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with Reenie Calver (whose friend, Vinnie
Wythenshaw, has been killed in an accident). This is merely a front for Lazarou to gain more wives. Despite being rumbled by Brian and Reenie, he manages to evade capture. It is also revealed that he imprisons his wives and anyone who tries to follow him inside circus animals. In the third series audio commentary the League revealed this is just one of a number of things (many of which haven't been shown) that he does with his captives.
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women in his 'book of wives', seen in series three, appear to have lived over a century ago. This hints at the character's unnatural lifespan. When he was tied to a bed in the charity shop he reveals he has the supernatural gift of being able to speak with the voices of deceased people he has never met, although it seems he cannot directly commune with the dead, as evidenced by the unconvincing medium act he performed when his circus came to town the previous year.
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talking gibberish at them, invariably referring to them as 'Dave', until they hand over their wedding rings. Once they do this, he exclaims, "You’re my wife now!". His first visit to the town ends when the noses of the circus audience start bleeding simultaneously. Out-weirded by
Royston Vasey, he and the other circus performers flee.
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Papa
Lazarou is a demonic circus master and collector of wives. He has a rasping voice and an indefinable accent. It is revealed that his skin is actually black and white and he uses pink foundation to appear white. The character is one of the most bizarre and mysterious of the League's. Some of the
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is in the first episode of the second series
Destination: Royston Vasey. In his first appearance he runs the Pandemonium Carnival, and has three diminutive helpers called Simba, Pebbil, and Tiktik. He is seen to collect wives by forcing his way into women's homes posing as a humble peg-seller, then
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In the third series, Lazarou disguises himself as an amateur theatre director called Keith Drop. This alter ego is used as a front to capture more wives. Lazarou uses the makeup tips he has gleaned from his wives to effect a very convincing transformation. As Keith he helps out in the charity shop
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Lazarou's most recent appearance was in the 2017 anniversary special, where he used a photo booth to capture a number of
Royston Vasey women, including Iris and Tubbs, to create a "wife mine". It is revealed that the rights to Royston Vasey land were sold to him by current town mayor, Reverend
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Lazarou's next appearance is during the
Christmas Special, "Yule Never Leave". It is revealed that the town vicar Bernice's mother was kidnapped by Lazarou when she was a child. Lazarou then kidnaps Bernice and takes her away with members of his circus troupe at the end of the special.
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During the Comic Aid
Telethon to raise fund for relief in the aftermath of the South Asian Tsunami in 2004, Lazarou appeared in a specially written sketch performed live during the telethon, alongside his wife played by Mark Gatiss. During this appearance, Lazarou attempts to kidnap
327:. He appears in four episodes – the first episode in the second series, the Christmas special, the final episode of the third series, and the final episode of the fourth series – and in the film
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Please do what he says, he's a very dangerous man. He'll shit on you and set you on fire.
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613:Race-related controversies in television
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456:. BBC News. 29 November 2004
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478:. Channel4
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240:Peg-seller
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229:Occupation
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424:—
529:. IMDb.
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