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  • Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Series 1-3

  • The BBC Radio 4 Comedy
  • By: Alexei Sayle
  • Narrated by: Alexei Sayle
  • Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (265 ratings)
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Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Series 1-3 cover art

Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Series 1-3

By: Alexei Sayle
Narrated by: Alexei Sayle
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Summary

All three series of Alexei Sayle’s hilarious stand-up and storytelling show

The Godfather of alternative comedy, Alexei Sayle, mixes memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his imaginary sandwich bar, serving up wit, wisdom and illusory baguettes as he muses on a multitude of topics.

In these twelve shows, he explores his impulse to pretend and his love of sandwiches, discusses his childhood in a communist household and his physical attraction to Boris Johnson, explains why he will never go on Strictly Come Dancing and draws a striking comparison between capitalism and all-you-can-eat buffets. He also reveals where all the Millets shops have gone, considers the appeal of Donald Trump, tells us how to get a cheap drink in the centre of Paris and recounts the difficulties he faced when tracking down his lost cat.

From considerations of ethics and political discussions to anecdotes about celebrities and tales of his family, his freewheeling flights of fancy and madcap monologues will make you laugh out loud. So why not drop into Alexei’s deli and listen in, as one of the leading lights of the foccacia revolution shares his weird and wonderful worldview.

Cast and credits

Written and performed by Alexei Sayle

With Jake Yapp, Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton, Sean Baker and Ian Smith

With additional material from Liam Bearne, Sarah Campbell and Ben Partridge

Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton

Produced by Joe Nunnery

Production Coordinator: Beverly Tagg

A BBC Studios production

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 15 November-6 December 2016 (Series 1), 9-30 November 2017 (Series 2), 12 September-3 October 2019 (Series 3)

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Series 1-3

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Bloody hell, Alexei Sayle

If you're an Alexei Sayke fan, this is like having him directly injected into your veins

Absolute genius

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Spite, bile and invective - at no extra cost!

There's not many comedians who are still funny after over 40 years in the business, but Sayle is one of them.
Pin-sharp observations,surrealism and politics are combined in this collection of his most recent BBC radio shows. Absolutely hilarious but don't listen in public in case you make a prat out of yourself laughing out loud.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Alexei Sayle of the Century

acerbic, prevalent, caustic, forthright, outright, upright, sheer bloody brilliance. The man has a way with bringing to life the stuff we want to hear about. All done in a surreal, beautiful way. The only thing that is shite, is the app I listen to it on. Audible.bombs. Vent away you crazy bastard. You're wonderful.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

Every time I stopped laughing a new crack would come along and I would start again!
How can anyone be so consistently funny!
One to listen to again and again!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Sayle

Loved it! Listening whilst at work and am getting strange looks from colleagues as I burst out laughing. Strong recommendation from me.

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Excellent as you would expect

Alexei Sayle and his imaginary sandwich bar is an excellent series of performances with a very wide range of subject matter from serious to surreal, this eclectic mix of comedy appeals to me as I grew up listening to him and seeing him on TV. He certainly is in a league of his own as nobody else quite says it like he does and it’s always a surprise and a laugh at the same time. I would recommend this to anyone regardless of whether you are have heard of him or not, for the younger end of the listenership you will clearly hear how top class comedy is done. Every episode is a joy.

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The best

I listen to this over and over and still laugh every time. Love Mr Sayle’s anecdotes, observations mixed with the absurd and sharp political criticism. A very unique style. Wish there were more episodes.

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Loved it :-)

Alexei at his best. I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this series but I wasn’t disappointed

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Sandwich bar

Best thing I’ve listened to in a long time. Vintage Alexei Sayle. Go on spoil yourself.

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Legend and legacy

Alexei is a genius. The more I listen, the more I laugh. This is brilliant.

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