The Trials and Triumphs of Les Dawson


Book Description

STRONGThe first ever narrative biography of a towering figure in British comedy Les Dawson, more than any other comedian, spoke for the phlegmatic, pessimistic British way of life. A Northern lad who climbed out of the slums thanks to an uncommonly brilliant mind, he was always the underdog, but his bark was funnier and more incisive than many comics who claimed to bite. Married twice in real life, he had a third wife in his comic world—a fictional ogre built from spare parts left by fleeing Nazis at the end of World War II—and an equally frightening mother-in-law. He was down to earth, yet given to eloquent, absurd flights of fancy. He was endlessly generous with his time, but slow to buy a round of drinks. He was a mass of contradictions. In short, he was human, he was genuine, and that's why audiences loved him. This is his story.




Representations of the Mother-in-Law in Literature, Film, Drama, and Television


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive study of some ways of treating the subject that demonstrate new and unusual perspectives, and provides a different approach to the popularly-held views of mothers-in-law; and that further address these works as popular culture; and as texts in their own right from within the framework of literary theory; and as works that demonstrate the ability to reach and connect with, and satisfy, both the general reader, the student, and the scholar, from all levels and walks of life.




I Was Douglas Adams's Flatmate


Book Description

Beginning life as a series on Radio 4, I Was Douglas Adams's Flatmate is a series of interviews that examine a great artist, politician or innovator from the perspective of an assistant, lover, muse, flatmate or editor who was indispensable to them at a key moment in their career. We hear from Douglas Adams's flatmate who reveals how the writer got hooked on listening to Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights while writing Hitchhikers' Guide; Ernest Hemingway's La Secretaria, Sam Peckinpah's Girl Friday, Les Dawson's Gag-writer, Billie Holliday's Stand in, Will Carling's Physiotherapist, Johnny Cash's Tailor and David Beckham's Stylist, among others. McGibbon, who was Morrissey's drummer, engages the reader with the human behind the artist, providing a revealing insight into well known personalities.







Les Dawson's Secret Notebooks


Book Description

The voice of the great Les Dawson, it has to be. Dawson, the comedian’s comedian, a man with a massive following in his lifetime and now a real cult hero. Who can forget the out-of tune piano playing, the mother in- law jokes, the fast-fire gags and routines that shot from his mouth with apparent ease? Here now, selected and introduced by his widow Tracy, is a treasure-trove of unseen and unpublished Les Dawson material, culled from his notebooks and diaries. Clearly, for Les it was never easy or effortless, and just how hard he worked on, and honed, his material is clear from the boxes of hand-written gags and routines he left behind, each page funnier and more outrageous than the next. Heading after heading, is followed by pages of one-liners: I wouldn’t Say she was a Fast Eater But . . . I wouldn’t Say he was Mean, But . ..I Wouldn’t Say She Was Thin. But . . . And there are the Blankety Blank routines (‘Some quiz shows.come, some quiz shows go . . . thisone is still waiting for a lift.’) as wellas the inventive letters, the radio and.television routines, the silly drawings,and crazy, off-the-wall stories. On top, of all this, there are Les’s often,poignant diaries, including early days when he was a Hoover salesman. A rich and fabulous feast indeed, and one that will be devoured by Les Dawson’s countless fans. Born in Collyhurst, Manchester in 1934, Les Dawson was one of Britain’s finest and best-loved comedians. He toured the clubs and pubs for many years, before he was ‘discovered’ on Hughie Green’s TV show, Opportunity Knocks in 1967, becoming a household name. Les was also a prolific writer with thirteen books to his credit. He married Tracy in 1989, and their daughter Charlotte was born three years later. Les died suddenly of a heart attack at their home in Lytham St Annes in 1993.




The Spectator


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New Statesman


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The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal


Book Description

Elegantly repackaged, The Morning Pages Journal is one of The Artist's Way's most effective tools for cultivating creativity, personal growth, and change. Now more compact and featuring spiral binding to make for easier use, these Morning Pages invite you to do three pages daily of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness, which provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize, and synchronize the day at hand. This daily writing, coupled with the twelve-week program outlined in The Artist's Way, will help you discover and recover your personal creativity, artistic confidence, and productivity. The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal includes an introduction by Julia Cameron, complete instructions on how to use the Morning Pages and benefit fully from their daily use, and inspiring quotations that will guide you through the process.




Les Dawson's Joke Book


Book Description

The first-ever joke book from one of the UK's best-loved comedians, Les Dawson's Joke Book is a must for any fan of this perennially popular comedian.




The Listener


Book Description