Soupy Twists! (Jem Roberts)

--The blurb--

"Comedy history shows that it is our funniest double acts who receive the most love from the public, from Eric & Ernie and Pete & Dud to The Two Ronnies and Vic & Bob. But while all of these partnerships have been celebrated in print, one of the most beloved duos of all time – Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie – have not.

Jem Roberts, acclaimed chronicler of Blackadder and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, seeks to rectify this with an all-new official biography, timed to mark the thirtieth anniversary of A Bit of Fry & Laurie. Featuring interviews with the likes of Emma Thompson and Richard Curtis, he takes a fresh look at the duo’s journey from insecure Footlighters to international comedy heroes. Beyond this, the trials and tribulations of their remarkable subsequent career paths, from QI to House, will be entertainingly explored for the very first time.

Thanks to the generosity of both colleagues, the A Bit of Fry & Laurie archive has been opened up, revealing a host of tantalising titbits for fans – including what happened next for Tony and Control, which other shops Mr Dalliard’s friend ran, and the lost Laurie number The Ballad of Neddy Muldoon…"

--The review--

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are without doubt a central part of the British televisual canon. Whether your first discovery of Stephen Fry was via quiz show QI, your first sight of Hugh Laurie was in the film Maybe Baby, or indeed you encountered the two together in iconic series Blackadder, Jem Roberts deftly shows in the crowdfunded publication of Soupy Twists! how the duo rose to the top of their game - and how they've done probably an awful lot more than you realised in order to get there.

Fry's sheer talent is rightly prized over the darker elements of his past, but Roberts gives both a realistic and honest treatment. Roberts also does well to demonstrate the hard work that went into the pair's meteoric ascendancy to fame, as well as acknowledging the opportunities that were available to them at various points - alongside humbler beginnings.

Roberts' meticulousness as a researcher is seen front row and centre in this joint biography. His attention to detail and emphasis on first-hand accounts (from such luminaries as Emma Thompson) is what brings the recount to life, alongside a beautifully varied selection of photographs, and never-before-seen access to scripts. It is a balanced retelling that showcases Fry and Laurie's strengths and weaknesses and sensitively analyses what makes them the performers that they are today.

The scripts from A Bit of Fry & Laurie will perhaps be the highlight for die-hard fans; however, for those who have seen less of the show, it may be harder to visualise the tone, gestures and overall performative style inherent therein, even if readers are familiar with the twosome's other work (both together and separately). For this reason, the book would arguably be an even greater standout hit as an audiobook, enabling the scripts to spring into full life. An ebook format would also enable links to clips at relevant moments. Fry and Laurie are themselves such animated forces on the screen (big or small) that any textual rendering is bound to feel a little flatter by comparison.

Nevertheless, Roberts' exclusive insider access and expertly incisive commentary makes this book an excellent gift for any Fry and Laurie fan, especially in anticipation of the upcoming festive season (is it even legal to mention the C-word before Bonfire Night?). Soupy Twists! is entertaining, engaging, thorough and humane - and readers will surely not be disappointed.

other works by Jem Roberts

The Fully Authorised History of 'I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue' (2010)

The True History of the Black Adder (2012)

The Frood: The Authorised and Very Official History of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2015)