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Very sad to hear of the sudden death of Andy Smart. I do not like it when comedians die. And the ones I wouldn't mind dying always seem to go on forever. I last saw him at a screening of The Parapod and I had been meaning to ask him to come on RHLSTP to tell some of his amazing and crazy stories. You think you have plenty of time. It would have been a terrific episode. I am such a prick.
Last time I played Andy at poker he beat me with a fluky river. Lucky bastard. I don't feel so bad about it now. Glad he won his own trophy! And typically he was the one who'd organised the whole thing.
You may remember him in the Vicious Boys. I remember seeing them (or one of them- might have been Angelo) in the Pleasance courtyard in one of my early Edinburghs and being star struck. Like Jim Sweeney and Steve Steen - like Andy, aslo great proponents of improv - their bits of telly in the 80s were some of what encouraged me to go into comedy and Andy was always a delight and more importantly a laugh whenever I bumped into him. RIP mate. Hope you're flopping a full house in Heaven.
I know I’ve said it before and it’s a pretty obvious point, but as time goes by it is shown to be ever more true: one of the most offensive things about the Brexit campaign was the way it teased the idea that the NHS might benefit from us leaving the EU (more than teased it, if we’re honest, but wrote it in such a way that they could later claim that it was just a possibility, something that “could†happen) when the architects of Brexit knew that what they really wanted was to dismantle the NHS and sell it off. It’s utter shitdickery of such a degree that I feel it should warrant imprisonment.
It worked too. Those buses only had to convince around half a million people who weren’t got to vote for Brexit to vote for Brexit. I am pretty certain that happened. Sure some people might have liked just to have a positive argument for their vote (maybe to convince others, maybe themselves) that they were doing it for the good of the NHS rather than other possible motives, but I would imagine that half a million people were swayed enough to think that that reason alone would be a good enough result.
As the Brexit campaign was not run by any government or official organisation that had the power to implement it, they could of course say anything they wanted. And then blame the people who implemented it when it turned to crap. Exactly like what is happening now.
Seven years on it feels grindingly obvious that people who hated the NHS used the NHS to being in something that would help destroy the NHS using the good will of people who loved the NHS. It was grindingly obvious at the time to many, of course, but with the grinding wheels in motion now, it’s much harder to refute. Today as I walked the dog I wondered what the historians of the future (if applicable) would make of this incredible and cynical act of self harm and the people who perpetuated it. I think time will only make the immortality and stupidity of it all seem clearer. I thought I’d leave them this note, just to let them know what many of us (48% maybe) saw it at the time.
It’s obvious, but every not and again it hits me a new. Brexit is clearly a bad idea and there were lots of unpleasant ways that they tried to convince people to vote for it, but this NHS one is so morally wrong that it makes me want to send some people to prison. Preferably the people responsible.
Can the duped ever admit they were duped? A lot of them died without finding out of course.
A couple more fun Book Club interviews today with Josie Long and Sadia Azmat - the first two women in this man-heavy run, but a joy to talk to them both and I got into a fun discussion with Josie about whether my kingship of Chard Island (the little bank of sand that appeared at night off the coast of the Thai island I was holidaying on in 2001 - I believe I discussed it in Lord of the Dance Settee) meant that I could be unfaithful and even commit murder there without repercussions. Given how much Josie loves magical moments in humanity I was surprised that she doesn’t think the magic of that appearing and disappearing kingdom would allow me to commit gross acts with no consequences. Her faith in humanity is dead. Both books are worth your time though - though you’ll have to wait a little while for the pods.
Sales are pretty low for t
he upcoming London dates - good news for the rest of the country as I think we’ll be touring in the autumn as a result - but if you like the London shows and want them to carry on, please book now whilst the tickets are cheap. Still hoping to land some big names for the Leicester Square Theatre so I'd say it's worth taking a punt if you're a glory seeker and want to save yourself a fiver/ensure you don't miss out.
