Today sees the release of a movie with all the ingredients for greatness, with the cream of British film-acting talent pitched up alongside comedy gold-dust. Unfortunately, pre-release reviews of Burke & Hare have not been entirely complimentary, but how fine to see Serkis paired up with Pegg. And lest it be forgotten from whence they came, here are a couple of pics of them in days prior to A-list glory. In their earliest theatre assignments out of the Theatre Depts of Lancaster and Bristol Universities, Andy and Simon were directed by Simon Jones (still at Bristol and director of Bodies In Flight). Spot attendant berk with hair…

Class Enemy by Nigel Williams, Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster Literature Festival, May 1985. dir. Simon Jones.

Rough, devised by Bodies In Flight, Arnolfini, October 1992. dir. Simon Jones/Sara Giddens. photo: Ed Dimsdale

Teaching last week at Bristol, one student casually references Simon Pegg as the very reason he chose to come to the Dept. and it’s sobering to think that current 2nd years were born in the year that Simon was a 2nd year here.  He is but one of a glittering alumni, many of which have passed into today’s comedy mainstream. Student ambitions are understandably high… but in the meantime, er…let’s make some experimental theatre, shall we?