7:00am Friday 16th October 2009
By Philippa May
THE title of Simon Cartwright’s unique one-man show – Bob Monkhouse: Some Kind of Man – is taken from the final paragraph of Monkhouse’s 1993 autobiography Crying with Laughter.
In it he anticipates his own epitaph from a movie quotation: when Marlene Dietrich as Gypsy says to the cop played by Orson Welles in Touch of Evil: “He was some kind of man.
What does it matter what you say about people?”
The first half of the show features a unique screening of Bob’s last ever acting role in a pilot sitcom called Satsuma and Pumpkin also starring Tony Hawks. The show, written, and produced by Jeremy Engler has never been broadcast before therefore offering all Bob Monkhouse fans a rare opportunity to witness his final work in the August before his death.
The second half of the show sees Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse, reminding us of some of Bob’s finest moments in a showbusiness career spanning some 50 years. As Bob himself was a talented cartoonist, there will be some original animated clips (from the ink drawings of Adrian Teal) of various celebrities voiced by Alistair McGowan and Simon.
“I first met Bob Monkhouse in 1989,” says Simon, “when I appeared on Bob’s Opportunity Knocks as an impressionist.
“Part of my audition piece was to finish on Bob, which was risky, but fortunately he liked it very much.
That’s when our friendship began and we kept in touch.” This show represents a must for all Bob Monkhouse fans, not only receiving the support of Bob’s daughter Abigail, but also raising awareness for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation’s Give a few Bob campaign, for which Simon provided the voiceover to bring Bob back to life.
“One of the last things he said to me was: ‘Rest assured, if there’s any work I can push your way I will.’ and then I got picked to do his voice in the ads,” says Simon.
“It’s funny how things turn out.”
Simon Cartwright brings Bob Monkhouse: Some Kind of Man to The Courtyard on Saturday, October 17 at 8pm. To book, call The Courtyard on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk
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