Carey Marx adapts his stand-up show

Carey Marx is to adapt the stand-up show he wrote about his heart attack into a Radio 4 programme.

The BBC has commissioned a one-off half-hour based on the stand-up's 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show Intensive Carey. It charted the heart attack he had the previous year, his slow recovery, and how the comedy world rallied to his aid.

Marx said: 'It's a look at the fragility of our security in life and it's a personal homage to my marriage, friendships and the comedy business, the kindness and support of which turned that fragility and failure into reassurance and strength.'

But the comic told Chortle there would be challenges in adapting some of the darker material for the Radio 4 audience.

He said: 'It was my first ever attempt at writing a heart attack show. I think after a few more heart attacks I'll be really good at it.

'I'm delighted it's been commissioned for Radio 4 and I'm enjoying the task of editing it into a half hour slot and into, well, Radio 4 acceptability. Basically, everything has had to go and it's now a story about a bunny rabbit who loses his bounce.

'Truthfully, despite the make-love load of euphemisms I'm getting through, hopefully this editing process will make Intensive Carey far more intense than I originally dared intend. The audience and I will be going through a heart attack and the aftermath together. It's lucky it's humorous.'

The show will be recored in front of an audience on July 14 and is expected to air in September.

Marx says he expects it to be the last tim he performs Intensive Carey 'and a chance to finally get my heart off my chest.'

Here he is performing an extract from his 2013 show at Chortle's Fast Fringe that year:

Published: 27 May 2015