This is a beautifully written sketch/series for readers and writers, the sort that may well lovingly underline pet phrases and gut-punching prose in their paperbacks. Fry’s character meditates on language, likening it to “the soft rain of dust that falls into a shaft of morning light as you pluck from an old bookshelf a half-forgotten book of erotic memoirs” and also: “the warm wet trusting touch of a leaking nappy”. He waffles essentially, although so sincerely, that he must sprinkle funny-sounding phrases which conveniently advance his point.
Watch the sketch:
Beyond the delicious dialogue is Fry’s punchdrunk performance. The gymnastics taking place in Fry’s mouth for pace, playfulness and comic effect is awardworthy. Then there’s the quirk and quasi-rhetoric of Fry’s imperatives like “Mark the distinction for me, mark it” which create an ebb and flow - as if he were punctuation come to life; quickstepping with footnotes, twirling with emphasis, pausing on the down of his six-prong pirouette.
I also want to mention what Laurie is doing as the straight man. In the first iteration in the video above, he’s like a Chat Show host; polite, curious and clad in a white tux and gaudy bowtie, nearly doubling as a children’s show presenter with helpful asides to an at-home audience. In the second, as Fry leans into his leaning, gushing artist, Laurie has been revised as more of a reluctant acquaintance (probably invited at the last minute by Margery), keeping up the asides with sardonic poise. Both Laurie characters work and get laughs. I think because he doesn’t try to outdo Fry or steal his captive audience; much like Laurie’s asides, he simply adds. I am very certain that this was the inspiration for Ethan Hawke’s performance opposite Denzel in Training Day.