Footage has emerged of the original stage incarnation of Taskmaster, performed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010.
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Taskmaster was created by Alex Horne, who plays the assistant to The Taskmaster, Greg Davies, on the series. It was originally a stage show with Horne playing the title role. The idea was inspired by The Crystal Maze, his work on Big Brother, and his envy of his close friend Tim Key winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2009.
The original format saw him send 20 comedians monthly tasks by email over the course of a year. He then presented their efforts as part of a two-hour show at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the slightly different title The Task Master.
In the seven minute clip, Horne introduces the show, saying: “So this is The Task Master. This is the climax of a year’s worth of work, it’s 12 months of creativity for one performance, one strange evening tonight”.
He then introduces the contestants: Dan Atkinson, Jarred Christmas, James Dowdeswell, Tim FitzHigham, Steve Hall, Tim Key, Lloyd Langford, Jodie Long, Henning Wehn, Joe Wilkinson, Mike Wozniak, Tom Wrigglesworth. Comedian Mark Watson was originally intended as a contestant but was absent due to illness.
Wilkinson (series two); Watson (series five); and Wozniak (series 11) would go on to appear on the TV incarnation. Langford appeared in series two of the Australian spinoff.
The footage then shows the tasks, which include: “Please deposit a sum of money into my Barclay’s Bank account”; “Find a hedgehog”; and “Send me something large through the post. As with the televised version, posts are awarded on ingenuity and comedy value.
It is the origin of what would become a comedy TV institution, with the format being reworked in 2015 into the Taskmaster show that is currently standing at 18 series, including nine specials, 14 international spin-offs, a streaming service, and a forthcoming live experience.
English (US) · 