REVIEW: WHAT’S WRONG WITH BENNY HILL? at White Bear Theatre 12 - 24 January, 2026
'
Full of comedy and pathos' ★★★☆☆
There are several generations who grew up with Benny Hill, the light entertainment TV superstar, first on BBC then on ITV, from 1955 - 1989. Along with many old school comics, he became a casualty of politically charged, new wave comedy. Ben Elton et al decreed laughter must not be extracted at the expense of others: no racism, sexism or homophobia. Until then, this had been the unquestioned stock in trade for many gag merchants.
Massively popular, Hill’s brand of slapstick and parody, was drawn from silent films, Jacques Tati, social observations and European cabaret. The closing sketch would often be something like a saucy British postcard in fast motion, where Hill would chase a beautiful woman, who would try to escape. As feminism infiltrated the mainstream, the use of dolly birds as aesthetic eye candy or as masturbatory aids, also fell from favour for more equal representation.
What’s Wrong With Benny Hill? is an affectionate autobiographical portrait of the canceled comedy great that looks at his life, success and demise. One hundred minutes, with interval, written and performed by Mark Carey, contrasts Hill the man, with Hill the comic, his private and public life. It’s generally chronological and expositional but at the heart, Carey gives a well-observed character study. In certain guises, he bears a striking resemblance to the performer who specialised in the slack jaw, loose tongue and wide, scanning eyes.
There are songs by Kevin Oliver Jones that give contextual background to Hill’s story and music is scattered throughout. Georgie Taylor supports Carey in this two hander and energetically multi-roles as a host of characters from Hill’s father, the forbidding ‘Captain’ and merchant of French Letters (condoms were referred to as “everlasting chewing gum”) to fans, waitresses and a stand-up female scouser shoveling the final spadeful of soil onto Hill's still warm grave.
A simple man who lived modestly and minded his own business, Hill died alone, undiscovered for several days. He amassed a fortune but never got round to making a will, had no significant relationships and could not understand why Britain had cast him into the wilderness while internationally, he was feted and remained huge. Unlike other fallen idols of 1970s light entertainment, there were no skeletons in Hill’s beige closet. He wasn’t a predator or a pedophile. He just wanted to make people laugh.
One glaring omission from this narrative is Hill’s mother who is mentioned only in passing. The Captain kept her in her place. Hill’s inability to form relationships with women was a source of great sadness to him as well as the inspiration for much of his comedy; women were his fatal flaw. The endless sketches of him chasing inaccessible females were an expression of his fantasies. In life, he was rebutted and rejected and may have died of loneliness and a broken heart. “I love women and just want to look after them” he insisted.
In this play, Hill takes issue with feminists who vilify his comedy but the audience is none the wiser as to why Hill was unable to form relationships with women. While it might set up more questions than answers, What’s The Matter With Benny Hill? is an entertaining account of this fallen star, full of comedy and pathos. There was lots of hooting laughter as audience members saw their childhood hero re-animated on stage. Ultimately you leave feeling that despite money and success, life was not kind to Benny Hill, a clown who must have shed many tears.
Giles Shenton Productions
What's Wrong With Benny Hill?
COMEDY KING OR MYSOGINISTIC MONSTER?
12th - 24th January 2025
Written by Mark Carey
Music by Kevin Oliver Jones
Produced by Giles Shenton
Starring Mark Carey as Benny Hill alongside Georgie Taylor, playing everyone else
