h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I heard "Don't Jump Off The Roof Dad" yesterday ... his infectious laughing as he tried to get in at the introduction ...

"Ok lads, I'll take it from here ..."

"... here we go, I've got it ..."

... but kept missing his queue (I suppose he was at the piano) had me in tears.

The irony that he died onstage during a Royal Variety Performance being broadcast live on television - he keeled over and everyone continued to laugh, because they thought it was part of the act. Only when the call-out for a doctor came over the loudspeakers did people realise it wasn't funny.

Entertaining people to his last second. Genuine comedy God.

Whilst staying with a friend up in Worcester before Christmas I ended up going to see a play called 'Frankie and Tommy.'

It told the story of Tommy's early preformaces entertaing the troups out in Egypt at the end of WW2. Frankie and Tommy performed as a double act until Tommy's behaviour and drinking drove the act apart. Tommy went on to become a huge succes whilst Frankie drifted into obscurity and eventually gave up preforming proffsionally.

It was an evening of many emotions. The two actors preformed some of the show routines/sketches which were hillarious, but there was also the other side fo things, life and relationships off stage. After we had witnessed 'Tommy's' death, and heard about the remainder of Frankie’s life it was difficult to decide who had the best on things in the long run.

A truly thought prevoking evening.