Comic and Dramatic Monologues
NOTES: Designed as a series of vignettes in a modular format to be edited together in a variety of ways for different markets, linked by the host and by the venue itself. A series of comic and dramatic monologues which pays tribute to the era of the Music Hall.
An actors' gift!
With a repertoire of over 250 monologues dating from the 1890s, the format evolved from the TV series The Green Tie On The Little Yellow Dog which featured cameo performances by well known actors originally designed to be short 'filler' programmes for Channel 4 but were re-edited for transmission as 3 x 30 minute programmes.
Each monologue is a small performance in its own right, designed to be heard and watched more than once, a mix of entertainment, comedy, and drama. Therefore, each item has a running time of between 2 minutes and 5 minutes targeted to an audience who appreciate the spoken work, the idea being rather like listening to music today using a ‘shuffle’ play-list, i.e. by random selection.
A celebrity host is the Master of Ceremonies of a dinner party at a posh London address with opulant eighteenth-century interiors, for example (as used in the previous series) which provides a sensational backdrop.
Guests are the famous actors who each get up to perform a monologue to their contemporaries (as their audience) likened to after-dinner speeches. Indeed in the Victorian and Edwardian era one might enjoy after-dinner in the parlour and perhaps gathered around the piano.
The original scene captured rare and unique footage captured of outstanding and legendary actors from 1982/83, performances which most likely have not previously seen by today's audiences and therefore to be included.
Each monologue is a small performance in its own right, designed to be heard and watched more than once, a mix of entertainment, comedy, and drama. Therefore, each item has a running time of between 2 minutes and 5 minutes targeted to an audience who appreciate the spoken work, the idea being rather like listening to music today using a ‘shuffle’ play-list, i.e. by random selection.
A celebrity host is the Master of Ceremonies of a dinner party at a posh London address with opulant eighteenth-century interiors, for example (as used in the previous series) which provides a sensational backdrop.
Guests are the famous actors who each get up to perform a monologue to their contemporaries (as their audience) likened to after-dinner speeches. Indeed in the Victorian and Edwardian era one might enjoy after-dinner in the parlour and perhaps gathered around the piano.
The original scene captured rare and unique footage captured of outstanding and legendary actors from 1982/83, performances which most likely have not previously seen by today's audiences and therefore to be included.
Neil Anthony, Creative Director
FOOTNOTE: This format is proven and the production, by design is formulaic, has the capability of a long-run and also repeatability in a various combinations. Read the TV Feature in the British Comedy Guide, (July 2022).