Jon treasures talisman of his comedy hero Les
When Jon Culshaw walks on stage to perform his play about Les Dawson he carries two of his comedy hero’s prized possessions. The impressionist was given one of Les’ diaries by Dawson’s widow Tracy and more of the funnyman’s trademark chunky jewellery to use.
"The diary was written in the 1940s and 50s and is full of Les’ philosophy,” said Culshaw, who brings Les Dawson Flying High to Scarborough Spa tomorrow at 7.30pm. "I am so lucky to have them, they have a talismanic feeling to them,” said Culshaw.
The play – celebrating the life and comedy of Lancastrian Les Dawson – was devised by Culshaw and has the blessing of both Tracy and her and Les’s daughter Charlotte.
Les Dawson: Flying High gifts the audience anecdotes, incidents and insights into Les’ journey, as he travels on Concorde at twice the speed of sound 68,000 feet above the Earth.
The play was written by
BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning writer Tim Whitnall and is directed by Bob Golding.
With the intent to go beyond and above a basic recount of Dawson’s life, the piece explores contemporary themes such as mortality, identity, love, kindness, spiritual beliefs or even ambition, that paced Les’ life.
Whitnall analyses concepts we have all faced or inevitably will, as he magnificently narrates the happy moments, trials, and tribulations of Les’ life.
He presents a more philosophical version of the late popular comedian, as he dives into his indisputable literary talent and the origin of such a successful and brilliant life.
Growing up, Les, the selfdeclared ‘slum kid’, yearned to be recognized for his writing prowess, and to transform his passion of literature into a fulltime profession.
Simultaneously, he discovered his ability to make people laugh and carried this ambition into adulthood, reflected in his acclaimed memoirs No Tears for the Clown.
Initially considered a tedious task by Les, this autobiography acted as an abundant pool of information for Tim Whitnall, offering glimpses and lessons to be extracted out of Dawson’s spectacular flight through life.
Bringing the comedian to life is one of the greatest honours of his career, says Culshaw. "He is my comedy hero. I love the philosophy, the warmth and empathy in his comedy and the instant lovability,” he said.
"I love the beautiful, lugubrious word pictures, every joke that he told was a mosaic in the story and it was so unique … and then the punchline would hit you like a pie in the face.
“Les is one of those voices I do for relaxation. If I ever want to cheer things up or if I ever want to bring a sense of warmth and merriment to a table...” he said in his best Les Dawson voice.
Tracy is in no doubt as to what her late husband would have thought of the play. “He would have been over the moon,” she said. “It is about full houses, it is full of wonderful British comedy, it is full of laughs and has off-key piano playing.”
Les Dawson Flying High is at Scarborough Spa tomorrow at 7.30pm. Tickets: 01723 376774.