Robin Askwith: Live, Dangerous and Uncut!

Robin Askwith will be back at the Darlington Film Club next month for a special screening of one of his many classic movies, followed by the latest incarnation of the legendary one man show!

Entitled "Live, Dangerous and Uncut"…ahem…Robin will be present for a screening of the 1970 film Cool It, Carol. Following the film, the man himself will take to the stage with hilarious anecdotes from his impressively diverse 50 year career on stage and screen.

Robin entered the film industry in 1968 making his debut in Lindsay Anderson's If... He then went onto work with the likes of Pier Paulo Pasolini, Franco Zeffirelli, Pete Walker, Franklin Schaffer, Clive Donner, Dick Clement and Antony Balch, before he made the controversially successful Confessions of... series of films.

At the height of his career Robin worked with the likes of Nigel Davenport, Pamela Stephenson, Rula Lenska, Leonard Rossiter, Alan Lake and Darth Vader! Come and hear the stories first hand by the cheeky chappie himself as he takes us on a history of his theatre, film and TV career. Dubbed the King of Elstree Studios in the 1970s, Robin was asked back there last year with his sell-out one man show, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the studios.

Recently he has been seen in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Benidorm and Casualty, but it is as Timmy Lea in the Confessions of... films that he is best remembered.

Robin Askwith: Live, Dangerous and Uncut is at the Darlington Film Club @ The Forum at 7pm on 1st April (no joke!) Tickets cost £10 and you can buy yours here.


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carrying On with … Confessions of a Pop Performer!

I've written before about the Confessions series of bawdy comedy films from the 1970s but really only from the perspective of the effect they had on the slightly more innocent Carry On films we all cherish. The Confessions films have suffered the same fate as the Carry Ons in that they have frequently been looked down on, written off or just plain criticised.

However these films all featured a superb range of actors and provided entertainment to the masses during years when perhaps the country sometimes didn't have that much to laugh about. What interests me a great deal about these films is how they represent the changing face of British society. By the time Confessions of a Window Cleaner burst onto cinema screens up and down the land in 1974, censorship had been relaxed and a whole new generation were much more liberally minded. 

Last time, I focussed on the hugely popular Confessions of a Window Cleaner, the sexy comedy film which burst onto cinema screens across the country back in 1974 and catapulted leading man Robin Askwith to lasting fame. Today I thought I would move on to the following year and another big hit, Confessions of a Pop Performer. Many of the same original team from Window Cleaner returned for this second outing with recurring actors Bill Maynard, Sheila White and Tony Booth appearing again as the traditional sitcom style family around Robin's Timmy Lea. They provide the grounding and the basis for much of the comedy in between the racier material. Sadly Dandy Nichols did not return to play Mrs Lea after the previous film but she was ably replaced by fellow sitcom legend Doris Hare. Doris would go on to appear in both further Confessions films. 

Val Guest, that legendary British film director, chose not to make another Confessions film, allegedly because his wife wasn't keen on him being on set with so many scantily clad nubile young actresses! Columbia Pictures, the big name backer of these low budget comedies and clearly cleaned up with Window Cleaner (as it were) and were keen for more antics. And Mr Askwith was only too happy to oblige! Pop Performer sees Booth's wheeler dealer character become manager to a dubious pop group called Kipper and Timmy gets involved too. The usual slapstick and naughtiness follows as I'm sure you'll already know.

There are several Carry On links to this film and not just in front of the camera. The brilliant cinematographer Alan Hume, who worked on countless Carry Ons as well as big budget pictures in the Star Wars and James Bond franchises, worked on Pop Performer. Frank Bevis, Production Manager on this film, was also involved in many Carry Ons. Frank was Production Manager on Carry On Sergeant, Nurse, Teacher and Constable and later worked as an Associate Producer on Cabby, Jack, Spying, Cleo, Cowboy and Screaming!

In front of the camera, we've of course got the brilliant Robin Askwith, who had already made a name for himself as Larry in Carry On Girls and as Sid's son Mike in the film of Bless This House. And Bill Maynard, there once again as Mr Lea, appeared in supporting roles in five 1970s Carry Ons. Playing a major supporting role in Pop Performer is the lovely Carol Hawkins as the rather proper journalist, Jill Brown, object of Timmy's affections. Carol had already appeared in Carry On Abroad by this stage, playing Marge and the same year worked with Robin in Bless This House. 1975, the year Pop Performer was made, also saw Carol return to Carry On for a major supporting role as glamorous camper Sandra in Carry On Behind as well as co-starring in two episodes of the ATV series Carry On Laughing. Despite the raunchier material in the Confessions film, Carol maintains her dignity throughout, I hasten to add!

Also appearing is that wonderful comedy character actor Peter Jones. Playing a rather obvious send up of a notorious television host, Peter rather over eggs it as Maxy Naus. Another recruit from the world of television comedy is the great Ian Lavender in a cameo turn as Rodney, which involves a lot of funny business with a pantomime horse! Say no more. Ian  was still appearing as Private Pike in Dad's Army at the time and also in 1975 he cropped up in Carry On Behind as Adrienne Posta's husband. Clearly in the Jim Dale persona, sadly Ian suffered from a lack of screen time. Ian's Dad's Army co-star, the late great Bill Pertwee also pops in for a brief cameo in Pop Performer as the stereotypical angry husband who chases Robin's Timmy off with the help of a javelin! 

Two future Carry On girls made quite an impact in Pop Performer as the aptly named Climax Sisters, a truly awful singing double act! Giving a rather spirited performance are Diane Langton and Linda Regan as Ruby and Brenda Climax. Diane would go on to appear in Carry On Laughing on television the same year and in 1976 would take on the Barbara Windsor persona in the awful Carry On England. Joining Diane in England was Linda Regan who several years before had a small part in one of the Carry On Christmas television specials.

Playing Augustus is that instantly recognisable character actor Robert Dorning. Robert would join what was left of the Carry On team three years later to play The Prime Minister in Carry On Emmannuelle. Also look out for Darth Vader himself, Dave Prowse in a brief cameo as a Man in the Cinema. Dave had played a small role as a Bearded Torturer in Carry On Henry five years earlier. Playing Mr Barnwell is the small screen comedy actor Bob Todd, who had already played two small Carry On roles. He had a wordless cameo as a patient in Again Doctor on the big screen and played two small parts in Carry On Again Christmas in 1970. And finally Carry On Behind cameo player, the Danish born actress Helli Louise, plays Eva, one of Timmy's conquests. We see rather a lot of her here, as did Peter Butterworth in yet another shocking Carry On shower scene also in 1975 when she popped up and out in Carry On Behind. 

Pop Performer clearly cashed in on the very best of British comedy talent from both the big and small screen and followed the pattern started with Window Cleaner in casting a mix of 'interesting' young starlets alongside some instantly recognisable and well respected comedy performers. The content might have dated and may not be for everyone but it's all lighthearted fun and exists today as a fascinating time capsule of a Britain in tumult undergoing great social and cultural change. Watch out for a small cameo from future leading lady Rula Lenska as a rather harrassed receptionist and even a fairly major supporting turn from a pre-The Gentle Touch Jill Gascoine, revealing rather a lot as Mrs Barnwell. 

If the sight of legendary character actress Rita Webb running about a freezing cold Borehamwood housing estate screaming "Have you seen my Fanny?" gives you the giggles, Confessions of a Pop Performer is definitely for you!! As far as I'm concerned, anything that gives us plenty of Bill Maynard, Carol Hawkins and Peter Jones is fine by me. And Robin does what only Robin could. And he does it with aplomb! 

Compared to some of the content we see on our screens these days, Pop Performer is relatively tame but watching it again, it's clear times have certainly changed! It's quite possibly the most gloriously Seventies film I've ever seen. And that's a compliment! 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Robin Askwith 69!

Robin Askwith is back! Yes the legendary actor and star of countless classic films and television shows is bringing his one man show to the Phoenix Artist Club in London's West End. 

Expect the unexpected as Mr Askwith shares outrageous stories from his eventful and eclectic career on stage and screen. We all know him from the Confessions films, Bless This House and Carry On Girls, but Robin's got more strings to his bow than that! Prepare yourself for stories on the likes of Sid James, Ray Cooney, Frank Bruno, Pasolini and even Jimi Hendrix. 

The Phoenix is a great, intimate venue for Robin's show so prepare to get up close and personal with this screen legend! After many years playing a whole range of characters, Robin is finally playing with himself, as it were.

You can read the first part of my interview with Robin here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Robin Askwith (Part 1)

And you can read my recent blog on Confessions of a Window Cleaner here: Carry On Blogging: Confessions Time

Misty Moon Presents Robin Askwith 69! is at the Phoenix Artists Club on Tuesday 19 March 2019, from 8pm. You can buy tickets here


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Confessions Time...

I've written before about the Confessions series of bawdy comedy films from the 1970s but really only from the perspective of the effect they had on the slightly more innocent Carry On films we all cherish. The Confessions films have suffered the same fate as the Carry Ons in that they have frequently been looked down on, written off or just plain criticised.

However these films all featured a superb range of actors and provided entertainment to the masses during years when perhaps the country sometimes didn't have that much to laugh about. What interests me a great deal about these films is how they represent the changing face of British society. By the time Confessions of a Window Cleaner burst onto cinema screens up and down the land in 1974, censorship had been relaxed and a whole new generation were much more liberally minded. 

Looking back at Window Cleaner now, sure it's dated but a lot of that is due to the time in which it was made. The 1970s haven't aged well in many ways! Is the film more innocent from the perspective of 2019, given what we see on our screens every evening in terms of sex, violence and everything in between? Well, possibly. A lot of it can be put down to good old fashioned fun and most of the naughty bits are played for laughs. However part of me struggles to forgive the rise of the Confessions films for what they did to the Carry Ons over at Pinewood. That is quite unfair I know, as X rated cinema was booming out all over the place at the time and the Confessions films were merely the most commercially successful chain amongst many. British society was moving forward apace in the mid 1970s anyway, so clearly Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas thought it best to move with the times or die a slow death. Sadly the latter happened, probably because of Carry On England and Emmannuelle's boobs and bums rather as a result of anything else.

Back to Confessions of a Window Cleaner. For a start I don't think Robin Askwith has ever received the credit he's due either as a leading man or as an actor. Having spoken to him at length on the phone a year or so ago, there's much more to Mr Askwith than meets the eye, and quite a lot did meet our collective eye during the making of these films! Before the Confessions films, Robin was making his way in a huge array of different productions and had already established himself as a favourite of the legendary director Lindsay Anderson. The Confessions films changed his life, gave him mass appeal and most definitely changed the course of his career. It's probably true that not many other rising stars at the time would have had the bare-faced cheek (as it were) to take on such a role but Robin grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Frequently.

Window Cleaner, the first in the series of four Confessions films came from a novel of the same name, written by Christopher Wood. This was a common theme in cinema at the time with many big screen outings coming from this form of adaptation. Confessions of a Window Cleaner broke the mold in British comedy by capitalising on many elements of a more traditional era of entertainment. Confessions cleverly blended aspects of traditional sitcoms and other big screen comedy adaptations, also a popular trend at the time. With the likes of Dad's Army, Please Sir and Bless This House all heading to the big screen, Confessions clearly looked to capitalise on the success of all this. 

In many ways Confessions of a Window Cleaner was the domestic sitcom with a bit of a naughty twist. The family home at the centre of the film could have come from any number of domestic comedies on the BBC or ITV at that time. The family ups and downs and the cliched characters the actors portrayed also fit that mold. And casting the likes of Bill Maynard and Dandy Nicholls as the parents in Window Cleaner was clear signposting to another, more traditional form of entertainment. The film also reached out to a wider audience by starting a trend which went across all four Confessions films - casting big name, well-respected actors in guest starring roles. These actors never really engaged in any of the saucy goings on, in fact I'm sure their scenes were shot on different days from Robin Askwith romping around naked in a load of bubbles. 

In Window Cleaner, the peerless Joan Hickson and John Le Mesurier had major supporting turns as the upper crust parents of Timmy's love interest Elizabeth, played by Linda Hayden. Joan was no stranger to bawdy comedies, having played supporting roles in five Carry Ons, most recently Carry On Girls the previous year, however a sex comedy is not exactly how we imagine the future Miss Marple. Le Mesurier was a much respected actor who had been seen in countless classic British films by the mid 1970s and was still a main part of the eternally popular Dad's Army cast on the BBC. Also involved, albeit briefly, is the superb Richard Wattis, probably best known for his ongoing role in the BBC sitcom Sykes and a recurring part in the St Trinian's films. 

These actors added class to proceedings and given some of the other content, it was probably needed to reassure some of the films' backers and the audience at large. It clearly worked as Confessions of a Window Cleaner was a huge success across the country, playing in cinemas endlessly and making a huge profit, especially given how cheaply the films were made. Window Cleaner was, as I'm sure you'd expect, reviewed pretty harshly by the vast majority of proper critics in the posh press at the time. And while the stigma of these films as cheaply made, sexploitation comedies persists to the present day, modern day and much respected academics are reappraising the Confessions films and their content. It is clear to many that these films offer up much more than meets the eye. 

Window Cleaner creates the template for the all the films that followed. A cheeky, geeky young man, the average guy in the street if you like, gets embroiled in all sorts of exploits with the entirely female range of customers he meets on his job. The endless sexy set pieces are spliced with domestic comedy situations to give the whole thing more of a grounding but I'm pretty sure that's not really want the audience of the day paid their money to see. While Window Cleaner was pretty explicit, at least when it came to what the young actresses were asked to reveal time and time again, it's all so very British. Compare Window Cleaner to some of the films released in continental Europe at the time and it's probably all very tame. The fact remains that audiences and society were much more comfortable with the emphasis being on the young women than any of the men. That might be a topic for another time though!

Robin Askwith writes and speaks of his time making Window Cleaner with great affection and to his credit, has never tried to shy away from the films or what they did for his career. He's a charming, erudite and fascinating man and a great presence in the flesh (!) having seen his one-man show. He carries these films so well and I can only really imagine him in the lead as Timmy Lea however for me, it's also a shame they did so well. I'm sure playing Timmy across four films meant that other parts were suddenly out of his reach (again, no pun intended).

So do I have affection for Confessions of a Window Cleaner? Yes I guess I do. Some of it makes me uncomfortable, viewing it from a modern vantage point, however it remains far less shocking to me now than many mainstream productions released on us today. An interesting moment in time and a snapshot of Britain during a very interesting era. 

I'm going to use this blog as a springboard to write in more detail about each of the four Confessions films, talking more about the plots, the actors involved and my thoughts on everything in between. So I hope you'll check back for those in the days ahead.


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

An Evening with Bill Maynard

Acting legend Bill Maynard is travelling to Borehamwood this July for a very special event. An Evening with Bill Maynard will give fans of classic British comedy and drama the chance to hear Bill reminisce about his long and impressive career on stage, television and in film.

Bill will share stories about how he got started in the business, his years working with Terry Scott on "Great Scott, It's Maynard" to television performances in the likes of Heartbeat, Coronation Street, The Gaffer, The Sweeney and Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt. On film, Bill stared in all four Confessions films with Robin Askwith, the big screen spin offs of both Bless This House and Man About The House and Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall, with Jim Dale.

Bill also made five Carry On films. Starting off with his cameo as Mr Dreary in Carry On Loving, he returned for roles in Carry On Henry, Carry On At Your Convenience and as Freddy, a member of Sid's gang in Carry On Matron. Sadly Bill's scenes were cut from Carry On Abroad but he returned for a final Carry On with the gang in Dick in 1974.

Bill Maynard will be talking about his career and taking part in a Q&A as part of the Sitcom Classics Day on 7 July 2018, at 96 Shenley Road, Borehamwood - you can find out more about the venue here 

And more about the event itself is here 

And you can follow Bill on Twitter @Selwyn_Magic

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Happy Birthday Bill Maynard!

Wishing a super Happy Birthday to acting legend Bill Maynard, who turns 89 today! Bill, a well-known and colourful figure, has been entertaining us on stage and screen for seven decades. He is probably best remembered for his long running role in the ITV Sunday night drama Heartbeat.

We of course know Bill from his involvement in the Carry On films. Bill made his first appearance in the series as Mr Dreery in Carry On Loving in 1970. He followed up this cameo role with further appearances in the early 1970s - Guy Fawkes in Henry, Fred Moore in At Your Convenience, Freddy in Matron and finally the landlord of The Old Cock Inn in Carry On Dick in 1974. Bill also filmed a role as Mr Fiddler, Kenneth Williams' boss at Wundatours in Carry On Abroad but sadly the entire performance was cut. He was also originally cast to play the Police Inspector in Girls, but was released when an impressive television assignment came along. David Lodge took his role in Girls. 

Although never a main player in the films, Bill's supporting turns were eye catching and he definitely made a significant contribution to the Carry Ons. Away from the series, Bill made other popular comedy film appearances in the likes of Bless This House, Man About The House and all four of the Confessions films, playing Robin Askwith's father. 

Although Bill has been mainly retired for the best part of a decade, he is still very much around, appearing in a programme about Sid James not all that long ago and hosting his own regional radio until recently. I hope Bill has a great birthday!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Carry On Blogging Interview: Robin Askwith (Part 2)

 

It's not every day you end up on the phone to Malta for an hour and a half with the actor Robin Askwith. Robin has been in my life for many years, thanks to his incredibly prolific and diverse acting career across film, television and theatre. Robin's career has come to be dominated by the legendary Confessions series of comedy films, however there is an awful lot more to the man than that. 

Yesterday I blogged Part 1 of our chat, which covered some of Robin's early film work and his time on Bless This House and Carry On Girls. Today we're continuing with a look back at the Confessions films as well as more recent work on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and his blossoming association with the Misty Moon Film Society.

I have to ask about the phenomenon that was/is The Confessions Films. What's your favourite story from the making of those films?

It's virtually impossible to pick out just one story! Of course the most famous one of all is how busy the studios would get on the "sh*gging days". All manner of crew members would appear that you'd never see on the days I was doing scenes "at home" with Dandy Nichols. 

 

 
I remember doing a scene with an actress called Katya Wyeth. At the time such explicit scenes hadn't really been done in mainstream film comedies and that particular scene involved me going under the covers, as it were. The assistant director was a guy called Bert Batt, who had probably just come off a David Lean film or something and he really didn't understand what was happening. He had to be taken aside and have it explained to him and I don't think he came back on the set!

Here's a story I haven't told before. We used to do lots of filming out on location on Borehamwood High Street. There was a props man called Cyril who I'll never forget. He was a war veteran and he had a metal plate in his head. This used to fascinate me. Anyway, one day he mistakenly assumed a policeman out on the street was a member of the film crew and went up to him, insisting that he could have his walky-talky radio on him without a licence. No matter what the policeman said, Cyril wouldn't believe him and eventually grabbed his radio and pulled all the wires out! Nobody would believe he was actually a real policeman.

One of the joys of the Confessions films was the guest cast of instantly recognisable actors from British comedy. How important to the overall success of the films were the likes of Joan Hickson, Bill Maynard and John Le Mesurier?

Oh it was vital to have these actors in the films. At the time you've got to remember there weren't many other films being made in Britain so that's probably why we got all these actors. It was terrific to work with them. I had known Tony Booth for years before and having the likes of Dandy Nichols and Bill Maynard involved was just great. Linda Hayden, who I did a show with recent at the Cinema Museum, she was in two of the Confessions films, but before those she had done a lot of serious work and was a prolific actress. I was actually the last to be cast in that first Confessions film and it was mainly seeing the quality of the cast that made me sign on. 

 

Irene Handl was another one - I had such respect for her as I'd loved all the comedy films she'd made in the 1950s. She was in Confessions of a Driving Instructor and she always had this little dog with her. She used to keep a toilet roll in her pocket, just for the dog. She came up to me on the first day and told me how much she had wanted to do one of the films and how excited she was. She then whispered in my ear to warn me that "she was still a virgin" which made me wonder what kind of part in the film she thought she was getting! She was hilarious with a wicked sense of humour and knew exactly what she was doing! 

You have appeared twice in Coronation Street - once in a storyline filmed in Malta and more recently at Granada in Manchester. What was it like to join an established show like the Street?

Oh I loved it. The first part I did in the Street happened by accident. They were filming a storyline out in Malta, where I live. They couldn't find a suitable actor there to play this part of a slightly dodgy rep and the director Duncan Foster met me and said he wanted me for the part. I didn't have a lot to do and I remember they made me read for it before they confirmed I had the part. I do remember having a lot of fun working with Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald). He is a brilliant actor and a lovely bloke too. I remember we were getting ready to film a scene and he told me he was nervous about acting with me and I told him not to be as I had no idea what I was doing! 

And then in 2014 the role of the faded rock star Ritchie De Vries came along. At the time the casting director was Janet Hampson and I refused to come over from Malta to do an audition as I felt they knew what I could do. I did offer to send a tape though and filmed myself over here. I sent the tape over and they came back to say they wanted me to come over to Manchester anyway. They wanted me to do a screen test with Sue Johnston. I had to learn a six page scene for the test and I remember being really nervous when I got to the studios to do it. I hadn't had much sleep, I'd travelled a long way and I had always been such a fan of Sue Johnston's work. There was a lot of competition for the role but when I went in to do the reading, I absolutely nailed it. I have to thank Sue a great deal for that as she was excellent in the read through and really made it work well. Everyone at Granada was really encouraging when I went in that day.

I went back to Malta only to receive a call to say I had got the part and could I fly back the next day! To begin with Ritchie was meant to be a love interest for Sue's character however by that stage she had handed in her notice to go off and do other things, which was a shame, but my contract was only for three months anyway. People like Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner) and Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) were so welcoming and kind and great to be with. I loved working with Philip, such a good actor and really good in the show. I really rated him and he was a lovely man too. Such a shame he's not in the show anymore. Barbara was great to work with and felt able to speak her mind on set! 

 

I did think it was a shame that my role became pretty comedic as originally it was meant to be a bit deeper than that. I think in the end they had me play it a bit like a Confessions actor with lots of humour whereas on my first appearance, when I came through the door the character was much more furtive. Ian Bevitt had me play it like that before turning on the big personality when Ritchie met Dennis. It was much more effective that way. I wish it had developed in more depth but I still loved it. I really got into it and was rewriting storylines in my head while I was there. I got on really well with Kym Marsh and thought it would have been great if Michelle had shown an interest in Ritchie - it would have got right up Steve's nose! People like Kate Ford (Tracy) and Ian Puleston-Davies (Owen) were really friendly and welcoming. Kate kept laughing every time she saw me! She seemed to find me quite funny! 

One of my favourite people was the late Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre. We didn't have any scenes together but she was such a lovely presence in the green room. Every time I went in there she'd throw her arms around me and give me a hug. Such a warm lady. I wish I'd got to work with her. I remember her asking if I was staying on and I said my contract was only for three months. She said "they've got to keep you Robin! It's only ink!" which was a lovely thing to say. 

Probably the most mischievious of all was Malcolm Hebden, who plays Norris. I remember just before we were due to shoot a scene he turned to me and told me that his testicles had gone black! He said, "if anyone knows about testicles, it's you Robin!" I loved my time in Coronation Street and would definitely have stayed on longer.

I understand you recently met up with the lovely Judy Matheson at a Misty Moon event. What was it like to catch up with her again after working on Confessions of a Window Cleaner?

Yes it was great to see Judy again at Elstree. She's quite involved with Misty Moon these days. We had known of each other before we met on the set of Confessions of a Window Cleaner so she knows that I was a serious actor before I got into those films. 

 

Judy often mentions this on Twitter you know...

Does she? I think she was a fan of some of my films before we did the Confessions.

I was in touch with her the other day and she mentioned another of your contemporaries, Richard O'Sullivan...

Oh Richard was a big, big star and a great friend to me. Richard was a good actor and very underrated. At one of the shows I did last year I mentioned him to see what kind of reaction it would get and the audience gave him a round of applause. 

You work regularly with Stuart Morriss from The Misty Moon Film Society. How did that working relationship develop?

First of all, Stuart doesn't have black testicles like Malcolm, he has nice juicy full ones. (Moving on...) I was first approached about doing some kind of stand up show around the time I was tested for Coronation Street but I wasn't keen. I've never enjoyed doing signing sessions or being up there on my own like that so I kept saying no. At an event, Stuart approached me and suggested doing something but I wasn't sure. I was eventually convinced and I did a one off thing at the pub in Ladywell and afterwards my friend Derren Litten (who writes Benidorm) said I should do a one man show. 

 

Stuart then arranged for me to do something similar at the Gatehouse in London as part of the Camden Fringe Festival. It was a huge success and very popular so the whole thing got on a roll from there. I always thought it would be a risk to go out on my own but my confidence has grown, thanks to Stuart and the reaction from the audiences. We've had some great reviews and people are starting to take notice of it all. Without Stuart, none of it would have happened and whatever happens with it, he'll always be a part of it.

At this point Robin plugs the fact that he has a late night gig scheduled for Tuesday 10 October at the Phoenix Artist Club. He adds that as I've never been to one of his gigs, if I don't attend this one, he'll never speak to me again. Should you wish to attend the gig (I'm obviously definitely going now) you can find out more and buy tickets here

And with that, the whirlwind that is Robin Askwith bade me farewell. It was an honour and a privilege to have a personal audience with the great Mr Askwith, who kept me entertained, answered my questions with thought and flair and was extremely open and approachable. After an hour and a half of unpredictable, fairly ribald chat my mother would once have disapproved of, I staggered off for a large gin. Let's just hope Robin follows through on his Twitter promise. I really do think he could break the internet.

Finally, a massive thank you to Stuart at Misty Moon for helping to set up the interview! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

The Misty Mooners are at it again with Askwith!

 

Those lovely people at Misty Moon have lined up another two cracking gigs for later in the summer. Robin Askwith enjoys a great working relationship with Misty Moon and he's back for more in 2017. First up is a solo gig in Basingstoke at the end of June with something a little different planned at the Cinema Museum in London for later in July...

An Audience with Robin Askwith...

Robin Askwith entered the film industry in 1968 making his debut in Lindsay Anderson's If... He then went onto work with the likes of Pier Paulo Pasolini, Franco Zeffirelli, Pete Walker, Franklin Schaffer, Clive Donner, Dick Clement and Antony Balch, before he made the controversially successful Confessions of... series of films.

At the height of his career Robin worked with the likes of Nigel Davenport, Pamela Stephenson, Rula Lenska, Leonard Rossiter, Alan Lake and Darth Vader! Come and hear the stories first hand by the cheeky chappie himself as he takes us on a history of his theatre, film and TV career. Dubbed the King of Elstree Studios in the 1970s, Robin was asked back there last year with his sell-out one man show, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the studios.

Recently he has been seen in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Benidorm and Casualty, but it is as Timmy Lea in the Confessions of... films that he is best remembered.

Robin will be appearing at The Forge, Anvil Arts, Basingstoke on Friday 30 June at 8pm, tickets cost £12.

 

An Evening with Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith...

Film historian Darrell Buxton introduces an evening of conversation with actors Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith, whose careers and friendship have crossed paths for 50 years.

They have notched up some 50 films between them, from Baby Love (1968) and Cool it Carol (1970) to an eclectic mix of sex comedy, art house, horror, musical and the downright insane (see 1976’s Queen Kong!).

Their television careers have been just as assorted, with appearances in most of the top sitcoms of the 1970s, as well as drama series and playhouse productions. In the theatre they have appeared all around the world, often sharing a stage. They were also (allegedly) in a relationship for seven years… this promises to be a unique and entertaining evening!

Misty Moon’s special guest MC is film historian and 70s specialist Darrell Buxton. Darrell has hosted interviews with many cinema and TV celebrities at festivals and special events all over the UK. Darrell has been a champion of ‘downmarket’ British cinema for many years, and is renowned for helping to raise the profile and reputation of our trashiest exploitation flicks, sex comedies and frothy pop music epics. His debut as a screenwriter (in tandem with Steve Hardy), Ouijageist, will be released on DVD during 2017.

An Evening with Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith will be at The Cinema Museum on Saturday 15 July. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £14 if bought in advance and £15 on the door.

You can buy tickets for either (or indeed both) of these events via the Misty Moon Website

 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

The Misty Mooners are at it again with Askwith!

 

Those lovely people at Misty Moon have lined up another two cracking gigs for later in the summer. Robin Askwith enjoys a great working relationship with Misty Moon and he's back for more in 2017. First up is a solo gig in Basingstoke at the end of June with something a little different planned at the Cinema Museum in London for later in July...

An Audience with Robin Askwith...

Robin Askwith entered the film industry in 1968 making his debut in Lindsay Anderson's If... He then went onto work with the likes of Pier Paulo Pasolini, Franco Zeffirelli, Pete Walker, Franklin Schaffer, Clive Donner, Dick Clement and Antony Balch, before he made the controversially successful Confessions of... series of films.

At the height of his career Robin worked with the likes of Nigel Davenport, Pamela Stephenson, Rula Lenska, Leonard Rossiter, Alan Lake and Darth Vader! Come and hear the stories first hand by the cheeky chappie himself as he takes us on a history of his theatre, film and TV career. Dubbed the King of Elstree Studios in the 1970s, Robin was asked back there last year with his sell-out one man show, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the studios.

Recently he has been seen in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Benidorm and Casualty, but it is as Timmy Lea in the Confessions of... films that he is best remembered.

Robin will be appearing at The Forge, Anvil Arts, Basingstoke on Friday 30 June at 8pm, tickets cost £12.

 

An Evening with Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith...

Film historian Darrell Buxton introduces an evening of conversation with actors Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith, whose careers and friendship have crossed paths for 50 years.

They have notched up some 50 films between them, from Baby Love (1968) and Cool it Carol (1970) to an eclectic mix of sex comedy, art house, horror, musical and the downright insane (see 1976’s Queen Kong!).

Their television careers have been just as assorted, with appearances in most of the top sitcoms of the 1970s, as well as drama series and playhouse productions. In the theatre they have appeared all around the world, often sharing a stage. They were also (allegedly) in a relationship for seven years… this promises to be a unique and entertaining evening!

Misty Moon’s special guest MC is film historian and 70s specialist Darrell Buxton. Darrell has hosted interviews with many cinema and TV celebrities at festivals and special events all over the UK. Darrell has been a champion of ‘downmarket’ British cinema for many years, and is renowned for helping to raise the profile and reputation of our trashiest exploitation flicks, sex comedies and frothy pop music epics. His debut as a screenwriter (in tandem with Steve Hardy), Ouijageist, will be released on DVD during 2017.

An Evening with Linda Hayden and Robin Askwith will be at The Cinema Museum on Saturday 15 July. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £14 if bought in advance and £15 on the door.

You can buy tickets for either (or indeed both) of these events via the Misty Moon Website

 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

Robin Askwith Gives You Another One!

 
After two sell out gigs at The Phoenix Artist Club, everyone's favourite cheeky chappie Robin Askwith comes back for the threesome, in this unrehearsed stand up show. The Misty Moon Film Society is taking another venture into the unknown...
Whether he is talking about fish tanks and Oliver Reed, Darth Vader and Pamela Stephenson or just the dull things in life like hanging out with Brad Pitt, he never fails to entertain or have the audience in stitches. Robin will be back for more fun on Wednesday 16 November.
Here is some feedback from his most recent show:

All we can hope for is that he keeps his trousers on but you never know......
If you haven't been along to see Robin in the flesh (as it were) then this is a must see. The legendary star of Carry On, Confessions and most recently, Benidorm will be revealing many fascinating tales from his long and hugely successful acting career.  

The Phoenix Artist Club, London on Wednesday 16 November 2016

Doors Open at 8:00PM

Starts at 8:15PM

Ticket Price: £13.00 - £16.00 (booking fee applies)

You can buy tickets here

This event is brought to you in association with the fabulous Misty Moon Film Society. Find out more about them here

 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Robin Askwith Bares All at Elstree Studios!

 

The mind boggles...Anyway, on Sunday 13th November Robin Askwith will be returning to the legendary Elstree Studios, home of the infamous Confessions films! The show, brought to you in association with both Elstree and the wonderful Misty Moon Film Society, will be an entertaining look back at Robin's colourful life and career.

Robin is best known as the star of four classic, saucy Confessions comedy films, all made at Elstree Studios between 1974 and 1977. These hilarious romps - Window Cleaner, Pop Performer, Driving Instructor and Holiday Camp - took the saucy brand of comedy popularised by the Carry Ons and push the boundaries just that little bit further. Featuring a winning brand of sauce, slapstick and well-respected comedy actors in guest starring roles, the Confessions films made a star of Robin and provided a much needed injection of cash for the British film industry at a time when film making in Britain was on the slide.

Robin is also well known for his turn as Larry Prodworthy in Carry On Girls, Mike Abbott in the big screen version of Bless This House as well as many other comedy and horror pictures during the late 1960s and 1970s. On television he has featured in the likes of Bless This House, Please Sir, Bottle Boys, Casualty, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and most recently, Benidorm. 

Robin has also enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the lovely people at Misty Moon, teaming up for a successful run of hugely entertaining talks about his life and career. The show at Elstree promises more of the same. Doors open at 6pm, the show starts at 7pm and there will be a signing session at 9pm. Tickets are £20 plus booking fee.

For more information and to buy tickets for this event, please click here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

Two Evenings with Robin Askwith!

 

The lovely people at the Misty Moon Film Society have arranged another treat for fans of classic British comedy. Robin Askwith, star of the Confessions films, Bless This House and Carry On Girls, to name just a few, will be taking part in "An Evening With.." on Wednesday 14 September at the Phoenix Artist Club.

This from the Misty Moon website:

After his sell out gig at The Phoenix Artist Club in April The Ego Is Back......
Yes everyone's favourite cheeky window cleaner is back for another raucous evening of confessions. This time he will be talking films and no one is safe...
Be prepared for another evening of stories about the career of one of Britain's best loved comedy legends of the 70s as told by the man himself. From smoking dope with Jimi Hendrix and experiencing the real Withnail and I, to rolling around with Charlotte Rampling, Pamela Stephenson and Princess Margaret, as well as simulating sex whilst being watched by Darth Vader and Chewbacca, he will have you in stitches.
The only thing we can hope for is that he will keep his trousers on !!!

It sounds like a great night out! Robin will be at The Phoenix Artist Club on Wednesday 14 September, from 9pm. You can buy tickets here

 

Robin will also be making an appearance at the Darlington Film Club on Monday 12 September for a special event all about "Confessions of A Window Cleaner"! That event kicks off at 7.30pm at The Forum. You can buy tickets for that one here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook
 

Two Evenings with Robin Askwith!

 

The lovely people at the Misty Moon Film Society have arranged another treat for fans of classic British comedy. Robin Askwith, star of the Confessions films, Bless This House and Carry On Girls, to name just a few, will be taking part in "An Evening With.." on Wednesday 14 September at the Phoenix Artist Club.

This from the Misty Moon website:

After his sell out gig at The Phoenix Artist Club in April The Ego Is Back......

Yes everyone's favourite cheeky window cleaner is back for another raucous evening of confessions. This time he will be talking films and no one is safe...

Be prepared for another evening of stories about the career of one of Britain's best loved comedy legends of the 70s as told by the man himself. From smoking dope with Jimi Hendrix and experiencing the real Withnail and I, to rolling around with Charlotte Rampling, Pamela Stephenson and Princess Margaret, as well as simulating sex whilst being watched by Darth Vader and Chewbacca, he will have you in stitches.

The only thing we can hope for is that he will keep his trousers on !!!

It sounds like a great night out! Robin will be at The Phoenix Artist Club on Wednesday 14 September, from 9pm. You can buy tickets here

 

Robin will also be making an appearance at the Darlington Film Club on Monday 12 September for a special event all about "Confessions of A Window Cleaner"! That event kicks off at 7.30pm at The Forum. You can buy tickets for that one here

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook