Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
The show must go on...
Steve Punt are back on stage
For the first time in 10 years, two of Britain’s comedy greats are bringing their razorsharp wit and satirical quips to the stage.
Outnumbered star Hugh Dennis and comedy writer Steve Punt have worked together on a number of shows, most notably BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, which ran from 1998 until earlier this year.
Now, the pair are bringing their sense of humour and undeniable chemistry to the stage with a nationwide tour of their new show, We Are Not a Robot.
Hugh, who was a regular panellist on Mock the Week for 17 years, and Steve, who has written for shows such as Would I Lie to You and Horrible Histories, met while supporting comedian Jaspar Carrott.
They went on to create sketch show the Mary Whitehouse Experience for BBC Radio 1 with David Baddiel and Rob Newman and pen their own series, the Imaginatively Titled Punt and Dennis Show.
“It's very easy to think people live in the radio or on the telly, but actually people
‘There's a big part of me looking forward to being liberated’
do radio and TV as parts of what they do,” says Steve.
“I always think that live shows are the core of everything.”
The BBC announced that the last season of the duo’s longrunning The Now Show would air in March after 25 years.
The topical comedy show featured guests such as Sue Perkins, Adam Kay, Al Murray and Paul Sinha.
“There's a big part of me that's looking forward to being liberated from everything I write being a hilarious look at the week's news,” says Steve, reflecting on the end of the show.
“It's very limiting and also, increasingly, it's a problem, because topical jokes are done immediately on social media. Meeting on Tuesday, recording on Thursday and going out Friday feels very old now.”
However, the new stage show is set to feature many of the pair’s previous characters and running jokes from their time on the airwaves.
“Mr Strange seems to be remembered even though he's from 1992,” remarks Hugh.
“I still get people shouting his catchphrase ‘Milky Milky’ at me in the street. There are lots of things I don't want people shouting at me in the street so ‘Milky Milky’ is good.
“And the Minister who I play, he's always wanting to resign and then saying he's not going to resign and then resigning. Even if you didn't know him originally, it's a timeless thing.”
Punt And Dennis: We Are Not A Robot will be at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Tuesday, May 21 and the Orchard West Theatre in Dartford on Wednesday, May 22. You can book tickets to both dates online.