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Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran

Kirsty Young talks to comedy writing partners Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.

Kirsty Young's castaways this week are the comedy writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.
They've been at the rock-face, mining for laughs, for over 40 years and they've given us plenty of gems ... amongst them monologues in the '70s for Frankie Howerd, the era-defining character Alan B'Stard MP, star of The New Statesman, and now the successful revival of their long running and much loved sitcom "Birds of a Feather".

Grammar school boys from North London they first met as ten year olds at a youth club, growing up to have 'real jobs' in the civil service and journalism, before finally embarking on the precarious business of making a living from putting words into other people' mouths.

Producer: Sarah Taylor.

Available now

35 minutes

Last on

Fri 2 Oct 2015 09:00
±«Óătv Radio 4

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Clips

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Music Played

  • Marilyn Scott

    In My Room

    • WouldnÂ’t it Be Nice Jazz Portrait of Brian Wilson.
    • Blue Note.

  • Sonny Rollins

    Alfie's Theme Differently

    • Alfie: Original Film Soundtrack.
    • MCA.

  • MAURICE'S FAVOURITE

    • Aretha Franklin

      (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

      • Aretha: Lady Soul.
      • ATLANTIC.

  • The Righteous Brothers

    You've Lost That Lovin' Felling

    • The Best Of The Righteous Brothers.
    • VERVE.

  • Chuck Wagner & Robert Westenberg

    Agony

    • Into the Woods (Original Cast Recording).
    • RCA.

  • Modest Mussorgsky

    The Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition

    Performer: London symphony Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado.
    • Works by Mussorgsky & Stravinsky.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.

  • LAURENCE'S FAVOURITE

    • Johann Sebastian Bach

      NR. 54 Choral

      Performer: The Monteverdi Choir conducted by John Eliot Gardiner.
      • St Matthew Passion.
      • ARCHIV.

  • Steely Dan

    AJA

    • AJA.
    • MCA.

  • BOOK CHOICE

    Maurice: The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh, Laurence: His own diaries.

  • MAURICE'S LUXURY CHOICE

    A really big drum kit

  • LAURENCE'S LUXURY CHOICE

    A collection of Château d'Yquem of his choice from 1900-2001, a fridge, Sauternes glasses

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Laurence Marks
Interviewed Guest Maurice Gran
Producer Sarah Taylor

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 Sep 2015 11:15
    ±«Óătv Radio 4
  • Fri 2 Oct 2015 09:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4

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