I forgot one of my all time favourites, we are talking tears streaming down faces here.
John Shuttleworth in '500 Bus Stops'. For those not familiar John Shuttleworth is played by Greme Fellowes (He who wrote and sang Gordon Is A Moron some years back). Anyhow John was made redundant in his 50's and spent his golden handshake a keyboard. His greatest joy in life was taking it on the road and performing such classics as, Pigeons In Flight,Save The Whale and one about Garden centres which was called..??? anyone?? Oh and that homage to B.Ls finest 'Austin Ambassador Y Reg'. These would be performed in public locations as people went about their daily lives. The Whale number for example was done in a frozen food store where John preached the message of saving whales by eating alternative marine life:
'Save the whale,
it's fins, it's hump,
it's tail.
Stop the slaughter
don't you think we oughta
save the whale?'
Went the chorus, I could go on to one or 2 verses but don't wish to spoil for those who haven't seen it yet.
The show was filmed in a day in the life style and you only ever saw John all the other characters were off camera and dubbed in by Graeme later.
Why 500 bus stops you ask? Well, from memory the aforementioned Y Reg Ambassador lets them down when on a national tour so John and his manager called ..??? some help me out here, take to public transport.
I was lucky enough to see the live show several times.
Come on auntie Beeb stick this comedy gem back on for us
Mogs