BBC Radio 4 illuminates January with the spirit of misrule

The Shakespearean spirit of misrule will infuse the day, with a special rendition of Twelfth Night from The Now Show, thematic linking to Twelfth Night in several flagship programmes, and brand new pilots from Sue Perkins, Harry Hill, Angus Deayton, David Mitchell, Lost Voice Guy and Jake Yapp.

Sioned Wiliam, Commissioning Editor for Comedy for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra says: “The topsy turvy world of Shakespeare’s festive comedies are the inspiration for this day of misrule. From Harry Hill’s bonkers prison island and the Now Show’s unique take on Twelfth Night to the weirdly repressed world of Angus Deayton’s new flat share sitcom, social conventions are overturned and authority figures are mocked - and all this on one of the bleakest days of the year. I’m thrilled to have such a broad range of new comedies to offer and can also promise a few more surprises on the day.”

In Now The Twelfth Night Show at 2.30pm, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present their unique take on Shakespeare’s classic, Twelfth Night, using ‘archive’ extracts from various productions of the play alongside commentary from theatrical and academic experts and some of the greatest Shakespearean actors.

The theme of Twelfth Night and misrule will be an undercurrent throughout the day, with the idea echoed in several Radio 4 programmes such as Week in Westminster, Saturday Live, Kitchen Cabinet and Loose Ends.

Following the one-hour special from The Now Show, Radio 4 will broadcast six brand new comedy pilots from some of the most revered comedians, as well as up-and-coming talent.

Kicking off this run of pilots, Angus Deayton stars in Alone at 3.30pm. Written by Moray Hunter, this sitcom follows the stories of five single, middle-aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in North London.

Next at 4pm, Sue Perkins and guests take a look back at the big news stories of 2016, as found in local headlines up and down the country, in Hold The Front Page.

David Mitchell and John Finnemore star in Time Spanner at 4.30pm, a mind-bending time-travelling comic adventure which sees Martin Gay's 40th birthday disrupted by two very important moments: meeting Gabbie, the girl of his dreams, and being forced at gunpoint into a world of angels, robots and the most powerful tool in the universe, the Time Spanner.

At 7pm (and 10.15 pm), Harry Hill returns to Radio 4 to run Britain's remotest prison in Life on Egg. But with escape rates out of control and an inspection looming, will Harry and his team survive their strenuous checks?

Jake Yapp Saves Humanity in 28 Minutes at 10.30pm. Or at least he attempts to though the power of stand-up and sketch comedy, and in this pilot episode listeners will hear him break down the five main selling formats used in TV advertisements.

Lost Voice Guy (real name Lee Ridley) has cerebral palsy and speaks via a computer. After winning the BBC Radio New Comedy Award in 2014, he is making his debut on Radio 4 at 11.30pm with Ability. The sitcom tells the story of Matt (Ridley) who is leaving home for the first time to move in with his best friend Jess, and the potentially troublesome bond he forms with his new wheeler-dealer carer Bob.

Radio 4’s special day of comedy is on 7 January 2017.

Production credits:

• Now The Twelfth Night Show, by BBC Studios
• Alone, by Absolutely Productions
• Hold The Front Page, by BBC Studios
• Time Spanner, by BBC Studios
• Life on Egg, by BBC Studios
• Jake Yapp Saves Humanity in 28 Minutes, by BBC Studios
• Ability, by BBC Studios

RHS