Comic honed act squatting in Hackney

Fast Show comic Charlie Higson has revealed how he honed his act and charaters while squatting in east London.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, he said he and fellow Fast Show writer and performer Paul Whitehouse squatted a few doors down from each other in Hackney in the 1980s after learning the council planned to offer full tenancy rights to squatters.

Higson, 53, said 80’s comedy creation ‚Loadsamoney‘ – played by Harry Enfield – was based on people they met at a local pub.

He said: „Somehow [Paul] found out that the council planned to offer full tenancy rights to squatters. I ended up squatting a few doors down from Paul with another friend of ours Harry Enfield.“

Earning extra cash as a decorator he and Paul – who then worked as a plasterer – did up the house that Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie bought in Dalston.

He said: „Eventually, we all got our own flats on the Morningside estate [Hackney]. The rent was almost nothing. We stayed for five years, and looked for somewhere to buy. Stephen and Hugh, who were making buckets of money by then, were selling their place in Dalston. Paul and I knew it was bloody well decorated, so we bought it off them for £250,000. I really think there should be a blue plaque on the wall.“

http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2011-10-16-Comic-honed-skills-squatting-in-Hackney

http://squatworld.blogsport.de/2011/10/17/comic-honed-act-squatting-in-hackney/#more-504