Kerry Godliman

The routines that inspired comedians

Comedians reveal how they got turned on to stand-up.

Stop/Start was written and stars Jack Docherty who I most remember from his Channel Five chat show but who has recently been very active on radio. In fact Stop/Start is based on Doherty's successful Radio 4 sitcom with cast members Kerry Godliman and John Thomson also accompanying the writer for this small screen adaptation. Joining their number are Sarah Hadland, Nigel Havers and Laura Aikman who take part in what can best be described as rather an old-fashioned relationship comedy. The central couple of the piece are Rob and Cathy (Doherty and Godliman) who are about to celebrate an anniversary with a party where he has to give a speech. At the same time Rob's old work colleague Georgy (Aikman) moves across the road with her much older husband David (Havers) with the pair quickly being invited to the anniversary party. The third couple Evan and Fiona (Hadland and Thomson) are friends of Rob and Cathy's who are basically at each other's throats primarily arguing about yoghurt. The narrative twist that Stop/Start provides is that each of the six characters stops the action to talk directly to the audience often letting us in on how they're feeling during a certain moment. Despite this narrative device feeling a bit gimmicky at times it does provide some good laughs with Docherty's script containing a lot of clever observational humour. Additionally Rob and Cathy felt like a real couple to me and their problems with the monotony of a long marriage rose above the cliché of other romantic comedies. I also warmed to David and Georgy's story too thanks to a scene at the anniversary party where it was established why the couple were together. The one couple who were ill-served by the script were Evan and Fiona whose arguments felt too contrived to the extent that they didn't feel like fully-realised characters. That being said all six cast members gave it their best with Godliman particularly excelling in the role of the put-upon Cathy. Furthermore I didn't think the laughter track added anything and the use of The Ting Tings' 'Shut Up and Let Me Go' made the piece feel dated from the get-go. But that being said, of the three Comedy Playhouse pilots, Stop/Start is the one that I feel could easily get a full series due to its great ensemble cast and interesting central premise.

Jack Docherty wrote this latest instalment of the Comedy Playhouse and he also stars, alongside Nigel Havers, Kerry Godliman and John Thomson. The story is about three marriages and the various jealousies, insecurities and temptations the couples endure. It's delivered rather like a play with the actors breaking off from their dialogue to speak directly to the audience - or, in this case, the camera.

Docherty plays Rob, a middle-aged man who's preparing an anniversary party with his wife. He ponders how dull married life has become and how his wife has stumpy legs like "little thumbs". Life is as exciting as "eating gravel and talking to puffins" on the Outer Hebrides. Then he realises his new neighbour is a young and gorgeous woman he used to work with and so he invites her to their party. His wife isn't impressed, telling her friend this new neighbour looks like "something that'd come up if you googled 'massive threat in skimpy pants.'" Nigel Havers plays the "massive threat's" nervous husband, constantly worried she's going to leave him for someone younger.

Preview: Stop/Start

It's a great cast: John Thomson as watchable as ever, Nigel Havers seems to relish being the ageing lothario worried about the age difference with his trophy wife (even though this can't hope match his performances with Brian Pern) - and whatever the script's failings this won't do any harm to Kerry Godliman's growing reputation as a subtle comic actor. But the jokes, from the usually fine Docherty and based on his Radio 4 sitcom, feels sluggish and obvious, a few nifty turns of phrase notwithstanding. Of course being unsubtle is no barrier to big audiences - quite the opposite, as Mrs Brown's Boy and Citizen Khan have proved. So expect this to be the one of the Comedy Playhouses to be commissioned.

Preview: Comedy Playhouse, Stop/Start, BBC1

Stop/Start is the sort of sitcom which would prompt the Daily Mail/Express to say "At last, a BBC sitcom that is actually funny." Yes, Stop/Start is pretty broad and pretty old fashioned but it is also genuinely funny, thanks to great performances from a quality cast and a script which mostly stays on the acceptable side of politically incorrect old hat.

Stop / Start review

Jack Docherty's wedded radio sitcom makes a blissful (ish) leap onto the small screen.

Kerry Godliman interview

Being offered a plum job without the need to interview or audition is a lovely thing in any field of work. But when that call comes from comedy giant Christopher Guest - part of the team behind classics including This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman - to be in his next film, well, it's all the sweeter.

News: Funny Women results

American performer Desiree Burch has been crowned winner of the 2015 Funny Women final. The show took place at Kings Place in London and was compered by Kerry Godliman.

Kerry Godliman interview

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Stand-ups pick the best comedy clubs

Keith Farnan, Carl Hutchinson, Kerry Godliman, Romesh Ranganathan, Richard Herring, Phil Wang, Chris Turner, Lucy Beaumont, Katie Mulgrew, Phil Nichol, Ahir Shah, Juliet Meyers, Tiff Stevenson, Rachel Parris, Stephen K Amos and Andrew Maxwell name their favourite comedy clubs.