Mystery, missing toast and Sesame Street...

Posted by David Ralfe (Marketing & Admin. Assistant, Hoipolloi)

A friend of mine, when aged about three, accidentally stabbed herself with a pin and needed several stitches. But despite being in immense pain and bleeding all over the sofa, she didn’t find the time to tell either of her parents until that day’s episode of Sesame Street was over. Even three year olds know how to prioritise.

If you’re vaguely the same age as me, or if you have children who are, Sesame Street should be etched into your memory as a daily slice of televised joy which, at that age, was enough to make the world seem entirely happy and complete.

And do you remember Vincent Twice, who always said his name twice and hosted a segment called Mysterious Theatre? What British viewers probably didn’t know was that Mysterious Theatre was a spoof of long-running American TV show Mystery! (yes, it’s always spelt with an exclamation mark) which tells detective stories featuring familiar characters like Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes.

Mystery!’s animated opening sequences were created by none other than Edward Gorey, the cult author and illustrator whose book The Doubtful Guest Hoipolloi have adapted for stage. Gorey is famous for his playfully macabre, pseudo-Gothic-Victorian visual style which Tim Burton, amongst others, acknowledges as a huge influence on his own work.

Here’s one of Gorey’s truly wonderful Mystery! intro sequences:




And just for good measure, here’s an episode of Sesame Street’s Mystery Theatre, in which Sherlock Holmes investigates the case of The Missing Toast!




Funnily enough, having spoofed Edward Gorey on Sesame Street, Jim Henson Productions have recently announced that they'll be making a Muppets-style film of The Doubtful Guest.

Meanwhile, Hoipolloi's autumn tour of The Doubtful Guest kicks off in less than three weeks. Tickets are selling fast, so if you haven’t yet booked for Plymouth, Southampton, Cambridge, Leeds or Cardiff, get in quick! The full tour schedule and all box office details can be found here.


Finally, here’s a trailer for The Doubtful Guest to whet your appetite.