Old age takes centre stage in hilarious show at Warwick Arts Centre

Since the days of One Foot in the Grave on TV, it has become popular to make jokes about old people and their way of life. And judging by the age range of the arts centre audience, it is the middle aged to elderly who enjoy the jokes most.

The show was a combination of old (and sometimes new) jokes told by Cryer in his inimitable deadpan voice and Golden’s raucous and riotous singing.

Golden strummed his guitar with music from a variety of genres, mainly Sixties stuff and the duo sang their own compositions, including Stannah Stairlifts, Zimmerframe Blues and Freedom Pass, based on the joy of receiving a bus pass. Euthanasia and waiting to die in hospital were the inspiration for I Wanna be Unplugged.

It wasn’t all graveyard humour. An amusing ditty, Big Fat John, about the exploits of politician John Prescott and a classic parrot joke were other highlights.

The finale was an hilarious oxymoron: singing Peace and Quiet in a full volume screech.

Peter Gawthorpe