Alan Bennett & John Fortune: "Men's Talk"

From the 1981 Amnesty concert 'The Secret Policeman's Other Ball'.

In his published diary entry for 8th August 2000, Bennett describes this performance as "my last fling with satire".

"The audience, which had come expecting to chant the Python parrot sketch, didn't like all this talk of sex one bit (didn't like anything, I suspect, that they hadn't heard fourteen times before) and we came off to virtual silence, the other performers, as is usual on such occasions, gathered in the wings to watch, now drawing back from us in a very New York fashion, lest out lack of success be somehow infectious."

From 'Untold Stories', first published 2005.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Alan
• Bennett
• John
• Fortune

[ykrgfk]

I'm puzzled by this. For years I've had a bootleg(?) tape recording of this sketch performed by Bennett and Fortune which is both longer and much funnier; in fact I've always thought it one of the funniest things Bennett ever wrote. Can anyone shed any light on the different versions.

[frogandpeach1]

@ykrgfk I believe there were a few concerts over more than one night, and it sounds like your recording is a different version to this one.

[rabbitfish63]

Why? It's funny, charming and well-observed.

[Theseekhimhere]

you could've been in LEEDS...

[grai]

the crowd seem a little shocked

Bennett has always been quielty ahead of his time

[DukeriesLad]

My God I bet Alan wants that one buried.