Humorists of the Pencil: Phil May

Step into the bustling world of Victorian London through the eyes of one of its sharpest cartoonists. Phil May’s sketches capture the everyday absurdities of a city buzzing with clergy, cabbies, and chatter‑filled railway refreshment rooms, all rendered in his unmistakably crisp line work. The collection mixes witty dialogue with exaggerated characters—from blustering gentlemen to quick‑tongued barmaids—offering a snapshot of the era’s social quirks. Each page invites listeners to picture a lively scene, then let the timing of the jokes carry the humor straight to the ear.

Beyond the laughs, the pieces reveal a gentle satire of class and politics, hinting at the tensions beneath polite conversation. The humor rests on familiar situations—a mis‑delivered invitation, a clumsy servant, a suspect sermon—making the jokes feel both historic and surprisingly current. Listeners will find themselves chuckling at the timeless human foibles that May so cleverly exposes.