Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes

Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

BBC Radio 4

Radio 4

Radio 4 (FM)

Documentaries

Podcasts

Factual

Factual: History

Comedy

Ian Hislop goes in search of the earliest examples of British comedy staples.

With the help of contemporary comedians, scholars and an appetite for enduring humour, Ian Hislop tracks down the earliest examples of enduring British comedy tropes and jokes.

There are a number of themes or types or techniques in British comedy that seem to survive any social or political upheaval.  We love wordplay, we're suckers for Double entendre and while animals can be cute or terrifying, they can also make us laugh. In this series Ian Hislop looks back to try and find the first examples of these jokes or comedy genres.  We love a good parody but when did that become a thing?  Can we really find Anglo-Saxon Double Entendre? You bet we can, and filthy to boot, another trove of British Humour.  
He visits libraries, museums and chapels, and also talks to comedy stars and writers of today like Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.

BBC Radio 4 LW

Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes: The Heege Manuscript

The Heege Manuscript

BBC Radio 4 - Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes, The Heege Manuscript

Part five of Ian Hislop's British comedy quest leads to an ancient stand-up comedy review.

In the fifth programme in his search for the earliest examples of British comedy Ian looks at a unique manuscript that actually describes a Medieval entertainer in action.

There are a number of themes or types or techniques in British comedy that seem to survive any social or political upheaval. We love wordplay, we're suckers for Double entendre and while animals can be cute or terrifying, they can also make us laugh. In this series Ian Hislop looks back to try and find the first examples of these jokes or comedy genres. We love a good parody but when did that become a thing? Can we really find Anglo-Saxon Double Entendre? You bet we can, and filthy to boot, another trove of British Humour.
He visits libraries, museums and chapels, and also talks to comedy stars and writers of today like Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Flo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.

In this programme Ian is at the National Library of Scotland to see a manuscript that is unique in British comedy history. It actually describes the set of a 15th century entertainer who performed for audiences in Nottinghamshire at the time of the Wars of the Roses.  The secrets of the Heege manuscript, which used to be part of a huge Medieval collection owned by Sir Walter Scott, were unearthed by Dr James Wade who shows Ian around the well-thumbed document.  It was written out by a Richard Heege who, he claims, was able to report on what he saw because he was the only person sober enough to do so.  He gives us examples of comedy routines including the hunt for a killer rabbit, a comedy sermon and a nonsense verse about a village fair. It's as near an eye-witness account as we have of a jester in action.

Producer:  Tom Alban

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes

The Heege Manuscript

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 FM

About BBC Radio 4