Public Masterclass a celebration of Barry Took's comic scriptwriting

Event details

A celebration, through performance, of the inventive genius of one of the most influential voices in British comedy over the last half century.

His widow, Lyn Took, is generously donating his archive to TFTV’s Samuel Storey Writing and Performance Collection in the Borthwick Institute.

On Wednesday May 8 she will be joining us for a celebration of his work, which will include an interview with her, as well as performances of some of his brilliant comedy sketches and routines. 

Barry Took began his professional life as a stand-up comic.  But he achieved real eminence as one of the most inventive and original comic writers of his generation, both working on his own and in partnership with Marty Feldman. 

Together he and Feldman were responsible for the iconic Round the Horne, which still remains an enormous success today, through frequent repeats on Radio 4 Extra and a new life on CD. 

As a producer, his triumphs include nursing Monty Python’s Flying Circus onto the screen.  One of his proudest achievements was devising the On the Move series, designed to help those with writing and reading difficulties.

Above all, this event is a celebration, through performance, of the writing of one of the funniest creative spirits in comedy during the last half-century.

For biographical sketches of his career see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and The Guardian