Bizarre British series from the early Nineties centering around the mysterious Dr. Caligari who is
apparently the brimstone boy himself, meting out appropriate torment to transgressors of
humanity. Labeled as “six plays of the sick and sinister,” …
Research: Summer 1989 “rock & roll party” theater production by Alan Gilbey and Alan Ellis.
John Glentoran played Dr. Byron Caligari: “This was a real show, a wild rock & roll party based on
the idea of those old Amicus films where a group of people end up stranded somewhere and are
forced to relive episodes from the past (future?) with horrific endings, only to discover at the end
of the film that Peter Cushing (for it is almost always he) is…DEATH! Filtered through writer Alan
Gilbey’s warped mind, what emerged was this extravaganza—four of the nastiest types that
inhabited London at the time (late 80s)—the vandal, the yuppie, the DJ and the Tory politician—
were invited (gold-edged invitations) to a tent where Dr. Caligari sets the process in motion.
Absurd special effects [and] over-the-top performances…carried the thing along to the game-
show finale where the audience could decide whether to ‘free ‘em or fry ‘em.’ Among the delightful
‘come-uppances’—the vandal drowns in his own urine (in a lift—where else), the yuppie has her
filofax stolen and is forced to become a puppet enacting whatever the thief writes into it, the DJ’s
telephone call-in show goes disastrously wrong when a succession of callers from his past reveal
all, and the Tory politician (fresh from cutting the Health Service) ends up as a victim of his own
‘cuts’…. Special mention must be made of my three lovely assistants, Snuff, Anthrax and Verucca.”
“Comedian’s Moon” was described by Joseph Ares-Berziga as “a rather stingingly accurate
parody of the late Eighties route to fame (a three minute spot on a rubbish late night show for a
vicious stand-up)…”
Radio 5, London (BBC).
November 7-December 12, 1991.
Alan Ellis (music), Anne Edyvean (producer), Alan Gilbey (scriptwriter), Lee Hurst (jokes for
“Comedian’s Moon”), Sylvester McCoy (voice of “Snuff”), Victoria Wicks (voice of “Anthrax”), John
Woodvine (voice of “Doctor Caligari”).
CASTS: Eric Allan, Adjoa Andoh, Andrew Bailey, Alan Barker, Alex Barker, Gerald Denny, Terence Edmond,
Sharon Henry, Ronald Herdman, Joanna Mays, Cassie McFarlane, David McInnie,Charles Millon, Kerry
Shale, John Shrapnel, Clarence Smith, Mark Straker, Richard Tate, Stephen Tompkinson, Roger Watkins,
Jane Whittenshaw.
The complete series of six broadcasts.
THE CABARET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI (RADIO 5, LONDON—BBC)
November 7, 1991“A World in Your Ear”
November 14, 1991“Comedian’s Moon”
the thing he hates?… Dr. Caligari welcomes Kevin, who has to perform
before an audience of the unloving—after being shot…”]
November 21, 1991“The Conversion”
November 28, 1991“The Teenage Psycho Chainsaw Bimbos”
December 5, 1991“The Homeless That Ate London”
rampage…”]
December 12, 1991“The Body Politic”