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TV writer and producer Henry Normal has worked on some of the UK’s most popular comedy shows such as Mrs Merton, The Royle Family and Gavin & Stacey.
He is also the father of a "mildly severely" autistic son, Johnny, who is the subject of a radio show recorded for BBC Radio 4 at the Komedia.
The show is more gentle and more poignant than a typical comedy show involving Normal discussing Johnny’s impact on his family through jokes, anecdotes and poetry.
His son’s disability has brought a lot of pain and difficulty to Normal’s life but also a lot of laughter. With an archetypal Northern humour, he punctures the terrible sadness with silliness and jokes to manage the raw emotions which are clearly close to the surface.
Normal is not a slick performer; he falters and stumbles over his lines, but his commitment to his family makes him endearing. As a description of life with a child with special needs, it’s clear what sheer hard work it must be, yet he manages to retain a sense of humour and humanity about his clearly much-loved son.
The show will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, July 30.
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