Ok, I loved Father Ted (not in the biblical sense, you understand). The creator of the series, Graham Linehan was interviewed on Radio4 this morning, regarding his new stage production of the Ealing Studios classic, The Ladykillers...and boy, was he just a tad tetchy.I've seen this guy on one or two telly things and have to say, I didn't warm to him at all. He may well be a fantastic bloke and obviously a tremendous comedy writer, but he just seemed like a git.
The gist of the radio interview, was why had he chosen to revisit a total classic film, for a stage version. Was there essentially any point, since it could scarcely be bettered and was very much a metaphor of its' time. Linehan stuttered and stumbled his way through 'exploring characters in greater depth' and 'things that make sense in a current setting' and then proceeded to go into a fairly extraordinary huff. His response smacked of, 'who the hell are you, to question my motives or aims in undertaking this project' and accused the interviewer of setting up an adversarial interview with someone whose views opposed his. How dare someone else have a contrary opinion to a British Comedy Awards winner!!
Anyhoo, the point of challenging Linehan and his ilk, was simply to suggest that instead of plagiarising cinema, he/they should toddle off and write some brand new stuff for theatre. I agree. It totally smacks of lassitude and a shortcut to a few bucks.
Listen chums, if you haven't seen The Ladykillers, invest in a DVD copy instantly. It's a stunning piece of 50's Ealing genius. Gently, but wickedly funny and with an unforgettable Alec Guinness performance.
Oh and 'na,na,na-na,na' to you Mr Linehan...
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