JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH
JOHN Shuttleworth, the fictitious nightclub entertainer from Sheffield, revels in the trivial absurdities of everyday life.
Shuttleworth is the comic character creation of Graham Fellows (he of ‘Jilted John’ fame, scoring a one-off hit single back in the late 70s) and is a master of typical Northern deadpan delivery and observational comedy.
John sports an unfashionable brown leather jacket, red polo neck and grey slacks. He intersperses his bizarre tales with absurd songs on his temperamental portable Yamaha organ complete with weird sound effects buttons – horses, dogs, monkeys, lions, cars screeching.
We hear about the benefits of the humble fleece, buying a toaster on eBay with his wife Mary and how great the midweek is compared with the weekend – as this is when drunken youths throw pizza boxes into his front garden.
He tells us how he spends his free time visiting places such as the Keswick pencil museum (yes, it does exist) the bulb museum in Spalding – “It was alright... for about 12 minutes” – and checking the level in the local reservoir. When he goes for a coffee he orders a latte (he pronounces it ‘late’) and comments: “It comes as quick as the others!”
Our laughter comes from when we identify with the tales which highlight the humdrum in our lives. We all know people who wouldn’t dream of throwing away a dishcloth because they use them as floorcloths when they get too filthy.
In his ditty ‘Two Tubs on the Go’ John croons about a domestic crisis caused when his wife Mary inadvertently also starts using the second tub of margarine purchased in a two for one offer: “Two tubs on the go – it’s a nightmare scenario.”
The show is titled A Wee Ken to Remember because of a spelling mistake on the publicity poster made by agent Ken, also his next door neighbour.
It should have read A Weekend To Remember. So instead of relating tales of his favourite weekends John has to tell some tales about Ken. One day he rang him up to say he had a gig with Billy Joel.
Unfortunately John misheard him, confusing the American star’s name with ‘village hall’. It’s all great fun, though I felt the show faltered slightly in the second half, especially the songs about death and funerals.
It was hard to giggle at songs with choruses like ‘mingling with the mourners’.
But the audience were having a great time and were up for punching the air and clapping in time when instructed.
He’s a fine ringmaster and an inspiring performer. Now I’m off this weekend to check the level in the local reservoir.
GRAHAM JAMES
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