Review: John Shuttleworth

This tour's title A Wee Ken To Remember, is based on yet another poster misprint that his hapless manager and next-door-neighbour Ken Worthington apparently failed to notice. Of course the limited horizons of Graham Fellows's alter-ego is the joke.

Graham Fellows interview

This year marks John Shuttleworth's 30th year in the comedy/music business.

Review: John Shuttleworth and Dylan Moran

Graham Fellows feels his retro comedy character cannot go on forever.

Dylan Moran is lyrical, poetic yet fearlessly frank too on religion, politics, parenthood, middle-age spread, and irritating young men, whether spouting their mystical language in mobile phone shops or the coffee house attendant with the "Edwardian cricketers' beard" lecturing him on beans.

Graham Fellows talks about creating a comedy character

In a series of videos created by The Open University, 'The Language of Comedy' looks at how comedians use language to create humour. Each video consists of short interviews with a leading comedian, or comedy writer, revealing some of the tricks of their trade. In episode one, Graham Fellows, the man behind John Shuttleworth, talks about using regional variety to get the laughs, with Shuttleworth providing some examples.

Graham Fellows: 'I can't do John Shuttleworth for ever'

Sean O'Grady joins Graham Fellows down the comedian's local Spar in Louth, Lincolnshire, for milk, pasties - and a heart-to-heart about the future of Sheffield's most versatile singer-songwriter.

John Shuttleworth, aka writer and performer Graham Fellows, is always hoping that someone will record his songs, and he gets his wish in the new series John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music.

The 'lounge' of this title doesn't necessarily relate to the comic character's whimsical style of music, but more to the front room of his house in Sheffield where he invites guests to chat and sing.

First to call in was Chas Hodges - of Chas and Dave fame (although Dave was busy elsewhere indulging his passion for restoring gypsy caravans).

Much about the half-hour amused, including the usual interruptions from John's wife Mary and his agent Ken Worthington (also voiced by Fellows), who hassled Chas about joining his tiny stable of artists.

The series is likely to stand or fall on how well the invited guest is able to ad-lib and engage with Shuttleworth's dry sense of humour. This first instalment was something of a hit and miss affair, although Chas' rendition of Shopkeepers in the North was a highlight.

Graham Fellows remembers the jam tart competition

As a child in Sheffield, his parents were involved in the first Broomhill Festival. That was 40 years ago, and now the comedy actor and musician is better known as John Shuttleworth, the fictional singer songwriter. Not that he has forgotten his hometown community festival, which starts next weekend and runs until June 22.

Comedy of the week: Brian Appleton

With his domestic philosopher John Shuttleworth back in Sheffield, fretting over whether to plump for cake or a biscuit with a cup of tea, Graham Fellows revives another of his sublime creations.

Graham Fellows interview

He had a novelty punk hit in 1978 and is the brains behind many classic characters. Now musician and actor Graham Fellows reveals how he is taking a fresh persona to The Edinburgh Fringe.

The poet laureate of parochialism and the mundane, John Shuttleworth is on fine form with this show from 2001. Fans of the Radio 4 presenter and retired security guard are in for a treat with his analysis of impending disasters. Of course, while it could be a catalogue of misery, Shuttleworth habitually celebrates minor triumphs and finds the remarkable in the routine. If flooding does affect his Sheffield home, he has absolute certainty that he'll be able to use the car port as a jetty. And if things did go really wrong, he'd be happy to go caravanning. If, like Shuttleworth, you're amazed by the convenience of contemporary living, you'll find yourself agreeing with his tributes to fleeces and comfy footwear and singing along to his ode to the carvery, "Mary had a little lamb, green beans and new potatoes." Few performers have been able to wring such depths of emotion from a portable Yamaha electronic organ as Shuttleworth. Graham Fellows's character is true one-off.