MY JERICHO
This meeting was held on April 17, 2019
Before he reached the heart-sinking category of the Great and the Good,Peter Bennett-Jones began life in Liverpool, the son of a doctor, a Welsh farmer’s boy made good, who served for four years in Burma during the war and later helped to spot the effects of Thalidomide, and smoking/lung cancer
Peter Bennett-Jones himself was on the outermost fringes of the Mersey scene in the Sixties, being dispatched to a prep school in North Wales (“like [Evelyn Waugh’s novel] Decline and Fall”) then Winchester College, which left him wanting to study medieval history.
Instead he read Law at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and was soon involved in University theatricals. He became President of Footlights the University amateur dramatic club. “It was extraordinary to be given control of that train set at that age.”
The first Cambridge Footlights show he took part in, circa 1975, was directed by Douglas Adams, later of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame, and ran to four hours. It was knocked down to an hour by Griff Rhys Jones.
In Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival they met their Oxford opposite numbers including Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) and Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral – and much besides).
Deciding television was less precarious than theatre he set up a production company, Tiger Aspect. This created and owned Mr Bean with Rowan Atkinson who now has 36 million Facebook friends and is known all over the world.
He has managed and/or produced Eddie Izzard, Reeves and Mortimer Sir Lenny Henry and Barry Humphries ; worked with Michael Palin and Joanna Lumley. Some are easy to get on with, “most are high maintenance”.
Michael McIntyre made coffee in the Tiger office. Peter Bennett-Jones never went to see his act.
Paul Greengrass (“an extraordinary person to work with”) made his account of the 1998 Omagh bombing while making the thriller The Bourne Supremacy at the same time.
The company was worth £80 million.
The Vicar of Dibley was one of his favourites. It was based on life in Great Haseley village and reflects Bennett-Jones’ strong commitment to women clergy. Dawn French was cast in the lead, the show was not a star vehicle.
Among other talent luvvies he has cherished: “Lenny Henry is a wonderful man. A very driven guy. He has a wonderful memoir coming out with Faber.”
“Armando Iannucci has an HBO David Copperfield in the works.” Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everidge) is among the less easy to deal with.”
He would like to represent David Walliams. A mighty figure, prepared to swim through filth in the Thames for charity.
“Oxford is a sublime place to live. A wonderful place to bring up children. There is so much going on. I find the University very insular. I have offered to talk about media and charity but they don’t follow up.”
“I just want to be a backroom boy, just do my thing. I don’t want to be famous.”
Comic Relief was Richard Curtis’ idea but Peter Bennett-Jones has been closely involved. They have now raised more than £1 billion in the UK.
“Most people have got a very decent side to them. They don’t need much persuading, just to see an African slum with their own eyes.”
He used to now gives three days a week to Save the Children. He resigned in January . “Charities need to adapt.”
These efforts were rewarded with a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2014 for services to show business and charity.
“Broadcasting is pretty healthy at the moment. Netflix and Amazon will be doing the David Attenborough documentaries in the future. I can’t see the [BBC] licence fee lasting for more than a decade.”
Politically, “I loved [Lib Dem leader] Charlie Kennedy. An uncharacteristic politician. And [Sir] Nick Clegg. It’s time for Vince [Cable] to move on.”
His mother knew Olwyn Lloyd George, daughter of the last Liberal Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, Britain’s war leader during the First World War.
Report by: Roger Howe
My Jericho offers a series of independent events organized by Jericho resident John Mair. Many are at at St Barnabas. Others are streamed on YouTube.
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