Dramatic Comics

[singlepic=46,320,240,,right]Catherine Tate’s recent success as Donna Noble in Doctor Who and her subsequent move to the land of high-profile theatre roles is just one ina series of examples of comics “going straight”.

We’ve got former standup Alan Davies who became Jonathan Creek and is now an ear-biting regular on QI; Peter Kay has appeared in Coronation Street and Doctor Who – neither wholly serious dramas, but neither comedies; Michael Palin starred in The Missionary; Julie Walters effortlessly switches between comedy and straight drama; William Shakespeare was equally at home with tragedy as he was with comedy. Which brings us to the crunch – comedy gets lambasted because it isn’t considered as worthy as day-to-day drama, tragedy or even action.

The examples above however easily prove that comedy – probably the most accessible of all dramas – is far from being the least important quality in an actor’s range, and could even be the most vital weapon in an actor’s armoury.