Spike Milligan Man of Letters by Spike Milligan

Author:Spike Milligan [Milligan, Spike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography, Comedy, Funny, Humour, Memoirs, Non-Fiction
ISBN: 9780241966921
Publisher: Viking
Published: 2014-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

Captain & Mrs L. A. Milligan

New South Wales

Australia

11 December 1964

Dear Dad,

This is a letter just to explain how my rather bumpy career is shaping. The play ‘Oblomov’ opened at the Lyric, Hammersmith to bad notices, but sympathetic in general to me. The trouble was I took the part of ‘Oblomov’ because at the time I had no other work. I knew it was a busy play but I had to sacrifice my beliefs for bread and butter. I did everything that the producers, managers and great actors told me to do. The result, was disastrous but it was no surprise to me and I knew that the play would get a slating. However, I decided to do something about it, in fact I was the ONLY person who could do anything about it, so I started to ad lib my way through the show and bit by bit made it into an extremely funny show. The result was during the five weeks we were at the Lyric, Hammersmith we broke the box office record twice. It was then transferred to the West End to the Comedy Theatre, where it opened to rave notices, from the very critics who had decried it on the original opening night. In the first week we have broken the box office record for Saturdays, and the box office record for every other day of the week. I cant really believe it but there it is, it is actually happening.

I suppose at the age of 47 I can say that success did not come until I was nearly 50, which is a long time. However, it is happening and there seems no let up in the bookings. The only trouble is I fear that this unexpected success will stop me going to Australia next March in ‘The Bed Sitting Room’. Nevertheless, I will be coming to Australia at the very first opportunity because I like it out there. In fact, if I had enough money I would settle out there permanently, which of course is still more than a possibility.

Paddy is sending you all the cuttings, as she wanted to be the person who told you. I am just sending this letter in case the cuttings go astray. I have received your Christmas card. All the children and Paddy are well. I fluctuate between being well and unwell according to how people treat me. Of course, what has made a big difference to me is this play because I had saved up a thousand pounds and hoped to buy a piece of ground in the country and try to build a home on it for myself, but when I saw the possibility of ‘Oblomov’ being a success I put that thousand pounds into the play, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the play will run long enough for the thousand pounds to make a profit.

Well that is all the news for now. I will try to telephone you during the next fortnight. God bless you all.

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