Goodbye Again

by William Cook

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are the greatest double act that Great Britain has ever produced. This collection of their works is a comprehensive compilation of the finest sketches that Cook and Moore ever wrote together - from the beginning of their partnership, in the groundbreaking stage show, "Beyond The Fringe", to the notorious taboo busting Derek and Clive LPs that captured the spirit of punk rock, and inspired the scatological anarchy of "Alternative Comedy". Featuring transcripts of one night stands long since almost forgotten, as well as a wealth of virtually unknown material, including previously unpublished scripts for "Not Only But Also", "Goodbye Again" is a revelation, even for Cook and Moore's most informed fans. As well as illuminating their work, this book also promises to shed light on their intimate yet turbulent relationship. It will show how these two diametrically opposed men; tall and athletic Cook from a middle class, public boarding school background, and diminutive, club-footed Moore, working class, but with an impressive musical talent came together to develop the closest of partnerships based on an instinctive, virtually intuitive sense of humour. "Goodbye Again" will chart the extraordinary friendship between the two men and its almost telepathic intensity, which not only bought them together but also pulled them apart time after time, until their eventual reconciliation.

Genres: Humor, Biography, Nonfiction, Comedy, Tv

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

William Cook is the author of Ha Bloody Ha - Comedians Talking (Fourth Estate), The Comedy Store - The Club That Changed British Comedy (Little, Brown) and 25 Years of Viz (Boxtree). He edited Tragically I Was An Only Twin - The Complete Peter Cook and Goodbye Again - The Definitive Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, both published by Century, and Eric Morecambe Unseen. He has worked for the BBC and written for the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday, the New Statesman and Conde Nast Traveller.

Reviews

[James Tingle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this recently and have to say I'm slightly disappointed in a way. Although I really like the humour of Cook and Moore (Cook particularly), I didn't feel this was quite up to their best standard. The lengthy introduction by the editor of the book, William Cook, was one of the highlights, which tells you that the scripts weren't absolutely astounding. The little bits of biography at the beginning of each chapter are interesting, and it is a very easy reading book, but I didn't laugh once, and only smiled a handful of times. It feels like the editor has picked out all the B,C, and even D grade material from their varied career, and stuck it into this book, maybe to offer hardcore fans a few rarities they may not have come across before, perhaps. Even the Pete and Dud sketches seemed as flat as those two characters' caps overall, and it's all pretty underwhelming to be honest, if still light and readable...
If you are new to Cook and Moore, maybe don't bother with this one and go instead for Tragically I was an Only Twin- The Complete Peter Cook, which is much funnier and seems to be a compilation of their best bits, rather than this book, which feels like left over scraps for those wanting a bit more. Still, it is an easy read, and not bad in places I suppose, but certainly not their best work.

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the past two or three years I have been slightly obsessed (I am always obsessed about something) with Peter Cook. It's something about his face and how he uses his face to convey humor. Never a huge Dudley Moore fan, but alas his work with Cook is really something else. It's great to see film footage of their skits, but it also reads well on the page.

Their work together is very dark and bitter. The word playing among them is also hysterical. I think skit playing and writing is sort of a lost art form. As soon as the money comes in, most comedians head for the film world - which to me is a total disaster in most cases. Those who are brilliant in doing a five minute skit, have trouble doing a 2 hour film. The sense of concentration and making each word or action count within a few minutes is truly a concentrated medium. Pete and Dud were truly masters in that form of entertainment. Good writers as well. And of course Dud was a great piano player.

And very recently I found a fantastic Dudley Moore jazz trio album on the internet. Next stop is to find it on vinyl.

[Richard Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s sketches a little hit and miss – but when they hit they hit big. This book provides transcripts of (presumably) most of their work together but also has a decent commentary that provides a lot of insight into the duo’s complex history.

There’s lots of good material here – One Leg too few is still hilarious, and a few other sketches (like Bo Duddley) are just as sharp, if not sharper, today than they would have been in the 60’s.

Derek and Clive (to me anyway) remain a bit too reliant on just plain foul-mouthed obscenity to be as clever as Peter Cook could be.

If you’re interested in the history of British TV comedy then this is a great review of Pete and Dud’s vital contribution.

[Steve Parcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating mix of how the guys came together and transcript of some of the hilarious sketches they did.

A very entertaining read

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just a little too young to have seen Pete and Dud at their finest in the 1960s (from my middle-aged point of view it feels good to say I'm too young for anything!), but have seen some of their sketches from this era on TV. So I enjoyed this look at their work together which takes the form of a narrative about theme plus transcripts of their work.

Reading comedy sketches that were intended to be seen performed is a strange concept and one which can make all but the best of material fall flat. Some of the material in this book falls into that category, but some of it is still funny and made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

[Gary Fowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the absence of most of Cook & Moore's partnership (thanks to the BBCs practise of wiping video every few years), this is an opportunity to at least have a glimpse into what makes them so revered by their peers. Although that said reading this is a little akin to reading poetry, it feels like it should be said out loud, not as some sort of internal monologue. William Cook knows his subject well and his framing chapters help guide the reader through the various times and places that these sketches took place in.

[Kevin Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in sketch comedy, Cook and Moore (along with Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller) revolutionized the art form. They had a huge influence on the Monty Python crew, which is evident in sketches like "The Great Train Robbery" (youtube it!).