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Ying Tong: Spike Milligan Lost His Marbles
By Nick Hodge | April 20, 2007
An early birthday present from Avril and Liam: we all went and saw Ying Tong at the Opera House on Thursday evening.
George Orwell asserted: "whatever is funny is subversive". In the 1950s, The Goon Show as deeply subversive and way before its time.
One confession: I love English humour, but I am a late bloomer. It was only after my Uncle Phil let me read his Spike Milligan book: "Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (1971) " that I fell in love with this style of humour. Anyone who loves the comedy of the Pythons, Douglas Adams, Ben Elton, The Beatles, Maggie Thatcher and Ricky Gervais: all owe Spike a great debt of gratitude.
However, even then - I could not get into The Goon Show. I realise now that it was that I couldn't understand what they were saying. Now that I've heard with older ears -- wow. Spike Milligan (as the writer) was mad and brilliant. My kinda management training leader.
Spike's internal clock was what we call today Bipolar disorder. Or Manic Depression. Ying Tong, the well written play, makes the assertion that his wartime experiences triggered these episodes in later life.
Spike, lying in a washing machine in some graveyard somewhere. I salute you!
Topics: personal |
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