Norman Lovett gets an update

[Asclepius]

Spotted on Cookd and Bombd from earlier this year. It’s a nice post and I  just thought I’d share if anyone’s interested in cast members not going absolutely crackers in public spheres:

“Norman Lovett at the Black Heart last night was adorably doddering, basically being a daft old bloke, telling few proper jokes and instead meandering into pointless anecdotes, making a point of slowly setting up and checking the timer on his phone etc. He did say he’d had COVID about a year back and it affected his memory a fair bit but he seemed to enjoy playing into that, and he knew a crowd of metalhead Dwarf fans would allow him whatever leeway he needed and just coasted on that goodwill.

Despite that sounding a bit shit/tragic he is still a naturally endearing comic presence and had the room cracking up throughout. Even before the set, he walked past and went backstage and bashed his arse on a wall fixture squeezing round an obstacle, and did a bunch of performative silent gestures of mild pain and irritance which was somehow really funny.

To top it off he came back onstage after the set for a Q&A which was similarly meandering but very sweet to hear him chat about Red Dwarf with some basic “what’s your fave episode” questions. Lovely stuff.

Follow up:

I was also at the Norman Lovett gig at Andrew O’Neill’s Troy Club last night. It was a great audience for him – a fair few Red Dwarf fans and folks accustomed to alternative comedy. We’d also been warmed up with some understated whimsy earlier in the evening from Johnny White Really-Really. A young fella in the front row who turned out to be a RD fan said, as soon as Norm came onstage, “They’re dead, Dave” and Norm was a totally good sport and carried on with a bit of “They’re all dead, Dave” before telling us he’s in the new series. I love how indiscreet most of the cast are before the official announcements. We got some prop comedy, some made up stories, some autobiographical stories like him getting into a physical fight with a taxi driver and coming out of Covid the same week The Promised Land was broadcast. A lot of it was having to watch quietly to see what he was going to surprise us with – like taking a plastic bag out of his pocket, filling it with air and letting it float a bit while he held it.

I thought this is probably something he’s been doing since the ’80s and somehow that made it even more fun. Lovett seemed to be enjoying himself, and there was just lots of joy in the room.

When he went off, [host?] did a quick check and came back to ask if we’d like a Q&A. We cheered so Lovett came back and joined Andrew and answered loads of questions mostly about Red Dwarf. Andrew told us that Norm used to open for The Clash, and Norm said he did Madness as well. 

[Warbodog]

I saw him do the plastic bag bit in 2005, but it’s not like you go to Norman Lovett expecting his latest innovative themed Fringe hour.

[Jenuall]

Yeah I saw him do the plastic bag bit back in 2012 as well.

This all sounds pretty much on point for how his act appears to have always been

[Dave]

Is this the first time Norman has said he’ll be in the new as-yet-unannounced series or special too? I guess it was assumed, but still nice to know.

[Asclepius]

Oh yeah…for some reason I thought the follow up was referencing an older appearance, but it was 5th July 2024. So yeah, looks like I’ve just BROKEN SOME NEWS.

Go me.

[Ben Saunders]

the new as-yet-unannounced series or special

[loadoftottnumb]

I have a small feeling the next instalment of Red Dwarf could explore the parallel universe where Jim and Bexley were left. So Norm and Hattie would both be in it, which would be cool. 

[Dave]

Yeah I could see that happening. The twins and Kochanski are the two big loose ends, and Doug has talked about future specials potentially dealing with dangling plot threads from earlier in the series.

[Flap Jack]

What if Hattie plays Holly, and Norman plays the greatest and most prolific lover who ever lived?

[Moonlight]

They bring back Arlene and Deb and somehow have a really interesting double Rimmer plot yet again.

[Asclepius]

Just to add to the rumour mill, but Craig Charles is absent from 6 Music this week…

I’m going to claim it’s a script-read.

[Stephen Abootman]

He was in the first 3 days but he’d have a job fitting that in:

Keeping a certain period clear though I see:

[Warbodog]

Is Danny the only one who’s been quiet about it?

[Author]

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