Composer John McHugh talks to Paul Whitehouse as part of the Hidden Voice project. Paul talks candidly and openly about his relationship with mum who is living with dementia.
I was fortunate enough to be one of Paul’s Mum’s pupils. She was the most wonderful lady and fantastic teacher of whom I have so many fond memories. She sang for her pupils regularly and played the piano during assemblies. I’ll never forget her. It would be lovely for some of her music be released in her memory. RIP Anita Whitehouse. xx
Oh hell yeah. No other word for his gift of accents, voices, and even serious dramatic acting: genius. I detest cheap sentiment, but I have no trouble calling him that. He has floored me so many times with his performances.
The most unappreciated actor ever. A seemingly humble and amazing man with some of the greatest talent known in the entertainment industry. Thanks for giving us so much joy Paul.
Passed Paul in an Islington street a few years back and I struck up a conversation with him. I was on my way to an Arsenal game (he supports Spurs!) and found him not put out by a complete stranger asking him for some of his impressions. Those few moments in his company gave me the impression of what a 'diamond geezer' and how likeable and talented he is. But you only have to watch this interview to see that.
I always thought Paul Whitehouse was a comedic genius. Part of that is obviously due to his deep empathy, as evidenced by this interview. Thanks for sharing - I could listen to him for hours...
What makes him cool 😎is he's a really nice person in real life, I worked at a hotel when I was young and he stayed there,we wasn't aloud to speak to him but he came over to us a couple of times and he was so nice bless him never complained once!real gentleman.
So sweet what he says about changing to accommodate his mum's memory problems and them sitting and listening to her reading to them which is one of the only ways she can still engage with them in a normal manner. How wonderful (and kudos to the writers of those books).
Remember The Fast Show character who was always asking if anyone was a play or ballet or opera, the others would look at him like he was an alien. Then he would try to cover it up by talking about football or something else more common. Could his feelings towards his Mum's singing have been part of what this character was based upon? He was a plasterer but also his Mum was a touring, recorded, opera singer. Thank you Paul for such an open and enlightening and warm talk. Sadness with positivity. You're helping many people. She's not the only teacher in your family. I looked up the book. Seems very good. Thank you.
I wish I had known about these books when my grandmother suffered, or perhaps they weren't around in 2012. She appeared to read a newspaper, although never out loud. She developed "tricks" to cope with awkward conversational questions, such as, "What did you have for lunch today, Nanny?". "Beef." she might immediately respond, when you had walked past the care home's dining room to get to her room, where the menu had read, "Fish and Chips". Bless you, Nanny.
Paul Whitehouse is such a good actor, comedian and singer. I've been a fan of The Fast Show since 1997. In 1998, My aunty and uncle came out from the UK and they gave my parents, my brother and a myself a VHS of The Fast Show Live and they didn't know that I've watched The Fast Show and was a fan. They told me they met Paul Whitehouse and said he was such a nice person and he told them how he did the Rowley Birkin sketches and that the Rowley Birkin sketches were unscripted and that it was all improvised and they would show him a random image off-camera and he'd make it up all on the spot. He's so talented and a pure genius.
One of the best bits of acting I have ever watched was Paul, as Rowley Birkin. It was the sketch when Rowley was reminising about a lost love. It made me cry. he is a total legend as a human being.
From Rowley Birkin QC to ‘Lance’!…such a talent and, relating to the story of his Mum’s singing, the ‘who’s that girl’ sketch with Harry Enfield as Lee and Paul as Lance is quite a show stopper, in the context of comedy sketches! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
What a brilliant interview with Paul telling of his Mum's battle with dementia. It's horrible. Something my own Mum is going through at present with me as her sole carer. Over the last three years I've learned so much.
There is so much you can say about Paul’s work, he’s brillant….for me …he makes me really belly laugh. I remember together with a Belgium music promoter, over the old drunk Rowley Birken QC,…laughed till we cried👍👍👍
So sad that as an American I never was exposed to Paul until I discovered him on RU-vid. What an immense talent! So gifted. Hearing this story about his mother really tells me why he is so gifted. My father passed away from alzheimers about 8 years ago. The disease is so horrible and yet at the same time there were strange positives. He never spoke of his WW2 experiences until he got that disease. The disease destroys short term memory first so the only thing he had was his long term memories. He told some wonderful funny stories about being in the Philippines and some not so good stories. But if it wasn't for that disease, I would never have known. I also discovered he was a closet Beatles fan. One day we were driving to get dinner and a Beatle song came on. I changed the channel and he immediately went nuts. "Why did you change the station? I love the Beatles!" He would have never admitted to that when I was a kid. At the end of the day though, I would rather still be believing he hated the Beatles and not known about his war experiences.
@@Joseph-ws5de it's not always so simple. Those war stories could have been horrific. His father was in a fragile state telling him these things. For the adult child he now knows these memories are coming to the fore of the father's thoughts. That his father suffered greatly then, and now. Some experiences can he very hurtful, destructive, damaging. These are new memories for the adult child, almost like a new experience for them to consider about their parent and what they went through while in the middle of this. But for the rest of us it's good that the commenter spoke here. We can think about it. Learn. Empathise with others. I think these videos and discussions within help us be more understanding towards each other. All of us have weights at times.
This is a fascinating and very moving interview. He talks about his mother in her career as an opera singer and recitalist, then moves to the present and her life with dementia. He is completely involved in his tale and demonstrates a deep understanding of the condition and, through that, his love and admiration for his mother. It is enlightening and uplifting to listen to him.
Hugely talented and if you’ve seen the sketch in the Harry Enfield series where dopey “Lance” sings note perfect an operatic excerpt you can understand where he got his talent from. He did a brilliant series called “Happiness” back in the early 2000’s…if you can find it online or DVD watch it as you won’t be disappointed
Thank you John McHugh for this brilliant interview. Many similarities between his ma and mine. Wish I'd had access to these books that PW spoke about when I looked after mam. Paul Whitehouse is absolutely right when he says along the lines "we have to change". That's dementia's great teacher, great opportunity. Sorry for his loss since the making of this video. PW is today's Peter Sellers.
I had no idea of the Rhondda valley connection. Paul Whitehouse is brilliant - one of the wittiest comedians and comic actors. Wish they would repeat Help! (but that won't happen) and Nurse - both so cleverly written. Lovely interview.
Maurice the Jewish taxi driver was unbelievable in help. You could hardly guess it was Paul. They’ve got the first series of tick of it on iPlayer so I suppose it may be shown again.
I’m right with you Paul. My Mum sometimes cannot comprehend why I’m in the room with her. But on other times we’re regaled with tales of long ago - incredibly fine detail. I take the good days and cling on. My Mum loves her Emma Rose Sparrow books too. :)
A very clever man, and without any doubt up there with the best of them, and miles ahead of most. A man who can make me laugh out loud. A rarity these days,, with the poor standard of comedy.
Underneath his grumpy 'walnut on a stick' persona, (Bob Mortimer called him this) Paul seems like an absolute treasure of a man. I'm old enough for The Fast Show to be 'my' era, but since Paul 'rescued' Bob Mortimer, a new generation of viewers gets to appreciate his talents. Marvellous.
part of Paul's genius was his versatility......he could convince in so many different guises and roles. would have liked to see him do more serious tv or film roles. brilliant.
love paul for all his stuff with harry enfield and the fast show but current favourite is gone fishing (with bob mortimer), where i first learned of paul's mum. the short/long term thing i remember with a pal of my gran's. she started going (age about 88) and my mum ended up caring for her. i visited one day and she asked me a question (about one of my school mates who went to london 10 yrs previously) about every 10mins. then i asked her, how she knew my gran - i then listened to her describing her first job after leaving school aged 16 in the 1920s, how much she was paid etc etc., through her married life until at some point in the 1950s she became friends with my gran. etc etc.
A very interesting guy to listen to, down to earth nice guy, as well as very talented. Love his fishing programme with Bob Mortimer. Keep entertaining us Paul you still have loads to give.
When a child thanks you sincerely for their learning, it is the best feeling. Paul should listen to his Mum. The worst things about teaching is the Department of Education which is a collective vacuum of ideas and capability.
Thank you Brilliant. To listen to Paul talking about his Mum must be the most touching video I have ever watched on RU-vid. Look after her Paul as our Mums are precious when we have them and even more precious when they are no longer with us.
I remember the first time I realised my grandmother had dementia. I was visiting her on the usual Sunday and she was telling me what a wonderful walk she had up the mountains that particular morning and how the birds were singing and the sky was so blue; the mountains were fifty miles away!
Paul is a wonderful guy..so funny, talented and natural. Saw him quite recently in Only Fools and Horses stage version… he stole the show as Grandad and Uncle Albert.. and of course he co-wrote it.
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The true genius of Paul whitehouse will be realised one day. A brilliant impressionist of very funny idiosyncratic everyday people. He analyses every aspect of a recognisable stereotype.
