Dear Friends of German Comedy,
Gordon Brown’s reign almost started with a most unwelcome bang. The failed terror attacks gave a whole new meaning to the German saying that the doctor tends to be more dangerous than the disease. Why are those morons trying to detonate bombs in the heart of London when their proclaimed goal is to kill English people anyway? They’ll only get us foreigners. And why Glasgow Airport? If they are after the Scottish they should have driven their Jeep into Kings Cross Station.
The surprise of the month was that there seems to be a country in Europe that lives even more firmly in the past than Great Britain. The Polish Prime Minister Kaczynski objected to a proposed new voting formula in the European Union because his country “would today be looking at the demographics of 66m instead of the current 38m if it hadn’t been for the atrocities of World War II.” Well, they should not have started it then.
We also learned that Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan cricket coach wasn’t murdered by someone from within the game but died of a natural death. No surprise there. Can you imagine anyone getting agitated enough to kill whilst being involved in a cricket tournament? It’s like suggesting someone went on a rampage while listening to Radio 4’s fishing forecast.
Talking of managers – former German Nationalmannschaft manager Jupp Derwall also kicked the bucket. The Times wrote him an impressive obituary but blundered by accompanying it with a photo of Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber. Then again, having in mind that Derwall won only one of his three tournaments in charge and reached the final on only one other occasion he probably shouldn’t be remembered at all.
Finishing on a bright note: The Edinburgh Festival is just around the corner and I’m involved not only in one but two shows.
A Beginner’s Guide to German Humour – Teutonic jolliness at its best with German television entertainer Otto Kuhnle. (every day from August 3-26)
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=4084
Wilty and Wehn – an experimental late night show with Falklands veteran and comedian Nick Wilty. (Thu/Fri/Sat only from August 4-25)
http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=5898
Auf Wiedersehen – have a great month
Henning
