There are small signs that Spring is near. Daffs grow in the park and many people are worked up into a state of complete indifference towards The Oscars.
But the winter gloom remains, like an uninvited house guest that arrived in November, kicked off its shoes, settled on the sofa and refused to ‘sling its hook’.
So, here’s a couple of showbiz anecdotes I hope will amuse you.
From the 1940s to the early 60s, the hilarious, unpredictable comedians “The Crazy Gang” played long seasons at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London and were firm favourites of the residents of another Palace just up the road.
The gang was made up of Bud Flanagan, Naughton & Gold, Nervo & Knox and (perhaps the craziest of the bunch) ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Gray.
Chesney Allen, who’d recorded the iconic “Underneath The Arches” with Bud Flanagan, left the Gang in 1945, but made occasional appearances with them on Royal Variety Shows.
For reasons unknown, a red pillar box sited near the Victoria Palace faced the wrong way, with the rectangular gap for posting letters facing the road, rather than the pavement.
Eddie Gray was a terrible practical joker and one of his favourite pranks was to look into the pillar box and ask, in all seriousness, “But how did you get in there in the first place?” and pretend to engage the ‘unfortunate person’ inside in a conversation.
This would invariably attract a crowd and, when it was big enough, Eddie would say, “Keep him talking while I fetch a policeman” whereupon he’d run into the Victoria Palace’s stage door and observe the ludicrous scene from his dressing room window!
Wonderful!
In the 1950s the annual pantomime at a North Country theatre traditionally featured a troupe of little girl dancers, who were given fairytale stage names like ‘Twinkle Toes’.
At the disastrous dress rehearsal, curtains didn’t open, actors forgot lines and scenery collapsed. When the exasperated director cued the dancers, one was missing!
He barked, “Where is Petal Pink Prettykins?” and from the wings, the choreographer nervously replied . . .
“Prettykins appears to have poo’d herself!”
See you in the stalls!