The National Theatre of Brent is a

British comedy Throughout film, television, and radio, British comedy has become known for its consistently peculiar characters, plots, and settings, and has produced some of the most renowned comedians and characters in the world. History British comedy history ...

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...

, in the form of a mock two-man theatre troupe. Patrick Barlow plays Desmond Olivier Dingle, the troupe's founder, artistic director and chief executive. The role of his assistant (or as Desmond likes to call him, "my entire company") was first performed by Julian Hough. It has subsequently been taken by various actors, including Jim Broadbent (as Wallace), Robert Austin (as Bernard), and

John Ramm John Ramm is an English comedian and actor. He plays Raymond Box in the National Theatre of Brent, and has also appeared on film and television in ''Robin Hood'' (" Will You Tolerate This?"), ''The Palace'', ''Foyle's War'' ("All Clear") and as ...

(as Raymond Box). Their 1998 production ''Love Upon the Throne'' (featuring Barlow as

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

and Ramm as

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

) was nominated for a

Laurence Olivier Theatre Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for Best Comedy. Barlow has written a number of books under the banner of The National Theatre of Brent, two of which, ''Shakespeare: The Truth!'' and ''All the World's a Globe: From Lemur to Cosmonaut'', have been adapted for radio. Their radio production in 2007 was ''The Arts and How They Was Done'', for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

, starring Barlow and Ramm, with

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

as guest star. In September 2011 the National Theatre of Brent produced ''Giant Ladies That Changed the World'', the story of the

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

s, as five 15-minute episodes broadcast as the ''15 Minute Drama'' following ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...

'' on Radio 4.

Productions

'The Pioneering Days': * 1980 - ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' * 1981 - ''Zulu!!'' * 1982 - ''The Black Hole of Calcutta'' * 1982 - ''Wagner's Ring Cycle'' * 1983 - ''The Messiah'' (on television) * 1983 - ''The Messiah'' * 1984 - ''The Complete Guide to Sex'' * 1985 - ''Mighty Moments from World History'' (on television) * 1987 - ''Greatest Story Ever Told'' * 1989 - '' Revolution!!'' (on television) * 1990 - ''All the World's a Globe'' (

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

& 4) 'The Days of Glory': * 1993 - ''The Complete Life and Works of Shakespeare'' * 1995 - ''Oh Dear Purcell!'' * 1996 - ''Greatest Story Ever Told'' (On Radio) * 1997 - ''The Mysteries of Sex'' * 1997 - ''The Brent Shakespeare Masterclass'' * 1998 - ''Love Upon the Throne'' * 1999 - ''Massive Landmarks of the Twentieth Century'' 'The New Millennium': * 2000–1 - ''The Messiah'' * 2001–2 - ''The Wonder of Sex'' * 2004 - ''The Complete and Utter History of the Mona Lisa'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2006 - ''The Messiah'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2007 - '' The Arts and How They Was Done'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2009 - ''Joan of Arc, and How She Became a Saint'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2009 - ''The National Theatre of Brent's Iconic Icons'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2011 - ''Giant Ladies That Changed The World'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2018 - ''The National Theatre of Brent's Illustrated Guide to Sex and How It Was Done'' - BBC Radio 4 * 2019 - ''The First Man on the Moon and How They Done It'' - BBC Radio 4

References

External links

National Theatre of Brent homepage
British comedy duos {{Comedy-stub