Kay a ray of funshine amid dull comedy

Ihave a terrible admission to make – I don’t really like comedy. Whniledpeople are laughing at comedians, I’m just usually sitting there thinking: “What’s funny about that?” When people try to be funny, I often find that very “unfunny”.

I much prefer funny situations, like when Morecambe and Wise did funny sketches – those would make me laugh out loud.

Scotland The What? remains the funniest thing I ever heard – although that was perhaps a combination of it being so close to home with their Doric words and accents from our part of the world and it being one of the first funny shows I had heard.

Billy Connolly also caused my friends and I to cry with laughter while at uni.

The sketch about the “big slipper” was the funniest to us because we actually had one of those big fluffy inventions for two feet in our student flat.

But apart from those exceptions, I can’t think of any other comedian I was a fan of.

And also, my absolute pet hate is canned laughter on TV shows. Loads of American shows have it and it drives me mad.

However, I have often enjoyed TV programmes involving Peter Kay. Do you remember that talent show spoof he did years ago? It was called Britain’s Got The Pop Factor... And Possibly A New Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.

It was so funny because the talent shows were at the height of their popularity and this so cleverly made fun of all the TV jeopardy.

I remember one “contestant” being sent home and then, when his granny died, he suddenly had a sob story and was brought back into the competition.

This was when the UK was beginning to see that people with a sob story often seemed to have more chance of being popular on talent shows.

Of course, this absolute winning formula meant that the lead character Geraldine, played by Peter Kay, had such a good winner’s song that it actually made it to No 2 in the UK charts!

And, believe it or not, I actually enjoyed two different series written by Peter Kay. Car Share is a simple formula but oh so funny and poignant.

I’ve realised that is Peter Kay’s genius. He makes us laugh but he still manages to make us love the characters and feel emotional at the same time.

So, when Gordon and I were invited to Birmingham to see Peter Kay’s tour by our friend, who does the music for the shows, I did hesitate a bit.

A night out at a comedy show was no way my idea of fun, but if anyone was going to make me laugh, it had to be Peter Kay.

On another note, I know I’m a bit spoiled by not normally having to hang out front of house, but how on earth do these arenas get away with the prices they charge?

They don’t exactly serve good food. All I saw anyway were hot dogs drying out under a heat lamp and slices of average pizza which cost the price of a posh meal.

The drinks were so overpriced that people turned up quite late. They obviously preferred to have a pre-show drink or meal in a cheaper place.

Anyway, we were invited back to meet Peter and I took advantage of the snacks and drinks we were offered.

What a really lovely man. I had never met him before and he greeted Gordon and myself with the loveliest hug.

And, oh my goodness, I really did laugh a lot.

I suppose Peter’s style of comedy is observational. He finds the funny side in everyday situations, and when that is pointed out to us we realise just how funny some of the things that we think of as normal are.

He was absolutely brilliant, but I’m not rushing out to see what other comedians are doing gigs any time soon.

One writer who I think writes in such a fabulously funny observational way is Richard Osman. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how brilliant his series of Thursday Murder Club books are.

It therefore doesn’t surprise me that his first book is being made into a film, and none other than Helen Mirren is playing the character of Elizabeth.

Now that film is definitely going to have us roaring in the aisles with absolutely no need for canned laughter!

Have a good week,

Yvie x

SENSATIONAL SHOW: Yvie and Peter Kay with his musical director Nigel Wright and Nigel’s wife Deana.