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The London Palladium can trace its history back to 1870, when a hall known as The Corinthian Bazaar was erected on the site of the Duke of Argyll’s residence- the current Palladium stands on Argyll Street. Twelve years later the building was enlarged, and renamed Hengler’s Circus. Early pantomimes were produced there-Cinderella, Jack the Giant Killer and Red Riding Hood amongst others, but it was not until it became The London Palladium in 1910, that the building began a tradition of presenting top class Pantomimes. In 1914, for matinees only the Palladium presented Dick Whittington and his Cat for a few short weeks, starring Clarice Mayne and Harry Weldon.  The following year (1915) the Palladium presented Cinderella, following that with The House That Jack Built in 1916. After the end of the First World War the Palladium did not present another pantomime until 1922, with Aladdin. The next year Clarice Mayne and Nellie Wallace starred in Dick Whittington. In 1925 Clarice Mayne returned in Cinderella, with Charlie Austin, to be followed by Aladdin in 1926 and once again Cinderella in 1927. In 1928 The Palladium was bought by The General Theatre Corporation and remarkably they turned it into a Cinema, but this was a dismal failure and only lasted three months. Peter Pan became so popular that it was a fixture at Christmas at the Theatre every year from 1930 to 1938. After this period, the Palladium changed its policy, with George Black as Managing Director. The Palladium was to present different seasonal programmes.	It was not until the late 1940’s that the London Palladium established itself as the home of the most prestigious West End Pantomimes. Notable productions included “Humpty Dumpty” in 1951 with Norman Evans (Over the Garden Wall) and Terry Thomas, The 1953 production of “Cinderella” with Julie Andrews as “Cinders”, with Max Bygraves and Richard Hearne, and the 1954 “Mother Goose”, starring Peter Sellers, Richard Hearne (Mr Pastry) as Dame, and Max Bygraves. The script for this panto was written by Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan. The 1956  “Aladdin” saw a break in tradition with Norman Wisdom cast in the role of Principal boy, launching an era that was to last for fifteen years. The role of “boy” was filled by stars such as Cliff Richard, Frank Ifield, Frankie Vaughan and Tommy Steele. It was not until Cilla Black played the role of “Aladdin” in 1970 that the balance was restored, and the Palladium returned to using male performers in the role from 1972 onwards, with a few exceptions- Marti Webb in 1987 for instance. Other notable Pantomimes were the 1969 “Dick Whittington” with Tommy Steele, the 1972 “Cinderella” featuring Terry Scott and Julian Orchard as the Ugly Sisters, and the “Cinderella” featuring Dame Anna Neagle as Fairy Godmother, her last stage appearance, in 1985/6.	The London Palladium: The Story of the Theatre and it's Stars by Chris Woodward (2009)     Published by Jeremy Mills Publishing   ISBN 978-1-906600-39-6 The glamour, the excitement, the riotous laughter, the beauty and the memories; Chris Woodward succeeds in capturing them all in his chronicle of the London Palladium over the century of its existence. He draws on the experiences and memories of the countless individuals who have played a part in its journey through the years, from those who experienced its heyday as the flagship theatre for Variety, when it played host to all the stars of the day, to the present time where it has evolved into a venue for hit musicals and popular television programmes. The author’s own vast collection of Palladium programmes and memorabilia helps to bring his account to life with stunning images.          For more information, read the attached information from the publisher. Also details of how to order direct from the publisher.           More information - Normal Version     Limited Edition

Year	Production	Starring	Click on image to enlarge
1948	Cinderella	Tommy Trinder as Buttons Evelyn Laye  as Ciderella and George & Bert Bernard as the Ugly Sisters
1949	Puss in Boots	Tommy Trinder  Zoe Gail and George & Bert Bernard
1950	Babes in the Wood	Jewel & Warris, Eunice Gayson, Adele Dixon,  Sonnie Hale, Herbert Hare
1951	Humpty Dumpty	Norman Evans, Terry Thomas, Peggy Mount, Gillian Lynne, Noele Gordon
1952	Dick Whittington	Frankie Howerd, Richard Hearne, Sonnie Hale, Warren Mitchell and Vanessa Lee.
1953	Cinderella	Max Bygraves- Buttons  Julie Andrews - Cinderella Richard Hearne - Baron Pastry Adele Dixon -  Price Charming Jon Pertwee- Ugly Sister Tony Simpson - Ugly Sister Ted & George Durante, Joan Mann, David Dale, Cyril Wells,  Elaine Garreau, Silvia Ashmole Read the recollection of one of the Aida Foster Babes about this production The springboard of Julie Andrews' career, it was while appearing in the title role of the London Palladium 1953 pantomime that she was spotted by the producers of "The Boyfriend". This Broadway role would make her name in America, and lead to the movie roles for which she is most famous. "Cinderella" was the West End's only panto in that season, and much comment was made about the adult humour contained in the show. Not surprising really, as the script was by a young team of writers including Spike Milligan ! Julie was not the only cast member who would go on to greater things, 'Buttons' was a young comic called Max Bygraves, and Jon Pertwee (a future 'Doctor Who') was one of the ugly sisters. Richard Hearne ('Mr. Pastry') performed his famous lancers act, and was at one point trapped in an automatic washing machine ! This truly was one of the first "modern" pantomimes !
1954	Mother Goose	Peter Sellers, Richard Hearne, Max Bygraves, Shirley Eaton,  Margaret Burton   The Palladium could break even the most talented of performers, and in 1954 it almost broke Peter Sellers. Signed to appear in the pantomime Mother Goose, he used material from his radio hit, The Goon Show.  But what worked on radio failed on stage, and every night Sellers died a death, without laughter or applause. When he attempted to change the material, he was ordered to stick to the script or he would be ‘kicked out of the theatre’.
1956	Aladdin	Norman Wisdom, Sonnie Hale, Valentine Dyall, Ken Wilson, Stephanie Voss, David Davenport  and Hope Jackman
1957	Robinson Crusoe	Tommy Cooper, Arthur Askey 1900 - 1982   David Whitfield
1958	Sleeping Beauty	Charlie Drake, Edmund Hockridge, Bruce Forsyth, Bernard Bresslaw
1959	Humpty Dumpty	Harry Secombe, Roy Castle, Alfred Marks
1960	Dick Whittington	Norman Wisdom, Yana, Billy Whittaker, Desmond Walter-Ellis, Dave Jackley & Tommy Locky,  Eddie Leslie, Thelma Ruby, Ken Wilson, David Davenport  and Sadie Corre.
1961	Little Old King Cole Thanks to David Cavanagh for this information	Charlie Drake  with Janette Scott, Jackie Ray, Gary Miller, Bert Brownbill, Billy Danvers, Roger Delgado, Sandra Michaels, Pamela Cundell & the Seven Volants
1962	Puss in Boots	Frankie Vaughan, Joan Reagan, Jimmy Edwards,  Mike & Bernie Winters,  Dick Emery,  Gillian Lynne
1964	Aladdin	Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Arthur Askey, Una Stubbs
1965	Babes in the Wood	Frank Ifield, Arthur Askey, Sid James,  Kenneth Connor and Roy Kinnear. Elaine Paige and Sharon Osbourne (Arden) were part of the Aida Foster Children.
1966	Cinderella Thanks to David Cavanagh for this information	Cliff Richard starred as Buttons in "Cinderella" with The Shadows as Broker's Men, Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd as Ugly Sisters, Peter Gilmore as The Prince, Tudor Davies as Dandini, Jack Douglas as Baron Hardup, Pippa Steele as Cinderella and speciality act The Adorable Tanya - a baby elephant! Although not listed Sharon Osbourne (Arden) was part of the Aida Foster Children for this production.
1967	Robinson Crusoe	Engelbert Humperdink, Arthur Askey, Jimmy Logan, Hope & Keen and Tricia Money
1968	Jack and the Beanstalk	Jimmy Tarbuck, Arthur Askey, Jean Bayless and Ivor Emmanuel
1969	Dick Whittington	Tommy Steele, Mary Hopkin, Billy Dainty, Kenneth Connor Thanks to Pat Richmond for the handbill image. It has recently come to light that David Essex was in the ensemble of this production and actually understudied Tommy Steele in the title role, performing the role on occasion.
1970	Aladdin	Cilla Black, Leslie Crowther, Terry Scott, Alfred Marks
1971	Cinderella	Ronnie Corbett, Terry Scott & Julian Orchard, Clodagh Rogers, The Patton Brothers
1972	Babes in the Wood	Edward Woodward, Adrienne Posta, Julian Orchard, Derek Nimmo, Rod Hull and Emu
1973	Jack and the Beanstalk	Frankie Howerd, Dora Bryan 1923 -   , Mark Wynter, Alfie Bass  , Calli, Michael Kilgarrif
1976	Cinderella	Richard O’Sullivan, Richard Hearne, Yootha Joyce, Brian Murphy, Gordon & Bunny Jay,  Fiona Fullerton, Robert Young
1978	Aladdin	Danny La Rue, Wayne Sleep, Wei Wei Wong
1980	Dick Whittington	Jim Davidson, Mollie Sugden, Windsor Davies, Lionel Blair, Melvyn Hayes
1985	Cinderella	Des O’Connor, Dame Anna Neagle, Paul Nicholas, Hope & Keen, Lambert & Ross (as the ugly Sisters), Sarah Payne and John Junkin
1987	Babes in the Wood	Cannon & Ball, Marti Webb, Barbara Windsor, John Inman, Derek Griffiths, Cheryl Baker, Peter Howitt, Nicholas Smith, The Sanctus Troupe, Rod Hull & Emu

	Julie Andrews 1935 - Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (née Wells  is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award. In 1996, she famously declined the Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, an award she was favourite to win. Andrews was a former British child actress and singer who made her Broadway debut in 1954 with The Boy Friend, and rose to prominence starring in other musicals such as My Fair LadyCamelot, and in musical films such as Mary Poppins (1964), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and The Sound of Music  Andrews had a revival of her film career in the 2000s in family films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), the Shrek animated films (2004–2010), and Despicable Me (2010). In 2003 Andrews revisited her first Broadway success, this time as a stage director, with a revival of The Boy Friend at the Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, New York (and later at the Goodspeed Opera House, in East Haddam, Connecticut in 2005). Andrews is also an author of children's books, and in 2008 published an autobiography, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years. and (1965): the roles for which she is still best-known. Her voice, which originally spanned four octaves, was damaged by a throat operation in 1997.
	Silvia Ashmole
	Arthur Askey 1900 - 1982 One of many comedians hailing from Liverpool, a veteran pantomime, radio, television and film performer. Famous from appearances in radio's 'Band Wagon', Big Hearted Arthur later had his own TV show 'Before Your Very Eyes' the title echoing one of his many catch phrases. Others were: 'Aye thang yew'; 'Doesn't it make you want to spit?' and 'Hello playmates'.
	Cheryl Baker Cheryl Baker (born Rita Maria Crudgington, 8 March 1954, Bethnal Green, London) is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.
	Alfie Bass  1920 - 1987 Radio, television, stage and film actor who appeared in TV's popular comedy series 'The Army Game' and its spin-off 'Bootsie and Snudge'.
	Jean Bayless She was born in London  Part of her childhood was spent at the Italia Conti Stage School from where she went into a London production of the Christmas staple Where the Rainbow Ends. She had a stab at revue - two revues in fact - Sauce Tartare and Sauce Picquante, at the Cambridge Theatre, and then went into cabaret   at the fashionable Ciro's. In 1951  she was in the revue Fancy Free at the Prince of Wales Theatre with Tommy Trinder and Pat Kirkwood, and that Christmas she was Princess Miranda at the London Palladium in Humpty Dumpty.  In 1954 she appeared with Norman Wisdom in a Christmas show, but her big break seemed to have arrived when she was hired to play Polly Browne in The Boy Friend, taking over from the show's original Broadway star, Julie Andrews, in October 1955 at New York's Royale Theatre.  She returned home after a year of The Boy Friend to get the leading role  in Harmony Close, a musical with a workmanlike but zestful score. She was now Jo Ann Bayless, and played Jill Grant opposite the unappealing male lead Zack Matalon, but the show didn't impress, and Londoners left it alone to live out its existence at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, without ever inviting it to Shaftesbury Avenue.  The following year, in March 1958, she was really the star of School, transferred into the Princes Theatre from Birmingham, where it had been much loved. Many connected with the West End edition said that it was hideous when it opened there. Jo Ann Bayless was now Jean Bayless - her final metamorphosis - and played Bella, singing 'A prince for Cinderella' and 'Places and faces I love', but some agreed that it was really Eleanor Drew in the role of Naomi who got the best song of the night. School managed a few performances and was closed down without regret.  Things seemed to be looking up when she was given the starring role as Maria in the first British production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music at the Palace Theatre in May 1961.   There was a tour in The World of Ivor Novello, in which she took audiences' minds off her throat-straining co-star John Hanson, and in 1968 she was back at the London Palladium for another pantomime, playing the title role in Jack and the Beanstalk with Arthur Askey and Jimmy Tarbuck. So far as we can tell, there was to be one more musical, when in March 1972 she packed her suitcase for a brief tour in an exotic piece called Samarkand, playing Scheherazade  and the Princess Layla of Bengal. It didn't detain her for very long. There was some television fame when she played a leading role in the notorious ITV Crossroads, and there was much other work in television, including The Jubilee Show.
	George & Bert Bernard
	Cilla Black 1943- Cilla Black OBE (born Priscilla Maria Veronica White, 27 May 1943) is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie. After a successful recording career and a brief time as a comedy actress, she became the best paid female presenter in British television history. In September 2009, Black's 45 years in showbusiness were celebrated by EMI (the record label which launched her career in 1963) with the release of a new CD/DVD set alongside an album of club remixes (aka Cilla All Mixed Up). In May 2010, new research published by BBC Radio 2 claimed that Cilla Black's version of Anyone Who Had a Heart was the UK's biggest selling single by a female artist in the 1960s.
	Lionel Blair  1931 - Lionel Blair (born Henry Lionel Blair Ogus 12 December 1931, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter. He is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah (Della) Greenbaum (Mother's name given as Brenner on FreeBMD). His father was a Russian barber; he changed the family name to Blair in his youth.
	Bernard Bresslaw  1934 - 1993   was an English actor. He is best remembered for his comedy work, especially as a member of the Carry On team.
	Bert Brownbill
	Dora Bryan 1923 - Stage actress who had many successes, also appearing as character actress in several films and broadcasting regularly. On television in 'Our Dora' in 1956 and 'Happily Ever After' in 1961 and still performing. (2005)
	Margaret Burton 1924 - 1984 THE makers of The Life and Death of Peter Sellers may not have known about the star's relationship with Margaret Burton but one of her closest friends has revealed that the Yorkshire actress had a very famous admirer.  "Their relationship has eluded every Sellers biographer to date, largely because it was kept under wraps for so many years, and she would never discuss it, even with her family,  Margaret Burton was a talented actress and singer who grew up in Keighley and, after a brief marriage to TV star David Nixon, married Harrogate methodist Arnold Moseley, who was nine years her senior. The wedding took place on June 28, 1952 at the Trinity Methodist Chapel in Harrogate and the couple lived in Spring Lane, Burn Bridge, until their eventual divorce in 1960. Yet within a couple of years of her second marriage Maggie, who was by then playing principal boy in the 1954 Palladium pantomime Mother Goose, was the object of Peter Sellers's desires.  She seldom discussed the relationship, refused ever to mention Sellers in interviews and destroyed his letters before her death in 1984. Soon after her Harrogate wedding Maggie's career took off and she began to earn big money. Then, in 1955, she was signed to star as principal boy in the London Palladium pantomime Mother Goose alongside Max Bygraves, Richard Hearne, Shirley Eaton and, of course, Peter Sellers. Michael said her attitude towards Sellers was cool at the start because she didn't think he was a team player but her affection for him grew.   It was duringa low point in his career that Sellers turned to Maggie for comfort. She helped him by working on his scripts with him.  One desperate moment was glimpsed by dancer Juliet Prowse as she unsuspectingly flung open Margaret's dressing-room door backstage at the London Palladium.  Sellers's arms were wrapped around Maggie's legs and he was sobbing at her feet .  It was after this that the couple became lovers and Sellers became obsessed with the Yorkshire star, so much so that Maggie eventually confided in her agent, Charles Tucker. Tucker stepped in and warned the couple of the consequences if the affair ever became public knowledge. Soon after that Maggie discovered she was pregnant and realised that her husband, who was living in Harrogate as she pursued her career in London, would know the baby couldn't be his. Fearing condemnation from her family and the effect the pregnancy would have on her career, Maggie went to a private nursing home where she had an abortion. Sellers was devastated. "She found out that she was pregnant and that Sellers was the father but although Sellers pleaded with her to keep the child she went ahead with an abortion, . At the time Sellers was enjoying screen success in The Ladykillers and Maggie had been signed to play the lead in a new musical, Twenty Minutes South, at the Players' Theatre. In 1956 Maggie and her husband, Arnold, decided to try for a baby but the pregnancy ended in miscarriage and Maggie was warned that she should not risk a further pregnancy.   The film makers may not have picked up on this turbulent time in Sellers' life but   the incident affected both of them deeply and could not have helped her faltering marriage to the Harrogate man she affectionately called Mo. Maggie and Arnold divorced in 1960 and she went on to marry antique dealer Michael Garvey in 1979. However, Maggie was fighting a losing battle against drink and weight and on November 23, 1984 Garvey found her dead in bed at the age of just 60.
	Max Bygraves  1922 - Popular entertainer who appeared on radio's 'Educating Archie' in 1950 which made his name and he became famous on stage and television, also making popular records and appearing in some films.
	Calli
	Cannon & Ball, Cannon and Ball are an English comedy double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. The duo met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire. They started out as singers working the pubs and clubs of Lancashire and switched to comedy after being told comics earned an extra £3 a night.
	Roy Castle   1932 - 1994 Roy Castle OBE (31 August 1932 in Scholes, near Holmfirth, Yorkshire – 2 September 1994 in Buckinghamshire[2]) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name. He was a talented jazztrumpet player.
	Kenneth Connor  1916 - 1993 Came from revue to comedy roles on radio, including 'Ray's A Laugh' as Sidney Mincing (catch phrase: 'Oh well, there's always the other'), and as Herbert Toil. Also with Ted Ray (qv) on TV and in numerous other shows.
	Tommy Cooper  1921 - 1984 Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper  was a very popular British prop comedian and magician from Caerphilly, Wales. Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians. Famed for his red fez, his appearance was large and lumbering at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and more than 15 stone (210 lb; 95 kg) in weight.[1]  While his stage persona required that his act intentionally went wrong for comic purposes, on 15 April 1984, Cooper famously collapsed and soon after died from a heart attack in front of millions of television viewers, midway through his act on the London Weekend Television variety show Live From Her Majesty's, transmitted live from Her Majesty's Theatre.
	Ronnie Corbett  1930 - Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930) is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies. He achieved prominence in David Frost's 1960s satirical comedy programme, The Frost Report and later starred in the sitcoms  Sorry! and No - That's Me Over Here!
	Sadie Corre 1918 - 2009 Sadie Corré   in Bognor Regis, Sussex,  ) was a 4'2" English actress, tap dancer, comic performer and leading pantomime cat
	Leslie Crowther, 1933 - 1996 Leslie Crowther, CBE  was an English comedian, actor and gameshow host.
	Pamela Cundell 1920 - Pamela I. Cundell, born in Croydon, England) is a British character actress.  Her best known role was Mrs Fox in the long-running TV comedy Dad's Army. She is a descendant of Henry Condell, one of the managers of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the playing company of William Shakespeare.  Henry Condell also helped put together the first folio of Shakespeare's works after his death.
	Billy Dainty  1927 - 1986 William Hooper Frank John (Billy) Dainty  was a British comedian, dancer, physical comedian and pantomime and television star.
	Billy Danvers
	David Davenport Ballet dancer turned popular actor David Davenport was best known for his work on the London stage, but he also appeared occasionally in feature films and on television. Born on Boxing Day in Fairhill, England, he took up ballet as a teen and, in 1938, joined the Lydia Kysht Russian Ballet in London. He was a well-established theatrical figure by the time he made his film debut in It Takes a Thief (1959). The distinguished-looking Davenport's television credits include a recurring role in the popular British series All Creatures Great and Small.
	Jim Davidson  1953 - Jim Davidson OBE (born James Cameron Davidson on 13 December 1953) is a British  comedian, actor and television presenter. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to entertainment, particularly of British service personnel in conflict zones.
	Tudor Davies 1892 -  1958 Tudor Davies was born in Cymmer, near Porth, South Wales, on 12 November 1892. He studied in Cardiff and at the Royal College of Music in London. He served as an engineer in the Royal Navy during World War I. He toured the United States, Canada and Australia (where he shared the stage with Maggie Teyte  and then returned to Britain, where he sang with the British National Opera Company, Sadler's Wells Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He sang Rodolfo to Dame Nellie Melba's Mimi in La bohème in 1922 at Covent Garden. He sang a number of leading tenor parts from the Italian, French and German repertoire, such as Lohengrin, Tamino, Florestan, Faust, Don José and the Duke of Mantua. He also appeared in English operas such as Dame Ethel Smyth's Fête Galante, and Arthur Benjamin's The Devil Take Her.[3] He created the title role in Ralph Vaughan Williams' opera Hugh the Drover in 1924, excerpts from which he also recorded. (In 1928, he also sang in the United States premiere of the opera, with the Washington National Opera.) He created Prince Hal in Gustav Holst's At the Boar's Head in 1925. He sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlos in the opera's first performance in England in 1938, and he appeared in the first Sadler's Wells performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden. In his later career he was mainly a concert singer, and teacher in Cardiff
	Windsor Davies 1929 - Windsor Davies (born  Canning Town, West Ham, London) is a British actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s/1980s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
	Roger Delgado 1918 - 1973 Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto   was an English actor, best known for his role as the first Master in Doctor Who. He was born in Whitechapel, in the East End of London—Delgado often remarked to Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee, a close friend, that this made him a true Cockney, ] as he was born within the sound of the Bow Bells—although his mother was Belgian and his father Spanish. He attended the CVMS, a Roman Catholic secondary school in Holland Park.
	Adele Dixon, 1908 - 1992 Adele Dixon   was a London-born British musical theatre and film actress best known for performing in Broadway musicals, British musicals and in musical, comedy films of the 1930s and 1940s. Dixon starred in the Broadway musical Nikki which ran from September 29, 1931 until October 31, 1931. She also co-starred in the Broadway musical comedy Between the Devil with fellow British theatre stars Jack Buchanan and Evelyn Laye which ran from December 22, 1937 until March 12, 1938. In the late 1940s she appeared in the Broadway flop, Don't Listen Ladies, which ran for a mere 12 days. Dixon starred as Hope Harcourt in the London production of Cole Porter's Broadway hit, Anything Goes (1935). She also appeared in these other British musicals: Youth at the Helm (1935), Hulbert Follies (1948) and How Do You View? (1949). Dixon starred in several musical comedy films in the 1930s and 1940s. Her first was in the role of Consuelo Pratt in Uneasy Virtue in 1931. She then went on to play Julia Harbord in Calling the Tune in 1936. In 1941, she appeared as Mrs. Pound in Banana Ridge. Her last film role was as Sylvia Anson in 1946's Woman to Woman. Dixon had the honor of being the first performer in the first regular, high-definition television broadcast. She sang a musical number with lyrics by James Dyrenforth and music by Kenneth Leslie-Smith simply called "Television" in the opening of this historic BBC television broadcast in London on November 2, 1936.
	Jack Douglas 1929 - 2008 Jack Douglas, born John Roberton  was an English actor most famous for his roles in the Carry On films.
	Charlie Drake 1925 - 2006 Charlie Drake   was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer.  With his small stature (5' 1" tall), curly red hair and liking for slapstick he was a popular comedian with children in his early years, becoming nationally-known for his "Hello, my darlings" catchphrase. The catchphrase came about because he was short, and so his eyes would often be naturally directly level with a lady's bosom. Because of this and because in his work he preferred working with the fuller, bigger busted lady, the catchphrase was born.
	Ted & George Durante The son of Edward Aston, a notable weight-lifting champion, Durante, born Edward Albert Aston on March 5, 1926, was at one time part of an acrobatic troupe that featured comedy work he developed with George Mooney. They later broke away to become a double act, Ted and George Durante.As stage brothers Ted and George Durante they worked out a routine based on missed cues and unlikely contortions. When George leapt on to his partner's shoulders, Ted would frantically signal panic as his neck disappeared into his chest, and wander around like Quasimod
	Valentine Dyall 1908 - 1985 Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English  character actor, the son of veteran actor Franklin Dyall. Dyall was especially popular as a voice actor, due to his very distinctive sepulchral voice, he was known for many years as "The Man in Black", narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment With Fear.
	Shirley Eaton 1937 - Blonde actress who appeared on Children's TV in 1951 in 'Parent-craft'. Her first straight TV role was in 'The Dance Dress' ans also appeared in 'Great Scott - It's Maynard!' in 1955/56 with Terry Scott and Bill Maynard (both qv). In many films, especially comedies, but notably as the fatally gold-painted girl in 'Goldfinger'.
	Jimmy Edwards 1920 - 1988 Well known for his comedy roles (and his handlebar moustache) in films and on television and a 'Take It From Here' (as Pa Glum) stalwart on radio. 'Whacko!' was a popular hit on TV from 1956 in which he played the headmaster of a fairly dubious public school. Created the radio panel game 'Does The team Think' and in many other radio and TV shows.
	Dick Emery 1915 - 1983 Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery  was an English  comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.
	Ivor Emmanuel 1927 - 2007 Ivor Lewis Emmanuel  was a Welsh musical theatre and television singer and actor. He led the rendition of "Men of Harlech" in the 1964 film Zulu.
	Norman Evans 1901 - 1962 Popular comic who had his own TV shows 'The Norman Evans Show', 'Evans Abode' and 'Make Yourself At Home'. Appeared in drag as a toothless old woman gossiping with a neighbour 'over the garden wall'.
	Bruce Forsyth  1928 - Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE (born 22 February 1928  commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is a British TV personality. He became known through the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, going on to present television series such as The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right (UK), You Bet! and Strictly Come Dancing, the latter of which he presents with Tess Daly.
	Fiona Fullerton  1956 - Fiona Elizabeth Fullerton (born 10 October 1956) is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as KGB spy Pola Ivanova in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill and as Alice in the 1972 film Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Fullerton made her film debut in 1969 with a role in Run Wild, Run Free. Subsequent credits include: Nicholas and Alexandra (as Anastasia), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (as Alice) and The Human Factor. On television, she was an original cast member on the BBC hospital drama Angels before moving on to appear in serials such as The Charmer, Hold the Dream and To Be the Best. In 1982, she starred on the West End stage as Guinevere in the musical Camelot, alongside Richard Harris
	Zoe Gail  1920 - From South Africa- once married to Hubert Gregg. Mother of actress Stacey Gregg. Starred in film No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948)
	Eunice Gayson  1928 - Glamorous actress whose regular TV appearances included being a panellist in 'Guess My Story' as well as parts in several series such as the 'Douglas Fairbanks Presentations'. Film parts include the first two Bond pictures.
	Peter Gilmore 1931 - Peter Gilmore (born 25 August 1931 in Leipzig, Germany) is a British actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Captain James Onedin in the BBCThe Onedin Line. He also had roles in eleven Carry On films, and played the heroic lead in the adventure film Warlords of Atlantis. He is also remembered by Doctor Who viewers as Brazen in the 1984 series Frontios.   Gilmore also played a role as a young soldier in the World War I satirical musical Oh! What A Lovely War (1969). He was once married to Worzel Gummidge actress, Una Stubbs; and is now married to actress and Onedin Line co-star Anne Stallybrass. Television period drama
	Noele Gordon 1920 - 1985 Actress who worked on stage and hosted the programme 'Lunch Box' on ATV and appeared in other shows. In 1964 took the lead role in the television soap 'Crossroads' for 17 years.
	Derek Griffiths 1946 - Derek Griffiths   Woking, Surrey, England) is a British actor who appeared in numerous British children's television series in the 1960s to 1980s and more recently has played parts in TV drama.
	Sonnie Hale 1902 - 1959 Sonnie Hale (1 May 1902 – 9 June 1959) was an English theatre and cinema actor and director. John Robert Hale-Monro was born in London, the son of Robert Hale and Belle Reynolds. His father and sister, Binnie Hale were actors. He worked chiefly in musical and revue theatre, but also acted in several films with occasional screenwriting or directing credits. A major personal investment in a show to tour the country planned for late 1939 proved financially ruinous due to the outbreak of war and closure of most theatres.
	Herbert Hare
	Melvyn Hayes  1935 - Melvyn Hayes   is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,
	Richard Hearne 1909 - 1979 Actor who also appeared with his father's circus act. Later famous as 'Mr Pastry', mostly on children's TV. In some films and appeared on US television in 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.
	Edmund Hockridge 1919 - 2009 Edmund Hockridge    was a Canadian baritone and actor who had an active performance career in musicals, operas, concerts, plays, and on radio.
	Hope & Keen Mike Hope and Albie Keen were a British comedy double act. Cousins, the sons of British variety comedians Syd and Max Harrison, they first formed their act in 1956.
	Mary Hopkin 1950 - Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh  folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one singleThose Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label. "
	Frankie Howerd  1917 - 1992 Appeared on radio in 'Variety Bandbox' and later in 'The Howerd Crowd' on BBC TV and in several other television and radio shows. An appearance in 'That Was The Week That Was' helped revive his career and in 1969 'Up Pompeii' became a popular series, followed by more shows and films. Many catch phrases, 'Please yourselves!" being one of them.
	Peter Howitt 1957 - Peter Howitt  is an English actor and film director. He grew up in Eltham, London and Bromley, Kent, Peter used to be a part of the Priory Players in the Priory behind Christ Church, Eltham. He studied at the Drama Studio London. He has two children, Luke (born 1990) and Amy (born 2008).  He currently resides in Vancouver, Canada. He first found success playing Joey Boswell in the British TV series Bread. In 1998 he wrote and directed his first film, Sliding Doors (1998). Since then he has directed several films, including AntiTrust (2001), Johnny English (2003), Laws of Attraction (2004) and Dangerous Parking (2008) which he adapted from the novel by Stuart Browne, produced and directed as well as playing the lead role.
	Rod Hull & Emu 1935 - 1999   better known as Rod Hull, was a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet of the flightless emu bird. However, Hull was careful to tailor its conduct according to his audience, and always ensured that it displayed a friendly demeanour when in the company of children.
	Engelbert Humperdink 1936 - Engelbert Humperdinck   is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)" and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" ("The Last Waltz with You").
	Frank Ifield, 1937 - Francis Edward Ifield (born 30 November 1937) is an early Australian-English easy listening and country music singer. He achieved considerable success in the early 1960s, especially in the UK Singles Chart, where he had four Number 1 hits between 1962 and 1963.
	John Inman 1935 - 2007 Frederick John Inman   was an English actor best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?, a British sitcom in the 1970s and 1980s. Inman was also well known in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame. Born in 1935, Inman made his stage debut aged 13. He worked in retail in London as a young adult and after four years left to earn his Equity Card. He made his West End debut in the 1960s, and his television debut in an episode of A Slight Case of ... entitled The Enemy Within in 1965, next appearing in an episode of Two In Clover in 1970. After a successful pilot of Are You Being Served?, Inman played the camp Mr. Humphries in the sitcom from 1972 to 1985. This role made him a household name and won him awards, including BBC TV Personality of the Year. In his later years, John Inman became a well known pantomime dame.
	Hope Jackman
	Sid James 1913 - 1976 South African-born actor who appeared in many films in straight roles but later famous as a comedy performer in the Carry On films and in many radio and television shows, including 'Hancock's Half Hour' and 'Bless This House'.
	Gordon & Bunny Jay
	Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris 1909 - 1995 and 1909 - 1993 Comedy pair who were actually cousins who teamed up in 1934. In music hall originally, 'Up The Pole' was their first (of several) radio series from 1947 to 1952. On ATV in 'The Jewel And Warris Show' from 1957 to 1960. In the 1960s they split up with Ben continuing a variety act and Jimmy starring with Hylda Baker (qv) in 'Nearest And Dearest. Also great pantomime stars.
	Yootha Joyce 1927 - 1980 was an English actress, best known for playing Mildred Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.
	John Junkin  1930 - 2006 John Francis Junkin   was an English radio, television and film performer and scriptwriter. In 1960 Junkin joined Joan Littlewood's Stratford East Theatre Workshop, and played the lead in the original production of Sparrows Can't Sing. A few years later he joined the Royal Court Theatre company and was the foil to Tony Hancock in some of Hancock's last work for British television. He played a diverse range of roles on the small screen; however he is best remembered for his comedy roles, and his appearances as a television quiz master. Worldwide moviegoers will remember him best for playing "Shake", the assistant to Norman Rossington, in the Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night. In comedy roles, Junkin was rarely short of work, on account of his outstanding ability to play the stoney-faced symbol of low level, petty-minded and unquestioning authority, whether the army sergeant, police constable or site foreman. One of his rare leading roles was in the BBC series The Rough with the Smooth, in which he and Tim Brooke-Taylor played comedy writers (with both actors contributing scripts to the series as well).  Junkin has an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the voice of "Mr Shifter", one of the chimps in the PG Tips tea advertisement, the longest-running series of commercials on television.  Junkin lived in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, where he was a popular regular at the Red Lion pub. He married Jenny Claybourn in 1977 and had one daughter. He died on 7 March 2006 in the Florence Nightingale House, Stoke Mandeville, several miles from his home. He had been suffering from lung cancer, emphysema and asthma.[2] His life and work were honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.
	Michael Kilgarrif 1937 - Michael Kilgarriff is a British actor, born   in Brighton. As an actor he is well known for two things: his rich voice, leading to much radio and voice over work; and his height. At six feet seven inches (2.01 metres) tall, he is sought for certain roles, the most notable of which has been The Cyber Controller in Doctor Who, a role he played in 1967 and 1985. He also appeared in the series as an Ogron (1973) and as the eponymous K1 Robot in the story Robot in 1974. He returned to play the K1 Robot in the Big Finish Productions Bernice Summerfield audio adventure The Relics of Jegg-Sau. He also did voice work for the Jim Henson movie The Dark Crystal in 1982 as SkekUng, the Garthim master (Named "The General" in the movie), and played the part of the Green King in the 1970s serial The Moon Stallion. Michael Kilgarriff is a music hall enthusiast, and wrote what is considered the definitive guide to music hall songs : Sing us one of the old songs - A guide to popular song from 1860 -1920 published by Oxford University press 1998. This work lists thousands of influential songs by singer, lyricist and composer. He is also the author of a series of children's joke books.[
	Roy Kinnear 1934 -1988 Roy Mitchell Kinnear ( was an English character actor. He is best remembered for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
	Danny La Rue 1927 - 2009 Danny La Rue, OBE  was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.
	Lambert & Ross
	Evelyn Laye 1900 - 1996 Successful on stage, initially in musical comedies, she also acted in many plays and appeared on TV, becoming a stalwart of the theatre and continuing her career into her nineties.
	Eddie Leslie 1894 - 1975
	Hugh Lloyd 1923 - 2008 Hugh Lewis Lloyd, MBE   was an English actor who made his name in television and film comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in Hugh and I and other sitcoms of the 1960s.
	Jimmy Logan 1928 - 2001 Scots-born comedian, part of a showbusiness family he began in radio in Scotland with 'It's All Yours', and his stage shows won him lasting acclaim. Brother of singer Annie Ross (qv).
	Gillian Lynne 1926 -   was a leading soloist with Sadler’s Wells Ballet, the star dancer at the Palladium, played opposite Errol Flynn in the movies and danced with all the greats on TV. She became instrumental in the development of jazz dance in Britain and her distinctive style - a fusion of classical and jazz - led to her groundbreaking work on the world famous CATS, which was recognised with a new category of Olivier Award, specially created for her to acknowledge Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical.CATS continues to be produced worldwide  Gillian’s fifty-plus Broadway and West End shows include - Tonight at 8.30, Love on the Dole, The Match Girls, Tomfoolery, Jeeves Takes Charge, Cabaret, The Roar of the Greasepaint, Pickwick, The Card, Phil The Fluter, Hans Christian Andersen, My Fair Lady, Songbook, The Phantom of the Opera and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For the Royal Shakespeare Company - A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Comedy of Errors, The Way of the World, As You Like It, Once in a Lifetime and The Boyfriend. She has previously worked with Adrian Noble on the RSC production The Secret Garden.  Gillian’s opera productions include the direction of Bluebeard, The Trojans, The Midsummer Marriage, The Flying Dutchman, and Parsifal. Among Gillian’s ballets are Breakaway, Lippizaner, The Brontes, and Journey for the Bolshoi. On television, Gillian has directed The Various Ends of Mrs F’s Friends, Easy Money, The Look of Love, The Morte d’Arthur, which won the Samuel G Engel Award in America and A Simple Man, which won a 1987 BAFTA. She staged many of The Muppet Show for ATV and her 11 feature films include A Wonderful Life, Half a Sixpence, Man of La Mancha and Yentl.Gillian’s most recent productions include the staging of a special Gala in New York to celebrate THE Phantom of the Opera overtaking CATS as the longest running show on Broadway and Phantom – the Las Vegas Spectacular, which opened in 2006. ABC-TV awarded Fool on the Hill, Gillian’s special featuring the Australian Ballet, Best Musical and Best Production; she was awarded the Austrian Silver Order of Merit for her production CATS in Vienna; a Moliere award for CATS in Paris and in 2001 she was honoured by the Royal Academy of Dance with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award.Gillian was awarded the CBE in 1997.
	Joan Mann
	Alfred Marks 1921 - 1996 Very deep-voiced actor who appeared in comedy and drama. His own shows were 'Don't Look Now' in 1950 and 'Alfred Marks Time' from 1956.
	Sandra Michaels 1944 - English actress, Her first television role was in March 1957, playing Phyllis in the second BBC adaptation of The Railway Children.[2][3] Later that year she appeared as Pamela Gwendolyn Stuart in The Adventures of Clint and Mac, a British-made serial commissioned by Walt Disney Studios for The Mickey Mouse Club.  Also in 1957 she played Caroline, a modern teenager who got up to mischief in the ITV sitcom, The Thompsons  She appeared in a variety of programmes, ranging from the 1959 adaptation of Great Expectations and Dixon of Dock Green (also 1959), to The Ronnie Barker Playhouse (1968) and Gaslight Theatre (1968)  Stage work varied from plays to pantomimes and light musicals; she appeared in Little Old King Cole with Charlie Drake at the London Palladium in 1961, Puss In Boots at the Coventry Theatre with Sid James and Frankie Howerd in 1962-63,  and Mandrake at the Criterion Theatre with Roy Kinnear in 1970. In the 1980s Michaels appeared in a number of documentaries and short films,  including the 1987 BAFTA nominated Mohammed's Daughter, directed by Suri Krishnamma
	Gary Miller
	Warren Mitchell 1926 - Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misel,  ) is an English actor who rose to initial prominence in the role of bigoted cockney Alf Garnett in the BBC television sitcom Till Death Us Do Part (1965–75), and its sequels Till Death... (ATV) (1981) and In Sickness and in Health (BBC) (1985–92), all of which were written by Johnny Speight. He holds both British and Australian citizenship  and has enjoyed considerable success in stage performances in both countries.
	Tricia Money Actress best known for being in Emergency Ward 10
	Peggy Mount, 1915 - 2001 Margaret Rose "Peggy" Mount OBE,   was an English actress of stage and screen. She is perhaps best known for playing battleaxe characters, though her real personality was said to have been far removed from such roles. She was also well-known for her distinctive voice.
	Brian Murphy 1933 - Brian Murphy (born 25 September 1933) is a British actor. Murphy was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Although a prolific actor in many films and theatre productions for almost half a century, Murphy's most famous role was as the henpecked husband George Roper in the sitcom Man About the House and spin-off George and Mildred. He was called up to do his military service at RAF Northwood, where he met future The Good Life actor Richard Briers. On leaving the RAF the two aspiring actors both performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute, now London South Bank University. Murphy was a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop (alongside Yootha Joyce), and a jobbing actor in the 1960s and early 1970s, combining his theatre work with appearances in television shows such as The Avengers, Z-Cars and Dixon of Dock Green, before being cast in the role which would make him a household name. In Man About The House, Murphy played the lazy and scheming George Roper, the landlord of a house converted into flats who had a young man and two women renting the flat above. His wife, Mildred, was played by Yootha Joyce. Her domineering, social-climbing characteristic was a sharp contrast to George's desire for an easy and quiet life and the pairing were an instant hit. A contributing factor to their immediate chemistry was the fact they had been friends for many years. Aside from their Theatre Workshop years, Murphy starred in Joyce's first movie, Sparrows Can't Sing in 1963. When Man About The House reached a conclusion in 1976, a spin-off was created for Murphy and Joyce, entitled George and Mildred. This ran for five series until 1979. Murphy reprised his role in feature films of both sitcoms. Joyce died in 1980. Murphy returned to the theatre but has been sporadically on television ever since, with memorable roles in On Your Way, Riley (1985) as Arthur Lucan,  Lame Ducks (as a private investigator); The Bill (as a drunken tramp dressed as an elf at Christmas); comedy series One Foot in the Grave starring Richard Wilson (playing a character called Mr Foskett);  Last of the Summer Wine (as Alvin Smedley); Brookside; and as a shopkeeper called Stan in Wizadora. He most recently made an appearance on The Catherine Tate Show.
	Des O’Connor  1932 - Des O'Connor, CBE (born Desmond Bernard O'Connor  2) is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years. He has also recorded thirty-six albums and has had four top-ten singles, including a number one hit with I Pretend.
	Richard O’Sullivan 1944 - Richard O'Sullivan (born   Chiswick, Middlesex) is an English comedy actor who is probably best known to British and Australian audiences for his role as Robin Tripp in the 1970s sitcoms Man About the House (1973–1976) and Robin's Nest and as the title character in the period family adventure series Dick Turpin. O'Sullivan also starred in Doctor at Large, Doctor in Charge, Trouble in Mind, Alcock and Gander and Me and My Girl.
	Julian Orchard 1930 - 1979 Julian Dean C. Orchard (born in Wheatley, Oxfordshire)  was an English comedy actor.
	Anna Neagle 1904 - 1986 Dame Anna Neagle, DBE ), born Florence Marjorie Robertson, was a popular British stage and motion picture actress and singer. Neagle proved to be a box-office sensation in British films for over 25 years. She was noted for providing glamour and sophistication to war-torn London audiences with her lightweight musicals, comedies and historical dramas. She won several awards as Britain's favourite actress and biggest female box-office draw. Almost all of her films were produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox, whom she married in 1943. In her historical dramas, Neagle was renowned for her portrayals of real-life British heroines, including Nell Gwynn (Nell Gwynn, 1934), Queen Victoria (Victoria the Great, 1937, and Sixty Glorious Years, 1938) and Edith Cavell (Nurse Edith Cavell, 1939).
	Paul Nicholas 1945 - Paul Nicholas  is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.
	Derek Nimmo  1930 - 1999 Derek Robert Nimmo ) was an English character actor. He was particularly associated with upper-class "silly-ass" roles, and clerical roles. He married Patricia Brown in 1955; they had three children, Amanda, Timothy and Piers.
	Elaine Paige 1948 Elaine Paige OBE (née Bickerstaff ) is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16. Her appearance in the 1968 production of Hair marked her West End debut. Following a number of roles over the next decade, Paige was selected to play Eva Perón in the first production of Evita in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public. For this role, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a Musical. She went on to originate the role of Grizabella in Cats and had a Top 10 hit with "Memory", a song from the show. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess, which remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She then appeared in the original stage production of Chess, followed by a starring role in Anything Goes which she also co-produced. Paige made her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard in 1996, playing the lead role of Norma Desmond, to critical acclaim. She appeared in The King and I from 2000 to 2001, and six years later she returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. She has also worked sporadically in television. In addition to being nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, Paige has won many other awards for her theatre roles and has been called the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. She has released 22 solo albums, of which eight were consecutively certified gold and another four multi-platinum. Paige is also featured on seven cast albums and has sung in concerts across the world. Since 2004 she has hosted her own show on BBC Radio 2 called Elaine Paige on Sunday.
	Jack Parnell 1923 - 2010 Drummer who formed his own band after playing with Ted Heath (qv). His band appeared on many ATV shows including 'Sunday Night At The London Palladium'. Later had his own television show and became one of the best known bands around.
	The Patton Brothers The Patton Brothers, Jimmy Patton and Brian Patton, are the two elder brothers of Paul and Barry Elliot, The Chuckle Brothers. They began their career as a double act in 1954, and their father was comedian, Gene Patton. They have starred in many a pantomime in their careers and have not missed a performance in fifty-two years. Both Jimmy and Brian have made many appearances in ChuckleVision with their younger brothers, Jimmy taking the moniker No Slacking due to the catchphrase that he constantly has to relay to the Chuckle Brothers. "And remember - No Slacking!" Indeed, the four all appeared together as the Chuckle Brothers on hit quiz/game show 3-2-1 with Ted Rogers on 17 April 1982 (Season 4, Episode 13), and also on New Faces.
	Sarah Payne Sarah Payne is a British actress and singer. She has worked extensively in London’s West End, and has played various roles in theatre, comedy, musical theatre, and opera. Payne initially trained as a musician, and studied music at Durham University. She was offered a part in a musical, and within two years she received a nomination for a Best Actress Olivier Award for creating the role of Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1983) at London's Palladium Theatre. Payne's major theatre credits also include such shows as The Rocky Horror Show (1979), Barnum (1981), Cricket (1986), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1987), Risky Kisses (1990), The Marriage of Figaro (1991), Showtune (1998, then titled The Best of Times), High Spirits (2001), and Follies (2006). She also appeared in the 1985 Royal Variety Performance. Payne sings on the 1986 studio cast recording of the concept musical Josephine, and on the 1992 London Concert Album of Nine. She sang Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Greenwich Theatre in 1990.
	Jon Pertwee 1919 - 1996 John Devon Roland Pertwee  ), was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge. He is also well-known for his 18-year stint on BBC Radio as Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in The Navy Lark.
	Adrienne Posta 1949 - Adrienne Posta (born Adrienne Poster) is an English film and television actress and singer, prominent during the 1960s and 1970s. She adopted the surname Posta in 1966  She recorded a number of singles. She is now semi-retired and works as a teacher in the Midlands and at Italia Conti (Goswell Road). She is a patron of The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.
	Jackie Rae 1922 - 2006 Jackie Rae, CM DFC was a Canadian singer, songwriter and television performer. He was born John Arthur Rae in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1922. Rae began performing at the age of three with his brother and sister on the vaudeville circuit in Canada. Rae flew Spitfires as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. During the 1950s, he was the host of The Jackie Rae Show, a variety show on CBC Television. Rae later moved to London where he performed on television for the BBC, ATV, and Granada Television where he compered the popular show Spot The Tune for 2 years (1959-60) with singer Marion Ryan, and was subsequently the host of the first series of The Golden Shot. He formed a dance band known as the Spitfire Band in 1981 which toured across Canada. In 2002, he was awarded the Order of Canada. Songs written by Rae were hits for Eddie Arnold and Andy Williams. He collaborated with Les Reed on songs performed by Engelbert Humperdinck and Tony Bennett.
	Joan Regan 1928 - Popular singer who appeared in 'Quite Contrary' and later had her own television show 'Be My Guest' in the 1950's. Several hit records and appearances in variety shows and in pantomime.
	Cliff Richard 1940 - Sir Cliff Richard, OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb,  is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor and philanthropist, who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide.  With his backing group The Shadows, Richard, originally positioned as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard and Elvis Presley, dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s and early 1960s. His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song, and John Lennon once claimed that "before Cliff and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music." A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music later led to a more middle of the road pop image, sometimes venturing into gospel music.
	Clodagh Rogers 1947 - Clodagh Rodgers (English pronunciation: Clo-da) ( ) is a singer and actress from Northern Ireland, best known for her hit single, "Jack in the Box".[
	Thelma Ruby 1925 - Best known for being in Coronation Street
	The Sanctus Troupe
	Janette Scott 1938 - Thora Janette Scott is an English actress. She was born in Morecambe, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She started her acting career as a child actress, known as Janette Scott, and became a popular leading lady. Among her best known roles was as April Smith in the 1960 film School for Scoundrels, based on the "One-upmanship" books by Stephen Potter, in which Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas competed for her attention. Scott wrote her autobiography at the age of 14. Her film appearances include The Day of the Triffids; her appearance there is referenced in The Rocky Horror Picture Show:
	Terry Scott  1927 - 1994 Actor who became a comedian and appeared with Bill Maynard (qv) in TV's 'Great Scott, It's Maynard'. When the act broke up, Terry had a successful show with Hugh Lloyd, 'Hugh and I' and was in 'Terry And June' with June Whitfield (qv). Also in some of the 'Carry On' films.
	(Sir) Harry Secombe 1921 - 2001 Welsh-born popular comedian and singer who began at the Windmill Theatre. Devised 'The Goon Show', originally called 'Crazy People', with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan (both qv). Toured in variety and later appeared in musicals on stage. Presented the religious prog-ramme 'Highway' on ITV in later years.
	Peter Sellers 1925 - 1980 Popular comedian and actor who was an original member of 'The Goon Show' on radio in the 1950's. Also appeared in 'Ray's A Laugh' as Russian Serge Suit. Later famous for his film roles, especially the Pink Panther series and he made some records as well as frequent TV appearances.
	Seven Volants
	The Shadows The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'.
	Tony Simpson
	Wayne Sleep 1948 - Wayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE   is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.
	Nicholas Smith 1934 - Nicholas Smith   is an English actor who is best known for playing the bald, jug-eared manager Mr. Rumbold in the sitcom Are You Being Served?  Are You Being Served? began in 1972, with Smith playing Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold, the manager of the menswear and ladieswear departments in a large fictional London store called Grace Brothers. He remained with the programme until its end in 1985, as well as appearing in the spin-off film in 1977, and the sitcom sequel Grace & Favour - known as "Are Your Being Served? Again!" in the United States - in 1992 and 1993. From September 1972, in contrast to his contemporaneous work in Are You Being Served, he also had a semi-regular role as PC Yates in the series Z Cars. His last appearance as Yates was in February 1975. He had a cameo in the film The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother as Sigerson Holmes' servant. In 1978 he appeared in Worzel Gummidge as Mr Foster, the Headmaster of the school. He appeared in the TV mini-series Martin Chuzzlewit. In 2005 Nicholas Smith was also featured in a supporting role as Vicar Clement Hedges in the Academy Award-winning film, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. In 2008 he appeared as a vicar in Last of the Summer Wine. In 2010 he appeared in children's TV programme MI High as Professor Quakermass. Smith also writes music and poetry. He is the father of actress Catherine Russell.
	Pippa Steele 1948 - 1992 Pippa Steel   was a British actress best known for her roles in two Hammer horror films: The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Lust for a Vampire (1971). She was also active on television, making guest appearances in series such as Department S, Z-Cars, UFO, Public Eye, The Adventurer and Blake's 7.
	Tommy Steele 1936 - Tommy Steele OBE (born Thomas William Hicks in Bermondsey, London), is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star
	Una Stubbs 1937 - Una Stubbs  is an English actress and former dancer who has appeared extensively on British television and in the theatre, and less frequently in films. She is particularly known for her roles in the sitcom Till Death Us Do Part and Aunt Sally in the children's series Worzel Gummidge.
	Mollie Sugden 1922 - 2009 Isobel Mary 'Mollie' Sugden (2  was an English comedy actress best known for portraying the saleswoman Mrs. Slocombe in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985. She later reprised this role in Grace & Favour, which ran from 1992 to 1993. Sugden appeared in many other television series, including The Liver Birds and Coronation Street.
	Jimmy Tarbuck 1940 - Jimmy Tarbuck OBE or Tarby   is an English comedian. Growing up he was a schoolmate of John Lennon.His first television show was It's Tarbuck 65! on ITV in 1964. He has also hosted numerous quiz shows, including Winner Takes All, Full Swing, and Tarby's Frame Game. He was the last original host of Sunday Night at the London Palladium from 1965. In the 1980s, he hosted similar Sunday night variety shows, Live From Her Majesty's, Live from the Piccadilly and finally Live from the Palladium, which were produced by London Weekend Television for ITV. Nicknamed Tarby, he is a Conservative Party supporter, and at the height of his celebrity was a prominent supporter of Margaret Thatcher and her policies, once baking her a cake for her 60th birthday in October 1985. He was appearing on the fourth series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing in 2006, but he was forced to pull out on medical advice .  In 2008, he returned to a variety format on television screens when he co-hosted, alongside Emma Bunton, an edition of ITV1's new variety show, For One Night Only.  He lives with his wife, Pauline, in Coombe, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. His daughter is the actress, television and radio presenter, Liza Tarbuck. He is also known for the large gap between his two top front teeth and for his passion for golf. Tarbuck was once convicted of stealing a diamond encrusted cigarette holder from Terry-Thomas.He is a supporter of Liverpool F.C
	Terry Thomas 1911 - 1990 Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as "What an absolute shower!", "Good show!", "You dirty rotter" and "Hard cheese."
	Tommy Trinder 1909 - 1989 Variety artist and popular radio comedian. First compere of ITV's 'Sunday Night At The London Palladium' and had his own show 'Trinder Box' on BBC in 1959. Catch phrase: 'You lucky people!'. He was also Chairman of Fulham Football Club.
	Frankie Vaughan 1928 - 1999 One of the UK's most popular singers who had several hit records and appeared on TV frequently, including 'The Frankie Vaughan Show' in 1966. Did much charity work and also made some films.
	Stephanie Voss
	Desmond Walter-Ellis, 1914 - 1994 Actor who appeared on stage but also did comedy roles in films and on TV in 'These Are The Days', 1951, 'Mr Little At Large', 1952, and 'Beggar My Neighbour', 1956.
	Marti Webb 1944 - Marti Webb (born   Cricklewood, North West London) is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one woman show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1980. This included her biggest hit single, "Take That Look Off Your Face", a UK top three hit, with the parent album also reaching the top three
	David Whitfield 1925 - 1980 David Whitfield   was a popular British male tenor vocalist. This operatic-style tenor had a formidable and predominantly female fan base in the 1950s
	Billy Whittaker
	Ken Wilson
	Barbara Windsor 1937 - Barbara Ann Deeks, MBE (born 6 August 1937),better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.Born in Shoreditch, London in 1937,  Windsor was the only child of John Deeks, a costermonger, and his wife, formerly Rose Ellis, a dressmaker. Windsor is of English and Irish ancestry.[4] She passed her 11-plus exams with the highest marks in North London, and won a place at Our Lady’s Convent in Stamford Hill. Her mother paid for her to have elocution lessons, and she trained at the Aida Foster School in Golders Green, making her stage debut at 13 and her West End debut in 1952 in the chorus of the musical Love From Judy. Her first film role was in The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954. She joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, coming to prominence in their stage production Fings Ain't Wot They Used to Be and Littlewood's film Sparrows Can't Sing in 1963, achieving a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film Actress. She also appeared in the 1964 film comedy Crooks in Cloisters, the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the sitcoms The Rag Trade and Wild, Wild Women.
	Mike & Bernie Winters Mike & Bernie Winters were English brothers who formed a comedy double act, consisting of Mike Winters, born Michael Weinstein (15 November 1930) and Bernie Winters, born Bernie Weinstein (6 September 1932 – 4 May 1991). The act was very popular in the  UK  from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s.
	(Sir) Norman Wisdom  1915 - 2010 Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin. These films initially made more money than the James Bond film series  and secured Wisdom a celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were permitted by Enver Hoxha – Wisdom was the only Western actor to enjoy this privilege. Charlie Chaplin famously referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown".  Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. It was broadcast on 5 June that year. He toured Australia and South Africa.[3] After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour.  In 1995 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana.[ The same year he received an OBE. Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and spent much of his later life on the Isle of Man. Some of his later appearances included roles in Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street,  and he retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health declined. Past Chairman of the Heritage Foundation.
	Edward Woodward 1930 - 2009 Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE (  was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York. He came to wider attention from 1967 in the title role of the British television spy drama Callan, earning him the 1970 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Among his film credits, Woodward starred as Police Sergeant Howie in the 1973 cult British horror film The Wicker Man, and in the title role of the noted 1980 Australian biopic Breaker Morant. From 1985 Woodward starred as British ex-secret agent and vigilante Robert McCall in the American television series The Equalizer, earning him the 1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Actor.
	Wei Wei Wong
	Mark Wynter 1943 - Mark Wynter (born Terence Sidney Lewis, ) is an English actor and former singer, who had four Top 20 singles in the 1960s, including "Venus in Blue Jeans" and "Go Away Little Girl". He enjoyed a lengthy career from 1960 to 1968 as a pop singer and teen idol, but developed later into an actor in film, musicals and plays.
	Yana 1932 - 1989   Yana, (Real name Pamella Guard). Yana always spelt her Christian name Pamella, and chose the stage name Yana, by which she is best known. Yana was a very talented lady, being a singer, actress, and model, as well as speaking seven different languages.
	Robert Young

The story that Dick Whittington was a pauper with a cat who came to London with a handkerchief tied to the end of a stick to see if the streets were paved with gold is a load of old tripe. Unlike his pantomime counterpart, he was never poor. Richard Whittington was born around 1350 in Pauntley, Gloucestershire, the younger son of William Whittington, Lord of the Manor of Pauntley. Sir William died in 1358. The oldest son inherited the estate, so Richard travelled to London to find work. As for the cat, I really doubt that he had one. The people in medieval England had an entirely different attitude to felines - a lad of Dick's age would have been more likely to stone a cat to death for sport than keep one as a pet. Not very nice, but true.

He started his life in London as an apprentice to a merchant, and afterwards set up in business on his own. And this is where the cat comes in. Richard traded in coals brought to London in a type of sailing vessel known as a 'cat'. Or maybe it came in because he was making a profit, and a term in common use in those days for a profit was the French word 'achat', meaning 'a purchase', whereas the French 'chat' means 'cat'. Whichever it was, no feline is ever mentioned in any biography of Richard Whittington.

He eventually became a 'mercer', dealing in valuable cloth from abroad, such as silks, velvets and cloth of gold. The main market for selling these cloths was the Royal Court. He supplied large quantities to King Richard II (who owed him £1,000 when he was deposed in 1399) and to King Henry IV. Richard became rich. After 1397 he often lent large sums of money to the Crown. In return he was allowed to export wool without paying customs duty on it.

He became a City alderman, or magistrate, in 1393. In 1397 the Mayor, Adam Bamme, died in office and the King chose Whittington to become the new mayor. And here is another discrepancy with the myth - 'Lord Mayor' was not a title used in Whittington's lifetime. It didn't come into being until 1540. He was elected as mayor for the following year, and again for 1406-7 and 1419-20. This made him Mayor of London four times, although he was only elected to that position three times, which undoubtedly gave rise to the 'three times Lord Mayor'. Whittington died in March 1423. His wife Alice, daughter of Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn (or Fitzwarren) of Dorset, had died before him. They had no children.

By the time of his death, Whittington had amassed a fortune totalling over £7,000 - making him the medieval equivalent of multi-millionaire. In his will he asked that his great wealth be used to the benefit of the City of London. And so the money was used to establish an almshouse, a college of priests and a library, and also to carry out a number of other public works. These included improvements to the water supply and building a public lavatory, which became known as 'Whittington's Longhouse'. These gifts left in his will made him famous. However, the people of London had no idea how he had made his money. Stories began about how a poor boy became rich with the help of his cat. There is no evidence that Whittington ever kept a cat, and as the son of a Lord he was never very poor. But, despite being untrue, the stories flourished. In 1606 a play was produced which undoubtedly brought the story to the attention of people who could not read. The story continued to grow in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, the story became the subject for pantomimes, and other characters were added. And with the popularity of pantomimes over the years the story of Dick Whittington and the cat that made him rich and famous is familiar to thousands, if not millions, of people who have never heard of the 'real' Richard Whittington.

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