On February 22 1992 the King of Pop met the King of Comedy. Benny Hill was staying at the Brompton Hospital following a heart attack when he was visited by his number one fan – Michael Jackson. They talked for half an hour, making plans for Michael to star in a future TV series of The Benny Hill Show. But it was not to be; Benny Hill died on the April 20, less than two months later.
Now, exactly thirty years later a new play When Michael Met Benny is being released as a free drama podcast, imagining just what took place in that hospital room.
It’s written by Jonathan Morris (Dead Ringers and Doctor Who audio):
Morris says: “I heard about this unlikely meeting about ten years ago, and immediately thought, there’s a play in that! It could be the next Frost vs Nixon! And then I realised that if nobody else was going to write it, I should write it myself. It was just such an exciting idea I couldn’t let it go. What would two such different people find to talk about? What would they find they had in common?
It’s a very affectionate celebration of Benny Hill and his generation of comedians. Fans of Benny, classic comedy of the 60s and 70s, or biopics like Eric & Ernie, will love it. It will make them laugh, it will make them cry, and they will learn about the man behind the legend. With The Benny Hill Show now being repeated – and still making headlines – there couldn’t be a better time to bring him back to life.”
When Michael Met Benny stars Daniel Anthony (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Casualty) as Michael and Phil Nice (Broadchurch, Citizen Khan, and sketch shows going all the way back to Alas Smith and Jones) as Benny. Pictured here.
Phil Nice says: “The idea of playing Benny Hill was initially somewhat daunting, but the premise of the piece was both intriguing and fascinating - a dramatisation of an actual meeting between two legends! I was able, through Jonathan's writing, to get a more nuanced view of Benny as he approached his final days and found the whole project immensely satisfying and lots of fun.”
When Michael Met Benny will be available as a free drama podcast on all podcast platforms on 22nd February 2022. It is produced by Average Romp Ltd.
