British humor at its best,
Beyond the Fringe were a hilarious ensemble of four of the finest cutting-edge comedians and satirists in London at the time:
Dudley Moore,
Peter Cook,
Alan Bennett, and
Paxton Whitehead. The routines contained herein are the reasons why this group is so fondly remembered to Brits to this day.
Moore and
Cook's "One Leg Too Few," the story of a stunt actor -- with one leg -- applying for the role of Tarzan, is easily one of the most famous British comedy pieces ever. Also excellent is
Moore's "Song," which is a twisted version of
Brecht-
Weill's "Whisky Bar." This three-CD set is historically important, too, as
Beyond the Fringe served as the springboard from which
Moore and
Cook formed a lasting partnership that, at least immediately, resulted in 1967's film masterpiece Bedazzled.
–
Matthew Greenwald, Rovi