Sir David Jason, adored for his portrayal of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, has revealed a tale from his early career that was a far cry from his later triumphs.
In his book This Time Next Year, the actor disclosed a disastrous gig in the 1960s that almost led him to abandon the entertainment industry. After being persuaded by a friend to try stand-up comedy, the now 84-year-old endured what he describes as a nightmarish "debut" that also marked his last attempt at stand-up.
The ordeal started when Jason's mate, Malcolm Taylor, suggested he dabble in comedy during a lull in his acting work. Jason was initially reluctant, fully conscious that making friends laugh was a world away from captivating an audience. "I was aware that there was a large step between cracking a gag to get a snigger out of your pals and having the London Palladium in the palm of your hand," he remembered.
Despite his reservations, Malcolm managed to convince him, even securing him a spot at a pub in Maida Vale known for its amateur comedy nights. "This little adventure was all Malcolm Taylor's fault," Jason pens, as he recounts the build-up to what he soon realised was a colossal blunder.
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BBC)Jason took to the stage with a few rehearsed jokes, but he instantly felt the crowd's apathy. As his set began to falter, Jason could sense the room slipping away, reports the Express. He recounts: "Looking back, this was where I truly learned the theatrical meaning of dying a death. Right there in that quarter-full pub, beyond any wince-inducing audition, beyond any limp piece of business in an under-cooked farce on some pier somewhere... that was where I knew what it felt like to want the floor to swallow you whole and for time to reverse and for everyone to wake up and not remember anything about what had just happened."
The shame intensified as Jason rushed through his act in a panic, losing the crucial element of timing in comedy. He confesses: "Timing-famously the secret of great comedy-went straight out the pub's front window," as he hastily spat out his routine in under five minutes—half-joking that he might have "invented rap" with his speed-delivered gags.
His performance ended with the dull sound of one solitary clap, probably from Malcolm, the sole person he could count on there. Jason reflects on that moment, saying: "I can still recall it-the sensation of standing there with that microphone and losing control of the room, feeling the audience's attention wander away from me and realising that I had no hope at all of getting it back again.
"It was desperate. I thought I was physically shrinking. I was getting smaller and smaller with every second that passed. And this was especially worrying because I wasn't that tall to begin with. I can still recall it-the sensation of standing there with that microphone and losing control of the room, feeling the audience's attention wander away from me and realising that I had no hope at all of getting it back again."
The trauma of the event lingered with him for years, influencing his choices as he continued in his career. Jason confesses: "This is why, even now, whenever I'm asked if I would be happy to 'make an appearance' somewhere, I'm always gripped by the fear that I will be likely to... well, make an absolute appearance of myself."
Though the experience left him disillusioned with stand-up, Jason would go on to find success as a comic actor, a realm he felt much more comfortable in. "I already knew that I was only really at ease in front of audiences if I had a character to hide behind," he admits.
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English (US) ·