough) Hinge and Bracket appear at the King's Theatre Edinburgh. See Theatre Listings.
'l‘hc [.l\l 3i i Scpl
13 ( )cl 1988 3