Ben Elton
Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Eltonis an English comedian, author, playwright, actor and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on series such as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as continuing as a stand-up comedian on stage and television. His style in the 1980s was left-wing political satire. Since then he has published 15 novels and written the musicals We Will Rock Youand Love Never Dies, the sequel to The...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth3 May 1959
artist
Artists don't create society, they reflect it
thinking looks
You think I look like a teletubby?
comedy instinct has-beens
Comedy will always be central to what I do, it's just an instinct for me, but I am a writer and always have been.
among billions comedy comic fun individual mass neurotic share source target
Most of my stand-up comedy is about being a small, scared, neurotic individual among the billions of other small, scared, neurotic individuals that make up the mass which is us. I always think the first target of a stand-up comic should be themselves-we all share our weaknesses, and it's fun to use them as a source of comedy.
british-comedian directly heard seen tends work
Most of my work isn't directly autobiographical. It tends to be an amalgam of things I've seen and heard and thought and conversations I've had.
body bring continue joy lives work
He lives on in an incomparable body of work which will continue to bring joy to millions.
felt great grow initially musical rod songs unique
Rod is such a unique artist. I initially approached him about a musical because his songs are all about story-telling and I felt that a great story could grow from them.
legend matrix meets music terminator uniquely vision
Queen's music is uniquely theatrical. I had this vision where The Matrix meets the Arthurian legend meets Terminator 2.
inspiring criticism easy
I'm easy to work with, not a pushover, but I respond to criticism and find it inspiring.
people littles firsts
People who get through life dependent on other people's possessions are always the first to lecture you on how little possessions count.
book ignorance keys
The internet was supposed to liberate knowledge, but in fact it buried it, first under a vast sewer of ignorance, laziness, bigotry, superstition and filth and then beneath the cloak of political surveillance. Now...cyberspace exists exclusively to promote commerce, gossip and pornography. And of course to hunt down sedition. Only paper is safe. Books are the key. A book cannot be accessed from afar, you have to hold it, you have to read it.
believe looks groups
We've all got to look at ourselves, start with yourself, that's all you can do. I believe that we can act responsibly as a group, it's just that there are vested interests telling us not to bother.
dream gears wake-up
You didn't wake up, your dreams just changed gear.
leader trying looks
Leaders should never, ever try to look cool - that's for dictators