Comedy writer Paul Mayhew-Archer discusses the funny side of living with Parkinson’s in his Incurable Optimist show in Guildford on 17 September 2022.

The Guildford and South Surrey branch of Parkinson’s UK would like to invite our members, your friends and families to an evening of humour on Saturday September 17^th, when the comedy writer, Paul Mayhew-Archer, will be delivering his one-man show, Incurable Optimist, at King’s College, Guildford at 7pm. Paul co-wrote the Vicar of Dibley and has been involved either as writer or producer of many other well known TV and radio shows. Below is a letter from Paul himself, encouraging everyone to come and have a laugh at his life before and after Parkinson’s. Paul has found comedy in all aspects of his life, as he will tell, so when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, he looked for the funny side – and found it! His first documentary, in2016, was called ‘Parkinson’s- the funny side’.

Paul: Eleven years ago I was chatting to a friend at the BBC and I happened to mention my handwriting was getting smaller. “Ah”, he said, “I don’t want to worry you but I think you might have Parkinson’s.”

What he’d have said if he HAD wanted to worry me I don’t know, but worried I was. I was 58 and I’d been looking forward to taking things more slowly… but not because I had incurable brain damage. Incidentally, Parkinson’s is caused by a lack of dopamine, which is the chemical the brain uses to send messages to the rest of the body. So some messages don’t get through. For instance it can easily take me 15 minutes to get my jumper on, what with struggling to get my arms through sleeves, shoving my head through the top and tugging it down at the back. The other day I’d just managed it when my wife came in. “Oh no, not that jumper”, she said and whipped it off before I could say a word.

People with Parkinson’s find different ways of managing the condition, and because of my background in comedy I try to focus on the funny side. Which brings me to my one-man show. I used to co-write The Vicar of Dibley and one of my Parkinson’s symptoms is excessive drooling so I thought I’d call the show From Dibley to Dribbly but my wife vetoed that idea so it is called Incurable Optimist.

It is partly about my career in comedy and how, for example, I’ve had the great fortune to write for two of the funniest and sauciest women in the world: French and Dench. Now there’s a double act to dream about. It’s also about my family, who are the sort of family no one would believe if I put them in a sitcom. I can scarcely believe it myself when I say I am my son’s uncle. Finally, it’s about serious illness and how we need to give ourselves permission to laugh whenever we can. In fact, I’ve found so much to laugh at since my diagnosis that I was once asked in an interview “are you glad you have Parkinson’s?” and I heard myself saying “there will come a time when I’m not, but right now, yes I am… but then I do have brain damage.”

‘Brave … And FUNNY’ Ian Hislop

‘very funny and moving too’ Richard Curtis

SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2022 7.00 – 9.15 PM

at KING’S COLLEGE, SOUTHWAY, GUILDFORD GU2 8DU

TICKETS £15 each (Children £5) in advance (£20/£7.50 on the door)

From STEVE HERON: tel: 07795 963940 or sheron@guildfordparkinsons.org.uk

Raffle. Bar opens 6.30 pm.