Yesterday’s post re: the lost garage tapes of Morecambe and Wise got me thinking about another group that played a big role in the early days of British comedy more than setting the stage for today’s stars. The comedy duo of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, along with the likes of Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller, formed the cast of Beyond the Fringe, an early 60’s stage revue which saw the light of day not only in London’s famed West End, but also Broadway in New York.

As we suggested with Morecambe and Wise, familiarize yourself with the work of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. If not already familiar with them, there’s some great archival stuff here. Looking back over the series of sketches, you’ll immediately recognize a satirical, no-holds-barred, nature that is present in some of the later British comedies such as At Last the 1948 Show and Monty Python’s Flying Circus. A mixture of the The Cambridge Footlights and The Oxford Revue, Beyond the Fringe never shied away from controversy with British government a frequent target.

Two classic sketches to get you started….

“One Leg Too Few” with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9MJMOMufY

“Piano and Trumpet: The Lost Tapes” with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJj293AKJQ