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[Music]
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this is the second part of my interview
00:10
with actor writer director michael
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garland in this part of the interview we
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talked about Michael’s experiences
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working as a stand-up comedian in the
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1970s and also his experiences working
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in pantomime my biggest problem would
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stay true I think they had grateful
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nervousness and so I stand up I think
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I’d forgotten this about you okay
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you became an unknown I guess hungry he
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found out I was out and I would perform
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those on my own in part anyway whether
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they knew or whether they didn’t I was
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even and that basically prepared a sick
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kid got rhythm at a track Wow
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so so let me just Zone in on that for a
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second so you would write monologues
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comic monologues and somewhere more
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stand-up than others and you perform
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them by yourself not an comedy club
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situation you by yourself in the in a
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pub somewhere Wow okay yeah Wow that
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would do it for me if that would stop me
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from doing and I think wow so I did that
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for about five years until I stopped
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being terrified Wow
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and did you did you ever find some sort
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of success did you ever get my
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monologues were brilliant oh you say so
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yourself
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that way he said I would though I was
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going to strange village using up more
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than to come will have come with them
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more where we were and they go we lacked
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and good people here and I would be the
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piece look at me and there’s total
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silence when I’m feeling somewhat old
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and so when you coming back
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oh wow you know yes it worked because I
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dress the pieces within an inch of their
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lives and you’re exactly how to work the
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thing that were worried me with the
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nerves yes
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and just by doing it again and again and
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again and again and again in completely
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different situation where constantly has
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to think on my feet you know where half
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percent is internal or whether the
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second fish or whether whatever it was
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over a period of ten years I just follow
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the same track Wow
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because you’re doing do you know what I
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mean because you’re being in a different
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situation
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Hank this times different every time was
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new every time was odd they were Sakina
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they weren’t expected
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I know you’ve been I remember doing what
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I thought was making a meaning
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apparently cycle I can afternoon paying
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with old people said nervously and we
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can do seem long work yeah you know
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there were a bunch of them that went
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horribly wrong
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yeah well I know no others well
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absolutely brilliant and and I just
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taught me confidence in who I was doing
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what you’re doing right you know
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yeah yeah yeah yeah right yeah yeah and
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and also in life I think we’re we’re
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always different with different people
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aren’t we
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[Music]
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oh yeah yes and the movement between the
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palace is very quick well sin plays
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almost right but in sharp blades in
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restoration panto because go chop chop
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chop chop chop finely yeah I think so
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yes he can pictures and people making
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shapes and okay no between it it’s quite
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short in proper place the same thing but
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the nose is much more
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[Music]
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[Music]
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yes so my just a quick question before
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we move on because I want to talk to you
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about panto Cal then you’re talking
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about doing it essentially a black
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outline of your character doing that is
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it just your being is it just being very
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technical I think I wouldn’t say that
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right and good class let’s talk a little
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bit
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yes and then you jump in on with it
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right when I put in lines will it work
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and I’m from last year I rent but if you
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like I am rhythmically I’m sorry English
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history
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I just don’t know why you’re doing it
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and I’m say to come with me okay and
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you’re that is mad and it also shows I
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mean I chose that one completely right
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now and talk about it and I
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[Music]
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so when was the pant oh wow only were
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brought all them
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Wow so that so that for that first pant
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of babes in the wood yet sorry
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just so I’m clear you do you were doing
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the blacks skeleton work in that show
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who was that said Wow
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so he had the whole ultraviolet light
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and all that sort of gel right because
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we we had something similar we did I
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told you before that we did I was in the
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bar humbug which is a Pantone version of
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Christmas Carol did that a few years I
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and there was a sequence in like that in
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that show well we had we had the
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costumes that we were given were bathed
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in sometimes chemical so that we used to
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have to sit in his lungs for about 20
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minutes before we went onstage oh wow
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and then we sat in this room and there
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are also 14 dancers and they locate our
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fingers off and our hands off you the
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costumes you were using for the these
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the blacks and the skeleton work oh yeah
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had chemicals I have no idea because
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they wouldn’t tell us how it worked it
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was a very deep secret it’s been a saint
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after years in Union Union yes now tell
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me Gladys doing on with a Cochrane young
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lady and you look them up now young
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ladies were in the reviews in theatres
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in London in the nineteen twenties
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Wow and she was the last one and she was
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about eighty ten and how are you
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spelling is that C och are a popgun here
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are a in Cochrane even huge refuse in
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love now students across from young lady
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and and the state met was very famous
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and it was famous always the thirties
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and the forties and the fifties and the
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sixties and ours in the very early part
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of the stair
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although I yeah I mean my understanding
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is in the u.s. it was pretty much over
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it was burlesque routines yes right yeah
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and much much much much faster right and
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yeah have love puppets interesting they
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now work I work with three times have
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enough spine I worked with them first
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I can’t no I work with the little bit of
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history
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thanking the world with King David in a
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very latest a naughty monster I call
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this the redirect oh I think very how
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they hadn’t changed
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Oh the exact same a scene in 97% Wow you
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know well I mean I had nothing to arrive
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I had no idea what I was doing in the
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show
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yeah then in they were in wrong hood beg
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to the woodworking David until that is
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you know so when was the first time you
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played Dame but can you all oh that’s an
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interesting question I think I was I was
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doing another show
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Thank You Garcon yuck yes and okay I
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think it was and this day and then the
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following year they asses to a new
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sister and the following year after that
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the after news to do with a plant in
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South Houston in three years
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oh no the first year bit funky because I
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wasn’t supposed to be there scientist we
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see very few weeks right and then they
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throw me back the following year and I
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suppose next occasion and I would for
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another week nice so I hold the summer
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keep an opening to Spain but management
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much for certain he’s done
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so I tell you to do better but as you
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know I’m sure I told you this more or
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less unboxing day I’m sitting there you
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know eating a mince pie walking back
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easily
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when was and first and the phone goes
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and he was drugged your sister and
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wherever it was open and I had a day
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when was that
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oh wow three years ago oh wow
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so literally their phone yeah I
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understood does assistance drop dead
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which is true Jesus and Boxing Day only
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about seven o’clock and I found out that
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day of course the travels as this I woke
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up the next day next day was Tuesday and
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I was on stage Wednesday morning
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Wow and that was bizarre and the only
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way it worked was anyway good work was
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that it listen again we like the whole
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thing because none of us know what we’re
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doing I mean the other systems are now
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missing because the second sister
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wouldn’t do it without the first lock
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Wow okay it was two songs out so that
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puts on the old things the second estate
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manager and I said oh you don’t know
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what you’re doing either do you and you
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know that’s it right and next song so
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it’s just a trillions to it because we
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don’t know what it is you don’t know I
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hear notes I can write a new one I’m
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going to learn it Wow okay ah gross
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completely nice tricks we learnt
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overnight and we went on and on this
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morning and we putting our sorry right
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Wow but we seem to be listening sure yes
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that expense yes
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connect now mmm-hmm so you have to be
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quite everyone yeah and you make sure
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on his line set and even if he different
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cue the lines will work and again said I
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got I know one cleavers of Cinderella
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and we kept this person that they’ve
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gone through about two days now right
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now I’m really dead like this and I said
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to the sooner I can realize think
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politically do you mind no I liked it
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and we read it and it was much better
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mmm-hmm and the scene this way oh yes no
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yes no yes no yes no yes just do you
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know knocking on wood if you’ve got to
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master such visual styling and finally
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written out row ticket gentle hall you
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know don’t get all this tinnitus tennis
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after that no need to react properly to
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it
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yeah and she was fabulous
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this was just wonderful and she was a
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brilliant reactor shot my lines but she
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ratted recently I hope it was three days
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on the ticket and we say like you can
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happen securities you can have it if you
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promise to do anything we asked you
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thought it had to be yes you surely do
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yes you sure you agree to anything yes
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yes go tear it out right because like
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you said it’s fabulous
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your Minister Serena hat oh yeah and I
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said we don’t play we just I wasn’t out
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of here this is a setup
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we just played infra guys go sweet new
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screen oh really yes really all this
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stuff we’ve moved up four five times
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over
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Wow Wow yeah yeah with in calling me
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which I’m right and he he came in yes
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but that lines long that lines wrong
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wrong wrong and I said right
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electrolyzer wrong and in this position
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lines that he wants to do they will not
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shatter and at that fine yeah absolutely
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will new those and then the stimulus is
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a scientific way then wrong
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well crash I’m looking to go through
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that is bang-on
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when was the second ugly sister Wow Wow
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so if now I play Dame once I did like I
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sent you earlier I did bah humbug now
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Wow so what would be you
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I’m interested to know your advice now
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I’ve thought as part of our research for
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the show I got to see the pantomime
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documentary the pantomime Dame the one
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with Terry Scott and Billy dainty yes so
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so then pen so the pantomime Dame then
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is its man plus woman right you all play
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a man in a frock right you never do a
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drag queen so how was it how is it
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different from drag though entirely
32:58
different from drag 18 carnival the
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doggies always know your bloke Michael
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from the moment you start the audience
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know you’re a bloke in the Frog you’re
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not exactly so not a drag queen so
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what’s what’s the difference between the
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two because that documentary was talking
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about I think it was saying drag queens
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have more glitter weight and it’s very
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interesting because I’m not sure right
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sorry yeah right ping down – I don’t
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like Sam – Sam don’t
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it’s very I think myself the less
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aggressive you are aggressiveness he’s
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very funny right in the right way and I
36:29
always do I always do middle-aged
36:34
northern women Nina’s gone hedgeslammer
36:37
example neighbor
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so like the Les Dawson character uh I
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think that that’s my kinda frame
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other the different but yeah we’re so
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effectively sweet because he would say
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dreadful things in this lovely kind of
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sweet way yeah I remember him saying
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little time to ha ha I mean you see okay
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see that Keats over there no no she’s
37:20
here exactly evening slacking around is
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against the Bala do the washing
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[Laughter]
37:37
Never Say Never
37:40
tell you what with Joe’s not gently
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retain an hour right my game is not
37:46
rougher than his but I would say I mean
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I used to do certain things
37:59
I mean I I’m being full of Oh jumper
38:06
that’s no I didn’t know that back yeah
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so am I am if if I say I’m doing it this
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Christmas I’m not but say I am am I am i
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keeping a beard no beard right okay I’m
38:41
glad you’re on the fence about that no
38:52
that’s a clean that change American
38:56
vicuna good and so also then it’s not
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you know how do you differentiate
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the Dame from someone who’s transgender
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I mean it’s not because it’s not
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satirizing transgender people right they
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are a certain kind of I mean yes yeah
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yes but you mean you mean game played by
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women yeah can’t do it
40:53
it just sounds horrible right because
40:55
it’s essentially Niang go I mean for
40:59
example in dates of one point I go you
41:05
know it’s not even lunchtime
41:07
I’ve got nothing sake straight and now
41:12
look at you oh wow
41:18
vegetarian but he’s just not for me you
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haven’t said anything me unless you let
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them do what make up whatever they make
41:33
up you yes you you leave the gap for
41:36
them to think I need and that what you
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do all the time Dane say the most
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outrageous thing I remember I think you
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know you haven’t lived in tasty tasty
41:55
particular tonight I will turn over
41:59
there’s nothing wrong in that remark yes
42:03
but yeah yeah we’ve got we’ve got done
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recently on that long yeah because it’s
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the intention or what you interpret
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performance yeah I quite like that down
42:41
because I crazy palaces but I never ever
42:45
are anything that surface right after
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yesterday my favorite line has always
42:55
been quick yes yes so would you would
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you say then the the the Dame is
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essentially a member of the audience in
43:18
that they the audience can sear you know
43:22
they they have a friend or they have
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someone they can connect to
43:27
yes yes okay and so what about the
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makeup is there is it you know like a
44:25
woman or this depends on the bigger
45:01
there’s a red blob on the King I found
45:03
that keeps the clown a woman right yes
45:11
and you sorry yeah normal they’re not
45:40
yeah and so you change your wig and your
45:45
costume throughout the show right Wow
46:30
why do you change actually parts of
47:04
floor Wow
47:07
and your and your what six 303 right Wow
47:20
fortunately anchor 15 pounds aha
47:27
what styling so it looks you would walk
47:30
on taking this week just like old asses
47:32
on an outing to see green Smyrna Wow
47:47
[Music]
47:55
[Laughter]
48:02
yeah and do you keep your costumes you
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do you have a collection of them
50:03
souther marques back which I wish and
50:06
right there’s a couple’s about six in
50:09
the endlessness fucking zone without not
50:11
him because they are and sudhi and CDU
50:20
then if you’re doing a show and you’re
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playing Dame do you use your own
50:25
costumes or do years right interesting
51:38
yeah
51:59
[Music]
52:23
right oh yeah a very good visual yeah
53:06
yes yeah I think so yes with the Polish
54:20
and then just at the end we brought in
54:23
the corps de ballet they were all
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overweight men
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Wow yes yes and there’s a specific
55:17
costume higher place that you use well
56:20
it’s great any
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and I wasn’t even there content box with
56:42
me because I’m interested in this
56:44
because I think is taking this to my
56:46
shop
56:47
I’m going out to those those in
56:48
cyberspace in China as you do it I’m
56:51
going to it to my shop do you want to
56:54
live here as well no yeah absolutely
56:57
I’m sure we’ll be there in a week then
56:59
next day
57:00
wow it just arrived
57:03
I’m talking eight quid what ah thank you
57:08
sure that’s right yeah he said I’ve got
57:13
all this extra stuff for my shop now
57:15
he’s brilliant
57:16
I actually know where to find it a new
57:18
name looks oh no no fine Wow I know
57:26
nothing the one looking for warming in
57:29
Krakow it’s a museum said listen good
57:31
well I like three things and you said if
57:36
you are name called will appear on three
57:40
Wow so I paid a street got three photos
57:46
within a week absolutely yeah I know I
57:56
love them King and we hopeful and they
58:00
change it looks like no yeah perfect
58:12
shopping normal we’re all it’s all
58:19
worked out
58:20
so photography won’t get a demographic
58:24
entirely in Highland colors yes do that
58:29
for you it’s very noble knight it would
58:32
make it cool yeah but not enough money
58:35
aren’t quite exactly
58:36
well the admin between pump
58:46
yes that’s right and probably partner
58:50
you can get the most out and radius
58:52
clothing
58:53
yeah that’s very well made
58:56
yeah really well made not badly made
58:59
talking you’re not people clap really
59:02
nice shop I’ve got about five foot eight
59:04
coats now that each could each now
59:08
different colors so you know on
59:11
Halloween I can I can literally
59:12
wonderful pop up and change colors I go
59:17
I can do so what another thing I wanted
59:23
to ask you Michael we were talking about
59:25
the Dame now you’ve also played ugly
59:28
sister which is okay right
60:05
[Music]
60:24
yes this marks the end of the second
60:28
part of my interview with Michael
60:29
garland and the third and final part of
60:31
my interview we talked about the
60:32
difference between a pantomime Dame and
60:34
the role of the ugly sisters from
60:36
Cinderella and also we talked about the
60:38
role of the pantomime villain if you’re
60:41
interested in listening to that
60:42
interview you can probably find it on
60:44
the podcast platform of your choice
60:46
or if not you can find it on our website
60:48
Comedy QnA.com that’s the word comedy
60:52
the letter Q the letter n the letter a
60:54
calm thanks very much for listening
60:57
[Music]
61:03
you
