British Comedy Guide

Hearing loss

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. have not done any writing before but would like to get into it. Would appreciate your feedback on my sketch. Thank you!

AN OLD COUPLE ARE SAT IN FRONT OF THE TV.

WOMAN
Turn it up I can't hear it

MAN
It's the adverts

WOMAN
Give it here

THE WOMAN GRABS THE REMOTE FROM THE OLD MAN'S ARMCHAIR AND TURNS IT UP

MAN
You need to go get your ears tested again

WOMAN
Eh?

AN ADVERT PLAYS ON THE TV

ADVERT
Have you suffered hearing loss or vibration white finger due to poor working conditions? If so you could be entitled to compensation just call workclaims on 0845666666

THE MAN AND WOMAN LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND THEN LOOK AT THE PHONE. THE MAN ATTEMPTS TO DIAL THE NUMBER BUT HIS HANDS ARE SHAKING AND HE CAN'T DIAL THE NUMBER.
THE WOMAN LOOKS FRUSTRATED AT HIM AND GRABS THE PHONE. THE MAN LOOKS AT HIS HANDS AND SLUMPS IN HIS SEAT.
THE WOMAN DIALS THE NUMBER

PHONE
Hi you are through to work claims, if you have suffered a work...

LADY
Hello? Hello? Is anybody there?

THE RECORDED MESSAGE CONTINUES TO PLAY BUT THE OLD WOMAN PUTS THE PHONE DOWN AND LOOKS TO THE OLD MAN

LADY
No bugger on the other end again!

I like the old man not being able to dial the number, but the ending doesn't make much sense. Why does she pretend that there's no one there? I can't see what her motivation for that is.

Hello, Tom. Welcome to the BSG. It will ruin your life, but you'll make a lot of friends.

I enjoyed this. Nice and simple.

You might want to format it properly. Form on here tends to be directions and character names in block caps, with dialogue in lower case.

And you should put the dialogue below the character name. Like this...

SHE PUTS THE PHONE DOWN AND TURNS TO HER HUSBAND.

LADY:
Try again next time.

ENDS.

Sorry i guess i didn't make it clear. the gag is supposed to be that he can't dial cos he has vibration white finger and she can't hear cos she has hearing loss!

And I agree with Winterlight. You need to make it a bit more explicit that she's deaf.

Lovedly sketch with horrible formatting.

Funny and sweet.

But I agree you need to make that final punchline clearer, that she's phoning and can't hear them.

Ok i've been reading through the threads and have my formatting sorted now, i think! Thanks for the feedback.

What on Earth is 'vibration white finger'? Should I read a damned newspaper?

Were you work with vibrating tools/equipment for too long. I think the blood leaves your hand.

The way to do it Tom, perhaps, is that we hear the man on the other end saying the hello, hello and her not responding. The she sighs, hangs up and shouts really loudly, 'No one there again.' Or somesuch.

Good stuff anyway!

:)

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 27 2008, 1:20 PM BST

Were you work with vibrating tools/equipment for too long. I think the blood leaves your hand.

There must be a double entendre gag in there somewhere.

"I can't control my vibrating tool near your equipment."

or

"All the blood has drained from my hand and gone to my knob"

or

neither.

Hello Tom.

I enjoyed it, although the fact she was deaf yet apparently heard the advert in the first place seemed to me to be a potential problem in consistency . Maybe just make it clear that the advert is really loud, or there's accompanying text on the screen.

Quote: Nil Putters @ October 27 2008, 1:20 PM BST

Were you work with vibrating tools/equipment for too long. I think the blood leaves your hand.

Wow! Charley's in trouble!

Quote: David Bussell @ October 27 2008, 12:22 PM BST

What on Earth is 'vibration white finger'? Should I read a damned newspaper?

To clear up any mystery.

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