YouTube suggested a few Kenneth Williams for me this evening. I love this appearance on Aspel.
Presumably off the back of my current viewing of
Give Us A Clue, it's suggesting a few of Kenny's appearances with Aspel's
Give Us A Clue successor, Michael Parkinson.
While there have been numerous clips over the years, it's a rare treat to find lengthy, more in-depth interviews with Kenneth which allow him to go into full raconteur mode, but that's just what some of these are. It's wonderful to see him in full flight without the constraints of a brief ten minute slot (he does have to be stopped for the adverts, but that's fine).
This one feels rather like a warm up for
An Audience With Kenneth Williams, since there's a chronology to it which covers much of his background. While some of the stories are familiar, there are also some new titbits. His constant sense of immediacy makes even the familiar feel fresh and captivating.
In
Give Us A Clue, I've been increasingly irritated by Parky as a chairman, where I find him controlling and patronising. Parky as an interviewer is another matter, and he seems to be genuinely enjoying Kenneth here.
Looking at KW's Diaries, he'd left England on Monday, 15 June 1981, stopping over at Singapore on 16th then arriving in Sydney at 6am on the 17th. He flew back on Monday, 29 June .
Here's what he wrote about this appearance in his diary:
Thursday, 18 June 1981
With Michael P. to the Yellow Room Restaurant. He's v. likeable and patient & I'm afraid I went on a bit but he bore it all with sympathy. I know why I'm on edge: I feel I've got to prove myself and that can only be done by doing a good show with him; in the back of my mind lurks the horrible suspicion that (out here) I may not work in same way as I do in London.
Saturday, 20 June 1981
Car to the studios. Met Marti Caine and Colleen McCullough who are on the show. Did a run-through, etc. & got made ups then there was that awful wait while you watch the others doing their stuff & I went on eventually. We talked about joining the army (medical, etc.), audition in Singapore, Barri Chatt (never got to the Serg. Major & suicided bit) & then on to Carry Ons & then to Orson Welles & Moby Dick & finished singing 'Ballad of the Woggler's Moolie'. Everyone was very kind afterwards & said it was good tho' I felt their energy ebbed after Marti Caine (who went v. well indeed) and the author (who was fair). Still, at least I didn't die the death... but I noticed that the Australian audience reacted quite differently to an English one... the laughs are in different places.
Tuesday, 23 June 1981
Richard [Lyle] came & took me to Butler's for lunch & an English lady who owned it said "Your Parkinson show was fine for the English there, but the Australians didn't get a lot of it.
