- Radio Times
- Review by:
- David Crawford
It is said of many comics that they could read out the telephone directory and make it funny. That’s always questionable but on 4 December 1958 during a debate at the Oxford Union, humorist and tuba player Gerard Hoffnung performed a similar feat, reading out a bricklayer’s letter to his employer describing an accident he suffered at work.
It’s a masterclass in comic timing. Jack Dee explores the genesis and influence of The Bricklayer’s Lament, and provides a potted bio of Hoffnung, but, it’s Hoffnung’s warm, absurdist comedy that is the main draw. You won’t be able to resist laughing out loud.
About this programme
Jack Dee tells the story of German humorist Gerard Hoffnung's famed anecdote The Bricklayer's Lament, which featured as part of his speech at an Oxford Union debate in 1958. The comedian reveals how an early incarnation of BBC Radio 4's Just a Minute played a pivotal role in making the tale a classic, and revisits archive interviews, clips and recordings of Hoffnung during his 20 years in Britain. With contributions by Hoffnung fans Ian Hislop and Colin Dexter.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Presenter
- Jack Dee
- Contributor
- Colin Dexter
- Contributor
- Ian Hislop
Crew
- Producer
- Paul Russell
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