For anyone in the UK, Peter Kay will be a familiar name. He rose very quickly to be one of the top stand up comedians in the country and plays to packed houses. Additionally, he created, wrote and starred in Phoenix Nights a weekly sitcom which topped the TV charts and cemented his name in the annals of comedy history. He is fairly unique in thst he specialises in “end of the pier” comedy: telling bad jokes and involving the audience.
His self penned autobiography deals with his childhood and his rise to fame. The whole book is incredibly lighthearted - no tales of abuse or tears over his poverty - and leaps around in time almost as if he were telling us the story in person. The gags are thick and fast in this book, every tale has either a character with a comedy name (when talking about his convent run schools he names the nuns “Sister Matic” and “Sister Act II”) or a funny story to relate. The overwhelming impression given is that he had a normal North West England 1970’s upbringing and came away with no damage - much like many other people.
If you are looking for an especial insight into the life of a comedian or a guide as to “how to do it”, this autobigraphy will not give you anything to learn. If you want to read about the life of a very funny comedian, and can accept that there are parts held back, then you will love this book.
