When it comes to the great icons of comedy, Britain rules the airwaves, screen and stage. No other country in the world can boast such a pedigree of top comic entertainers and their legacy lives on through their recordings and films.
From the silent screen stars Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, to the modern day stand-ups Peter Kay and Michael McIntyre, this affectionate collection of profiles includes more than 60 comedians, many of whom have stood the test of time and are regarded as comic legends. Every comedian included here has cheered us up throughout our everyday lives.
All of us of course have a favourite: be it Spike Milligan, the founding father of madcap humour that so influenced the Monty Python team; the satirist Peter Cook, described by Stephen Fry as “the funniest man who ever drew breath”; the calamitous clown Tommy Cooper whose magic tricks were forever going wrong; or the warmth and comic timing of Britain’s best-loved duo Morecambe and Wise. This diverse selection, which has been greatly enhanced by the stunningly brilliant illustrations of artist John Ireland, can only give a glimpse of the comic genius that has come from these shores, but it shows just how blessed we are to have so much talent to amuse us.
From the silent screen stars Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, to the modern day stand-ups Peter Kay and Michael McIntyre, this affectionate collection of profiles includes more than 60 comedians, many of whom have stood the test of time and are regarded as comic legends. Every comedian included here has cheered us up throughout our everyday lives.
All of us of course have a favourite: be it Spike Milligan, the founding father of madcap humour that so influenced the Monty Python team; the satirist Peter Cook, described by Stephen Fry as “the funniest man who ever drew breath”; the calamitous clown Tommy Cooper whose magic tricks were forever going wrong; or the warmth and comic timing of Britain’s best-loved duo Morecambe and Wise. This diverse selection, which has been greatly enhanced by the stunningly brilliant illustrations of artist John Ireland, can only give a glimpse of the comic genius that has come from these shores, but it shows just how blessed we are to have so much talent to amuse us.
