The disastrous test screening that almost derailed ‘Withnail & I’

Posted On October 5, 2024October 5, 2024

It is a well-known fact that Britain has produced some of the best comedians of all time, who typically harness a sense of dryness, self-depreciation, and self-awareness that instantly resonates with audiences. While we’re a country largely divided by politics, accents, and debates about whether Jaffa Cakes are cakes or biscuits, we can usually agree on what makes a good comedy.

Of course, there are some exceptions to be made here, such as the fact that Mrs Brown’s Boys is curiously popular despite being one of the unfunniest things ever broadcast on British television. Yet, for the most part, we can all agree on the everlasting comedic genius of everything from Monty Python and Hot Fuzz to Peep Show and The Office. These movies and shows have garnered cult followings across the country, helping to emphasise Britain’s dominance in the comedy genre.

In 1987, Bruce Robinson made his directorial debut, Withnail & I, after spending the late 1960s and 1970s acting in movies like Romeo and Juliet, Private Road, Baby Love, and The Story of Adele H. It would launch the career of Richard E Grant and become a British classic, with many deeming it one of the best comedy movies of all time. 

The movie follows two well-educated men, Withnail and Marwood, played by Grant and Paul McGann, respectively. Struggling to find work as actors, they take a break from their squalor-infested flat and head to a cottage in the Lake District. It is owned by Withnail’s bizarre uncle Monty, a character who was inspired by Franco Zeffirelli, whom Robinson claimed made unwanted sexual passes at him when he was a young actor.

The characters are unforgettable, with Withnail loving alcohol a little too much and Marwood being much more switched on. The pair end up having a rather disastrous holiday as Monty tries to have sex with Marwood, arguments between the two friends are plentiful, and, of course, the weather is crap.

While the movie is now revered, it endured a much more troubling reception, which caused Robinson to fear for the fate of his film. When the first preview screening was scheduled, people from the nearby hotel were in attendance. What Robinson hoped would be a packed-out and laughter-filled screener couldn’t have been more different.

No one laughed or seemed to understand any of the humour – it appeared that no one enjoyed the movie. Robinson then found out that the hotel guests were all German, and they simply didn’t understand any of the humour used within the film. They didn’t speak any English, so the whole thing went over their heads.

In an interview with Total Film, McGann admitted that the film “didn’t do anything for six or seven years,” and while it received modest praise when it was released, it took a while to become a cult classic. Luckily, we can thank its surprisingly popular VHS sales for its rise in acclaim. With more people seeing the film at home in the following decade, it soon began to pick up a cult status that remains today. 

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