Learning a thing or two from Russ Abbot
“I can’t thank you enough for giving me the line: ‘Now pay attention, Bond’,” one of the actors said to me as he was playing around with accents. Great. But then he added: “What about adding in a joke around Basildon Bond [the stationers]?” That’s a groan gag, I said, trying not to groan.
Along the lines of Premium Bond, I said. I’ve tried to cut those out, I said.
Then he remembered that British comedian Russ Abbot had also created the Bond parody character of the same name – Basildon Bond in the Man with the Golden Labrador. (Note the evil villain with the cat – as in Bond villains’ pets … and meerkats.)
It’s good to see the cast are getting into their characters, though. And doing their research. One of the cast circulated a YouTube clip of the line ‘DoubleOh DoubleOh’. All 193* instances of a character saying “Double Oh” from all 23 Bond films. (*For the true Bond fans, technically there were 196 but three of them coincided with other loud noise/speaking that made them unintelligible, the clip uploaderers say.)
Rehearsals, by the way, are looking good. “I need to get the energy and the speed up but all that will come once we have finished blocking,” Helen Niland, the director, told me. And no doubt once they have watched Russ Abbot and DoubleOh.
mskatykins replied:
Wow, Russ Abbot, he’s a (great!) blast from the past! 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 10:18 am. Permalink.
Missus Tribble replied:
I always loved Russ Abbot too! Do you remember the sketch in which he was singing “My Christmas Record Is A Big Cock-Up”? Hysterical 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 11:10 am. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
I don’t remember that sketch – but I used to watch him alot when he was on telly. Cracks me up.
July 5, 2012 at 11:50 am. Permalink.
Missus Tribble replied:
“See Yoo, Jimmy!” 😀
I suspect that you can find the song on Youtube – I’d be very surprised if it isn’t there!
July 5, 2012 at 11:55 am. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
Yes, I’m definitely going to search for it! Thanks for the tip.
July 5, 2012 at 11:56 am. Permalink.
Missus Tribble replied:
Heheh, that song has to be about 25 years old now and it STILL makes me laugh! 😀
July 5, 2012 at 12:31 pm. Permalink.
Missus Tribble replied:
I can’t find it (boo) but here’s how the main body of it goes:
My Christmas record is a big cock-up
It’s far too late or far too soon
I’m sat here singing
Of sleighbells ringing
Now we’re here in flaming June
Like some great big wally
I sing of holly
And Christmas turkeys growing fat
I’m such a bummer
We’re here in early summer
It’s no wonder I feel such a prat
My Mum STILL has this recorded on VCR… over the years it has been watched and rewatched more times than I can count 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 1:20 pm. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
LOL
July 5, 2012 at 1:21 pm. Permalink.
Missus Tribble replied:
Haha, I know! Seriously, it was so funny!
I miss real comedy 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 1:26 pm. Permalink.
mskatykins replied:
I don’t, unfortunately and I was just trying to find it on youtube! The most clear memory in my head was him in a fat suit bouncing off a woman in a fat suit… Hmm. Good times! 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 9:40 pm. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
That doesn’t sound so good – but you made me laugh!
July 5, 2012 at 9:57 pm. Permalink.
mskatykins replied:
😀
July 6, 2012 at 7:49 am. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
Yeah, he is. Hope my Bond jokes aren’t…
July 5, 2012 at 11:51 am. Permalink.
Judith replied:
How about Unibond –for when Bond is in a sticky situation
July 5, 2012 at 12:01 pm. Permalink.
crubin replied:
I can’t imagine what a thrill it must be to see actors saying your lines. 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 7:32 pm. Permalink.
WomanBitesDog replied:
Yes it is. And a thrill to see a real theatre ticket with the name of the play on it!
July 5, 2012 at 7:45 pm. Permalink.
lightningpen replied:
Hi, Bond is ripe with utter seriousness and bravado, which lends itself to over the top seriousness and awkward hurt yourself in the process bravado! The two of which create swirling waves of comedy, but you have to be ruthless! A spy once said, stop poking my eye and beating me up, I’m trying to watch a movie! Now we’ve all been there, so I won’t mention it, whatever it was I just wrote! Thank you for the follow! Keep inspiring the world’s dreams thru laughter! Good luck with your show!
July 6, 2012 at 1:37 pm. Permalink.
4amWriter replied:
This is getting more and more exciting, I bet. What a thrill it must be for you.
July 9, 2012 at 10:11 am. Permalink.