"My character’s a loser who’s about to lose his job, and who’s lumbering through the 1300s. All he’s got to work with is the Black Death. But once he lies and pretends he’s found lost stories, he becomes the greatest storyteller in the world."

It will start shooting next spring.


Ricky not going into ’Retirement’ - Aug 1 2007
Ricky Gervais has denied reports that he has signed up to star in a new big screen family comedy.

Variety had reported that The Office and Extras star was attached to play the lead in the Warner Bros film Early Retirement - based on Mark Perez’s comedy about an work-obsessed man who quits his demanding job to spend more time with his family.

However Ricky’s British publicist says the reports are false: "The story is untrue. He isn’t doing it. He has been approached, but never agreed to it and won’t be doing it."

Perez - whose other credits include Accepted and Herbie Fully Loaded - told the respected trade magazine that he wanted to do a film that is different from typical family comedies.

"It was fun to get to do the opposite of most family comedies," he said, "because I’ve written my share of those."

Ricky’s other big screen work includes Night At The Museum and Ghost Town.


Ricky’s show starts with a bang - June 11 2007
The launch of TV funnyman Ricky Gervais’ Fringe show went with a bang today.

The comedian, who created sitcoms The Office and Extras, was at the firing of the One O’Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle to plug his Fame show, which will play to 8,000 people in the castle grounds on August 26.

Aside from One Night At The Castle which included comedians last year, Ricky will be the first comic performer to have entertained at the castle since the days of the court jester.

The 90-minute show is part of the 45-year-old’s Fame Tour, and will play at the castle for one date only on the penultimate night of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The audience will pack an the arena constructed in the grounds for the annual military tattoo, which ends its month-long run the previous night.

This will be the award-winning writer and performer’s fourth Fringe, and he said he was delighted to be returning to Edinburgh.

He said: "It’s great to be back. I love Edinburgh and Scotland in general and I love castles," he said.

"In fact on this tour we stay out of town so we’ve stayed in a few castles."


Ricky makes US stand-up debut - May 21 2007
Ricky Gervais has performed his first full-length stand-up show in the US, delighting American fans with his trademark banter.

"I’m getting the hang of this stand-up lark now," he told the New York Daily News before his appearance last week.

"I’ve gotten to the stage that I always wanted to get to, and that’s being totally relaxed. Talking to 5,000 friends like you chat in the pub," he added.

"I don’t want to resort to catchphrases and funny wigs and comedy songs."

Tackling everything from charity work to nursery rhymes in his own inimitable style, Ricky’s 45-minute set at New York’s Tribeca Performing Arts Centre was the first of two warm-up gigs before his debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Having tailored half of his current UK stand-up tour with material from previous tours, Animals and Politics, for the US audience, Ricky received a rapturous reception.