A chance conversation with a neighbour earlier included him more or less saying the words in the title. I was transported back 30 odd years to the time I saw Ted Chippington. I think The Sea Monster (Jo Brand) might have been on the same night. Like Frank Sidebottom Ted was someone guaranteed to polarise an audience. A quick Google and I found this clip of Ted on Pebble Mill which illustrates that schism in how people responded to his act. Incredible to think that back then there were real-life equivalents of Viz characters you could see on a comedy night or as the support act for some indie band or maybe on some late night C4 yoof programme. I wondered if knowing who Ted Chippington is is the comedy equivalent of knowing who the musicians Woody Woodmansey or “Fletch” are; people I assume are common knowledge on The Afterword but nowhere else.
Apparently Ted is performing again and is on Twitter. Here’s one of his tweets:
“Fruit and urinal give a bad name to cakes everywhere”
Have Afterworders any other examples of lesser known heroes from the world of comedy?
Finally got to see Ted just a couple of months ago, supporting The Nightingales. A bit disappointed he no longer does any songs but in the deadpan bemusement stakes he’s untouchable.
And of course he is the reason that Stewart Lee got into stand-up. So hurrah! (or blame him if not a fan!)
And unsurprisingly I saw him supporting Stewart Lee faves The Fall at the last gig at the Hammersmith Palais . He was largely ignored.
I saw Ted at the Rhythm Festival 5 or 6 years back, he was shockingly poor, about as unfunny as it’s possible to be in front of a couple of hundred people who want to laugh, he was met with silence and left to the sound of his own footsteps.
Barry Cryer followed him and had people crying with laughter. As Barry’s T-shirt said, “Old’s cool”.
Just not funny.
He is deliberately unfunny. That’s his act.
Otherwise known as “doing a Davro”
Like The Fall when they started couldn’t sound like a band even though they were still interesting?
The most interesting thing about him was the name, Ted Chippington.
Never saw him live, but fond memories of him on Peel:
I just got back from Nam.
Cheltenam.
Talking about lesser known comedy heroes, I’d like to nominate Jerry Sadowitz. Edgier than a kitchen knife and uglier than a hatful of arsehole but, nonetheless, funnier than Frankie Boyle could ever dream of. Not everyone’s cuppa tea but then tea’s shit isn’t it.
I remember watching this – Charlie Chuck. Good God.
Uncle Peter!
Donkey! Woof! Bark!
Don’t send me back to t’dark place!