Analysis of the Comedy of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

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Analysis of the Comedy of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were two great comedians who started their

careers in a satirical sketch show, 'Beyond the fringe', during the

60's. The audience expected great things from these two comedians in

their own show, and they certainly delivered. I have recently watched

three of their most memorable sketches, 'Bo Dudley', un-welcomed

visitors and 'Art Gallery'.

During 'Bo Dudley' Moore plays a black jazz musician. He is clearly

white and has no real idea about the music he alleges he is an expert

in. This sketch is a satire on the very 50/60's BBC Responses to their

art forms explored in Art programmes. They are obviously two very

different people and the comparison alone makes the sketch funny

.During this Peter and Dudley's comedy relies as usual upon the

partnership between Cook as the comic imagination and wit and Moore as

the slapstick clown.

Throughout the sketch 'Moore sings about 'Mamas New Bag' and what she

does to it which Cook interprets to the audience in a very serious

manner. To the audience it is obvious that Moore is singing about a

relationship between a man and a woman, not a bag.

The satirising of sexual references expresses their foolishness; the

explanation of the song is the joke in the sense of the ridiculous.

The sketch proved very popular with the audience. As there were many

taboos in the 60's which Cook and Moore took no notice of and really

pushed the boundaries on. The audience admired their confidence and

they were described as the 'Beatles' of comedy. As in the other two

sketches, they are filmed very close on and have very little set. This

makes us as the audience feel closer to them. It also means that we

can see everything that goes wrong.

In the sketch, 'un-welcomed visitors', Cook and Moore play two of

their most memorable characters, - these are their alter ego's, 'Pete

n Dudd'. Two cloth capped idiots who discuss all manner of worldly

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