Papa Lazarou
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Papa Lazarou is a fictional character in the BBC TV comedy programme The League of Gentlemen.He appeared in two episodes, a Christmas special, and the film The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse. The character is part written by and played by Reece Shearsmith. Papa Lazarou has been listed as both the 8th and 14th most popular sketch of all time with British audiences, according to The Radio Times[1] and Channel 4[2] respectively.
Character
Papa Lazarou runs a circus. He appears dressed as a circus master and has a face like a black and white minstrel. He also has three diminutive helpers, called Simba, Pebbil and Tiktik. In the first episode in which he appears, he collects wives, often by pretending to be a humble peg-seller then breaking into their homes and talking gibberish (Gippog) at them until they hand over their wedding rings, which works surprisingly often.
Despite originally only appearing in one episode, the character became very popular and, as a result, appeared in a third series episode, in which he used more elaborate methods to capture men and women alike, and imprison them inside the animals in his circus. He also has important supporting roles in the Christmas special and in The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse.
He has a book of wives - all of whom he calls "Dave" - some of which have been photographed on polaroid, but some of which appear to have lived over a century ago. Upon his first visit to Royston Vasey, he collected some wives, performed his show, then moved on when the audience's noses started bleeding simultaneously. When he returned, it was in the guise of a Keith Drop, an actor. He used the makeup tips he had gleaned from his wives to effect a very convincing transformation. As Keith, he got a job at the charity shop. This led to his discovery when the real husband of one of his wives found some of her jewellery among Keith's donations. Lazarou evaded capture, however, and it is then revealed that he imprisons many of his wives and anyone who tried to follow him as circus animals. In the commentary to the third series the League revealed this is just one of a number of things (many of which haven't been revealed) that he does with his wives.
Gippog
Gippog is the Gibberish language that Papa Lazarou speaks. In the first episode of the second series, it is revealed by his "Wife" that the language is entirely made up as he goes along, which leads soon-to-be-stolen housewife Mary Hobbs into a new life with Papa.
Appearance
His face really is black and white like a minstrel, and he has to paint over it with make up to appear normal. Papa learned the makeup skills to cover his minstrel face from his various wives.
His hair is black and frizzy, and bears a notable resemblance to Jeremy Dyson's hair, who unlike the others, does not appear as any regular characters. His teeth are yellow, and his hands covered in rings - the wedding rings of his 'wives'.
Keith Drop
Papa Lazarou's alter-ego's first appearance was in the third series of the League of Gentlemen. Papa Lazarou's natural skin colour is dark and he wears pink make-up to appear as Keith Drop. He helps out in the charity shop with Reenie Calver (whose friend, Vinnie Wythenshaw has been killed in an accident). This was merely a front for Lazarou to gain more wives.
He is keen on amateur dramatics and is doing a production of The Diary of Anne Frank, featuring the character Pam Doove as a Nazi.
He eventually gets rumbled when Brian Morgan comes into the shop looking for the missing pieces to his board games. Drop inadvertently gives Brian the brooch his wife Katy Morgan was wearing the day she mysteriously disappeared — which coincided with the carnival coming to town. Keith is unable to ward him away from the subject and tries to kill him. However, Reenie Calver hits him over the head and they restrain him. He manages to escape and, when they follow him, he imprisons them in his circus animals cages.
When Brian breaks into Papa's home he realises that Keith was a real person whose identity Papa assumed. The fate of the real Keith has yet to be revealed.
Origins
Despite being one of the more bizarre characters in the series, Papa Lazarou was actually based on a real person, Peter Papalazarou [citation needed] who was a landlord who owned a flat in which Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton lived. When he called, he would only ever ask for "Steve" (Pemberton), and would refuse to talk to Shearsmith. When calling, he would say "Hello Steve? Is that Steve?"; when Shearsmith informed him that Pemberton was not present he would persist, "O.K., is Steve there?". When Shearsmith said that he was not present but that he could take a message, Mr. Papalazarou would just say "No, I wanna talk to Steve." Both this, and the landlord's other saying, "This is just a saga now", were adapted into Papa Lazarou's character.
Also, he would say, "I've got a hoover Steve... BeLOOONGING to you...". This also found its way into the series, except 'hoover' became 'pegs' - Papa Lazarou's trade as a cover for his true purpose: collecting wives.
Papalazarou is a common Greek last name.
Popular culture
One of the oddest aspects of the character is how he has managed to become a figure in popular culture. The magazine 'Bizarre' featured Papa Lazarou on its front cover, as if he were a real person Bizarre Cover. Various people have noted him as their favourite character, and he has numerous fan sites.
Papa Lazarou was a key element in their publicity material for the League of Gentlemen's live tour.
Comments by Reviewers
"...oddest of all is a spring-heeled, blacked-up refugee from some ramshackle, time-warped carnival: Papa Lazarou."[3]
"...no matter who you are Papa Lazarou will freak you the hell out."[4]
"Marilyn Manson ... blacked up with hollow white eyes, an image that would probably inflame and enrage a little more if it wasn't so reminiscent of the League Of Gentlemen's Papa Lazarou!"[5]
References
- ^ "Entertainment | Python Dead Parrot is top sketch". BBC News. 2004-11-29. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ "50 Greatest Comedy Sketches". Channel4. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ "Independant Article". Shaninenovember.20m.com. 2001-03-08. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ "Telly series Review, Rating, Rossmaning: The League of Gentlemen (Series I, II, III)". Therossman.com. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ^ "Manchester - People & Places - BBC Introducing". BBC. Retrieved 2009-07-06.