My first foray into comedy came with my desire to join the Cambridge University 'Footlights'. I went along to the auditions for the first 'smoker' of the year with three scripts and performed a headmaster monologue in front of two committee members. They smiled once or twice but didn't laugh, then asked if I had any other material. I showed them the other two scripts. One, a monologue by Sir Isaac Newton was dismissed, but the third they started laughing as they read it, and they asked me to perform it. It consisted - and still consists - of a commentator at a football match, and was inspired by a news report of a tour of Russia by a Welsh rugby team in which nearly all the players were called Jones. The original title of the sketch was 'Evans Above' Now, it is simply 'Evans':





Evans

Good evening and welcome to Match of the Day, and in tonight's programme we feature the annual contest between the two Welsh villages of Merthyr-lated and Merthyr-matics. And as I speak I can see the Merthylated team coming out onto the pitch, lead by their captain Evans. As we have a few minutes before kick-off I'll try to identify some of the players for you. In the number 3 shirt is Evans. In the number 5 shirt, doing his stretching exercises, is Evans. The number 7 player is Evans. The regular goalkeeper Evans can't play today, but his place has been taken by Evans...

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