|
 Cyril Fletcher - Comedian (1913 - 2005) was essentially a variety performer when the popularity of
British Variety entertainment was at its height. His act consisted largely
of reciting, in a variety of peculiar voices, comedy poems which he had
written himself. He referred to these poems as "Odd Odes" and they were
extremely popular with music hall audiences. He was steeped in the variety
tradition and once said of it
"Variety as a cradle for stardom was unsurpassed. It is an exciting and
exacting science."
Cyril Trevellian Fletcher was born in Watford on 25th June 1913. As a
schoolboy he became popular among his friends by writing and performing comic
verses. He often expressed the desire to become a classical actor, on leaving
school, however, he obtained a job as an insurance clerk. He later got a
place in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a chance meeting in
1936 with the producer Greatorex Newman led to him appearing with the Fol de
Rols Concert Party in Hastings. He went on to appear at the Holborn Empire
and was soon topping the bill in variety theatres all over the country. As
a result of his popularity he was given his own radio series with the BBC
and became one of the first comedians to appear on television when the
service opened at Alexandra Palace. He also appeared in "Dick Whittington" the
first pantomime ever to be televised.
He married the actress Betty Astell and they toured their own show, "Odes
and Ends", to all parts of the country. They often recalled how, during one
of their sketches, the scenery collapsed to reveal to the audience an
almost naked chorus girl in the arms of one of the stagehands. Knowing only
that the set had collapsed and without looking round, Betty Astell carried on
with her next line which was
"That's the worst of them council houses."
After the war the Fletchers concentrated on presenting summer shows and
pantomimes in which Cyril invariably played the dame. In addition he
appeared regularly on television in "What's my Line" and presented ATV's "
Gardening Time" for fourteen years. In 1972 his long comedy career enjoyed
something of a renaissance when he was asked by Esther Rantzen to take part in
her consumer programme "That's Life" and recite some of his "Odd Odes". He
proved such a success with audiences that he became a fixture and appeared
regularly until 1980.
He and his wife retired to Guernsey where Cyril wrote his autobiography -
"Nice one, Cyril" - and still occasionally delighted audiences with his
one-man show "After Dinner with Cyril Fletcher"
It was this show which he presented at the Kenton on 2nd March 1974.
He died, aged 91, on 1st January 2005.
Extract from wikipedia
Cyril Fletcher (25 June 1913 – 2 January 2005) was an English comedian; his catchphrase was 'Pin back your lugholes'. He was most famous for his Odd Odes, which was a section of the television show That's Life!. Fletcher had first begun performing the Odd Odes in 1937, long before they first appeared on television (though he did appear on pre World War II television[1]). He came up with the idea when he was short of material for a radio show. The first Odd Ode was a comic, yet sentimental, reading of Edgar Wallace's war poem Dreaming of Thee. Following this broadcast he was given a regular programme on Radio Luxembourg; it was this show that brought him to national attention.
He also appeared as a panellist on the popular UK BBC panel show What's My Line? that ran from 1951 to 1963.
Fletcher was born in Watford, the son of a solicitor, who was the Friern Barnet town clerk.[2] Following schooling at Friern Barnet Grammar School,[3] where he first began to entertain by composing witty poems about his schoolmasters,[4] he graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Fletcher was also a successful businessman, believing it to be important to diversify in such a fickle business as show business. He was the founder of Associated Speakers, an agency for after-dinner speakers, on whose books were the likes of the Duke of Bedford and Lord Longford, as well as himself.
His wife, Betty Astell, died in July 2005. They had a daughter, Jill Fletcher.
 |
contribution, change an article, perhaps add an update to a show in "past productions" or if you want to submit an entirely new article to the site, then please do so. All you need to do is to send your comments to the editor and we will respond. You send your content directly by email by simply clicking here and it will appear automatically in the blog.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
