March 26, 2025 • 13 mins
British comedian Ben Elton is returning to Christchurch this May, in what will be his final show in his Authentic Stupidity tour.
He joined John MacDonald for a chat about his outlook on life after years of writing comedy and how he feels about performing in Christchurch – plus, an exclusive reveal about his upcoming autobiography.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's podcast with John McDonald
from news Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be so you've written sixteen novels, but you've finally
written an autobiography which comes out not tiber Why have
you done this now?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Oh my goodness, that's that. You're the first person to
ask me is now how do you know this? Just
as a matter of interest, has it been released?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
You?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Johnn and you have you got a special line to
British media goss, because yes, I am bringing out my biography.
But I thought we were going to announce it with
great fanfare, and here I am talking to you about it.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
On Christ's Radio. So I never thought this would be
the first port of call. But I'm very honored.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Well, I read the British Comedy Guide and it was
in the British Comedy Guide. There was an article about
it with a photo of you looking very good and
it says ben Elton, ben Elton PINNs has autobiography. What
have I done?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
My goodness, I hadn't realized. I thought they were going
to do it with great fanfare.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They've obviously decided that you know that slow burner proay
yea yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yet what what do you mean? Are you saying I'm
not a great fans for.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Here, Well, I've just told you it was great fanfare,
but you're not the first.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I mean, I thought you and I were announcing it together.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It turns out it's on some bloody POxy British comedy site.
So you know, know, both of us have been gazumpt mate.
It's not just me, so it's also it's also so look,
yes I am, but actually.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
That's the next project.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
The real project, the project that I've been working towards
for a year is my christ Church gig, because it
will be the very last gig of my current tour,
one hundred and fifty eight tour, the longest tour I've
ever done in my life, and I end in christ Church,
and I am looking forward to it for lots of reasons,
but mainly because I've played christ Church many times in
the past. I've always had wonderful gigs, and I'm looking
(01:51):
forward to bringing a new show.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now you're not doing el to John A and saying
this is the final run around the block, and then
once you do the final run around the block, so
actually I'm going to go on the road again.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And isn't it our Showby's moves on?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That used to be the Frank Sinatra comment, isn't it
They used to talk about Frank sin Archer doing that,
but now because it's Elton John. No, it's the final
dig of this tour. I mean, I wouldn't dream of
announcing that I'm not doing anymore because I have no
idea what I'm going.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
To be doing next. I never do.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
My life has been a wonderful and privileged improvisation. I
fulfilled my lifetime's ambition. At the age of twenty one.
I started making a living writing comedy and that's all
I'd ever wanted and it's what I've done ever since,
and I imagine I'll continue doing it. Whether people will
still want to see me is another matter. But I
actually think I'm enjoying stand up comedy. Well, I know
(02:41):
I'm enjoying stand up comedy more than I have ever done,
and I think that I'm better at it than I
used to be.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And so no, I would be very surprised if this
is the last time By tour.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But it's a lot of material I mean I'm doing.
I played New zeal What in twenty twenty two, I
think at the end of my COVID canceled tour, and
it's a completely new show, so that's a lot of
material to get together. I talk quick and I do
two and a half hours, so that's plenty of ideas
is to run through. So who knows, Maybe I'll run out,
but I think the world is not in danger of
(03:12):
running out of absurdity and inspiration of lunacy, so hopefully
there'll still be something to be.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
To need us to be funny about.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So when you started that, you were twenty one, and
I gather that you were the BBC's youngest of a
sitcom writer. What was it that you didn't know about
comedy then that you know now?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well, I don't know if I've ever known anything about comedy.
I follow my instincts. Every word I write is an improvisation.
Every word I say I'm with there's an oft misquoted.
I don't get it right, but them Force has said
something along the lines of how can I tell you
what I think until I've heard what I have to say?
And that tends to be the way I I mean.
I tend to form my thoughts in motion, whether it's
(03:54):
onto my computer screen or in conversation or occasionally improvising
around an act that I've already written. I mean, it
doesn't change much each night, but there's always that possibility.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And my life is like that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's an improvisation.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So I'm not trying to be clever.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But I don't know if I know anything about comedy
beyond the one thing which I've always known, which is
above all.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
To own self be true.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I think in art as in life, Polonius gave his
advice to Hamlet. He said one of his pieces of
advice was above all self be true. And I think
in art that is incredibly important, because if you're trying
to please the audience, your very little chance you certainly
won't please yourself. And your very little chance of pleasing
them the only way you can create worthwhile, and I
(04:35):
for what it's worth. My comedy is my art. It's
what I'd say makes it sound a bit pompous, but
I think it'd be more pompous.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
If I called it a craft.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I don't know anyway, whatever it is I do, the
only way I can do my best is to please myself.
And I knew that instinctively when I started writing, when
I was eleven or twelve, write what I think is
funny and hope other people like it. Don't try and
write towards what you think they might think is funny.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I think it'd be more pompous if you called yourself
a practitioner.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Practitioner of the comic comic practice. Yeah, but I think
above all so it's funnily enough, Polonious was something of
a sort of bumbling fool of a character. But he,
you know, out of the mouths of fall. Shakespeare did
that a lot, and above all lines I own selfie true.
I mean, I wish politicians would follow that. You know,
you see politicians desperately trying to follow a line that
they only half believe in the part, you know, sort
(05:27):
of saying what they think. You know, they know it's stupid,
but they think it might.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Appeal to a certain base or whatever. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I think if everybody was more honest about what they
honestly feel and said it, I think we'd be better off.
And certainly on stage as a stand up you are
getting the most subjective version of my my comic craft, art, vocation, whatever.
Because I am entirely subjective. I'm doing what young people
do I'm standing in my truth and sharing what I know.
(05:56):
That's what that's what they say, when what they mean is,
in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
What does your show say about your outlook on life?
What is your outlook on life?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I mean, you know, that's a very massive, massive question.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
But I think you could take away from my.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Career that I'm essentially an enthusiastic about being human. I
love being part of the human community. I think there
is much to make us despair, but we've created it,
so we've got to try and fix it. I think
there's an essential in the long run of confidence.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And in our humanity.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, I think my show is essentially a celebration, even
though it is finding the funny and all the weaknesses
and foolishnesses and pretensions that we all share. There's something
very beautiful about being a comedian because when you're doing
good comedy, comedy, which is about finding the funny that
we all recognize together, you recognize that the human race really.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Is one race.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I mean, I'm always being asked whenever I go to
a newtaph, oh, what is it about Auckland audiences? Well,
Liver Puddleian's funnier than Glaswegians. And to be honest, it's nonsense.
People are all people, and we all share so much.
Obviously isn't much looks different. But what the comedian finds,
and I think what every artist finds when they write
a tune or paying a picture that people are find
(07:12):
interesting or intriguing is a shared humanity, a moment when
your humanity resonates with somebody else's or in my case,
a large crowd of people. And so yeah, I think
in the end my show is what do you take
away a celebration of being human? Because we are all,
as Shakespeare said, bare forked animals, we are all small scared.
(07:33):
If only people like Donald Trump could recognize that he's
a small, terrified, vain, little individual, desperate to be liked,
desperate to be at mid then then probably wouldn't do
so much damage, you know. And I think he can
say the same about most people, not just him. And
I think recognizing our smallness is what comedy is.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I mean, look at.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Chaplain Chaplain's celebration of the essential lonely lonely inadequacy, which
then leads to actually a beautiful realization that we're all
in this together. I don't know, we're getting onto quite
broad stuff here, but you asked a very broad question.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
All right, and a very suitable answer. You know, you
talk about your comedy show, and you're known for shows
like The Young Ones and black Head and all of that.
Have you ever thought about ditching comedy and doing something
completely different in terms of something serious a writer?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, you know, I did do one very serious thing
about two three years ago. Ken Branner rang me up.
I was on a wind sweat. It was a very right,
it was very Shakespearean.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I've done this.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I'm quoting a lot of Shakespeare at the moment, but
I've been doing a lot of Shakespeare because I have
this sitcom in Britain called up Start Crow, which is
a is a sort of Blackadder like take on Shakespeare's
life starring David Mitchell. And anyway, Ken Branner rang me up,
and I was on Rottnest Island in Western Australia and
it was a big storm was blowing, and he.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Said, I've got a challenge for you. I want you
to write.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
A feature film script about Shakespeare in retirement, exploring, you.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Know, a life compromise. He had ignored his family, the
grief of his son son's death.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
You know, it's so many interesting ideas of what it
is to be an artist in late middle age. He
was in a way missed his life because he's been
working too hard. And he said, and the main thing
I say, you're not allowed to be funny. He said,
it will be funny because you can't help yourself, but
do not try and write a single joke.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
And if you do, I won't do it.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
And I wrote play a film called All Is True,
and he made it, starring himself, Dome, Judy Dench and
Serien McKellan. So I did it, and Judy Dome. Judy
actually sent me a little video saying the reason I've
done this, this this movie for kenn is because of
your script then, and that was obviously a beautiful moment.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And so yeah, that was actually quite a serious movie.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I mean, there's there's love, and there is there is
some humor in it, but actually it's quite it's quite
a quite a sad and somber script because you know,
obviously the Shakespeare has lost their son.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Both their daughters had quite troubled lives. Obviously the marriage
was sort of weird.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
And as much as they shared their lives together but
essentially a part. And she was they say, a literate.
There's so much interesting stuff that Shakespeare, the greatest writer
in English language, was married to a woman who probably
couldn't read.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
And I actually delve into that in the movie. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean, all my work is serious, but that was
the one that was least funny.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Right, you talk about Shakespeare, and I'm dealing with that
whole end of career and you know, until I do
the right thing and blah blah blah. Do you think
you've ever been guilty of overworking?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
No, I really don't.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I have a very good work life balance, which is
perhaps why I don't write quite as well as Shakespeare did.
I'm I've always you know, my wife and I are
still happily married. Our kids, I think, are well adjusted.
They love us, They love to come home and see
us and hang out with us. So I'm, you know,
I'm I'm deeply fortunate and very grateful that, you know,
(10:42):
my home life and my private life have remained I think,
very grounded, and that's because I love it, and I
you know, I stopped touring for fifteen years because I
wanted to spend some time at home, carried on writing novels.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I'll always work. My wife's lives made to work, only
hanging around.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But I love to create. But I know how to
take time off if I'm not. You know, I'll go
months without writing something, you know. And I never have
writer's block because I'm lucky. I can afford to not work.
And so if I've got writer's block, I just call
it going to the pub.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
And you know, I love to cook. I love family meals,
and I love.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Shared friendships, and and my the things that matter to
me in life are obviously, I'm my work matters to me,
but but equally and morse obviously the most important thing
is your family and your children. But but I have
many friendships, and I don't believe I've ever lost a
single friendship when I've worked with some of I've made
many and never lost one.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
And and I love that.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
So no, I don't feel I've ever worked too hard
because I can look at a life which which we
were filled with with with a lot of happiness and satisfaction.
So you know, whether I got it right by luck
or design, I'm sounding terribly.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I don't well, no, no, no, no, Look, I don't want
to get too heavy on it. But you sound you
sound blessed.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
You know, we have our own happiness isn't our moment.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
But but basically I do think I'm well adjusted to work.
I do not feel I have to work. And I've
got thing about holism, you know, alcoholism, whatever. People.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
You know, if you do too much of this modern world,
so the things you can make a rule about what's
too much. Like the government's always saying you can drink
this much or drink that much. If not, you're a
dangerous drink.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You're an alcoholic. I love to drink. I love booze.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I think is one of the great blessings of nature.
I know you have to keep it under.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Control, but I drink a lot more than the government
says is healthy.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
But my theory is this, if you drink a teaspoon
of wine and it causes you to, you know, get
in a fight and not pay your tax and be
generally a layer about then, and you can't give that teaspoon.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Up, then you're an alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
If like me, you'll often do a bottle and a
half of wine, but you get up in the morning,
love your missus, pay your tax, you know, get on
with a with a with a hopefully relatively useful life, then.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Why give it up?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You know. So that's my view about work as well.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I work a lot more than a lot of people do.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
A lot less than I mean it, certainly work a
lot less than a coal miner or a teacher or
a career somebody who's caring for a disabled relative.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
They know about work.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
And I'm not trying to virtue signally the interview. I'm
just staying the bleeding obvious, which is, yeah, I get
up and do a few hours writing a day, but hey,
you know, it ain't sitting in the trenches. So you know,
I think if you do something which is to the
detriment of your family or your social life, if you
do something which impacts badly on the community or on
(13:28):
your family, and you can't give it up, then you've
got a problem. If you're doing something that you know
everybody enjoys and you still.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Have a great life, then you haven't got a problem.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
So writing sixteen novels and that's my hobby, has not
been a problem for me.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Brilliant to talk to and looking forward to seeing in
christ Dich.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I'm bringing a brand new show and I hope
you'll come along and have a really good laugh.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's podcast with John McDonald
from news Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be so you've written sixteen novels, but you've finally
written an autobiography which comes out not tiber Why have
you done this now?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Oh my goodness, that's that. You're the first person to
ask me is now how do you know this? Just
as a matter of interest, has it been released?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
You?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Johnn and you have you got a special line to
British media goss, because yes, I am bringing out my biography.
But I thought we were going to announce it with
great fanfare, and here I am talking to you about it.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
On Christ's Radio. So I never thought this would be
the first port of call. But I'm very honored.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Well, I read the British Comedy Guide and it was
in the British Comedy Guide. There was an article about
it with a photo of you looking very good and
it says ben Elton, ben Elton PINNs has autobiography. What
have I done?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
My goodness, I hadn't realized. I thought they were going
to do it with great fanfare.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They've obviously decided that you know that slow burner proay
yea yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yet what what do you mean? Are you saying I'm
not a great fans for.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Here, Well, I've just told you it was great fanfare,
but you're not the first.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I mean, I thought you and I were announcing it together.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It turns out it's on some bloody POxy British comedy site.
So you know, know, both of us have been gazumpt mate.
It's not just me, so it's also it's also so look,
yes I am, but actually.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
That's the next project.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
The real project, the project that I've been working towards
for a year is my christ Church gig, because it
will be the very last gig of my current tour,
one hundred and fifty eight tour, the longest tour I've
ever done in my life, and I end in christ Church,
and I am looking forward to it for lots of reasons,
but mainly because I've played christ Church many times in
the past. I've always had wonderful gigs, and I'm looking
(01:51):
forward to bringing a new show.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now you're not doing el to John A and saying
this is the final run around the block, and then
once you do the final run around the block, so
actually I'm going to go on the road again.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And isn't it our Showby's moves on?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That used to be the Frank Sinatra comment, isn't it
They used to talk about Frank sin Archer doing that,
but now because it's Elton John. No, it's the final
dig of this tour. I mean, I wouldn't dream of
announcing that I'm not doing anymore because I have no
idea what I'm going.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
To be doing next. I never do.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
My life has been a wonderful and privileged improvisation. I
fulfilled my lifetime's ambition. At the age of twenty one.
I started making a living writing comedy and that's all
I'd ever wanted and it's what I've done ever since,
and I imagine I'll continue doing it. Whether people will
still want to see me is another matter. But I
actually think I'm enjoying stand up comedy. Well, I know
(02:41):
I'm enjoying stand up comedy more than I have ever done,
and I think that I'm better at it than I
used to be.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
And so no, I would be very surprised if this
is the last time By tour.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But it's a lot of material I mean I'm doing.
I played New zeal What in twenty twenty two, I
think at the end of my COVID canceled tour, and
it's a completely new show, so that's a lot of
material to get together. I talk quick and I do
two and a half hours, so that's plenty of ideas
is to run through. So who knows, Maybe I'll run out,
but I think the world is not in danger of
(03:12):
running out of absurdity and inspiration of lunacy, so hopefully
there'll still be something to be.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
To need us to be funny about.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So when you started that, you were twenty one, and
I gather that you were the BBC's youngest of a
sitcom writer. What was it that you didn't know about
comedy then that you know now?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well, I don't know if I've ever known anything about comedy.
I follow my instincts. Every word I write is an improvisation.
Every word I say I'm with there's an oft misquoted.
I don't get it right, but them Force has said
something along the lines of how can I tell you
what I think until I've heard what I have to say?
And that tends to be the way I I mean.
I tend to form my thoughts in motion, whether it's
(03:54):
onto my computer screen or in conversation or occasionally improvising
around an act that I've already written. I mean, it
doesn't change much each night, but there's always that possibility.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And my life is like that.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's an improvisation.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So I'm not trying to be clever.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But I don't know if I know anything about comedy
beyond the one thing which I've always known, which is
above all.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
To own self be true.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I think in art as in life, Polonius gave his
advice to Hamlet. He said one of his pieces of
advice was above all self be true. And I think
in art that is incredibly important, because if you're trying
to please the audience, your very little chance you certainly
won't please yourself. And your very little chance of pleasing
them the only way you can create worthwhile, and I
(04:35):
for what it's worth. My comedy is my art. It's
what I'd say makes it sound a bit pompous, but
I think it'd be more pompous.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
If I called it a craft.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I don't know anyway, whatever it is I do, the
only way I can do my best is to please myself.
And I knew that instinctively when I started writing, when
I was eleven or twelve, write what I think is
funny and hope other people like it. Don't try and
write towards what you think they might think is funny.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I think it'd be more pompous if you called yourself
a practitioner.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Practitioner of the comic comic practice. Yeah, but I think
above all so it's funnily enough, Polonious was something of
a sort of bumbling fool of a character. But he,
you know, out of the mouths of fall. Shakespeare did
that a lot, and above all lines I own selfie true.
I mean, I wish politicians would follow that. You know,
you see politicians desperately trying to follow a line that
they only half believe in the part, you know, sort
(05:27):
of saying what they think. You know, they know it's stupid,
but they think it might.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Appeal to a certain base or whatever. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I think if everybody was more honest about what they
honestly feel and said it, I think we'd be better off.
And certainly on stage as a stand up you are
getting the most subjective version of my my comic craft, art, vocation, whatever.
Because I am entirely subjective. I'm doing what young people
do I'm standing in my truth and sharing what I know.
(05:56):
That's what that's what they say, when what they mean is,
in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
What does your show say about your outlook on life?
What is your outlook on life?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I mean, you know, that's a very massive, massive question.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
But I think you could take away from my.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Career that I'm essentially an enthusiastic about being human. I
love being part of the human community. I think there
is much to make us despair, but we've created it,
so we've got to try and fix it. I think
there's an essential in the long run of confidence.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And in our humanity.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, I think my show is essentially a celebration, even
though it is finding the funny and all the weaknesses
and foolishnesses and pretensions that we all share. There's something
very beautiful about being a comedian because when you're doing
good comedy, comedy, which is about finding the funny that
we all recognize together, you recognize that the human race really.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Is one race.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I mean, I'm always being asked whenever I go to
a newtaph, oh, what is it about Auckland audiences? Well,
Liver Puddleian's funnier than Glaswegians. And to be honest, it's nonsense.
People are all people, and we all share so much.
Obviously isn't much looks different. But what the comedian finds,
and I think what every artist finds when they write
a tune or paying a picture that people are find
(07:12):
interesting or intriguing is a shared humanity, a moment when
your humanity resonates with somebody else's or in my case,
a large crowd of people. And so yeah, I think
in the end my show is what do you take
away a celebration of being human? Because we are all,
as Shakespeare said, bare forked animals, we are all small scared.
(07:33):
If only people like Donald Trump could recognize that he's
a small, terrified, vain, little individual, desperate to be liked,
desperate to be at mid then then probably wouldn't do
so much damage, you know. And I think he can
say the same about most people, not just him. And
I think recognizing our smallness is what comedy is.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I mean, look at.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Chaplain Chaplain's celebration of the essential lonely lonely inadequacy, which
then leads to actually a beautiful realization that we're all
in this together. I don't know, we're getting onto quite
broad stuff here, but you asked a very broad question.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
All right, and a very suitable answer. You know, you
talk about your comedy show, and you're known for shows
like The Young Ones and black Head and all of that.
Have you ever thought about ditching comedy and doing something
completely different in terms of something serious a writer?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, you know, I did do one very serious thing
about two three years ago. Ken Branner rang me up.
I was on a wind sweat. It was a very right,
it was very Shakespearean.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
I've done this.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I'm quoting a lot of Shakespeare at the moment, but
I've been doing a lot of Shakespeare because I have
this sitcom in Britain called up Start Crow, which is
a is a sort of Blackadder like take on Shakespeare's
life starring David Mitchell. And anyway, Ken Branner rang me up,
and I was on Rottnest Island in Western Australia and
it was a big storm was blowing, and he.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Said, I've got a challenge for you. I want you
to write.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
A feature film script about Shakespeare in retirement, exploring, you.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Know, a life compromise. He had ignored his family, the
grief of his son son's death.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
You know, it's so many interesting ideas of what it
is to be an artist in late middle age. He
was in a way missed his life because he's been
working too hard. And he said, and the main thing
I say, you're not allowed to be funny. He said,
it will be funny because you can't help yourself, but
do not try and write a single joke.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
And if you do, I won't do it.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
And I wrote play a film called All Is True,
and he made it, starring himself, Dome, Judy Dench and
Serien McKellan. So I did it, and Judy Dome. Judy
actually sent me a little video saying the reason I've
done this, this this movie for kenn is because of
your script then, and that was obviously a beautiful moment.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
And so yeah, that was actually quite a serious movie.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I mean, there's there's love, and there is there is
some humor in it, but actually it's quite it's quite
a quite a sad and somber script because you know,
obviously the Shakespeare has lost their son.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Both their daughters had quite troubled lives. Obviously the marriage
was sort of weird.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
And as much as they shared their lives together but
essentially a part. And she was they say, a literate.
There's so much interesting stuff that Shakespeare, the greatest writer
in English language, was married to a woman who probably
couldn't read.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
And I actually delve into that in the movie. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I mean, all my work is serious, but that was
the one that was least funny.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Right, you talk about Shakespeare, and I'm dealing with that
whole end of career and you know, until I do
the right thing and blah blah blah. Do you think
you've ever been guilty of overworking?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
No, I really don't.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I have a very good work life balance, which is
perhaps why I don't write quite as well as Shakespeare did.
I'm I've always you know, my wife and I are
still happily married. Our kids, I think, are well adjusted.
They love us, They love to come home and see
us and hang out with us. So I'm, you know,
I'm I'm deeply fortunate and very grateful that, you know,
(10:42):
my home life and my private life have remained I think,
very grounded, and that's because I love it, and I
you know, I stopped touring for fifteen years because I
wanted to spend some time at home, carried on writing novels.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I'll always work. My wife's lives made to work, only
hanging around.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But I love to create. But I know how to
take time off if I'm not. You know, I'll go
months without writing something, you know. And I never have
writer's block because I'm lucky. I can afford to not work.
And so if I've got writer's block, I just call
it going to the pub.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
And you know, I love to cook. I love family meals,
and I love.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Shared friendships, and and my the things that matter to
me in life are obviously, I'm my work matters to me,
but but equally and morse obviously the most important thing
is your family and your children. But but I have
many friendships, and I don't believe I've ever lost a
single friendship when I've worked with some of I've made
many and never lost one.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
And and I love that.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
So no, I don't feel I've ever worked too hard
because I can look at a life which which we
were filled with with with a lot of happiness and satisfaction.
So you know, whether I got it right by luck
or design, I'm sounding terribly.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I don't well, no, no, no, no, Look, I don't want
to get too heavy on it. But you sound you
sound blessed.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
You know, we have our own happiness isn't our moment.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
But but basically I do think I'm well adjusted to work.
I do not feel I have to work. And I've
got thing about holism, you know, alcoholism, whatever. People.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
You know, if you do too much of this modern world,
so the things you can make a rule about what's
too much. Like the government's always saying you can drink
this much or drink that much. If not, you're a
dangerous drink.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You're an alcoholic. I love to drink. I love booze.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I think is one of the great blessings of nature.
I know you have to keep it under.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Control, but I drink a lot more than the government
says is healthy.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
But my theory is this, if you drink a teaspoon
of wine and it causes you to, you know, get
in a fight and not pay your tax and be
generally a layer about then, and you can't give that teaspoon.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Up, then you're an alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
If like me, you'll often do a bottle and a
half of wine, but you get up in the morning,
love your missus, pay your tax, you know, get on
with a with a with a hopefully relatively useful life, then.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Why give it up?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You know. So that's my view about work as well.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
I work a lot more than a lot of people do.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
A lot less than I mean it, certainly work a
lot less than a coal miner or a teacher or
a career somebody who's caring for a disabled relative.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
They know about work.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
And I'm not trying to virtue signally the interview. I'm
just staying the bleeding obvious, which is, yeah, I get
up and do a few hours writing a day, but hey,
you know, it ain't sitting in the trenches. So you know,
I think if you do something which is to the
detriment of your family or your social life, if you
do something which impacts badly on the community or on
(13:28):
your family, and you can't give it up, then you've
got a problem. If you're doing something that you know
everybody enjoys and you still.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Have a great life, then you haven't got a problem.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
So writing sixteen novels and that's my hobby, has not
been a problem for me.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Brilliant to talk to and looking forward to seeing in
christ Dich.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I'm bringing a brand new show and I hope
you'll come along and have a really good laugh.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.