Lano & Woodley: Housemeeting

by Colin Lane, Frank Woodley

Genres: Humor, Comedy

218 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 1996

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a genuinely laugh-out-loud funny book for me and it captures the spirit of Australian comedy duo Lano and Woodley (Colin Lane and Frank Woodley) well. If you don’t know who they are or can’t stand them if you do, this probably isn’t the book for you – it’s very much based in their characters and style of comedy, and there are scenes/lines/etc that have turned up in their later work. Housemeeting does lose something for being almost entirely text-based – I often wished that I could see them perform this (their voices and physicality are a large part of their comedy) and it’s shame it doesn’t exist in more than book-form. That being said, it’s still amusing, and there are some jokes that could only exist in a text format.

[Ad_Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really nostalgic read. A book I first read with my cousin when I was about 12, written by a comedic duo that I have always loved. I had been trying to track down this book for years, it went out of print for quite a while, so it came as a wonderful surprise that it was reprinted. The book itself read like a script of an episode of their show, The Adventures of Lano & Woodley, it certainly didn’t disappoint reading it again in adulthood, I loved the intertwining long-standing jokes, references and nicknames that are so classically Lano & Woodley. An easy read, and one that can be picked up and enjoyed at anytime.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a script for their show, which isn't a bad thing. It definitely does lose some humour without the two duo actually performing it but it's still a funny, quick little book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Like reading an episode. It lost a bit through reading rather than watching, but I absolutely read Frank's parts in his voice.

[Tamz · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!!

[Jye · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Lano & Woodley, I thought this was great. It felt exactly like I was watching one of this stage shows or an episode of their tv series.

Housemeeting is a fast and fun read that I was extremely happy to get my hands on a copy.

[Cyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, like an episode of the show. Very clever Australian comedy.

[Jeedge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally like reading a script from a live episode/stage show of Lano and Woodley. It was fine, all the elements are there. It just transitions better to small screen.

[Lauren Roennfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give 10 stars cos I love them and they can do no wrong.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic and a must-read for any genuine Lano & Woodley fan. Written in 1996, it predates their hilarious TV show, but the feel of the book is quite similar. For those who always wanted more episodes of the show to be produced, Housemeeting is perfect. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Frank Woodley.

If you're not a fan of Lano & Woodley, don't buy this book. However, if you are a fan and come across this book somewhere, GRAB IT.

There was only one edition of this book published, and according to Lano & Woodley themselves, the publishers (Penguin) didn't really "get" the comedy in it. There will not be a reprint and copies of this book are a rare and valuable find.