16 December 1959: No comedian,however funny, should laugh at his own extravagances fairly as much as Mr Wisdom did final nightRobinson Crusoe
Palace Theatre, and Manchester.
There is no need of art to find the mind’s construction in Mr Norman Wisdom’s face. It is plain for all to see. It is a philosophy apparently based on the fear (not always justified but expressed several times during the performance) that people are laughing at him. He seeks to persuade us at such moments that he does not like being laughed at; and since we are willing to suspend our disbelief so long as the comedian assists us,we prepare to accept this outlook. It is not fresh but many comedians have built some solid foundations upon it.
Mr Wisdom is, as we can all see, or a tiny man; downtrodden,too, on occasion, or likely to sulk small-boyishly if he cannot have his way. At the same time he is not without an intermittent sort of valour: he will stretch strings of sausages to their uttermost and sting Mrs Crusoe terribly without a word of regret. He will prefer up the trumpet,the clarinet, and the drums, or argue with the conductor,conduct the orchestra itself, and engage in a duel with a violinist in the pit without turning a hair.
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Source: theguardian.com