Jeremy Hardy! *faints*

[Triosk1]

Ok, so I have just got back from the theatre, where I went to see 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue - the best bits'. This obs will probably require a lot of explanation for not an awful lot of substance, but if it inspires ANYONE to go out and experience this wonderful show, I'm happy. Basically, 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' is a long-running (35 year in fact) radio 'quiz show', along the lines of 'Just a Minute', 'The news quiz', that sort of thing. But it was invented to be 'the antidote to panel games'. It basically spoofs just about any panel game it can get its dirty little hands on, and is OUTRAGEOUSLY funny. Over the years, it developed (with lots of variation and exceptions) a regular panel of Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Willie Rushton. Sadly, Willie died in 1996. Since he stopped playing, the empty seat is generally filled by a guest member. The host is, always has been, and always will be, Humphrey Lyttelton (jazz trumpeter), who is now 86 and going strong. This is a pic of him, and also the BBC homepage to the game, which will tell you all you could ever want to know really: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/. Oh, yes, the pianist is Colin Sell, because a lot of the games and rounds are 'musical' (using it in the loosest sense), so there is often a piano accompaniment, and he gets the mick taken out of him ALL THE TIME. I think he's a star.

So yes, on with the obs. At the moment, the team, plus Jeremy Hardy as the guest: http://www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk/...382&month=9, are touring British theatres with 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue - the best bits', a show which is basically a lot of the best rounds, with some ad-libbed stuff, lots of music, audience participation, and wonderful jokes that you may have heard before but which are still hilarious. Personally, I always love the episodes with Jeremy (who also does a BBC Radio 7 show called 'Jeremy Hardy speaks to the nation', as well as stand-up tours, and appearing on quiz shows on TV, like 'Have I got news for you', and 'QI'), because he's very funny and cynical, and a great guy, so I thought life was wonderful. The seats were...in the building, but that's about all you could say for them. But it was all good. It was ISIHAC!

So yes, my life would have been perfect that evening anyway, but it had to get EVEN BETTER. There was sneezing. Actual sneezing. It was in the round 'Sound Charades'. Basically one team gets given a book/tv show/film etc, and has to do a small sketch to give a hint to the other team what it is. Jeremy and Tim had done their sketch (I can't remember which one they had just done, it was either Brokeback Mountain or Dirty Harry lol), and Barry and Graeme were trying to guess what it was. So they were talking, and Tim and Jeremy were giving them little hints, and we were clapping when they got close, and one of them had just said something that was wrong, and Jeremy was going to correct them. However, instead of saying anything, he sat back from where he was sitting with his arms on the desk, and took on this gorgeous pre-sneeze expression for a split-second before putting up one hand and sneezing (not turned too far away from the mike thank goodness, so it was still clearly audible to anyone who was paying attention, which only a few people were as Tim was talking), a perfect 'Heh'USHoo!' Obviously, my immediate attention was totally captured. I went BRIGHT red, because my dad was sitting next to me, and I always do that, and stared at Jeremy, who was still trying to correct Graeme! He had his right hand just in front of his face, and the other he was waving to indicate that they'd got it wrong, but still with this totally adorable pre-sneeze face, before another 'Heh'USHoo!' still audible. I nearly died. He then sat forward again and went on to say what he was going to say, and I heard this woman a row or so away from me murmur 'bless you', under her breath, which I thought was really sweet, because it's what I do often when I want to bless someone but can't. The thing is, this event really sums up for me what I love about this fetish. Jeremy Hardy is a brilliant comedian, and I think he's hilariously funny, and have the greatest respect for him, but, being honest, I wouldn't fancy him in a million years. He's just not my type or age-range. But to see him sneeze, in a situation where he couldn't do anything about it, and where he looked helpless for moment, was undeniably hot! There aren't many situations in my normal life where I could see a guy that I would never fancy do something, and I'd find it attractive in spite of that. So there we are: my two cents.

The other half of my obs is just a blessing, but I thought it was a really sweet moment. They were playing Mornington Crescent (which I really can't go into or I'll be here all night and you'll get bored, but basically it's a made up game that the teams pretend have specific rules that they make up on the spot, and it's got its own history like chess. It's amazing.), and Barry Cryer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/article/barry.shtml, was just about to make his move. He was starting to talk it through to himself, when there was this loud, female sneeze from the audience (I wasn't listening enough to spell it). Barry just talked over it, as you'd expect in a normal show. He got to the end of the spiel, chose his move, and stated it, and then turned back to the audience and said 'oh, bless you, by the way'. The lady shouted up 'thank you', after a couple of seconds. I thought it was really cute that he acknowledged her sneeze while he was speaking.

So basically, my evening has been really amazing.

[Vetinari]

*Faints too*

Jeremy Hardy is an amazing comedian and like you I don't find him attractive but I can imagine that being an amazing moment with him on stage (thank goodness he didn't move too far from the microphone!). Thanks for sharing that. Funny because Radio 4 was always on at home and I can remember them playing Mornington Crescent but I hardly listen to the 'wireless!!!' now.

Oh the shipping forecast....I miss it!

Clearly I'm really really sad.

Anyway it's a wonderful observation.

Edit to say by "at home" I meant when I was a child.........hm....not sure what that says about me!

[count tiszula]

What a lovely experience; and how true it is that the sneezes make all the difference; oddly, to me J Hardy is quite a pretty boy, and I can see how a good sneeze or two would take him oer the line and make up for his inability to sing {like Julian Clary] and his top leftiness [better exhibited on The News Quiz and the like]. It sounds like a fab experience. You just can't beat the wireless for up to the minute comedy {though I don't think they've ever done anything better than the double impersonations, eg Walter Gabriel as Frank Spencer, of whenever you said it was}.

Surely Mornington crescent is just a heart-warming story of a boy and his attempts to get somewhere on the Noerthern Line; one might compare some of the lovely Northern Line stories on Related Fetishes.