Alexei Sayle

The Anfield-born star experienced his own variety of uncertainty preceding the book signing of his new publication in Liverpool, conscious of a potentially hostile audience.

Alexi Sayle

In the aftermath of local news reports revealing Sayle's negative remarks regarding his hometown during a performance at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, Mr Sayle had the opportunity to justify his witticism and avoid what could have been one of the alternative comedian's most controversial performances to date.

"I was just making some jokes about Liverpool; stuff I've been doing for years. You're talking to 250 people in a tent and some of it is selectively put in the paper and it comes across as being very cold and unpleasant, and obviously no one in the tent objected to it. It's one of those things were things taken out of context take on a terrible power.

"But on the other hand it's true that although I come up to Liverpool every six weeks, I tend just to stay at my mum's house and not tend to go into the city centre. I've been round the centre today and it is vastly improved and I probably do need to update my ideas."

Alexei wasn't surprised the city had been successful in its bid for 2008 Capital of Culture: "Liverpool is and always has been a fantastic cultural dynamo, and obviously I thought that was a given that I understood that. I'm a product of it myself and so many artists have come out of Liverpool."

Sayle, one-time member of the British Communist Party's youth wing, has never endeavoured to conceal his stalwart left-wing political beliefs either. Great Bus Journeys of the World (1989) - a reissue of Sayle's regular cartoon and column pieces for Time Out - showcased the comedian's political philosophy through anarchic humour.

However, it was the BBC's television series, The Young Ones, which provided the catalyst for turning mainstream the alternative comedy that developed during the punk era and which later manifest itself as an opponent to the Thatcherite polity of the subsequent decade.

Gelling the unique and raw talents of Alexei Sayle, Ade Edmonson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan, Ben Elton and Lise Mayer, the comedy made stars of every member of the cast.

With random surrealist interludes that are best described as reminiscent of the unrelenting absurdity perfected by the Monty Python troupe, The Young Ones depicted the lives of four students, distinct in character yet unvarying in zaniness and non-compliance. The British sitcom staged some of the 1980's most contemporary bands, with the likes of Dexy's Midnight Runners performing in the student's toilet, and Madness, Motorhead and The Damned arbitrarily gigging in the living room.

Sayle provided additional material for the comedy and performed as the Balovski Family in the first series (1982) and as a selection of miscellaneous characters in Series Two (1984). The Young Ones has since been televised in other countries, including the US and Netherlands.

In 1989 Sayle was awarded an International Emmy for his series Alexei Sayle's Stuff and an honorary professorship at the Thames Valley University in 1995. His publications include The Dog Catcher (2002), Barcelona Plates (2000) and Train to Hell (1984).

Following a selection of readings taken from his novel, the book signing audience were invited to pose questions. Unsurprisingly his recent Festival sketch received attention. However, the occasion provided the perfect forum for Alexei Sayle to do what he does best, entertain.

When asked which book, in addition to his own, he would choose to read at a signing, Sayle replied The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss, the Spanish edition. The writer also revealed how he is now able to eulogize contemporary comic talent, like that of Caroline Ahern and Steve Coogan. Previously he had been more inclined to criticise owing to fear of competition.

Alexei has been accredited with guest appearances in Doctor Who (Revelation Of The Daleks) and Lovejoy (The Napoleonic Commode), and has given convincing performances on the big screen as the Sultan in Indian Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and Achmed in Carry On Columbus (1992). More recently he featured as impresario Charles Frobisher in the BBC's adaptation of the Sarah Waters novel Tipping the Velvet (2002).

Sayle will star in the new sitcom series Ask The Professor, early next year, which promises to be as teeming with controversial material as we have come to expect over the decades.

WORDS: ANDREA RANNARD