Kevin Ashman of 'Eggheads' fame will play Brian the Dog in a forthcoming Aldwych production of 'Family Guy: The Musical'
"I'm obviously delighted," Mr. Ashman confirmed last night in his trademark monotone. "It was an honour to be chosen and I certainly hope to do the part justice."
Perhaps surprisingly, this isn't the first or even the second time Ashman has been considered for the role of an anthropomorphic cartoon dog. In a frank interview, he confessed. "Back in the day when the public couldn't get enough of lugubrious canines, my erstwhile colleague (Eggheads' Chris Hughes) who was stunt doubling at the time for Dougal out of Magic Roundabout, mentioned a part that was coming up over at MGM. It was for the character of Droopy, a jowly, deadpan basset hound who shrewdly outwitted his enemies and was capable of beating adversaries twice his size with a comical thrashing once roused.
Unfortunately, the screen test clashed with Thursday night's pub quiz at my local in Bridlington so I couldn't make it. A week later, Joseph Barbera called me personally to offer the role of Huckleberry Hound, but they were filming the preliminary rounds of Mastermind, and, since I'd already spent six months boning up on 'Wheel Diameters of Carpathian Siege Engines' it seemed churlish not to go. Unfortunately I was knocked out in the first round and I often blame that rare lapse of concentration on the lure of Hollywood. Overall though, I've had little occasion to rue my decision. After all, who needs a personal proctologist and Malibu beach house when you can spend up to seventeen hours a day trouncing thickos under studio lights with a panel of joyless know-all droids."
A spokesman for Seth MacFarlane said: "Kevin is a statesmanlike individual who we are certain will bring his unique comic verve to the role, whether he realises it or not. We don't actually know if he can sing either, but who cares? He's clearly a shoe-in and this whole venture is a tax write-off anyway."