Charlie Higson returns to campus
By: Alumni Team
Charlie Higson (EAS77) is an author, actor, producer, comedian and writer for TV, film and radio. Charlie graduated from UEA in 1980 with a BA in English Literature and in 2014 was given an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the university.
While studying in Norwich, Charlie met Paul Whitehouse. Initially in a band, they went on to be part of a new generation of comedy actors and writers alongside Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and Harry Enfield.
Charlie recently returned to campus to talk about his book on the British monarchy – Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee – as part of the Norwich History Festival. We are very grateful to Charlie for sitting down with us before the event and answering a few questions about writing and his time at UEA.
Charlie also talked to student newspaper Concrete about his history and comedy writing.
You’re back at UEA talking about your book on the British Monarchy, Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee. How does it feel to be back?
I had a great time here. I met a lot of great people and I had a laugh. I felt I had the freedom to find myself and have fun.
It’s great to be back again. I’m presenting in the Lecture Theatre. My memory is that attending lectures wasn’t a particularly big thing for me…but I do think we used the room for film club – using the projector at the back. It was the only way to see these exciting new horror films from the States that we’d heard about!
You’ve said that you’re not a Republican or a Monarchist. Was that the case back in the 70s at UEA as well? Back in the era of activism and student politics?
Well, I didn't really give it any thought back then. There certainly was a lot of student politics about – it was raging.
I came back to the monarchy relatively recently. For me, it was just an amazing story. I tried not to bring any judgement to the institution of monarchy, and I was concentrating on each individual and their story.
You’re primarily known these days as an author, actor and comedy writer. But while you studied here at UEA, you were a musician. What was it like to be in a band at that time?
I formed a punk band in my first year at UEA with Paul Whitehouse. We called ourselves The Right Hand Lovers. New music venues were opening up, and it was a very exciting time. We helped to create a much more vibrant music scene in Norwich. We did play a few times at the university but mostly we played out and about in the city.
The band then became The Higsons, basically because everybody else in the band was kicked out of university. I enjoyed being in the band and entertaining a crowd, but technically I’m not a good singer. I lost my voice after every third or fourth gig, but I could shout rhythmically…
Did you take any of your musical experiences into your writing and acting work?
Music was great fun and meant you could get instant feedback on your material – the audience liked it or they didn’t – and I found that really helpful. The first comedy writing for TV I did was for Harry Enfield – Stavros and then Loadsamoney. Although the feedback wasn’t instant, we’d write the sketches during the week, and he’d be up on stage doing it in front of a live studio audience on the weekend. When we came to make The Fast Show we did a lot of the filming in front of a live audience – and again that feedback was great.
Nowadays, when I’m writing books, I finish the manuscript after a year and then eventually it goes out and…who knows? The rise of social media means you do get some sort of instant response, but then you never know who you’re dealing with there!