John Fleming (I)
- Journalist
Press clippings Page 8
The death of the second 'Albert', Dougie Gray
In a 2014 blog, I wrote about the death of Tony Gray, one of The Alberts - the gloriously eccentric British brothers who linked the shambolic opening night of BBC2 to The Goon Show, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Monty Python's Flying Circus. This afternoon, sadly, I received news from Sheba Gray - Tony's daughter - that Douglas, the other half of the duo, "passed away last Thursday (18th June), just shy of ninety"...
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 23rd June 2020Interview: Kunt and the Gang
I try to make these blogs fairly immediate. But, in this case, I have failed miserably. After trying and failing two or three times to meet up online during the early days of the coronavirus lockdown, Kunt (of Kunt and The Gang - is there any other?) and I eventually chatted via FaceTime on 14th May - that's almost a month ago now.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 9th June 2020Dave Brooks, RIP - astonishing original
I was asleep today - about 11 in the morning - when Martin Soan phoned to tell me Dave 'Bagpipes' Brooks - an early member of The Greatest Show on Legs - had died.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 12th May 2020Simon Munnery on his first art exhibition
It's Tuesday today. Last Wednesday, I went to Bedford for a chat with ever-original comedy performer Simon Munnery. He travels about 11 miles to Bedford every Wednesday to buy his vegetables.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 17th March 2020Twonkey fails to explain next week's comedy show...
Paul Vickers aka Twonkey performs his latest show Twonkey's Ten Year Twitch at the Soho Theatre in London next Monday night. He lives in Edinburgh. I live in London (ish). We talked via Apple FaceTime... We both got sidetracked in cyberspace...
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 10th March 2020Becky Fury interview
Becky Fury on scam romance, a possible murder attempt and Moroccan police.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 9th March 2020How to write a successful Edinburgh Fringe comedy show...
Expanding a good 20-minute stage act where you meander from one anecdote to another via cleverly obscuring the fact that none of the bits really fit together but you have 'seamlessly' Sellotaped over the gaps with clever links... That doesn't work in a 55-ish minute show at the Edinburgh Fringe (or anywhere else).
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 23rd February 2020Interview: Njambi McGrath on her autobiography
I had a chat with comedy performer Njambi McGrath at the Museum of Comedy in London. Her autobiographical memoir Through the Leopard's Gaze is published today in print and as an audio book.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 30th January 2020RIP: Nicholas Parsons and other gentle men
I was at a crematorium in Hampshire today. For a celebration of the life of my cousin's husband, Michael. He was that seemingly rare thing: a kind, decent and gentle man. My cousin chose well marrying him. When I left, within less than a minute of me switching on my phone again, there was a BBC newsflash that Nicholas Parsons had died, aged. 96. And it started to rain. Truly.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 28th January 2020Martin Besserman on Greta Thunberg, drugs, dead animals
Martin Besserman runs the long-established Monkey Business club in London. He has decided to give profits from four of his shows to a charity...
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 8th January 2020