Product Description

The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy is the ultimate guide to live and television comedy in Britain from the 1980s to the present day. From Ben Elton to Alan Carr, this book profiles fifty of the most influential cult comedy icons and discovers how they became household names. Throughout the book, there are tips from comedians and industry insiders, with a mix of amusing anecdotes and practical suggestions for writing and performing your own live show and sitcom. The guide reviews the top cult comedy on TV and in the movies, with a detailed focus on what inspired them and what they in turn inspired. "Comedy Stories" looks at the highs and lows of performing live comedy with tales of the rowdiest hecklers and strangest audiences. The book comes complete with a round up of the best dvds, books and comic websites available.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78836 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Julian Hall is the comedy critic for The Independent . He has reviewed most of the major figures in comedy during his career and has twice been on the judging panel for the Chortle Comedy Awards and for the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Award.

Customer Reviews

Ooh! you are (far from) awful!
A truly informative guide; what Mr Hall doesn't know about British cult comedy could be written on a very small postage stamp. Very authorititative and written in a clear, honest style, the book does well not to fall into the trap of parodying its own subject matter. And like the best of books, I found myself chortling to myself at some of the passages.

One small criticism - why oh why is there no entry for Rod Hull and Emu, quite possibly the best post-modern bird-man routine the world has ever known? That shocking omission has cost Mr Hall a star.

A brilliant insight into British comedy
A brilliant insight into the origins, major influences and current players of the British comedy scene. Funny, well written and full of genuinely interesting info. I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend and ended up reading it cover to cover myself. Highly recommended.

A cult book about cult comedy!
I have always followed comedy and love nothing else than going to my local comedy club on a Saturday night...but i realised my knowledge of classic cult British comedy was severly lacking when i read this book!

It's incredibly well written, well thought out and informative...and i've learnt loads of interesting facts and info on some of my favourite British comedians! Eddie Izzard being mine and my boyfriends favourite stand-up.

The perfect stocking filler! I couldn't recommend it highly enough!