Audience with Dudley Moore DVD review

Dagenham's finest was honoured with an Audience With show by ITV in 1981. A cameo from Peter Cook as "Pete" to Moore's "Dud" sets the tone and Dudley at the piano is the centrepiece. The star studded audience features Lulu, Rolf Harris, Clive James, Michael Grade, Tthe Beverley Sisters, Dickie Davies, Robert Powell and Martin Shaw, the then newly-formed Game For A Laugh team are in there too. Part of the fun of these shows is the celeb spotting, the age of the show often means this can be a rather sad experience, some of the illustrious gathering having passed away since. Amazingly Lulu looks little different and the years seem to have been kinder to some than others.

Moore blends music and comedy in a satisfying show that seems to be over too soon. A couple of movie scenes from Arthur appear along with a special performance from Christopher Cross. Describing the show as Any Questions meets a Nuremberg Rally, Moore fields queries from amongst others, his former Oxford tutor Dr Bernard Rose, Lance Percival, Bob Hoskins and Henry Kelly.

The main extra is an edition of The South Bank Show (sadly sans title sequence) from 1993. It provides an interesting companion piece tracing Moore's journey from his Dagenham roots through university to his celebrated work with Peter Cook and his film career with Blake Edwards. The great and the good are gathered together in a film which concentrates on the musical side of Moore, whose skills as a pianist were much underrated.

An entertaining DVD which reminds one just how talented Dudley Moore was. If Peter Cook is remembered as the intellectual one then Dudley Moore's sheer breadth of talent as a comedian, musician and film star made him the versatile one. All in all the DVD is a pleasing tribute to a much-missed British great.

Running time: 44 minutes (Extra: 50 minutes)

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