In the thick of comedy
MARION McMULLEN finds satire proved a blast 20 years ago when Armando Iannucci launched on the scene
ARMANDO IANNUCCCI has been involved in some of the funniest and most ground-breaking comedies of the last 20 years and has even exported his scathingly satirical sense of humour across the Atlantic.
The Thick Of It and Veep creator was making his mark with The Armando Iannucci Shows back in
2001.
The eight-part series launched on Channel 4 on August 30 and offered Armando’s observations on society and life mixed with surreal sketches and topics ranging from work and mortality to neighbours and imagination.
He wrote the scripts with Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, and Stephen Mangan also appeared in six episodes.
It was an early showcase of Armando’s comedy talents and the Scottish writer and performer has gone on to enjoy TV success in the UK with The Thick Of It, starring Peter Capaldi, which satirised the role of spin doctors and ineptitude in government, and film In The Loop.
“I started quite young at school, compering a charity event at an old people’s home,” Armando once revealed.
“I would stand up and do impressions and enjoyed the laughter. It’s very addictive. It’s a lovely sensation to say something and hear a whole room laugh.” Seinfield regular Julia Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy for her role as US vice president in the TV satire Veep, while Armando has also brought out films like the Death of Stalin and directed and co-wrote David Copperfield starring Dev Patel in the title role.
Armando’s latest TV venture is sci-fi satire Avenue 5 about a luxury space cruiser captained by Hugh Laurie, which is thrown disastrously off course adding three years to the passengers’ planned holiday trip.
Armando once said:
“I am an optimist even though I am told that everything I do is negative and cynical.”