Comedians Benny Hill and Frankie Howerd died within days of each other; it's during
that week in 1992 that
Dead Funny takes place, so it's no surprise that 2016,
with its bloodbath of the national treasures, would be a good time for Terry Johnson
to revive his play. It's a pretty extreme comedy-drama that looks at an
imploding marriage through the prism of the silliest kind of classic British comedy.
Richard (Rufus Jones) and Ellie (Katherine Parkinson) haven't had sex in 18 months
because Richard says he's lost all interest in it. They're seeing a couples
therapist who's prescribed an hour every other night of them gradually getting used
to touching each other again, even if it's in a non-sexual way, but even this seems
to make Richard uncomfortable. What he's much more enthusiastic about is his love of
classic comedy, and his position as chairman of the Dead Funny Society, who share
his passion. When the news of Benny Hill's death is announced, they plan a tribute
party.
