John Shuttleworth - aka Graham Fellows (aka Jilted John ('Gordon is a Moron'), aka Brian Appleton (Musicologist)) - is Fellows' absolute masterpiece.
A totally credible character whose subtlety is truly sublime.
A middle-aged, working class, Sheffield residing, Ambassador driving, family man, John also happens to be a musical artiste (clubs, hospices, old folks' homes - have Yamaha keyboard will travel).
Radio Shuttleworth, a post modern radio show about the making of a radio show, allows John to reveal his pataphysical reality; one inhabited by everyday grotesques such as Mary (wife), Ken Worthington (neighbour and sole agent), Joan Chitty (gravel-voiced family friend) and Katrina (drop in guest and Radio 2 DJ).
Despite the programme's wonderful incongruity, the cheesiest of faux jingles are dropped in, and regular features emerge from all the apparent verisimilitude.
And it's one of those regular features that makes this edition really stand out.
Ken Worthington - John's sole agent - is always on the look out for jobbing acts to add to his stable. Impress an Impresario is a kind of mini X Factor - mini, as there's only one competitor attempting to impress, and there's only one judge: Ken.
The competitor in this instance happened to be Robert Wyatt, who solidly acts himself and performs very twisted versions of 'Soup Song' and 'Signed Curtain' (you know, the one that goes "This is the first verse" etc.).
John finds it all a bit much; Ken has his mind totally blown, no longer endorsing the wild excesses of the 60s, swearing to change his ways (he is a devil for the Malibu); and Robert leaves laughing.
Very English.
Brilliantly funny.
[ Posted by Roy Rocket on his blog 'Rocket Remnants' on Tuesday, 12 June 2012 ]
