http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/radio/miranda_harts_joke_shop/
I went to see the recording of this last Friday. Here's the blurb on the leaflet:
MIRANDA HART'S JOKE SHOP
Miranda is an unconventional woman: a tall, life-embracing, self effacing clown. She's at her happiest amongst the wind-up teeth of her Joke Shop.
She is determined to try and fit in, to suss out what it takes to be a 'girly girl'; to deal with her embarassing mother and to talk to Gary, the man of her dreams, without making a fool of herself; She tried to persuade Stevie, her childhood friend and joke shop manager, to take life less seriously.
Bur Miranda's inability to conduct herself appropriately makes most of this an impossible task.
MIRANDA HART'S JOKE SHOP is created by Miranda Hart and written by Miranda with Tony Roche (Thick of it, World of Pub).
It was script edited by Richard Hurst and includes additional material by Paul Kerensa and Leisa Rea.
The show's produced by Nerys Evans and directed by Gareth Carrivick.
CAST:
MIRANDA - Miranda Hart (Not Going Out, Angelo's)
She considers it quite normal to be single in the mid -30s and happy amongst the balloons, costumes and fart sweets of her Joke Shop. But she lives in a world where people don't understand her and worse, try to make her conform.
STEVIE - Sarah Hartland (Moving WallPaper, That Mitchell and Web Look, Learners)
Miranda's no nonsense childhood friend is emplyed to manage the Joke Shop. She has taken the job as a platform to achieving her goal - to Alan Sugar's apprentice.
PENNY - Elizabeth Bennett (Heartbeat, The Last Detective, Harry Enfield's Show)
Miranda's mother. She has the absolute conviction that she's right in every circumstance, despite the casual prejudices of her class. She wishes she had a sensible daughter in a normal job, and is desperate to marry Miranda off.
GARY - Tom Ellis (Doctor Who, Eastenders, Pulling)
Miranda's friend from University and the only man she has really fancied. But he is not convinced by her as girlfriend material. Mainly because whenever he is around, she can't control herself.
BUNTY, FANNY and PODGE - Belinda Stewart-Wilson (The Peter Serafinowicz Show)
Katy Wix (Not Going Out)
Sust Kane (Extras Xmas Special)
The 'girls' - Miranda' sloaney boarding school friends.
Also featuring Danny Edwards, Stephen Evans, Ben Forster, Jason Watkins, Simon Baines Norton and Josie D'Arby.
It's due for broadcast on BBC2 at some future date.
Right. So that's the blurb. So how was it? Well, I thought it was really funny, and could potentially become a series if the response is good. Some scenes are quite hysterically funny. The interaction between Miranda and Stevie and her mother is very good, and Tom Ellis puts up a brave front.
Cameos from Jason Watkins and Josie D'Arby are excellent.
The only part I wasn't too convinced about were the sloaney friends - a bit old fashioned, I thought, but then, hey, I never went to boarding school, so what would I know???
Do give it a viewing when it's on BBC2 - it's time that Mirnda Hart was the bride and not always the bridesmaid!
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