The Complete Beyond the Fringe (Methuen Humour Classics) [Paperback]

Alan Bennett (Author), Peter Cook (Author), Jonathan Miller (Author), Dudley Moore (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (Txt); First Edition Thus edition (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0413146707
• ISBN-13: 978-0413146700
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,345,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Satire begins and peaks, November 19, 2007

By 

S J Buck (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Beyond the Fringe (Methuen Humour Classics) (Paperback)

Beyond the Fringe was a theatrical revue that was first performed in London in 1961 but went on to play Broadway etc.
The contributers and performers were Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore. For those unfamiliar with the names they were respectively a brilliant English writer (Bennett), English comic writer and probably one of the funniest men who ever lived (Cook), Doctor, Opera director and many other things (Miller), musician and Actor (Moore). This book contains the complete scripts for that famous review. In fact there were a number of different versions, but the scripts here contain virtually everything from the shows.

Forty six years later and a lot of this material is still brilliantly funny. Take the opening sketch 'Steppes in the right direction'. After an introduction where Dudley Moore plays the National Anthem on a Piano, it turns out Dudley's character is not British but from Russia. The others then try to teach him about the British way of life. After failing initially they resort to extreme tastics by blowing a raspberry when Khrushchev's (the then Soviet Premier) name is mentioned and saying mmmn when Macmillan's name is mentioned. By the end though the whole the cast is saying Macmillan and blowing a raspberry everytime. Remember at the time of the show Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister and nobody had ever mocked the Prime Minister in public.

Also included in the book is the sheet music to the musical pieces Dudley Moore wrote for the show including his brilliant piece 'And the same to you'. This is the theme to Col Bogey played in a variety of classical Piano styles. Wonderfully funny if you ever saw film of him playing it, as he can't end the piece. Its a sort of spoof Beethoven ending with Dudley starting to panic...

Sadly Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are no longer with us, but this book is a fine way to remind yourself of the great contribution to British comedy that these four made.