Michael Green, 1927-2018, R.I.P.

Yes, another 'obit' to cheer you all up but this one is personal.  I was saddened to hear the news of the death of Michael Green, journalist, author, humourist - and one of the nicest and funniest men you could ever wish to meet.  He wrote a whole series of "Coarse" books but perhaps the best known is The Art of Course Acting.  For better understanding you should take 'coarse' as meaning 'amateur' - very amateur!  Mike was a keen amateur actor but his irrepressible humour ensured that he did not miss the inherently comic element in every amateur production.  He summed it up, thus:

A coarse actor is one who can remember his lines, but not the order in which they come. An amateur. One who performs in Church Halls. Often the scenery will fall down. Sometimes the Church Hall may fall down. Invariably his tights will fall down. He will usually be playing three parts – Messenger, 2nd Clown, an Attendant Lord. His aim is to upstage the rest of the cast. His hope is to be dead by Act II so that he can spend the rest of his time in the bar. His problems? Everyone else connected with the production.

Here he is playing Bardolph to my Falstaff in Henry IV, Pt. II.

I may have told you this before but I first came across him years before I ever knew him.  I had picked up one of his 'Coarse' books and was travelling on the top deck of a double-decker bus with my girlfriend of the time (later to become the 'Memsahib' - lucky gal!) and her best friend.  As usual, they were 'clacking away' about something and I started reading my book.  Within minutes I was doubled up on my seat howling with laughter and tears rolling down my cheeks.  In fact, I was so embarrassingly loud that the girls left me and went down to the lower deck!

What a great talent it is to have the ability to make other people laugh.  Mike had it in spades and it was combined with a quiet but genial personality.  Thanks, Mike, it really was a pleasure knowing you and working with you.

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

It truly is a talent. Problem today is, what or who is it safe to laugh at?

[Demetrius]

Thank you for this. He went to the same school that I did and also played for the 1st XV and then locally played for the same club, although he had moved to London by the time I came along. They changed and bathed in the former stables behind The Old Horse London Road Leicester, by Victoria Park, where the pitches were. He was parallel to the Attenborough's, although possibly a better actor and narrator.

[Richard]

I can boast that I shared a stage with him in several productions. God bless you Mike.

[mike fowle]

Is that really you, David? What a fine figure of a man you are!

[Loz]

Very sad.

I remember your and his Falstaff & Bardolph combo with great fondness and pride. It worked perfectly as that pic demonstrates.

You lent me his autobiography around that time too, which was a heart-warming hoot.

RIP Mike Green.

SoD

[Scroblene]

This is such sad news!

I'm actually reading The Art of Coarse Acting as we speak, and the humour is just reducing me to helpless howls of laughter! For Christmas, Senora O'Blene and I bought each other as many of his books as we could find. I've already devoured the first Rugby edition, and have two more yet!

He was probably the funniest writer I ever enjoyed! RIP.

(I hope you won't mind D and N, but I'm short of a post and with a hat-tip in your direction, I'd like to do something as well)!

[Mayfly]

I'm sorry to hear this, I loved "The Art of Coarse Acting", and also had to read it alone in my house for fear of seemingly like a mad idiot. The story of the actor watching the play from the audience and announcing proudly to the people around him, "This is where I come on" was excellent!

I did have to remind Hamlet once that someone needed to deliver the "To be or not be speech" on stage, although I suspect most of the audience could have done it for him.....