Comedy and Error: They Really Were Marvellous Times

by Simon Day

Best known as one of the stars of the Fast Show (where he played characters such as Dave Angel, Eco Warrior, Tommy Cockles and Competitive Dad) and Bellamy's People co-starring Paul Whitehouse, Simon Day tells the shocking, sometimes sad and hilariously funny story of his life so far. Simon Day's memoir is a story of unlikely successes and secret lives. In the early 1980s he was a petty thief living rough in South East London and stealing whatever he could to fund an addiction to fruit machines. He was arrested and sentenced to borstal. Simon's memoir tells the story of how this nice, middle-class boy from the suburbs served time with the professionals and hard-cases in a jail fiercely divided along racial lines during the height of the 1981 riots. It moves on to the lucky breaks, the talent getting recognised, the 'redemption' of his years as a celebrity ...with the parallel story of his addiction which -- with money and success -- became fuelled by drugs. Dark and dramatic, Simon Day's memoir is a laugh-out-loud-funny story of drugs, crime and comedy.

Genres: Biography, Humor

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2011

About the author

Simon Day began his career as a stand up comic, winning the Time Out New Act of the Year Award in 1991. He worked extensively with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer before rising to prominence in the hit TV comedy The Fast Show, and as well as making many television and film appearances he has toured extensively performing as his comic characters. He is bald and does not turn down hot food.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The autobiography of Simon Day. Who? The bloke from the Fast Show who wasn't Paul Whitehouse nor the soft spoken, almost cuddly one. Simon Day is not cuddly, as the book soon points out. As he himself admits, his early years shaped him into someone difficult to like, despite coming from a secure and loving family. And it's not laugh a minute either. The first few chapters have funny moments, but as Simon charts his progress - or lack of it- from school days through adolescence into the world of work it all becomes quite sad. A depressed gambling addict, he begins to make you feel the same way, only without the gambling.
As he descends into squalor, thieving and squatting, Day gives us a sideways look at London and a way of living that happens when you're on the margins of society. The tone is always quite light hearted but underneath there is a streak of near self-loathing that you feel powers a lot of comedy. The court jesters always were rewarded with someone else being executed while they really they suspect it should have been them.
His accounts of prison and borstal have a truth about them that say more about he experience in three pages than Jeffery Archer managed in three hundred.
He writes a sketch about a holiday on his own in Australia that should be compulsory reading for anyone considering heading abroad on their lonesome. It is Shirley Valentine without any of the warmth, romance or comfort with oneself. You yearn for him to find some cocaine just to end the solitary confinement in paradise. If I ever fancy lighting out on a solo world tour, I will make a point of rereading this chapter before I pay for the ticket.
At the end of the autobiography I was glad I had stuck with the author because he's always interesting, engaging and honest with himself. There's more Error than Comedy, but the book is better for it.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this having read a couple of rave reviews. I quite liked the Fast Show but was never a huge fan, though this is probably because I didn't watch a great deal of telly when it was on. This was no obstacle to enjoying the book as it's only the last third or so that Mr Day becomes a "sleb" in any way.

This is a truly "warts and all" autobiography. From a not entirely comfortable middle class start he really does plumb the depths of drugs, poverty, homelessness and petty crime. It certainly made me wonder what happened to a couple of entertaining "class nutter" characters I was at school with. It might not be great literature, but the simplistic style, short sentences and skipping from anecdote to anecdote keeps it entertaining. The style is a by-product of his mild dyslexia and other issues and thus understandable.

It's another example of just how much things changed during the 70s and 80s. Despite being just two years younger than Mr Day I have quite a different perspective on some of his reference points - he was ahead of me on Punk for example. I'm not sure the cultural references of kids separated by two years today will be so different.

The book is also refreshingly honest - the subtitle may be Tommy Cockles' catchphrase about Marvellous Times but he doesn't hold back on just how miserable an existance an addict (of any kind, and he was most of them) has. He doesn't ask for any sympathy either, just tells it how it was.

As a result of all this misery it is rather less amusing than I expected, but it's not without a few decent laughs and our hero does seem to achieve some kind of redemption by the end. Recommended as an antidote to any other sleb biogs by folk who believe they are in some way important.

[DC Merryweather · Rating 2 out of 5]

A two-star rating is a bit harsh as this is perfectly fine memoir of a minor celeb. Candid and self-critical, occasionally waspish, and also serves as a lightly insightful look 'backstage' at the British comedy circuit during the Cool Britannia 1990s. It's interesting to chart Simon Day's addictions from labourer's lunch time fruit machines, to ravey davey disco biscuits, to Groucho Club gak, to trophy girlfriend crack.
I liked the chapter where, peak fame, he goes to Australia for a holiday and doesn't speak to anyone or do anything of note. Scuba diving trips to the coral reef on his doorstep; he stays in his hotel room and watches episodes of The Bill. probably for the best.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair play best autobiography I've ever read!

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give this more than 5 stars if I could. This autobiography is brilliantly honest about addiction and the effect it has on everyone involved, much more honest than most ‘celebrities’ are.

Simon Day manages to inject humour into his genuinely difficult early years, while being open about what a loathsome person he was, and still manages to be fantastically likeable.

A really enjoyable book, you won’t get more ‘warts and all’ than this.

[Denise Mallard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Helps if you loved the fast show and all its characters and that era of music, drug culture and comedy, which I certainly did - Simon was a massive part of that and loved hearing about his aspect of it and the people he met along the way.
Such a great memoir.
Funny and also confronting and honest and at times a bit sad
A life worth writing about I think!
Not your average celeb story…

[Lee Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I love Simon Day's work, and I'd heard he'd had a tough life, so I was interested in his story. He's battled quite a few demons and had to deal with some serious setbacks on his way to success and happiness, and he writes about them with honesty and good humour. Well worth seeking out if you're a fan.

[Mark Emerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is often the case with great comedy talent, a troubled personal life hides in the wings. Simon pulls no punches (all aimed squarely at himself) when he details his troubled life in South East London. A thoroughly well written and entertaining book that also serves as a great trip down memory lane for those who spent time in Lewisham, Greenwich or Deptford over the last few decades.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was always a big fan of The Fast Show but this just seemed to be a 'woe is me' tale, most of which was self-inflicted.
I was also put off by his 'c*ock and b*lls' being mentioned constantly, as well as his descriptions of 'fat birds' in every chapter.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blimey, didn't know what a trouble life this guy had. Self inflicted me thinks.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm Big fan of Simon Day this book doesn't dissapoint

[Grahamwhite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite a surprise - I heard the author talking about the book when it came out in 2011 and thought, 'That's interesting, I didn't know he had been sent to borstal' and made a note to read it and then forgot. As a big Fast Show fan I grabbed it from the library the other day and found it a genuinely interesting read. Much darker than you might expect as he falls into a terrible addictive spiral, but with plenty of funny bits as well. My favourite part was when, after no sleep at all he had to go onto the set of Jonathan Creek the next day as he had mixed up his calendar and start filming with live monkeys . . 'Not good my friend, not good. . '

[Mark Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read. I'm not sure I came away liking the author but his honesty is very refreshing. Some great descriptions of the 70's and 80's.

[Richard Whittaker]

I read this book twice.....

Well written and a very detailed account of years of carnage, amazed he survived, they really were marvellous times! I enjoyed this book, buy it.