A new pantomime and a new song, By Tracey Vale

It was one of those beautiful, clear days that enhance a belief that there is so much promise in the air. A warm, soft breeze played around us and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as Daphne Korner, Shirley Summers and I made our way down to the beach for a photo shoot.

On the back of record numbers at the Ranelagh Theatre, Will Hammer had made his announcement that all three of us were to be principals in his popular upcoming pantomime season. I was to play one of my favourite roles as Cinderella at the New Royal in Bournemouth. I had always wanted to play the part and was so excited to have been chosen for it, and especially as it was one of Will Hammer’s productions.

Shirley was chosen for Jack and the Beanstalk, to tour at the Hippodrome in Ipswich and Daphne was to perform in Aladdin, at The Grand Theatre in Croydon. Both had other pantomimes booked in to see them to the end of the year while Paul and I had Chesney Allen continuing to work behind the scenes with new bookings. We were also secure in the knowledge that our roles in new performances, pantomimes and summer shows would continue.

“It’s your versatility,” Chesney kept telling us, whether we needed reminding or not. “Your singing and dancing,” he said, looking at me before continuing. “The puppet act and your abilities as comic feeds.” A number of our friends and colleagues were envious of our continuous work on the stage and I could see that the variety we offered was now an essential component for actors to enjoy a steady stream of work.

"Holiday Highlights" moved on to Knightstone Theatre, Weston-super-mare. We performed here for two weeks, the end of which also marked the end of the summer season. We then began rehearsals with the British War Office, known as Combined Services Entertainment Tours, as organised by Chesney Allen.

The C.S.E. tours usually took a group of five or six actors, singers and/or comedians. Their requirements were for a well-known star, which in this case was Arthur English, a soubrette, a pianist, a classical singer, a comic and a feed. In our case we were able to present the puppet act and I would sing as the soubrette. Both Paul and I would also act as feeds to the comics.

Our first War Office tour was known as the '14000 Miles Tour' in the press write-ups but was officially titled "It's English" and featured the top rated comedian, Arthur English. It was to take in Kenya, Aden and Nairobi, East Africa. We were to leave on October 25, 1956, following two weeks of rehearsals.

British War Office, Whitehall, London.
Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia commons

We stayed in London for the rehearsals, to take place in the British War Office in Whitehall, a beautiful old building of grand architecture. Looking up at it, as we crossed the road for our first rehearsal, I thought it looked magnificent. It was an imposing, five-story building complete with huge turrets and statues of horses appearing to leap out from the top floor. Situated on a corner and taking up most of the block, the building was fitted out with everything a performer could need. We were used to pokey church halls as rehearsal spaces, so these facilities were fantastic to us.

We were ushered upstairs to the practice studios, passing many such rooms as well as others filled with costumes. Finally, we reached the big studio, complete with resplendent grand piano. A man stood hunched, studying a spread of papers fanned across the back of the piano. 

Alistair McHarg looked up from the music sheet he’d been studying and smiled. Walking towards us he extended an arm and introduced himself. “Wonderful to meet you both. I’m Alistair McHarg, the pianist, and I’ll be touring with you,” he said warmly and with a strong Scottish accent that seemed to bellow in the airiness around them.

I didn't know it then, but this first meeting with Alistair McHarg was to change my career as a singer. Having cut my teeth on the cheery songs of pantomime and the related dance items, little did I know that I was inexperienced with the type of performance required of the War Office. It was during these rehearsals that I realised again how much Chesney Allen relied upon and trusted in our versatility and had great faith in our ability to adapt.

“Have you got any songs with you?” Alistair asked, once our introductions were over. Paul had stepped aside, finding a window sill to perch on while we discussed what I could sing.

Spreading my arms and hands out slightly, I said “No,” and explained the types of songs I’d been singing and the performances. He looked a little doubtful and, walking back to his sheet music on the piano, rifled through it before slapping a page back down decisively.

Turning back to me, he said, "Alright. I'll need to hear ya so choose a song ya know well and sing it." He sat down on the piano stool to listen.

Without hesitation, I chose one I considered suitable for entertaining the troops. I sang Irving Berlin's  'Top Hat, White Tie and Tails', made famous by Fred Astaire in the 1935 comedy, 'Top Hat'.

"I just got an invitation through the mails:

"Your presence requested this evening, it's formal
A top hat, a white tie and tails"
Nothing now could take the wind out of my sails
Because I'm invited to step out this evening
With top hat, white tie and tails

"I'm puttin' on my top hat
Tyin' up my white tie
Brushin' off my tails...."

At the end of the chorus, Alistair waved a hand in the air and stood up. Walking closer, he said “You’re going to be performing for the troops overseas. They’re not going to want that. Stand there. Listen,” he sat down at the piano and, playing along, sang the soulful, 'I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)', a song written by Roy Turk and made famous by Harry James in 1944, followed by re-releases by Bing Crosby and, later, Shirley Bassey, among others.

"I’ll get by as long as I have you
Though there’ll be rain and darkness too
I’ll not complain, I’ll see it through
Though you may be far away, it’s true
Say, what care I dear, I'll get by as long as I have you..."

“I've never sung anything like that,” I said. It was a new venture for me to not be the ‘song and dance girl’ and was to feel quite different to stand on stage in a ball gown to sing.

“You will be in the next hour!” He said and, with that, we set to work. He chose a number of songs to suit my voice and, from thereon, we became firm friends. He was to teach me so much.

Years later, after my move to Australia, we met again in the Channel 9 Studios.