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<<<<   1546   >>>>

Topic: sad news on JAM guest

Message 1 / 11
Dean BedfordDec 2, 2007
 

 
JAM guest Jim Sweeney is standing down from live comedy performances,
because of multiple schlerosis.

Jim, who appeared in the radio version of JAM in 1993, and on the TV
version in 1994 and 1995, is a long time veteran of the Comedy Store
Players improv troupe where he appears regularly with Paul Merton, Steve
Frost, Richard Vranch, Neil Mullarkey and Lee Simpson.

For the past three or four years, he has done the show from a wheelchair
because of his disease.

He says the disease has now progressed so far that he won't be able to
perform on stage.

All the best to Jim - I really hope your condition improves and you'll
be able to return to "work".

 
<<<<   1547   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 2 / 11
Dean BedfordDec 2, 2007
 

 
here's an interesting piece on Jim from The Daily Telegraph in 2004

Cracking sick jokes
(Filed: 29/11/2004)

Comedian Jim Sweeney is used to making people laugh, but his one-man
show, about his MS, has been making audiences cry, too, he tells Bryony
Gordon

Jim Sweeney is used to making people cry with laughter. As one sixth of
the Comedy Store Players – the improvisation group that also counts Paul
Merton as a member – the award-winning comedian has done just that for
the 19 years that they have been performing. But Sweeney is not used to
making his audience cry tears of sorrow. When he took a new one-man show
to the Edinburgh Festival this summer, that was how some of the crowd
reacted.

This is perhaps not surprising when you learn that the 49-year-old's
show, My MS and Me, is about the condition from which he has suffered
for almost 20 years. But Sweeney never intended it to be moving, only
amusing. That's why the show's opening song is Elvis Costello's I Can't
Stand up for Falling Down.

My MS and Me won rave reviews and will be broadcast on Radio 4 in the
New Year. There are even suggestions that it will be made into a book.
All of which seems to have surprised Sweeney.

"All the way through rehearsals, I kept saying to my director: 'Is this
boring you?'" he says, when we meet for lunch. "It wasn't until I saw
the reviews and the reactions of the audiences that I realised there
were bits that people found incredibly touching. There's a section of
the show that seems to really get them. It touches on a time when I fell
over one night and couldn't get up.

"I was lying on the floor for quite a long time and like anybody who is
awake at 3am, there were all these thoughts going through my head, like,
'I'm going to spend the rest of my life lying here on the floor'. Which,
of course, I wasn't, but you know."

I don't know, but this is typical of Sweeney. He plays down his multiple
sclerosis throughout our conversation. He seems to be the kind of chap
who just wants to get on with life.

"It was very strange to have people in the audience fighting back tears.
And I thought, 'Oh, it's not my fault, I was just telling you about my
thing'."

His "thing" has, in the past few years, left him almost unable to walk.
The left side of his body is the worst, but he thinks his right side is
gradually catching up.

"My balance is just non-existent. I wobble all the time. But the thing
is, when I'm sitting down, nobody knows about the MS," he laughs. "I can
give everyone a show when we get up."

He uses a walking stick, but it is obvious that he is struggling. He has
a wheelchair but is reluctant to use it.

"It is really only a matter of time before I have to start," he says. "I
was thinking this morning that I should take it out today, because I've
never been to this restaurant before. But for various stupid reasons,
I'm holding out until next year. Then, it will have been 20 years, and
also I think it's really important to keep walking until I absolutely
can't any more."

His vision has also been affected. "Your head is a black dot," he says
to me, covering his left eye with his hand. "Otherwise, it's just
blurred. Short-sighted people understand. It's like when you take your
glasses off for a moment and everything shifts into a nice, comforting
blur. Well, my vision is like that all the time."

Living with MS means that he also has to "live under a kind of
benevolent house arrest", he says. "But I don't really mind. I've done
so many things. I've stood on the Great Wall of China and walked through
Tiananmen Square." To get about, he takes taxis. "They're tax-deductable
now," he says, cheerily.

When I tell him that he seems remarkably relaxed about his condition, he
is defiant. "I could spend hours wallowing in self-pity but, absolutely
genuinely, what's the point in me doing that? I do have moments. I was
watching a programme about space travel a few nights ago, and I thought
'I'm never going to be the one they pick'. And then I thought, 'well,
nobody is!'"

He doesn't take prescribed drugs for MS. "The doctors could only offer
me steroids and I didn't want to look like an East German shot-putter,"
he says. But, like many MS sufferers, he does smoke cannabis. "It
relaxes my leg. Every night, I have a third of a pure cannabis joint."

Sweeney wishes it was legal. "It's ludicrous for a man of my age to be
sidling up to people in pubs asking for dope. After one show in
Edinburgh, a woman who was suffering from MS came up to me and the first
thing she said was: 'Where can I get grass?'

"I do resent the fact that there will never be a proper discussion about
it, because people buy into the tabloid mentality that if you smoke
dope, you'll end up injecting heroin. That's as stupid as claiming that
if you drink a half pint of bitter, you'll end up on meths. It's only a
gateway drug for the predisposed."

Does he worry that one day, he will no longer be able to perform as a
Comedy Store Player? The show, which is entirely improvised, can get
quite physical.

"I've been thinking about this a lot," he says. "Tiredness can hit me
about halfway through the second half. Three years ago, I brought it up
with the others. I told them, 'It may get to a stage when I can't stand
to perform any more, and I think I'll know when that happens, but if I
don't, please tell me.' They all looked at me with blank faces and said:
'Well, we'll get a wheelchair, obviously', and then carried on with the
conversation.

"They are typical boys in that they just do things beautifully for me
without any fuss – one of them always walks behind me on stairs to make
sure I don't stumble, and there's always someone outside the venue to
walk me to the pub. There may well be a point when I feel I can't do it
any more, but it's not now."

The only thing that bothers Sweeney is that the onset of MS coincided
with the birth of his first daughter (he has two daughters, aged 18 and
19, with his girlfriend, Carol). "I think that the wickedest and most
devious thing about MS is that it tends to hit at around 30, when people
start having kids."

Sweeney, of course, does not allow himself to become too negative. "I'm
lucky because it has only crept up properly over the last five years,
and I'm sure my daughters weren't aware of it as children. I almost
certainly wasn't. I just carried on with my life."

And with that, our lunch is over. We spend a while looking for a
waitress to ask for the bill. "Shall we just make a run for it?"
suggests Sweeney, before pausing for a moment. He looks at his walking
stick and back at me, and begins to laugh. "We wouldn't get very far,
would we?"

 
<<<<   1554   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 3 / 11
Sarah FalkDec 3, 2007
 

 
Saw your post on the CSR Wall, Dean, before I saw this. I'm studying
abroad this year and was there for the show, against my better
judgment because finals are coming up, but of course I wouldn't have
forgiven myself otherwise. It was absolutely fantastic. Paul Merton
even bounded on for a special appearance at the end, although he
wasn't billed. Other friends like Phill Jupitus, Suki Webster, and
Steve Frost were present to watch the show from the wings.

A camera crew was there to record the whole thing. Word on the street
was that it was the South Bank Show, but I hope they release the whole
performance somewhere instead of just little clips. (I just may have
recorded the audio for the entire thing, including a beautiful
good-bye speech, but my computer won't encode properly until I get it
to an Apple Store.)

All in all, really, terrific performance from them all, not that every
show by the Comedy Store Players isn't terrific. You'll be sorely
missed, Jim, but do come back at least once in a while for special
occasions.

 
<<<<   1559   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 4 / 11
Dean BedfordDec 7, 2007
 

 
On Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at 06:55 PM, Sarah Falk wrote:

>
> Saw your post on the CSR Wall, Dean, before I saw this. I'm studying
> abroad this year and was there for the show, against my better
> judgment because finals are coming up, but of course I wouldn't have
> forgiven myself otherwise. It was absolutely fantastic. Paul Merton
> even bounded on for a special appearance at the end, although he
> wasn't billed. Other friends like Phill Jupitus, Suki Webster, and
> Steve Frost were present to watch the show from the wings.
>
> A camera crew was there to record the whole thing. Word on the street
> was that it was the South Bank Show, but I hope they release the whole
> performance somewhere instead of just little clips. (I just may have
> recorded the audio for the entire thing, including a beautiful
> good-bye speech, but my computer won't encode properly until I get it
> to an Apple Store.)
>
> All in all, really, terrific performance from them all, not that every
> show by the Comedy Store Players isn't terrific. You'll be sorely
> missed, Jim, but do come back at least once in a while for special
> occasions.

thanks for that Sarah - much appreciated

 
<<<<   1564   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 5 / 11
camc_84Dec 8, 2007
 

 
What sad news to hear about Jim. We all knew it would happen
eventually, but still a shock.

I've only been going to the Store for a year now, whenever I can get
down to London, so at least I have some excellent memories of his
performances.

If anyone hears any more about the tv recordings could you post on
here? I wasn't able to get down to London this weekend but would love
to see even a few clips...

Meanwhile I'll be raising a glass to Jim!

Cat xx

 
<<<<   1565   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 6 / 11
Dean BedfordDec 8, 2007
 

 
On Saturday, December 8, 2007, at 10:37 PM, camc_84 wrote:

> What sad news to hear about Jim. We all knew it would happen
> eventually, but still a shock.
>
> I've only been going to the Store for a year now, whenever I can get
> down to London, so at least I have some excellent memories of his
> performances.

Maybe you and anyone else who has seen the Store Players can give us a
few Jim memories?

 
<<<<   1566   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 7 / 11
Anthony HobsonDec 8, 2007
 

 

 
<<<<   1574   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 8 / 11
camc_84Dec 9, 2007
 

 
Yeah I really liked Jim on Whose Line, but the few appearances he had
did not do his talent justice, in my opinion.

The problem with visits to th Store is I tend to remember laughing a
lot for 2 solid hours, but cannot relate the jokes or situation later
on...but I will try!

He never lets the wheelchair get in the way of a joke, and often used
it as a set-up for someone else...Greg Proops in freeze tag telling
him even though it was a disabled space he couldn't park there if he
didn't have a car...to which Jim replied "I know, but it was a steep
hill and I couldn't stop."

Another occasion Jim and Paul Merton were doing Film and Theatre
Styles and someone suggested kung fu film. Jim's mock disgust and
rolling to the front of the stage in order to beat the man up was
really funny, whilst Paul was doing an impression of Jim in what I
can only describe as a physical kind of Basil Fawlty 'don't mention
the war' way.

He's a very clever and witty man, and is always laughing during the
show, in fact all the Players always look like they're enjoying
themselves, so if it goes wrong it doubles the fun.

The last time I was there they were playing "Die" (a story-telling
game, if you're pointed at you carry onthe story until smeone else is
selected). The devil became involved with this particular tale, and
they were talking about telephone numbers when Lee Simpson pointed at
Jim. He blurted out that the devil was angry because the number 666
had already been taken by a telephone wanking line....He immediately
looked embarrassed, Lee was laughing and pointed to Andy Smart to
carry on. Por Andy was red-faced trying to carry on, whilst Richard
Vranch, Paul Merton and Neil Mullarkey werelooking in disgust at Jim,
who by this stage was just shaking away in hysterics!

That was one of the longest laughs I've ever witnessed, and you
certainly wouldn't be able to 'ride it' like in Just A Minute,but
bless Andy because he really tried. I didn't hear a word he said but
he kept going.


Someone on the Comedy Store Regulars wall said there were cameras
there Sunday night...if I hear anything, i'll pass it on.


--- In just-a-minute@..., "Anthony Hobson" <antster@...>
wrote:

>
> And of course, there's plenty of clips with Jim appearing on Whose

Line Is

> It Anyway?, often with comedy partner Steve Steen.
>
>
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559tkpWADvo - Here is a brilliant

example.

> :-)
>
>
>
> Ant
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: just-a-minute@... [mailto:just-a-

minute@...]

> On Behalf Of Dean Bedford
> Sent: 08 December 2007 10:12
> To: just-a-minute@...
> Subject: Re: [just-a-minute] Re: sad news on JAM guest
>
>
>
> On Saturday, December 8, 2007, at 10:37 PM, camc_84 wrote:
>
> What sad news to hear about Jim. We all knew it would happen
> eventually, but still a shock.
>
> I've only been going to the Store for a year now, whenever I can get
> down to London, so at least I have some excellent memories of his
> performances.
>
>
> Maybe you and anyone else who has seen the Store Players can give

us a few

> Jim memories?
>

 
<<<<   1575   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 9 / 11
Sarah FalkDec 9, 2007
 

 
One of my favorite Jim memories comes from a time they were doing
"Freeze": Someone (Neil Mullarkey, maybe), had fashioned his hands
into scissors and was pretending to cut Jim's (imaginary) beard. Josie
called for them to freeze and took Neil's place, then very
aggressively raised her scissored fingers to Jim's face in the
standard two-fingered salute, growling, "F*** you!"

Jim calmly turned away from her and deadpanned to the audience, "I'm
awfully sorry, she's new."

 
<<<<   1583   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 10 / 11
Dean BedfordDec 9, 2007
 

 
On Monday, December 10, 2007, at 01:31 AM, camc_84 wrote:

> Yeah I really liked Jim on Whose Line, but the few appearances he had
> did not do his talent justice, in my opinion.
>
> The problem with visits to th Store is I tend to remember laughing a
> lot for 2 solid hours, but cannot relate the jokes or situation later
> on...but I will try!

thanks to you and Sarah - those were very funny! :-)

 
<<<<   1621   >>>>

Topic: Re: sad news on JAM guest

Message 11 / 11
CatDec 24, 2007
 

 
--- In just-a-minute@..., Dean Bedford <dbedford@...> wrote:

>
>
> On Monday, December 10, 2007, at 01:31 AM, camc_84 wrote:
>
> > Yeah I really liked Jim on Whose Line, but the few appearances he

had

> > did not do his talent justice, in my opinion.
> >
> > The problem with visits to th Store is I tend to remember laughing a
> > lot for 2 solid hours, but cannot relate the jokes or situation

later

> > on...but I will try!
>
> thanks to you and Sarah - those were very funny! :-)
>

*Meant to mention before, if anyone would like to listen to more of
Jim's work, his website is www.jimsweeney.co.uk and he regularly posts
items of his on there, including an unbroadcastable 'Mastersons
Inheritance'

I would recommend everyone listen to 'My MS and Me'.