1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: Jonesy and Amanda in the morning. 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 2: But Elton, he's given us the Young Ones, He's given 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 2: us black Adder, he's given us sixteen books. He's given 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 2: us a stack of fabulous movies. He's given us West 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 2: End plays. He's returning to stand up, but before he's 6 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 2: going to do that, he's joining us right here, right now. 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: Absolutely, this is, this is really where it's all been 8 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: heading this way the forty year career. And I'm very 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: glad to be lovely to see you again. 10 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 3: I'm it's nice to see you. 11 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 4: The pinnacles. 12 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: It is certainly is. I'm peaking right now. 13 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: You've said that stand up is where your roots are, 14 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: and you've said it was a big decision to return 15 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: to the stage. 16 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: I don't know I've ever used the phrase where my 17 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: roots are, right, I don't. It's not how I feel 18 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: at all. I mean, my kind of life is always 19 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: an improvisation. I'm very lucky. I always knew what I 20 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: basically wanted to do, which was was was earned my 21 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: living doing the thing I like most was writing comedy 22 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: and working in the world of comic arts. Becoming a 23 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: stand up was was part of that, you know, back 24 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: in the early agies. I needed a job, I needed 25 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: a living, and I needed to get my wares around, 26 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: and so I became a stand up I hadn't really 27 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: thought about it before that I didn't act when I 28 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: was at university. I'm into writing, and I discovered that 29 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: I loved it. Stand Up as a medium of ideas 30 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: is a really it's a beautiful art form. And as 31 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: a writer who spends most of his time in a 32 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: vaguely objective world, if you're writing a novel or a 33 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: sitcom or a play, you're in a lot of different heads. 34 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: You're trying to take a lot of different points of 35 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: view to come to a narrative conclusion. But because in 36 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: stand up it's subjective, it's me. This is me doing 37 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: using the things I'm interested in to actually form my 38 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: own opinions. And hopefully I'm not trying to convert you, 39 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: but I'm certainly trying to amuse you and intrigue you 40 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: with the way I'm looking at the world today. So 41 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: I think as an art form common I mean gag telling. 42 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: That's a different art and it's not one that interests me. 43 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: I can enjoy it, you know, the kind of Jimmy 44 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: Carr world of an endless stream of marvelous non sequiturs. 45 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: But that's not what I do at all. And what 46 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: I do is weave a whole lot of bunch of 47 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: ideas together and try and arrive at a comedic a 48 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: comedic conclusion to often some quite serious stuff, not always. 49 00:01:58,280 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: And for me, it's a very inspiring thing to do, 50 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: and I have missed it. I've come back just because 51 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: I was at home with the kids for fifteen years 52 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: writ in novels, trying to be a part of trying 53 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: to be a good dad, you know. But now they've 54 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: all flown off and they haven't flown back yet with 55 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: their washing. Well they do that, and so I'm back 56 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: on the road again. 57 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 4: With the length of bread breadth of your stuff, you'd 58 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 4: be watching Black A or you might be watching The 59 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 4: Young Ones or reading one of your books. I recently, 60 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 4: when I said recently a year ago, re read Millennium. 61 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 4: That book you wrote, Millennium, Millennium, Millennium. It's the one 62 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 4: about everyone is in It's like in the future you 63 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 4: have to post all your stuff on. 64 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: Oh, blind Face. Blind Faces one of my most prescient 65 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: and depressing bleak novels. 66 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 4: But it's quite how long did you write that? 67 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: Fifteen years? I've been right. I'm quite good at sort 68 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: of looking a bit into the future. I mean, definitely 69 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: Blind Faith was before Facebook, Twitter, any social media, but 70 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: it was about the nature of. 71 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 4: Preacher's almost like Nostrodamacist. 72 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: It's a little bit and we will rock you. I'll 73 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: drop a couple of names. I was having dinner with 74 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: Brian and Roger in Perth the other day before they 75 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: did their marvelous gig in at the new Perth Stadium, 76 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: and they were saying, you know, we were rocky, which 77 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: is about a world where there's no live music anymore, 78 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: and guitars have been banned because the corporate entertainment machine 79 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,839 Speaker 1: is streaming music directly into people's devices. We had risk 80 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: risk devices in those days. This was before the iPod even, 81 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: And I must admit I'm quite pleased with what was 82 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: at the time a dystopian satire, but right now it's 83 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: it's kind of a it's just a reflection of the 84 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: of what's going on. And yeah, I like to I 85 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: like to see see the funny side of the way 86 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: we're going and sometimes it's kind of terrifying. 87 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: But even your book, Popstar, you were looking at. 88 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: Chartrob, can we get sixteen of them? 89 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 4: Right? 90 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: But the story was, you know, auditioning for a singing 91 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: TV show, whereas in fact the production just wanted the storyteller. 92 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 3: Before we knew that's what happened. 93 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: I know I must have the same go I wrote, Look, 94 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: I'm sounding like I'm boasting it, but it is something 95 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: I'd like to do with my novels. I did a 96 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: novel called Dead Famous, which was set in the Big Brotherhouse, 97 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: a murder set in the Big Brother House. And that 98 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: was only after the very first series in Britain, before 99 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: it even come here, and before anyone had really begun 100 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: to realize. It's all in the edit, you know. I 101 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: used to say, look, if you want to make a 102 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: contestant look like they're in love with a coffee mug, 103 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: have a shot of the coffee mug. Then have a 104 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: look at shot of the contestant looking all sad and winsome, 105 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: and bang, You've created a romance, you know, with an 106 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: inanimate object. The power of the edit, and certainly with 107 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: chart Throb, which was about X factor, it was all 108 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: about the fact that who cares about the singing? It's 109 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: the story, you know, and we need to find our characters. 110 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: We need to find our singers, our blingers and our mingers, 111 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 1: you know, the people can actually sing. Then there's the blingers, 112 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: who are the sort of exuberant, larger than life characters, 113 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: and the mingers, which is the sad ones who talk about, 114 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: you know, their struggle with this or that and et cetera. 115 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 4: What's your thoughts on Marriti at first sight? If you 116 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:51,919 Speaker 4: watch that. 117 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: I've not yet seen it, but I need to catch 118 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: up because everybody seems to be talking about it. As 119 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: far as I can see. It's the names in the 120 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: title get People Meet and then get my So it's. 121 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 3: Full of singers, blingers and all of those things. 122 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: They select their stories. We're going to follow that story exactly. 123 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 3: And a lot of them falling in love with coffee mugs. 124 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: So you're right, and it's all turning bad now, isn't it? 125 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: Because reality TV stars are starting to have real mental 126 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: problems issues with fame. Who would have guessed it? Duh? 127 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: Of course, you create this weird, unreal world, then you 128 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: dump people out of it, and you know, we've had 129 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: some very distressing circumstances of some people have taken their 130 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: lives and et cetera. 131 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 4: Well in Blind Faith, in the book you it actually 132 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 4: it's illegal not to download something, not to put something 133 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 4: on Facebook or post. 134 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: Privacy is seen as something as antisocial. People want to 135 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: keep something private. That's an anti social act if you 136 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: do not want and crave every The idea was in 137 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: it's a sort of reverse of George Orwell's nineteen eighty 138 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: four Blind Faith nineteen eighty four, The Greatest you know, 139 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: the Daddy and Mummy of all dystopian novels. The great 140 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: fear is that big brother is watching you, that you 141 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: cannot be private, that you will always be being seen 142 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: by someone. And I thought in two o five when 143 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: I wrote, then we're becoming a world where people are 144 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: terrified nobody's watching. I've said something nobody heard. I sent 145 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: an email, but nobody's responded, nobody's liking me. And so 146 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: this idea where privacy becomes the subversive act, the idea 147 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: that you have a cup of coffee, you don't take 148 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: a photograph it and show all your friends. You eat 149 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: subversively and privately, You don't insist that everybody watches and 150 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: listen to everything you do and your struggles and your 151 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: problems and The eventual comic conclusion is is a law 152 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: is passed in the future where everyone is famous by law. 153 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: A politician manager to become famous simply by saying, if 154 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: you vote for me, I will pass a law that 155 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: says you're famous. Obviously they won't be famous, but they'll 156 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: be famous because by law they are famous, and everyone 157 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: is famous. It was an interesting novel fifteen years ago. 158 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: I'm glad you remembered. 159 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 3: It doesn't sound ludicrous now. 160 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: I like the idea of a law that just says 161 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: you're famous, literally, and I. 162 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 4: Love the irony. All of this right now is being 163 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 4: filmed on our web cameras in the studio. 164 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,239 Speaker 1: Absolutely this is there's nothing one can do that isn't filmed, 165 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: and people seeking a sort of significance, and then of course, 166 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, adding up the likes and things. I must 167 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: another name, Charlie Brook who did Black Mirror. I saw him. 168 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: He came just opened to play in the West End, 169 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: very excitingly, at my first new play for a long time, 170 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: and Charlie was there. And I'll say, you know that 171 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: Black Mirrors you blind faith because I was with the 172 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: likes and the clicks, you know, I love Black Mirror. 173 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 4: I think maybe the stand up should be is Ben Elton, 174 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 4: How good it is? Ben Elton, I. 175 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: Do sound like I'm peeing in my own pocket as 176 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: we it is. It is well, absolutely, it is indeed 177 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: a circus skill. But yeah, have you. 178 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 3: Peed in your own pocket unless we've filmed it and 179 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 3: seen it. 180 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: I think it's happy a trip for me. If a 181 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,559 Speaker 1: tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, yes 182 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: it did fall, and yes it did make a noise. 183 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: This idea that it has to be observed to make 184 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: be of significance is I think a very corrosive and worrying, 185 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,679 Speaker 1: worrying aspect of a modern life. 186 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 4: There's just never enough time to talk to you. Ben. 187 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 4: Head to livenation dot com dot au for the last 188 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 4: to Ben Elton's show this Saturday at City Recital Hall. 189 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 4: I just love that. 190 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: I think we got two on so this but they 191 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: are selling fast. Yeah, the recital Hall. It's for a 192 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: man who swears for a living. It does sound like 193 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: rather a plosh gig, but I believe it is a 194 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: very nice life. 195 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: It is a good venue and there's really good restaurants 196 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 3: around there too. 197 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: Come and see me and then go and have a meal. 198 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: Afterwards I want to re endorsement exactly, Ben Elton, thank 199 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: you lovely to be back to join the and Amanda 200 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: in the morning one at one point seven, tell you