Mollie Millest

You never know what weird and wonderful stuff you can find on eBay. Late in 2005, Wes Butters came across papers put up for auction by the godson of Kenneth Williams. Among the memorabilia, Butters found a 1966 script, Twice Ken Is Plenty, written by Kenneth Horne and Mollie Millest, that had never been broadcast. But not for long. Actors Robin Sebastian and Jonathan Rigby revive the two Kens in front of an audience, who are clearly having fun, at the BBC Radio Theatre. The story pivots around the duo's attempts to infiltrate the inner recesses of Broadcasting House, meaning a great deal of doors get opened (cue those familiar sound effects), a welter of bad puns, Light Programme in-jokes and buckets of innuendo. Like all nostalgia, it can disappoint at times, but mostly, it is a joyous, glorious titterfest that will have you groaning in bad-pun heaven.

It is mysterious how today's Twice Ken Is Plenty, the Lost Script of Kenneth Williams, ever made it to air. It goes out this morning on Radio 4 and it is, indeed, a novelty. The script turned up among the effects of the late Kenneth Williams, was bought by writer and presenter Wes Butters, is performed by two of the actors who act the parts of Kenneth Horne and Kenneth Williams in a stage version of Round the Horne. It was written by Kenneth Horne and Mollie Millest and offered, all those years ago, to the head of comedy at the time, who turned it down. Being turned down is, sometimes, a sign of something being ahead of its time. Not here. I listened to the preview disc with feelings akin to those of watching a neighbour's totally talentless child in a school concert. But judge for yourself.