COMEDY
ARTS
Mel is a true fan of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
I was a young teen when their popularity exploded. It was at the time of Not The Nine O’Clock News, The Young Ones and French and Saunders. The comedy scene then made me feel truly proud to be British. Nobody else was doing the kind of stuff that they were. It was an explosion of anarchic fun underpinned by political beliefs and an utter two fingers up at the Tory establishment, which is always a good thing in my book. The best comedy is clever and silly at the same time. With French and Saunders (I’ve been rewatching all of the series with my teenage daughters who love it!) you forget how surreal their material could be, too. Particularly the earlier series. There are real whiffs of The Mighty Boosh and the Pythons in there.
COMEDY HEROES
My favourite French and Saunders sketch is the pastiche of the film Misery. Or maybe the Braveheart one. Their film pastiches were utterly sublime, all of them.
Mel Giedroyc is coming to the Colston Hall this month to appear in conversation with French and Saunders as they receive an Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award
And my favourite characters are the gay male makeup artists. I think they only ever appeared twice but I’m obsessed with them.
French and Saunders meant everything to Sue and I when we were starting out. They were the absolute best example of what it was to be female and funny. If you were a girl growing up (I think I was about 13 when I first saw Five Go Mad in Dorset) and you felt like a bit of a square peg in a round hole, then French and Saunders were your absolute go-to comedians. They were so irreverent, so on the mark with their observations, so good at pricking the bubble of pomposity. And more important than all of this, they were clearly such good friends. Sue and I really related to that because we are first and foremost pals. The double-act comes second.
I WAS A YOUNG TEEN WHEN THEIR POPULARITY EXPLODED. THE COMEDY SCENE THEN MADE ME FEEL TRULY PROUD TO BE BRITISH
I’m really looking forward to hanging out with the pair of them at this event. I know they’re going to tease me mercilessly, but I hope to give as good as I get. (Actually it’ll be two against one so I’ll have to really raise my game.) No, I will not reveal any of the exclusive bits and bobs from this event. DAWN & JENNIFER WOULD a) WEDGIE ME THEN b) KILL ME IF I TOLD YOU ANYTHING SO DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!
Mel is appearing with French and Saunders at Colston Hall on 22 June; www.colstonhall.org
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23