Marc Burrows is the author of the much loved first ever biography of Sir Terry, The Magic of Terry Pratchett, which explores the life, influences, and impact of someone who is arguably one of the greatest storytellers of all time. The book received strong critical acclaim, won a Locus Award and was wholly embraced by fans. 

Marc then adapted his book into a multimedia comic lecture, which was endorsed by the late author’s estate and which has played at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and last year, in the comedy section of the festival to rave reviews.

Now Marc is bringing that show to The Redgrave Theatre on 19^th September 2024.

How did your interest in Terry Pratchett begin?

I discovered Terry Pratchett when I was 12 years old. My parents had a friend down at the pub who had read “The Colour of Magic” and “Guards! Guards!” and knew instinctively that these books were right up my alley. So, they passed both books onto me, knowing my love for comedy and fantasy. I’ve always felt getting Pratchett books from a bloke down the pub is the ideal way to discover his work. After that, I went to my village library and read every single Pratchett book they had. Then I found out you could order books from other libraries, and I was hooked—becoming a card-carrying, buy-it-on-the-day-it-comes-out, nerdy super fan.

What fascinates you most about his life and work?

The thing with Terry is that you can’t really separate his life from his work. They were the same thing. His life was stories, his stories were his life. I can think of no other author where the membrane that separates their life and work is so permeable. It’s barely there. There are people who put less of themselves into an autobiography than Terry put into books about wizards and dragons. Most footballers, for example.Terry understood people and how they interact with each other, and how that affects the world around them like no other writer I can think of; he casually wrote about the meaning of life and made it look effortless, and he did it all with stupid puns about trifles and the word “phallusy”. No-one else does that.

Who should come and see The Magic of Terry Pratchett?

Pratchett fans, obviously. But it goes beyond that. I tried very hard to reach three different audiences: the die-hard Pratchett obsessive who knows the books and the in-jokes back to front, the casual fan who’s dipped into a few books here and there, and the utter newbie who’s been dragged along by their partner; I always say that you don’t have to know anything about Terry to enjoy the show, because I’m about to tell you about him. I think the show does really work for everyone. It can’t be impenetrable to the casual fan, or stating the blindingly obvious to the hardcore, and I think –more or less –we’ve pulled it off.

What’s your favourite Pratchett book?

It honestly changes on a daily basis. My go-to comfort listen is Witches Abroad, something about the mix of brilliant character writing, subversive storytelling and silliness makes it fresh every time. That said, I’d go to bat for Night Watch or Nation as the best of Terry’s books, both are so dark and so angry but also manage have a lightness of touch. What’s genuinely surprising, even after writing a book about him and a stand-up show and talking about Terry almost constantly for two years now, I still don’t get bored of his work. There are still new jokes to find, still more to marvel at.

What are you most looking forward to about performing in Bristol?

I’m excited to play Bristol for two very specific reasons. One, is that I live here and it’s always nice to do a gig you can get home from in a cab. Secondly, and more importantly, Bristol is fundamentally woven into Terry’s story. In 1970 he left his home county of Buckinghamshire, aged 22, to take up a job at the Bristol-based Western Daily Press newspaper, where he worked under legendary editor Eric Price —a man renowned for sacking people on the spot and throwing poor copy back in the faces of hapless young reporters. So aggressive was Price that on one occasion he caused Terry, who had screwed himself up to stand up to his boss for once, to faint dead on the spot from the anxiety of it all (“Won’t someone get this f*cking body out of here” the ogre-like Price is reported to have said). While Terry’s stint as a staffer at the Daily Press, whose editors are much nicer these days, was relatively short (though he kept his hand in, writing children’s stories for the paper into the ’80s), his time in the Bristol area was anything but. He lived in Rowberrow in the Mendips for over 20 years, and the Somerset landscape surrounding his cottage inspired the Witch-infested kingdom of Lancre in his Discworld books. In the late ’70s he found himself heading up the PR team for the South West branch of the Electricity Board, with a notable responsibility for the area’s three nuclear power stations — a job he took on just after the Three Mile Island disaster put nuclear safety on the agenda. He left just after Chernobyl, reasoning that being a best selling author would be far less stressful!

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?

I hope all audiences take away a new appreciation for Terry’s writing. He was the most remarkable mind in English writing of the last hundred years. He could tell you the meaning of life and then break your heart and then make you snort with laughter in the same five pages, and I’ve tried to build the show around those principles.

The Redgrave Theatre, Percival Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3LE

Doors open 30 minutes before the performance start time.

Age Recommendation: 7+ (under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)

Approx Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (with interval)

Photo credit: Andrea C. White