talkmagic.co.uk

I blame these trolls!
Filthy trolly trolls, trolling about like they troll the place.

Trolls!

In case anybody's serious about the question, the "lovable drunk" act a la Foster Brooks or Dean Martin is long outdated. Alcoholics aren't considered funny any more, and playing a funny drunk is about the equivalent of blacking up to do a minstrel show.

Angry can be good if it's done well. Just have a look at Jack Dee.

Dee's "hard man of comedy" persona came about almost by accident. Early in his career he was booked for a short run of stand-up shows, and was flopping miserably as a stereotypical jolly comedian. He knew he'd failed and would never be called back, so on the last night he said "the hell with it" and delivered his act as cynically as he felt. It was a roaring success.

Sorry Robbie, but done well I think the drunk can really work. Google Hobo Jones and the Junk Yard Dogs, a brilliant fun and very entertaining band, but it does have to be done well and inoffensively.

Not a magician but the late Freddie Frinton made an excellent comedy drunk - and he was a teetotaller in real life!

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaBD8Xgy_QI

Thank trolls for such an interesting discussion! I think it would take far more showmanship to pull of than anything else, because it would be all too easy to receive awkward silences where people don't know if it's ok to laugh.

I think it'd be a nice idea - sort of Sadowitz meets Lennart Green perhaps.

I have seen many people try plling off angry and drunk. When I was in the police it was usually a saturday night and they wanted to fight. But both characters are possible to pull off as long as they are likable.

Jack Dee has been mentioned as an example and although he has a persona that could be unlikeable there is something that attracts you to him. I think there are several things you need to pull off any character.

Something people can relate to.
You are comfortable with your character
You are relaxed in character
It is either very real or the opposite and tongue in cheek[/i]

The most important part is everyone enjoys it.