Garth Marenghi | |
---|---|
Created by | Matthew Holness |
Portrayed by | Matthew Holness |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Horror author, self-described dream-weaver and visionary, plus actor |
Spouse | Pam Marenghi |
Children | Meredith, Jocasta, Katrina, one unnamed daughter |
Home | Barnes |
Nationality | British |
Born | 1950 Leytonstone |
Garth Marenghi is a fictional horror author created by English comedian Matthew Holness. He is depicted as a conceited hack writer, who remains blissfully (or even wilfully) unaware of his lack of talent.
The character has appeared in two stage shows, the Perrier Award-nominated Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight [1] [2] and Perrier Award-winning Garth Marenghi's Netherhead , [3] [4] and the Channel 4 TV series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and Man to Man with Dean Learner .
After winning the Perrier Award, the creators confounded media sources by refusing to speak out of character, or give real names or backgrounds. [5]
Garth Marenghi is a spoof pulp horror author; his act and his works are considered a parody of the horror genre. [5] [6] The name "Garth Marenghi" is an anagram of the phrase "argh nightmare."
The character is highly conceited and narcissistic, often describing himself through epithets such as "the dream weaver", "shaman", "titan of terror", "The One Man Fear Factory" and "master of the macabre." In interviews, he compares himself positively with James Joyce, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, and Jesus. [6] [7] [8]
Despite this, Marenghi displays a general ignorance of many subjects of which he claims knowledge. He claims to be self-taught, [6] having left school young ("I knew by the age of eight that my education had finished"), [7] and despite his claims to being a literary genius he rarely reads books. When he needs to learn about a subject, he will "hire someone to go and find out about it." [6] In both stage shows, in the official website, and in numerous interviews he claims to have written more books than he has read. [7]
Marenghi displays other traits including sexism, xenophobia, and extreme paranoia. He is depicted as married with four daughters, though disappointed at not having a son. The Darkplace episode "Skipper the Eye Child" explains this, and references this in its plot with Marenghi's character Rick Dagless shown as having a deceased son who was half boy, half grasshopper. During the DVD feature 'Darkplace Illuminatum' Marenghi draws further comparisons with himself and Dagless. He comments "In many ways he is an extension of my own natural abilities. He's got a little more than me. He is a little more tragic than I am, as a character. He's seen the dark side. A little too much."
The 2004 show Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is based on the premise that Garth Marenghi wrote and starred in a 1980s low-budget hospital-based horror show. Within this fictional context, 50 shows were created, but were never shown as they were suppressed by "MI-8" for being "too subversive, too dangerous, too damn scary." [8]
Many jokes are based on the premise that Garth Marenghi not only created and wrote the series, but also plays the central character. As such, characters reflect Marenghi's world-view, and his own character—Doctor Rick Dagless, M.D.—exhibits many characteristics of a Mary Sue.
Marenghi also guests in the first episode of Dean Learner's talk series, Man to Man with Dean Learner , where he reveals that he lost an ear in an ambulance crash, has written a total of 436 books, and has filmed a new movie, War of the Wasps, [8] featuring most of the cast of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Marenghi has appeared in an episode of the Russell Howard Hour as part of a Christmas special to read a portion of one of his novels, Flay Bells Sting, Are You Glistening? [9] [10]
The following titles are mentioned in TerrorTome as books written by the protagonist, Nick Steen. In The Reel Feedback Podcast #89, Marenghi stated that readers may recognise the titles being the same as his own fledgling efforts in the early eighties.
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British horror parody television series created by Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness for Channel 4. The show focuses on fictional horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner, characters who originated in the stage show Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight.
Andrew Hewitt is an English composer based in Los Angeles.
Matthew James Holness is an English comedian, director, author, plus actor. He created and played the fictional horror author Garth Marenghi.
Richard Ayoade is a British comedian, actor, writer, director and presenter. He played the role of socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance.
Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight was a low-budget horror parody stage show written by Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness, and starring Holness, Ayoade and Alice Lowe. The show, which spoofed Stephen King, was performed at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was nominated for the Perrier Award.
Alice Eva Lowe is an English actress, writer, director, and comedian. She has appeared as Dr. Haynes in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Madeleine Wool/Liz Asher in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. She wrote, directed, and starred in the 2016 film Prevenge and starred in and co-wrote the 2012 film Sightseers. She also starred in the educational children's television series Horrible Histories.
Garth Marenghi's Netherhead was a low-budget comedy horror stage show written by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, and starring Holness, Ayoade and Alice Lowe. It was performed at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won the Perrier Award.
Dean Learner is a fictional character performed by British comedian Richard Ayoade in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a horror parody television series, as well as in Man to Man with Dean Learner, a parody talk show. Learner, a mix between Donald Trump and Hugh Hefner is a self-proclaimed club-owner, entrepreneur and publisher of high-class gentlemen magazines. He is also Garth Marenghi's publisher, played by Matthew Holness.
Matthew Charles Berry is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He has appeared in comedy television roles in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh, Snuff Box, What We Do in the Shadows, and Toast of London, the last of which he also co-created. The series earned him the 2015 BAFTA Award for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. As a musician, he has released ten studio albums.
Man to Man with Dean Learner is a British comedy chat show that was first broadcast on Channel 4 on 20 October 2006 and released on DVD on 3 September 2007. It features comedians Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness.
Paul Thomas King is a British writer and director. He works in television, film and theatre, and specialises in comedy. He directed all 20 episodes of the BBC surreal comedy series The Mighty Boosh (2004–2007), and in 2005 he earned a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best New Director.
The Edinburgh Comedy Awards are presented to the comedy shows deemed to have been the best at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Established in 1981, they are the most prestigious comedy prize in the United Kingdom. The awards have been directed and produced by Nica Burns since 1984.
Madhouse is a 1974 horror film directed by Jim Clark for Amicus Productions in association with American International Pictures. The film, which is a British-American co-production, stars Vincent Price, Natasha Pyne, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri, and Linda Hayden. The film was based on the 1969 novel Devilday by Angus Hall.
James Hamilton Bachman is an English comedian, actor and writer. He has written for and acted in many British television and radio programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look, Saxondale, Bleak Expectations and Sorry, I've Got No Head. In 2014, he had a small role in the film Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Spencer Brown is an English comedian, actor, director and writer from London. His style is surreal and contains elements of slapstick, absurdity and silliness. He is currently presenting The Sexy Ads Show on Fiver/Channel Five.
"Run-Away" is a song by Super Furry Animals and the second single taken from their 2007 album, Hey Venus!. The song is an homage to the 'Wall of Sound' production made famous by Phil Spector, particularly in his work with 1960s girl groups.
Kim Noble is a comedian and artist, and was one half of the BAFTA-nominated comedy duo Noble and Silver, who won the 2000 Perrier Award for Best Newcomer. Kim has featured in shows such as The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, and Man to Man with Dean Learner, as well as appearing onstage in his own one-man shows and exhibitions. His stage work, by himself and with Stuart Silver, had an emphasis on performance art, as well as surreal comedy.
Stuart Silver is a screenwriter, television writer, actor and director. He works solo and collaboratively and is co-founder of the BAFTA-nominated, performance duo Noble and Silver, who won the 2000 Perrier Award for Best Newcomer. Stuart has since appeared on stage in his own one-man show, You Look Like Ants and in shorter pieces. He has also featured in television shows such as Get Off Me, The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, and Man to Man with Dean Learner.
Possum is a 2018 British psychological horror film written and directed by Matthew Holness in his feature film debut, starring Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong. It centres on a disgraced children's puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront trauma he suffered there.