The Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer performs special Newbury show for Parkinson's

Newbury residents were treated to a special evening as Paul Mayhew-Archer MBE, the co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley, performed a one-man show to raise awareness of Parkinson’s.

Mr Mayhew-Archer, who has the neurological condition, took to the stage in St George’s Church, Wash Common, on Saturday for his ‘Incurable Optimist’ routine – which he has previously performed at some of the biggest venues in the country.

The routine focuses on the comedy writer’s battle with the degenerative disease since he was diagnosed 11 years ago and the importance of seeing the lighter side of it.

The show was a sell-out, with funds from tickets going towards the Newbury Parkinson’s branch.

Mr Mayhew-Archer – who also co-wrote the BBC adaptation of the Roald Dahl book Esio Trot and was script editor for several BBC sitcoms – said the show had gone “very well” despite his pills “wearing off at the end”, and that the disorder had awarded him opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have had.

He said: “‘Incurable Optimist’ is just how I feel about it. I am incurable, but I do look optimistically towards the future.

“I did a podcast, and at the end the interviewer asked if I was glad I had Parkinson’s.

“I said: ‘I’m sure there will come a time when I’m definitely not glad, but at the moment I am quite glad.’

“He asked if I’d lost my marbles, and of course I have, but because I’ve got Parkinson’s.”

Since being diagnosed, Mr Mayhew-Archer – who lives in Abingdon with his “long-suffering” wife of more than 40 years, Julie – has become more aware of being “on and off”.

He said he had started “freezing”, describing it as his legs forgetting how to walk, and needing to talk himself out of it, and that his handwriting had become “completely unreadable”.

Mr Mayhew-Archer continued: “This is the odd irony – it tries to stop you communicating in that it makes your writing tiny and unreadable, and it often takes away your voice.

“Yet in my case, Parkinson’s has given me a voice. It’s given me something I feel passionately about to talk about.

“I created a documentary [Parkinson's: The Funny Side], and lots of newly diagnosed people have found it really reassuring.

“When people are diagnosed – because they don’t know a lot about it – they have a terrible worry that it’s the end of the world.”

He said he felt it was incredibly important to have a positive perspective, adding that it was one of his “guiding principles” to not take serious illnesses as seriously – because “all serious illnesses have their lighter moments, and we need to embrace them”.

The 69-year-old first starting doing the show around five years ago when Parkinson’s UK had a big fundraiser at the Royal Albert Hall, and he introduced the cast of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

He enjoyed doing a bit of stand-up, following it up with a skit at The Comedy Store, again for Parkinson’s.

What started as a 10-minute routine soon became an hour-long, before it became a tour around the country.

“It’s strange,” Mr Mayhew-Archer continued. “I started at the Royal Albert Hall, then the Comedy Store, and then village halls – so my trajectory isn’t good!

“But it’s wonderful, I get to travel the country.

“I do the show for nothing, and the local Parkinson’s branch bring the audience and keep the money.

“I’m eager to do as many as possible because I get a fantastic kick from it.”

Newbury and District Parkinson’s chairman Bruce Blaine said: "I'm very pleased that we had such a wonderful evening and I was so glad to see so many people supporting the branch.

"It was a very entertaining routine by Paul."

Mr Mayhew-Archer will be doing another show in Newbury on May 21.

For tickets, visit the Newbury Parkinson's website.