E. L. Wisty
Encyclopedia
E.L. Wisty was a fictional character played by comedian Peter Cook
throughout his career. A bland, monotonal know-it-all, he was usually presented in the form of monologues and sketches in which he bores members of the public.
Originally titled Mr. Boylett after the table butler at Radley College
, Cook's secondary school, Cook delighted school friends with impressions of Boylett, telling bizarre tales including that of the Holy Bee of Ephesus
— a bee
that had flown three times around the crucified
Jesus
— and how he would buy various inanimate objects when he thought he saw them move.
When Cook was encouraged to transfer these tales to stage monologues at Cambridge
, he changed the name of his character to Mr Arthur Grole, then to E.L. Wisty.
The character was played at Beyond the Fringe
, which featured the most famous Wisty sketch, involving his former aspirations of becoming a judge
, in which his lack of Latin
caused him to fail "the rigorous judging exams." This led to his becoming a coal miner instead, having passed the exams, claiming that, "They only ask you one question. They ask, "Who are you?" and I got 75 percent on that."
Wisty was famed for bothering members of the public on park benches on topics including tadpole
s, royalty
, newt
s, peace through nudism, inalienable rights, and his friend Spotty Muldoon. His 'foils' were such comic actors as John Cleese
and John Bird
.
In 1964, Wisty and Spotty formed the World Domination League, with aspirations to dominate the world by 1958. "We shall move about in people's rooms and say, 'Excuse me, we are the World Domination League. May we dominate you?' Then, if they say 'Get out,' of course we give up."
A character in the Witch and Wizard series.
Their list of demands were:
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
throughout his career. A bland, monotonal know-it-all, he was usually presented in the form of monologues and sketches in which he bores members of the public.
Originally titled Mr. Boylett after the table butler at Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
, Cook's secondary school, Cook delighted school friends with impressions of Boylett, telling bizarre tales including that of the Holy Bee of Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
— a bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
that had flown three times around the crucified
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
— and how he would buy various inanimate objects when he thought he saw them move.
When Cook was encouraged to transfer these tales to stage monologues at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, he changed the name of his character to Mr Arthur Grole, then to E.L. Wisty.
The character was played at Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe was a British comedy stage revue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller. It played in London's West End and then on New York's Broadway in the early 1960s, and is widely regarded as seminal to the rise of satire in 1960s Britain.-The...
, which featured the most famous Wisty sketch, involving his former aspirations of becoming a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, in which his lack of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
caused him to fail "the rigorous judging exams." This led to his becoming a coal miner instead, having passed the exams, claiming that, "They only ask you one question. They ask, "Who are you?" and I got 75 percent on that."
Wisty was famed for bothering members of the public on park benches on topics including tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s, royalty
Royalty
Royalty may refer to:* Royal family , or one or more of its members* Royalties, the payment made for a concession of commercial value Royalty may refer to:* Royal family (by extension the ruling house of any monarchy, regardless of the title), or one or more of its members* Royalties, the payment...
, newt
Newt
A newt is an aquatic amphibian of the family Salamandridae, although not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts. Newts are classified in the subfamily Pleurodelinae of the family Salamandridae, and are found in North America, Europe and Asia...
s, peace through nudism, inalienable rights, and his friend Spotty Muldoon. His 'foils' were such comic actors as John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
and John Bird
John Bird (actor)
John Bird is an English satirist, actor and comedian.-Early life:Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and educated at High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, Bird briefly joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain, while still at school...
.
In 1964, Wisty and Spotty formed the World Domination League, with aspirations to dominate the world by 1958. "We shall move about in people's rooms and say, 'Excuse me, we are the World Domination League. May we dominate you?' Then, if they say 'Get out,' of course we give up."
A character in the Witch and Wizard series.
Their list of demands were:
- Total domination of the world by 1958.
- Domination of the astral spheres quite soon too.
- The finding of lovely ladies for Spotty Muldoon within the foreseeable future.
- Getting a nuclear arm to deter with.
- The bodily removal from this planet of C. P. SnowC. P. SnowCharles Percy Snow, Baron Snow of the City of Leicester CBE was an English physicist and novelist who also served in several important positions with the UK government...
and Alan FreemanAlan FreemanAlan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman, MBE was a British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.-Career:...
and their replacement with fine trees. - Stopping the government from crawling up our pipes and listening to all we say.
- Training bees for uses against foreign powers, and so on.
- Elimination of spindly insects and encouragement of lovely little newts who dance about and are happy.
- E.L. Wisty for God.