NEW ON DVD:

‘Cunning Night Out!’ with Tony Robinson

by Robin Rowe

HHH

Tony Robinson is the dim-witted Baldrick in the great British comedy series The Black Adder, the one who always says he has a “cunning plan” to escape any dire situation. He said little else in The Black Adder, and Cunning Night Out! finally gives him that chance. It’s a DVD of the British stand-up comedian’s one-man show that traveled to 30 UK cities in 2007.

     Performing in front of a live audience, Robinson connects the story of his life with great moments in history, tenuous as that connection may be. He shares funny family stories, historical insights, and experiences on his television shows The Black Adder, Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson likes to champion the little guy and thereby lampoon some of the great figures of history…starting with the RAF (his father was ground crew) and the kings of England. “Tony Robinson is a god of history,” says comedian Eddie Izzard.

     Robinson describes his experiences as a child actor who made a hit debut as the Artful Dodger in the original stage production of Oliver!. He got the role when the boy playing the role forgot there was a matinee. “We were 13,” says Robinson. “Our minds were unsullied by alcohol and drugs. Of course I knew the part. I was great for the first four minutes. Then nothing. The audience obviously loved my portrayal as a young boy tragically cut down by childhood dementia.”

     Robinson’s one-man show has a theme. That many people with the worst jobs throughout history often go unappreciated. Robinson discusses his fascination with this topic, taking him to the ultimate peak by personally re-enacting The Worst Jobs in History. In pitching that show idea, Robinson didn’t consider that meant that he would be doing the worst jobs. And worse, because of television schedules, he’d be doing these lousy jobs in the cold of winter.

     Cunning Night Out! is not a road-trip touring movie like Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Show. And, it’s a not a slapstick comedy like Will Ferrell’s upcoming martial arts spoof The Foot Fist Way. Cunning Night Out! is an evening with a great comedian, largely improvising, and holding the live audience spellbound by the power of his performance.

     It was 1983, after appearing in many British television shows, that Robinson broke out in TV for his role in the British historical sitcom The Black Adder. In the first series, he was clever and his master was an idiot. In the later series, Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third, and Blackadder Goes Forth, they switched brains and Robinson’s character Baldrick became an idiot with the catch phrase was “I have a cunning plan” – and never did.

     After Blackadder, Robinson became a narrator for the British animated series, Nellie the Elephant, and created the children's comedy TV series Maid Marian and her Merry Men for BBC1. Then Robinson hosted Time Team, the British television series about an archaeological team that investigates a site, but is limited to three days. 

     Robinson became involved in politics as vice-president of the actors’ union Equity, where he helped wipe out a £500,000 deficit. He was then elected to the Labour Party National Executive Committee. Robinson and his former partner Mary Shepheard were active in Bristol Labour politics. Shepheard and Robinson have two children. Robinson has written 16 children’s books. He has many honorary degrees for his service to drama, archaeology, and politics. He’s a supporter of the UK-based charity Street Child Africa.

Tony Robinson’s Cunning Night Out DVD. 83 min. $24.99

Released by Acorn Media • www.acornmedia.com

Robin Rowe is a co-founder of ScreenPlayLab (www.screenplaylab.com).