Al Murray reforms the pub band one last time

Harry Hill has launched a comic fundraiser in memory of Matt Bradstock-Smith, who played his ’adopted son Alan’ in his early career and who died of cancer aged 50 at the beginning of the year.

The benefit is also being organised by Al Murray, who played Hill’s older brother in the same shows.

All three of them performed together in Hill’s 1994 Perrier-award -winning Edinburgh show as a ‘deliberately ropey’ pub band, which is where Murray first developed his Pub Landlord persona.

The new gig, to be held in London’s West End in May, will feature the last ever performance of that band.

It will also feature Stewart Lee, Tim Vine, and ‘Page Three Stunna’ Gayle Tuesday the 1990s character created by Brenda Gilhooly, who went on to be a writer on TV Burp.

Hill’s sidekick Stouffer The Cat is also lined up to appear on the bill of the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, on May 16.

The show is in aid of St Wilfrid's Hospice in Chichester, West Sussex, where Matt was looked after in his last days. 

Hill has credited  Bradstock-Smith for helping him get his comedy routine when the pair were medical students. ‘He used to drive me around to shows in his car and put money into my shows. If it was not for him, I would not be standing here today,’ he said in a 2011 interview.’

Bradstock-Smith also played a doctor on Lee And Herring’s Fist Of Fun who was punched by ‘Rod Hull’.

As well as his GP work, Bradstock-Smith’s medical work included running ActionMedic, an emergency service that specialised in covering polo matches. He was also awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Tickets for the benefit go on sale at 9am on Friday.

Published: 26 Jan 2016