A Sketch History of Bath is a programme comprising ten comedy sketches based very loosely on the history of the British Isles and the city. Souvenir (CD-R) and electronic (mp3) editions were released.
The ten sketches, or parts, are preceded by an opening announcement, and followed by a closing announcement, credits, and outtakes. Events depicted include the founding of the Roman Baths, the Battle of Lansdown, and the Bath Blitz, with a dramatis personae including King Bladud, King Arthur, Jean de Tours, Ralph Allen, Jane Austen, and Winston Churchill. Running time is 57 mins approx.
The production was conceived in response to my inclusion in the Department for Work and Pensions’ ‘New Deal’ scheme for ‘Jobseekers’. At the outset, seven productions were envisaged, to make a series : A Sketch History of Britain and Ireland. In a short time, I wrote, and cast the first production with members of Bath Drama, myself, and my partner at the time. Recording was mostly done in Bath Drama’s hut in the Recreation Ground in just one or two short sessions, using a MiniDisc player and condenser microphone. The audio file and artwork were produced on my Macbook, using Garageband and InDesign, with some post-production by a sound engineer. A thousand copies of the Souvenir Edition were pressed to order by a commercial outfit.
The souvenir edition was marketed in person, in the Guildhall Markets, during the Christmas Market of 2009, and in Waterstones Bath. The electronic edition was distributed via AWAL and can still be found on most electronic platforms worldwide. Neither edition was commercially successful and I decided against continuing with the rest of the series.
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