[bell chiming]
Are you fucking deaf?
I said, are you fucking deaf?
If you are, then you may be thinking of investing
in a digital hearing aid.
Audio Clear hearing aids are discreet and...
Is this for real?
What's up, Steven?
Well, there's swearing in this advert.
All kinds of effin' and jeffin'.
Are you really allowed to broadcast this on the radio?
I mean, even Channel 4 doesn't have swearing
in their adverts.
Anything goes these days.
It's the 21st century, my friend.
Oh, God, yeah. No taboos left anywhere any more.
Okay, let's crack on.
Actually, I've gotta go,
so I'll see you next week, Steven, yeah?
What the blazes is this ritual?
[Danny imitates gunshot]
Where's that clown off to?
To see his therapist.
His therapist?! Ha, that doesn't surprise me.
Danny's considering a sex-change operation.
A sex-change operation?
Yeah, it's mostly because he thinks
his clothes will suit him better if he's a woman.
Just something he's been mulling over for a while.
[Steven snorts]
Talking to a therapist about it.
Well, I've heard everything.
Sex-change operations, swearing in adverts.
These really are the last days of Sodom.
Try that line again there, Steven?
Yeah.
Audio Clear hearing aids are discreet
and fit snugly into the ear.
Check out our website today for details.
How the fuck was that?
[gentle upbeat music]
"Nuts." Do you remember?
That musical you did about the,
the horrors of mental illness.
Ugh, probably the worst production I've ever been in.
Yes, you've been in more than your fair share
of bad productions.
Yeah, Ray Purchase was in that.
Played an out-of-control schizophrenic called Magpie
and used that as an excuse to pinch everyone's fags.
And I swore I'd never work with him again.
Yes, do you remember you opened the trap door on stage
and he fell right through?
[laughs] Yes, he did!
I will make my nest. I will be happy.
[door creaks]
[audience gasps]
Argh!
People told me he'd broken his back but he hadn't.
Just his arm and his collarbone.
[Steven laughs]
Yes.
Anyway, while I'm here,
any news on my Dickie Davies biopic audition?
Dickie Davies audition.
That was a no.
A no? How can it be a no, Jane? I look exactly like him.
Ooh, now, this is really big news!
The "Royal Variety Performance" people have been on.
They'd like you to take part this year,
in the newly reopened Regency Theatre.
The Regency Theatre?
Isn't that now a Chicken Paradise?
Yes, it was in a dreadful state,
but then a lot of showbiz folk got together
to buy it back and refurbish it.
I'm not doing the "Royal Variety Performance," Jane.
All charity work is a complete waste of time and money,
and usually does more harm than good.
Remember Live Aid?
They'd like you to perform
the Amazing Egyptian Sand Dance, made famous in the 1930s.
The bloody Sand Dance? I've not done that for years.
[Jane laughs]
Hold on a second, you need two performers for that routine.
Yes, so I suggested, erm...
What, Ray bloody Purchase?
I told you two seconds ago,
I never wanted to work with him again.
Did you?
Well, maybe not two seconds,
but certainly in the very recent past.
Okay, okay, I shall demand they don't ask Ray Purchase
to perform with you.
That'll be an absolute nonstarter.
Ah, I'm not doing any charity work, Jane,
for anyone, ever.
Oh, here's a thing, Kevin Spacey will be there.
Who?
Kevin Spacey?
Major actor, director and big player in Hollywood.
He's become very immersed in the whole London scene.
Rumour has it he's looking for someone
to play the British attache in the new series
of the "House of Cards."
I'll do it.
This charity event, count me in.
You've changed your tune, Toast.
All a waste of time and money a second ago.
Obviously I know who Kevin Spacey is.
I just said "who" to give me some time
to think about the offer.
British attache? Hmm!
Yes, yes, "House of Cards," I'll be splendid in that.
Ever seen it?
No.
Anyway, who's presenting
at this "Royal Variety Performance?"
Bob Monkhouse.
Isn't he dead?
No! Why does everybody say that?
Bob is very much alive.
He just got remarried, in fact.
Apparently his new wife's a complete zombie.
Anyway, I'll tell them you're on board.
India, Royal Variety, patch me through.
I hate the "Royal Variety Performance,"
but if Kevin Spacey sees me in it,
he's bound to cast me as the British attache
in the new series of "House Of Cards."
Sorry, Toast, I was just reading a review
of the revival of "The Government Inspector" at the Lyric.
It's not very good.
I was saying,
I mean, I hate the "Royal Variety Performance,"
but if Kevin Spacey sees me in it,
he's bound to cast me as the British attache.
Sorry, Toast, I was just reading a review
of the revival of "Abigail's Party" at the Young Vic.
Not very good.
I was saying, I hate the "Royal Variety Performance,"
but if... Oh!
Hang on, old chap, I was reading that!
[door creaks]
Who the hell is that?
That'll be for me.
[Delivery Man] Here's your magazines, Ed.
What is it, Ed?
It's some copies of "Woman's Realm."
"Woman's Realm?" I didn't think that was still going.
It isn't, these are vintage copies.
It's very hard to find.
I'm a bit of a collector.
Well, isn't it just knitting patterns for old ladies?
Oh, yes.
Oh, God! Who delivered them? John Nettles?
No, he does Titbits.
This is a chap called Larry Muggins.
Anything you want, he can find.
Probably at a discount price.
Really?
Oh, yes.
Yes, anything from a rare edition of a Ken Follett novel
to a sex-change operation.
Sex-change operation?!
Oh, yes.
Well, that idiot Danny Bear at Scramble Studios
was talking about getting a sex-change operation.
Reckoned it would suit his clothes.
Oh, this chap Muggins can probably organise it for him.
And there's likely to be a queue for the op at the NHS.
I can put in a word, if you like?
Well, you know, why not?
It's no odds to me.
So, who's hosting the "Royal Variety Performance"
this year?
Bob Monkhouse.
Bob Monkhouse?!
Thanks for coming, old chap.
With a name like Toast, I thought you'd pop up.
[group laughs]
Glad you decided to become involved.
Jane said you don't usually do any charity work.
Not true at all.
You're thinking of Dickie Davies.
Weather's been very warm, hasn't it? Especially at nights.
These days, I love to sleep in the nude.
Not a bad thing,
except of course on those really long flights.
[group laughs]
What?
Anyway, meet the organising committee
before we go down to the theatre.
Hello, Dennis Fog.
Dense Fog?
No, Dennis Fog.
Sorry, nice to meet you.
Hello, Derek Bildings.
Derelict Buildings?
No, Derek Bildings.
Sorry, nice to meet you.
Hello, er, Shane Fulorgy.
Shameful Orgy?
Shane Fulorgy.
Sorry, nice to meet you.
I never wanted to believe my dad
was stealing from his job as a road worker,
but when I got home all the signs were there!
[group laughs]
Anyway, I just wanna say, er,
how it warms my heart that so many top turns
are willing to give their time to charity.
Ray bloody Purchase.
Well, well, well, if it isn't Steven Toast.
Tell us more about your substantial charity work, Toast.
I'd love to hear about it.
I specifically told Jane
I never wanted to work with you again.
Well, tough tit, Toast.
Steven Toast, everyone.
He'll buy you a pint with one hand
and sleep with your wife with the other.
Why don't you shut up and sit down?
Here's a thing I've noticed.
People seem to think I come from Kent.
I hear them mutter the word as I walk past!
[group laughs]
What?
I'm really looking forward to this.
You know Kevin Spacey's gonna be there?
I didn't know that.
Yes, you did.
I know for a fact that Jane Plough told you about it.
She texted me, she e-mailed me, she wrote me a postcard,
she told me to my face that she definitely,
definitely told you about it.
Did she? Well, I must have forgotten.
And we've just heard this morning
that Prince Charles and his delightful wife,
Camilla Parker Bowles, are also coming along.
Now, I think it would be a terrific idea
to present them with a souvenir of the occasion.
Who wants to look after that?
I think Toast should be in charge
of securing the gift for the royal couple.
Really?
Yes, great idea.
Talking of royals, do you know what happened
during Kate Middleton's wedding night?
No.
She was held against her Will.
[group laughs]
What?
Gosh, is that the time?
We need to get down to the stage to rehearse.
Right, chaps, we'll take the lift, there's too many stairs.
Come along, darling.
[group chatter faintly]
[woman snarls]
[Steven exhales nervously]
[Steven grunts]
Sorry, Mrs. P, I can't get Bob Monkhouse's
zombie wife's face out of my head.
I thought Bob Monkhouse was dead?
No, he's very much alive, as is his wife.
Well, technically she's dead.
Living dead, surely?
Anyway, Monkhouse did a very strange thing.
He kept telling these stories
that were unconnected to anything
and then everyone would laugh.
Well, they're probably jokes.
Jokes?!
Yes, Monkhouse is famous for telling jokes all the time.
[Steven scoffs]
[whooshing on screen]
What are you doing, Mrs. P?
Oh, it's my new job.
You've got a job? [laughs]
[computer beeping]
What the hell is it?
Operating drones for the US military.
Really?
Yes.
You know, it's perfect for me, actually,
because I can work from home.
Do you know, depending on how many missiles I launch,
I can earn up to 30 quid a day.
-Drones for the US military? -Mm-hm.
[doorbell rings]
Oh, I'd better get that.
Do you want a go? It's very easy.
You just move this cursor,
then when you select your target, you press this key here.
Right.
Oh, and only blow up the houses
on the left-hand side of the road,
not the houses on the right.
Gotcha.
[computer beeping]
Direct hit!
[beeping and whooshing on computer]
And another.
I'm very good at this, if I don't mind saying.
Oh, hope there was nobody home!
Having fun?
Yes, it's quite addictive, isn't it?
[Mrs. P] Mm.
[beeping and whooshing on screen]
Oh.
What?
Did I say blow up the houses on the left-hand side?
Yes.
I meant the houses on the right.
Well, I've blown a hell of a lot up on the left.
Oh, well, it'll probably be fine.
I imagine no one will notice.
No.
Oh!
[Both] Oh, ho-ho-ho!
Which one of you lads is looking for a sex change?
You, is it?
No.
It's me, actually.
What's your budget?
How much do you wanna spend on it?
Well, it's quite serious, a sex-change operation.
I mean, it's not really the type of thing
you can cut corners on.
So what are you looking at?
Well, I got a quote from an established,
specialist surgeon, 4,000 pounds.
Jesus, 4,000 pounds for a sex change?
Sure, I do more or less the same thing for 50 quid.
50 quid?
All I need's a level surface and a bucket for drainage.
And I'll throw in for free disposal of body parts.
Right, well, as I say, it's quite a big operation,
so I'm gonna need to know everything's all above board.
There's a full guarantee going with it.
Oh.
And 50 quid, no hidden charges.
Honestly, you'd be mad to spend 4,000 on a sex change.
All those twisters in Harley Street,
ripping off naive transgenders.
For that amount of cash, we could change you into a llama.
Are you serious, a full sex-change operation for 50 quid?
Yeah. Unless you want to pay the VAT on top of it!
All right. Okay, yes!
Hope I don't live to regret this!
Can we start now?
How are you feeling, Danny?
Well, I'm a bit nervous, to be honest.
You never had a sex-change operation before, huh?
Er, no.
Ah, you've nothing to worry about.
So what's in this plastic bag?
A pair of tits.
Ah, yes, very interesting.
What are you doing here?
I'm the intermediary, Larry.
Instrumental in bringing both parties together.
You don't mind if I stay and watch, do you?
It'll cost you a tenner.
Okay.
Look, I'm really not sure about all this.
Having cold feet, are you, Danny?
Well, you should have said something before now,
instead of leaving it to Muggins here to sort out!
Do you know what? I think I'm gonna give it a miss.
What?
The operation. I think I'm gonna give it a miss.
Is it because you don't want to lose the moustache?
We could probably keep that.
That Eurovision winner looked great
and she had a full beard.
Look, sorry, do you know what? I've changed my mind.
I went for a budget option and I really should have
gone through a more traditional medical route,
like with a proper surgeon and, you know, hospital.
Well, it's no skin off my nose,
but I'm gonna have to keep the 50 squid.
Yep, okay, fine.
You can keep the pair of tits.
Well, I don't think I'm gonna need them now.
Er, can I have them?
[Steven scoffs]
[whimsical music]
Ah!
Enjoying yourself, Ed?
Yes.
Yes. So, the "Royal Variety Performance," huh?
I'm looking forward to it and I'll tune in. Are you nervous?
Nah, who cares? It's a charity event.
All I know is that when Kevin Spacey sees my Sand Dance,
he'll be so impressed,
he's bound to offer me the "House of Cards" attache.
Well, best of luck with that.
Downside is, I have to share the stage
with Ray bloody Purchase again.
Well, I hope he doesn't fall
through the trap door this time.
[both laugh]
Did you manage to look at those plastic tits?
Yes, yes, I did.
You see, I don't know how Muggins
would have grafted these onto your friend
without a severe risk of blood poisoning.
Paul Gascoigne used to wear these the whole time.
It's very disappointing.
Well, what the hell were you expecting?
Oh, I dunno. Something a bit less tacky.
Something a bit more, you know, va-va-voom.
[Steven scoffs]
You are very peculiar, Ed.
You can have them if you want.
I don't want them. Unless...
[Ed] Unless what?
Well, Tom Jones has just been added to the bill
at the "Royal Variety Performance."
A pair of plastic tits may be
just the kind of thing he'd like.
Yes, good thinking!
Tom Jones would love a pair of comedy plastic tits.
I think he would.
Right, I'm off.
If I were you, I'd find another lodger,
as I say goodbye, Ed, hello, "House of Cards."
♪ You're so deluded, Toast, it makes me sad ♪
♪ You'll never get the break that you want so bad ♪
What?!
♪ How dare you ♪
♪ My friend ♪
♪ Pity me when I know ♪
♪ I'm a joke ♪
♪ I'll suffer scorn ♪
♪ And I'll wear this crown of thorns ♪
♪ It is clear ♪
♪ That I'll die ♪
♪ Having lived inside a lie ♪
♪ It's true ♪
Look, Toast, you need to bring your A game to the table.
We're not doing the conga or the Agadoo.
This is the Sand Dance!
There's 100 years of musical history
and I'm not gonna let you piss about with it!
Who cares?
I care! Monkhouse cares!
Well, I think your Sand Dance
is gonna be sensational, chaps.
The old ones really are the best.
Talking of old ones, fellas,
do you know I still enjoy sex at 74?
I live at 76, it's no distance.
[Ray laughs]
What?
[audience applauds]
[jaunty music]
[audience applauds]
That's marvellous!
The terrific Ray Purchase, there, and Steven Toast.
Now, we're very lucky to welcome
some very special guests here tonight.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales
and the Duchess of Cornwall.
[audience applauds]
What did you get Charles and Camilla?
What?
What did you get Charles and Camilla?
You were supposed to give them a gift, remember?
Oh, shit.
You forgot, didn't you? You bloody idiot!
Well done, Toast, terrific work, very moving.
I got a real sense of Egypt.
Did you see Spacey?
Yes, he was in the middle of the front row.
I was sitting right behind him.
He was clapping all the way through.
[Steven laughs]
Hollywood, here I come!
[Ray snarls]
Ah, Toast. The royal couple are almost here.
Did you get them a present?
I hope you didn't forget.
He did forget, because he's a complete cunt!
Mind the language, Purchase.
Sorry, Bob.
This is bloody serious, Toast!
Sometimes the joking has to stop!
Ah, your Royal Highnesses, this is Steven Toast.
[Charles] Ah, Toast.
He has a gift for you, which he'd like to present
on behalf of the Friends of the Regency Theatre.
[Charles] Oh.
[bag rustling]
[group gasps]
A pair of tits!
A pair of tits.
A pair of tits?
They're not real tits, though.
They're just plastic ones, like Paul Gascoigne used to wear.
[man coughs]
Er, a man went to the doctor for a checkup.
The doctor says, "I have some very bad news,
you're going to die."
God.
The man says, "How long am I gonna live?"
The doctor said, "Ten."
The man said, "What, months, weeks?"
The doctor said, "No, nine, eight, seven..."
Argh!
Monkhouse!
Toast!
[Steven] Ha!
Oh, whose are these?
Bloody hilarious, man!
What do you think, Charlie?
Really unwise of you, Toast, to open that trap door.
Bob is dead, rather like his zombie wife.
So is Bob Monkhouse now a zombie?
This is no time to discuss whether Bob Monkhouse
is now a zombie like his wife.
You can kiss goodbye to any ideas
of an MBE or CBE after your name.
DOA, more likely, and as for a knighthood, huh!
But Kevin Spacey, what about him?
I mean, he loved my performance.
Any word?
Kevin Spacey, Jane!
Oh, I may have made a slight error on that one, Toast.
Oh, God.
What?!
Well, you know I said I was
sitting behind him in the theatre?
[Steven] Yes, you were sat behind him
while he was adoring my performance, and?
[Jane] Well, I presumed it was Kevin Spacey,
but I subsequently discovered
it was actually the comedian Bob Mortimer.
[Steven] Who?
Bob Mortimer?
He does look very like Spacey, especially from behind.
[Steven growls]
[lullaby music plays]
Better?
So what the shit happened with Spacey?
Well, apparently he went to Afghanistan
on a humanitarian mission.
Unlike you, he does a lot of work for charity.
So he was visiting some good Afghans
who live on the left-hand side of the road...
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
As opposed to Afghans that live
on the right-hand side of the road?
Oh, the bad Afghans live
on the right-hand side of the road.
I see.
Anyway, nobody's heard from him in days.
I do hope he turns up again.
[door bangs shut]
Toast.
[upbeat music]
♪ So take my hand ♪
♪ We'll disappear to above the sun ♪
♪ To far from here ♪
♪ Though I don't know you and you don't know me ♪
♪ I just had to talk to you, you see ♪
♪ So take my hand ♪