A darkened stage, By Tracey Vale

We returned from Kenya to our homeland with only a week to spare before Will Hammer's production of Cinderella was to begin. I was back to performing 'Disney style', with full, petticoated gowns  replacing the modern ballgowns and we were thrown into the cold of a British winter after the often relentless heat of Africa.

I was interviewed for an article promoting Bournemouth’s Cinderella, just prior to the show opening. It featured a number of photographs and gave a lighthearted account of the fitting of the glass slipper. Audiences filled the theatre night after night and I was loving every moment.

I felt truly blessed to be playing Cinderella and to have had the security and enjoyment as a soubrette in summer shows. The costumes and sets were beautiful and the theatre was huge and with the typical grandeur of a number one theatre. I felt so at home there.

In the mornings, I loved to walk onto the darkened stage alone. With only the slight echo of my footsteps, I would then stand at centre stage and look out over the shadowy depths of empty, expectant seats. Only thin wisps of light glowed from  the exit signs. A hush fell as my footsteps faded. “Magic,” I thought, every time. Years later I read an account of this very same feeling in a book about Noel Coward. He liked to do the same thing and felt an awing sense of how special it was to stand alone on a darkened stage in contrast to what it was to become on performance nights.

Kenya and the Mau Mau, By Tracey Vale

The Mau Mau, were an anti-colonial group who instigated the rebellion, known as the Mau Mau Uprising, in 1952. Rebel leader, Deden Kimathi, was captured on October 21, 1956, only two weeks  before our arrival in Kenya. His capture signalled defeat for the Mau Mau and the end to the British military campaign against the rebellion.

One of the soldiers told us that Kimathi had been found in the jungle and was wearing a tiger skin as a disguise. We had also been informed that the Mau Mau were highly dangerous and that, before retiring for the night, we should shift heavy furniture behind the doors of our rooms for added protection. As we travelled, we saw many villages burnt out and were informed that this was the work of the Mau Mau. We also heard terrifying stories of killings and torture.

Despite the claim that the rebellion was over, however, the Mau Mau  continued to be oppressed by colonisation and were yet to have their original grievances met. They were forced to remain in concentration camps, termed a policy of ‘villagisation’ by the British Government where they were to be rehabilitated, or so the British propaganda went. In truth, they were held in huge camps surrounded by fences and barbed wire. Deep trenches surrounded each camp with barbs in their bases. Diseases spread quickly under unsanitary conditions and malnutrition and torture were rife.

Land reform was still necessary and the economic grievances, such as this, still failed to be acknowledged, let alone met. It was Kenya’s fertile land that attracted the British to Kenya in the 1890’s, with rebellion for land reform occurring from that time on. The Mau Mau uprising followed a series of revolts caused by oppression of its original inhabitants. Land had been allocated in such a way as to give Europeans the most, with limited amounts left for the inhabitants, forcing them to continue to be lowly paid workers, unable to better their position.

The Mau Mau seemed to be everywhere in Kenya and we continued to be ‘on guard’ as per our warnings. We travelled a lot, even by train from Nairobi to Mombassa and saw a great deal of the country.

We did some shows in Mombassa on a makeshift stage near the beach. There was a tent allocated as our dressing room and we were warned that we had more to fear than rebel Mau Mau. We were told “Watch out for snakes and Mombassa trains!”

“Mombassa trains?” we’d asked, having just arrived on one that seemed perfectly safe.

“No, no!” A soldier informed us. “These are huge centipedes.”

It was not long before we saw one—and they were indeed huge. The tent became inundated with them and we had to shake out costumes thoroughly before donning them, with centipedes flying out with each swish of fabric.

Moving on again, we stayed near Nakura, in motel-style accommodation and soon discovered that the actor, Victor Mature, was also staying there. Nicknamed ‘The Hunk’, Mature was a leading American actor who had become one of Hollywood’s busiest since World War Two with starring roles in My Darling Clementine; Kiss of Death; Samson and Delilah and The Egyptian, among others.

As he stayed holed up in his room unless he was filming, the army boys wanted to force him out. They thought it would be hilarious sport to have the man who usually portrayed powerful and fearless characters, to be fooled into the opposite extreme. We were duly warned that a mock attack was to take place to test the so-called fearless film star. That night, pretending to be Mau Mau rebels, a group of soldiers stormed, banging, shouting and crashing outside the back of his room. We witnessed the result through a gap in our curtains, stifling laughter at the sight of the six-foot-two man racing out of his room in a terrified frenzy and running, screaming for help, in a white night-shirt.

Following our return home to England, we were interviewed about our experiences in Kenya. The article was as follows:

'The Sharratts were subject to a certain amount of danger from Mau Mau, especially during their trip through the Baharti Forest, which some girls in there party elected not to undertake.

'One remote base was Gil Gil (Windy) inhabited by 98 men. Ninety-six soldiers saw their show--the other two had to remain on guard."

'"In all these bases," said Paul, "There was a great spirit. It gave us a good feeling of doing something worthwhile."

'"After the show we would go to the messes for parties, which usually lasted all night and during which the show started all over again."

'One day their bathing costumes were stolen--by monkeys. The monkeys took the costumes from a verandah on their seafront bungalow, then buried them in the back garden.

'Paul and Joan are both from Walsall. Both are 24 and their puppet act has been going strong for three years.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Mau_Uprising

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001514/bio

Cyprus to East Africa, By Tracey Vale

Our tour in Cyprus was to take over from that of Frankie Howerd and his group. Frankie Howerd was a British comic actor and comedian in film, television and stage. He was later to be known famously for his most successful film roles in ‘Up Pompeii’ and the ‘Carry On’ movies and was termed a ‘comic genius’. He’d been touring in Cyprus, while we were in Aden, when tragedy struck one of his co-touring soubrettes. Her accidental death occurred while travelling between shows. She was shot and killed by the soldier seated, for their protection, directly behind her in the vehicle, his weapon, armed and ready, firing through the seat. As a result, Frankie had requested a return home and he and his fellow entertainers left Cyprus shortly before our arrival. Our tour was to take over from his and also meant a longer stay on the island.

At the beginning of 1956, Britain had 17000 troops situated in Cyprus. This was to rise to 20000 by December of the same year. A number of U.S. Navy personnel were also there and worked closely with the British to assist with electronic intelligence.

We toured Cyprus, performing on makeshift stages for British troops billeted in Famagusta, on the east coast, in the capital, Nicosia and on the coast in northern Cyprus at Kyrenia Castle. The castle, a huge, high walled structure resembling more of a compound than a castle, had been built by the Venetians in the 16^th century. It was now under British control and remained so for the duration of the EOKA turmoil.

Our next stop was Malta near the end of October, followed by a long trip to East Africa via Aden airways, arriving at Eastleigh Airport in Nairobi in early November. We were to continue our “It’s English” tour, performing primarily for British troops in Kenya. Our first performance in East Africa was on November 5 at Kahawa and we were moving on to Nyeri the following day. We stayed in hotel accommodation at the New Stanley Hotel and the Norfolk Hotel, both in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the Mawingo Hotel “on the slopes of Mount Kenya”, as its brochure espoused. Our longest stays were in Nairobi, where I consistently fainted, on at least a daily basis, due to the high altitude.

Cyprus, By Tracey Vale

Despite being sent to Cyprus for our safety, it was soon evident that our new destination was just as volatile, if not worse. Cyprus was a military base for the British and they wanted to keep it that way, especially since they had withdrawn from Egypt. Cyprus represented the only British 'holding' in the Eastern Mediterranean and was therefore a strategic base. The island was also being used as a launch point for the Suez Crisis, which meant not only were we not escaping that battle, but were in the midst of another.

Since World War Two, Greek Cypriots wanted to become part of Greece. Britain had made some concessions over the years but still maintained power, with the British governor maintaining his place as the overall leader of Cyprus. Cyprus had been annexed by Britain in 1914 and had become a crown colony in 1925.

The Greek Cypriots had become increasingly dissatisfied and, in 1955, an organisation had been formed to demand independence from Britain by violent means. Meanwhile, by 1956, the Greek Cypriot police force had been boosted by Turkish Cypriots, who then formed the majority. This in turn led to the formation of an organisation which demanded the partition of Cyprus, rather than ceding the entire island to Greece. Partition was desired by Turkish Cypriots and also by Turkey.

Guerilla warfare continued through 1956 between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. Britain had formed a paramilitary police force comprised of Turkish Cypriots and fought to maintain their hold over Cyprus. As a result, we discovered that it was a very scary place to be. Everywhere we went, travelling in a combie van, we had a military escort vehicle in front of us and another behind us. As most of the fighting occurred in the villages, we had to hunker down on the floor of the vehicle as it passed through these townships. At these points, a soldier walked on either side of our van. The danger around us was very evident.

Also at the time of our visit, young people on motorbikes would throw home-made bombs and we had been warned that we were potential, if not accidental, targets. Each morning we received a memo from the War Office delivered to our hotel room. This would state where we could or could not go for that day. On one particular day, Alistair, Paul and myself wanted to go to the shop situated just  around the corner to purchase postcards. Due to its close proximity, we didn’t see the harm and set out on a short walk. We selected and paid for the postcards and, stepping back out into the quiet street, we noticed a group of young men on motorbikes near the opposite end. Seeing us, they sped forward and began hurling something through the air towards us.

Remembering the bomb warnings, we instinctively sheltered our heads with our arms. Alistair yelled out in his thick Scottish accent “Just pretend ya haven’t noticed!” With that, he took off at full speed. Looking after him for just a second, Paul and I sped off after him, a difficulty for me as I was wearing high heels. “Run for ya lives!” Alistair turned his head sharply to check that we were close behind. The objects continued to be hurled in our direction, bouncing off walls and poles, with the odd one hitting our limbs.

“Don’t worry—they’re only stones,” called Paul, as we continued to run from the showering debris. We realised with considerable relief that they were stones, and not bombs, but were suitably humbled at the thought of what they very well could have been. Despite this and other experiences, it was an exciting time, although it should have, in hindsight, been terrifying. It was simply part and parcel of what we were doing and, I think, having grown up during the air raids of World War Two, we were ‘acclimatised’ to a great degree.

Sources

http://www.rhinocarhire.com/The-Varosha-Blog/Cyprus-Time-Line.aspx

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm

"It's English!" By Tracey Vale

We left early on October 25, 1956, from London, destined for Aden, and flying with British Aviation Services, or Britavia, on a Hermes aircraft. This was the first of many tours we were to do for the War Office and many took us over on R.A.F planes. The commercial flight for our first tour was far more desirable, not to mention quiet, by comparison. Often, we didn't know the places we were to entertain in and there was often, too, a last minute change of plans, usually owing to a crisis or something similar. Little did we know that a crisis was about to erupt.

Aden was hot, dry and virtually treeless. The name of the hotel we were to stay in at Steamer Point, Aden, was apt--The Rock Hotel. However, the huge bay that Aden sits on is spectacular and faces an island of inactive volcanoes. It is Yemen's economic capital and consists of a number of towns including the commercial centre, Crater, so named because of its position at the base of a volcanic  crater. Its walls form a backdrop of dark grey lava rock rising high above the town.

British influence began in Aden, the biggest sea port in Yemen, in 1839 when the British East India Company landed there with marines to control piracy of their goods, which had formerly been under attack near the port. The Aden port then became an important transportation route between British India and the Red Sea. It was also an important coaling station, this coming to fruition with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Aden was governed as part of British India prior to 1937 and, from April 1, 1937, became a separate Crown Colony of the United Kingdom up until 1963. It was then reconstituted as part of the New Federation of South Arabia, becoming the State of Aden.

Despite Aden being a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom, the population, when we were there in 1956, consisted of just over 100 000 Arabs compared to 4500 Europeans. Other demographics included under 1000 Jews, around 11000 Somalians and 16000 Indians. We even discovered the 'Australian Shop', situated on The Crescent at Steamer Point and with proprietor Shilay Yahooda. The store stocked silk and ready-made 'Ladies and Gents' goods.

Only three months prior to our arrival, the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, had announced the nationalisation of the Suez Canal to fund the Aswan Dam, a project the United States and britain had refused to finance. Also, since his rise to leadership in 1954, Nasser had aimed to remove the British from Egypt. Britain and France were major shareholders in the company that ran the canal and Egypt received only a minimal portion of profits. Their control of the canal was also symbolic of western dominance.

It has been said since that Nasser's action, followed by the subsequent events, changed the world and marked the end of Britain's reign as a stand-alone world power. Within only months, it was also to spell the end of Eden's role as British Prime Minister, although he cited ill health at the time.

The announcement alarmed Eden, provoking him into immediate negotiations with France and Israel. The canal was also strategic for Israel as a passage to Asia and Africa and they had been incensed recently by Egyptian blockades. A world conference was organised to plan the international management of the canal but Nasser refused to attend and rejected the idea.

On the 24th of October, the same day we had been photographed and interviewed by the newspapers concerning our '10000 miles' trip, a secret plot was signed in Paris involving Britain, France and Israel. The plan was that Israel was to attack the Egyptian military as a pre-cursor for French and British intervention. It was to appear that the latter nations would step in to demand a stop to the fighting and as a means of taking over control of the canal by consequence.

Innocently, we arrived in what was to become a war-zone. We unpacked our belongings at the hotel, did a little sight-seeing and familiarised ourselves with our new stage and dressing rooms. Arthur English, whose rise to fame was due in part to his popular role as principal comic in London's famous Windmill Theatre since 1949, was hilarious on and off the stage and we were to learn so much from him. He had also featured on radio with BBC's Variety Bandbox and performed in clubs, pantomimes and summer shows. From the 1970's , he was to star in a number of television series including his greatest success in 'Are You Being Served'. One of his signature themes was to dress flamboyantly for the stage wearing a huge, multi-coloured tie, which did much to enhance his six-foot stature.

Following our performance, we were required to alternate between the Officer's Mess and that of the other ranks. The first night, we visited the Officer's Mess and spoke with both the officers and their wives. Being actors, we would speak to them in our 'posh' voices and, on the alternate nights with the other ranks, we became and sounded very common. Arthur English played up to this magnificently.

In the Officer's Mess, he would maintain an exaggerated posh, English accent for a full three hours. "Oh, yes," he would drawl, dressed in an evening jacket and cravat. "Absolutely marvelous!" The following night, dressed casually, he donned a completely different personality to fit in with the others. He would greet the other ranks, who were more natural and so different from the officers, with "'Ow ya goin' there cop?". Each separate set of army personnel genuinely believed he was the character he so effortlessly portrayed to them.

Our shows were appreciated with loud applause but the locals of Aden didn't seem to like us. One morning, I had placed my sunglasses on the balcony ledge and accidently brushed them off, where they fell to the ground below. Looking down to see where they had landed, a man looked up at me with hostility in his eyes. Without removing his stare, he trod on the glasses, twisting his foot to smash them completely. I stepped back from my view of him and took a few deep breaths.

On the morning of October 29, one of the R.A.F. officers offered to take us into Crater for some shopping. Paul, Alistair and I agreed enthusiastically and boarded the proffered military vehicle. He took us to see the Coca Cola factory first, then into Crater. The streets were impossibly quiet, which the Officer also thought was unusual, as he pulled to one side of the main street and let us out. All was silence. There was no-one around. We walked up and down the narrow streets of shops but all were closed. By about the fifth lane along, we could hear noise and muffled voices. Walking closer, we could make out a large group of Arabs gathered around a radio. 

"Turn around," the Officer with us whispered urgently, realising what was happening. "Walk quietly away!" We made it stealthily back to the end of the lane when a military truck pulled up roughly and the men inside literally scooped us up into the back while the officer with us ran to his vehicle. The truck pulled away in a scurry of dust and squealing wheels.

Our hearts were pounding at this sudden action and we were yelled at by the army personnel. "What the bloody hell are you doing here!" The Officer should not have taken us in and was to face some form of disciplinary action once he returned to base. The radio the Arabs had been huddled over was announcing the beginning of a war: the Suez Crisis. 

Israel had invaded Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, with troops moving rapidly forward to the canal. By the 31st, Britain and France began their bombing campaign, leading to the retaliation by Nasser--the sinking of 40 ships. As a result of the unrest, we were sent immediately to Cyprus.

References

•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Aden
• http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/crater.shtml Crater and Aden
• http://www.onstuis.co.uk/crater.html Crater
• Suez: A very British crisis (BBC) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/6045808.stm
• Timeline: The Suez crisis (BBC) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5194576.stm
• Suez: End of Empire (BBC) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5199392.stm
• Arthur English 1919-1995 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257583/

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.

"Stars on Strings" in Summer Shows By Tracey Vale

Married life was a happy and busy time. We were fortunate to have Chesney Allen as our agent and equally fortunate to have been introduced to Will Hammer. Work was booked in and our way ahead looked rosy and stable, unlike that of many actors struggling against the popularity of the small screen.

I adored Paul and believed that he adored me. We were a team, having made our way back from Number 3 theatres, also known as ‘the dumps’, and continued to work together in a combined goal of stage success. We stayed in cheap theatrical ‘digs’ or caravans in those early years and travelled by train as we didn’t own a car. Many theatricals travelled by train, so it wasn’t unusual to bump into fellow actors while switching trains at Crewe, or similar. We’d wave greetings on passing and continue to haul our basket, loaded to the brim with puppets, costumes and sound equipment, from train to train.

We were not well paid but it didn’t bother us. “We’re very happy poor,” I would say to Paul as I thrust my arms into a bucket of clothes in warm, soapy water in an effort to do our washing. We were doing what we loved and knew that we would eventually ‘make it’.

The first of Will Hammer’s Summer Season, billed as “Holiday Highlights” was held at the Winter Garden Theatre in Eastbourne and was produced by Mildred Challenger. The bill featured Sonny Farrar, “5 feet of fun and a banjo” and the popular comedian, Fred Hugh. Also featured, apart from Paul and myself, were John Griffin, Daphne Korner, Victor Dale, Shirley Summers, Terence Delaney, Eleanor Beam’s Young Ladies and Terry Graves.

Paul and I acted as feeds to the comics in the sketches ‘All Scotch’, ‘Rhythm on the Range’ and ‘Easter Parade’, in which I also danced and sang. During the show I sang a duet with Terry Delaney and, later, Paul and I featured our puppet act ‘Stars on Strings’. It was a full night of fun, laughs and general entertainment and we were all well received by our audience. The show was featured nightly at 8.15, running for a week before moving on to Felixstowe.

The morning after our first night in Eastbourne, the paper ran a glowing review and featured a photo taken of the Easter Parade scene, a lavish tribute to the early 1900s. Paul was always quick to collect the paper and proceeded to read it out to me over our morning coffees.

“’The first edition of “Holiday Highlights” which opened on the Monday evening at the Winter Garden was full of surprises,’” he read, smiling. “’Suddenly, without warning, a highlight would shine out in unexpected fashion and draw rounds of applause.’”

He continued, but not before glancing over at me as if to say this is our bit. “’The most outstanding of these was Daphne Korner, a coloratura soprano. Then Joan Sharratt, with every suggestion of a lively soubrette, suddenly switched into a puppeteer and, a turn or two later, threw in a few steps of ballet dancing.’” He sped over the rest, giving me a summary of the remainder of the first half of the show, finishing with the mention of several rounds of applause for the Rhythm of the Range act.

“It’s a good review,” I said, smiling back at him as I cleared away the breakfast dishes.

“Wait just a minute—I get a mention here!” He cleared his throat and straightened his back to sit a little taller in the chair. “’After a long interval, Fred Hugh, in charge of a glee party, interrupted by Sonny Farrar, brought back laughter but it was not until Joan and Paul Sharratt produced their singing puppets, culminating with Archie Andrews, that the house was really sitting up again.’” He beamed. “How’s that?”

“Very good. We’ve come a long way from those ‘dumps’!” I kissed him on the top of the head and continued clearing up. “Anything in the other paper?” I asked, seeing that he’d put the first aside, but not before cutting the article and picture out, and had skipped to the entertainment section of the other.

“A small piece—but a good one, all the same,” he answered without looking up. “It reads ‘Last night they were generous to a live, vigorous and slickly produced performance by a company already well-drilled’,” he paused, skipping a few superfluous lines. “’They are in the main a youthful company. Exceptions are the two leading comics Sonny Farrar—an alacritous dwarf of a man with a winsome look and a boxful of mannerisms—and Fred Hugh, his phrenetic foil, who has an extremely successful time in a “single” just before the interval.’”

“Oh and here’s our mention,” he continued. “’A novelty number, skilfully staged and lighted to give a third dimensional effect saw Joan and Paul Sharratt give a charming and evocative display of puppet handling. Especially good was a synchronised dancing routine by three can-can marionettes to a gramophone record.’” He beamed again, before clipping the second article and adding it to the former.

                                      *        *        *        *

“SNAP, RHYTHM AND ZEST ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS” was the headline promoting Will Hammer’s Summer Revue, ‘Holiday Highlights’ with its move to another of his seaside theatres, this time at Ranelagh Theatre in Felixstowe.

The show was to feature our puppet act once again and we’d just received the news that an additional puppet we had ordered was ready for collection. Having already rehearsed the puppet’s part, we were ready to include him in the new show. Our puppets were hand-carved and made by Roy Snowdon. The new puppet was given a mention in the article.

“Billy Daniels, the coloured singer, is a new puppet making his first appearance in Joan and Paul Sharratt’s impressive act, “Stars on Strings”.”

The article and other efforts did much to promote the show, with record numbers achieved. “Well seasoned with fun, music and dancing, the second edition of “Holiday Highlights” at the Ranelagh Theatre should be much to the liking of holiday-makers,” it read. The article went on to describe the music, themes, costumes and lighting, painting a very positive picture.

“One of the outstanding features is the song scene, “Minstrel Memories”. Producer Mildred Challenger’s creative ability has given this number an ingenious modern touch. It has snap and rhythm and altogether is a colourful and exciting presentation in which many of the popular tunes of the South are sung with zest by a well-drilled company, whose enthusiasm soon gets across the footlights to the audience.

“In marked contrast are “Waltztime”, with its quiet charm and graceful movement, and “Romany Rendezvous”, with its gay and romantic gypsy atmosphere. The costumes are most pleasing to the eye and there is good stage lighting to enhance the effect of the imposing sets. Members of the company who sing and dance so engagingly in one or other of these two numbers are Daphne Korner, John Griffin, Shirley Summers, Joan and Paul Sharratt, Terry Delaney and Eleanor Beam’s Six Highlights.”

The show at Ranelagh had a slightly different programme from the previous “Holiday Highlights” at Eastbourne’s Winter Garden. The complete company was on stage for the introduction and second segment. The third, “Romany Rendezvous” featured comedic sketches, singing and dancing from Paul and myself as well as Daphne Korner, John Griffin, Shirley Summers and The Six Highlights.

Paul featured in the eighth segment, a comedy routine, where he rudely interrupted Sonny Farrar. They are also accompanied by Fred Hughes before the complete company goes on stage once again for the musical number “Minstrel Memories”.

A number of segments followed the interval including our “Stars on Strings”, complete with the new addition. The segment “Waltztime” also featured the entire company.

The comic performances were also included in the article to entice potential audiences. “There is a strong vein of comedy running throughout the show, and a high spot is reached with “Phun in a Pharmacy”. Fred Hugh is seen as a chemist experimenting with original ideas of salesmanship, which produce most disconcerting consequences for Sonny Farrar as his long-suffering victim, who has to demonstrate the efficacy of a whole range of cures from a mud pack to castor oil!”

Two days before the show was to begin, we were approached by a newspaper to feature us and our puppet act in the entertainment section titled ‘Echoes of the week’. Naturally, we agreed and were duly interviewed. In other interviews I’d noticed Paul subtly taking over, even where the questions were directed at me. His other trick, as had happened more than once before, was to mislead, exaggerate or lie in some way so as to promote himself. He would wink at me afterwards and say “All in the name of marketing” or “It’s all about business and perceptions” or some such similar wording.

On this occasion, the interviewer began by asking us about the puppets themselves, who they were modelled after and what part they would play in the performance. The article began in this vein.

“The Beverley Sisters will be appearing at the Ranelagh Theatre next week. Not in person, let me hasten to add, but through the medium of puppetry. The sisters are among a number of famous personalities in the entertainment world who are being introduced by Joan and Paul Sharratt to the patrons of “Holiday Highlights” this Summer. Billy Daniels, the coloured singer, Alf and Bob Pearson and Max Bygraves and Archie Andrews are included among their ‘Stars on Strings’.”

Paul then went into great detail about the technical difficulty and skill required when the interviewer asked about the technique of manipulating the puppets. This resulted in the article reporting that “no fewer than 20 strings have to be pulled to bring Max Bygraves and Archie Andrews to “life” in their song and tap dance number”. On average, nine to 10 strings were attached to each puppet.

Further to this, he exaggerated about the number of puppets we had lined up for the show and that we had 100 puppets to choose from. The article then stated “Paul and Joan have quite an impressive “family” of puppets and some 30 of these will take to the stage at the Ranelagh this summer”. The truth was that we could only afford the few puppets we had and almost all of these were to be in the show—a total of eight with a couple of spares. This didn’t sit well with me as surely he could see that the proof was in the show—there were nowhere near 30 puppets featured in our act—but, alas, I kept quiet and went along with it as I always had. It meant keeping the peace and maintaining that equilibrium of mood and happiness for the other person or people involved, something I had learned as a child and something which had become a larger part of my self conscious than I may have realised.

It was Paul’s voice that continued to dominate the article, a bleating of his ability and knowledge and, in so doing, my part or presence was considerably overshadowed and left primarily in the background. I didn’t mind this so much at the time as I loved to see him happy and felt comfortable in my own experience and ability to date. In short, I wasn’t the type to ‘brag’. However, there still remained an ounce of discomfit that I kept to myself.

The wording of the continuing article made it sound, thanks to Paul, as though I had been the pupil while he was the one to lead us to a certain level of popularity. He would never allow it to be known that this was the other way around and that I had adapted to his idea of a puppet show in order to encourage him and to lead the way into co-working on the stage.

“Of course, audiences in theatres all over the country have already met the puppets and many thousands saw them “over the air” when they were televised from the Radio Show at Earl’s Court last year. Paul told me this week,” the article read, following this description of our popularity that we really had no way of knowing. “That he learned the rudiments of working puppets while at school and taught Joan the art when, after having previously been on the stage as individual artistes, they “went into partnership” in 1952.”

Further still, the article went on to say that Paul had made most of the puppets himself. I don’t know why he felt it necessary to lie about this but I could hardly correct him in front of the reporter. “Incidentally,” it read, “Paul has made several of the puppets himself but in some cases the heads and hands of the “little people” are the work of a Rochester artist.”

An additional programme also featured at the Ranelagh Theatre, known as the ‘third edition’ of the show. This one featured 20 segments compared to the previous 17. Paul featured in one of the additional segments, “What’s Yours?”, along with Fred Hugh, Terry Delaney, Sonny Farrar and Daphne Korner.

As in the first edition of the show in Eastbourne, I was featured in a duet with Terry Delaney, singing “There’s Something in That”. The pianist, Victor Dale, featured in a solo, as does Daphne Korner. Our “Stars on Strings” were again featured in the second half of the show and both Paul and I also featured with the cast in the musical segment, “In Lilac Time”.

Following the first night of this programme, Paul had already cut out a new review and was bursting with enthusiasm to read it out to me when I sat down to breakfast. “It’s another good review,” he said, smiling and taking a sip of his tea before beginning to read the short article.

“Good Holiday Fun at Felixtowe,” he read the title with flourish. “Paris and London are the settings for two effective numbers in the new edition of this spirited summer show. There are colourful and tuneful scenes, pleasing both to the eye and ear.

“The Parisian number is gay and vivacious, a highlight being the saucy song and dance by Shirley Summers assisted by the Eleanor Beam’s Young Ladies.

“”The London We Love” ranges effectively from the romantic to the boisterous and mirrors several facets of London life, including the flower girl, costers, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and the Teddy Boy with a spot of good fun from Sonny Farrar as a pert barrow boy and Fred Hugh as a jovial policeman.”

At this point, Paul raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a happy smirk before reading on. “In their engaging puppet act, “Stars on Strings” Joan and Paul Sharratt introduce Eartha Kitt and the Beverley Sisters. Songs by Daphne Korner and John Griffin prove very popular with the audience and Terence Delaney is joined by Joan Sharratt in an appealing song and dance “There’s Something in That”.

“Victor Dale, the show’s pianist, takes the stage for a solo spot while Sonny Farrar shows how expert he is on the banjo with Rimsky Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee”.

“Altogether the show is bright and entertaining holiday fare and is strong in comedy with several well presented sketches.”” He finished, beaming. “Now, let’s get down to the beach and meet the others.” He got up from the table and dropped his plate noisily into the sink, before rinsing his hands and waiting expectantly for me to finish and ‘jump to’.

It was wonderful to be performing in these seaside locations. The beach featured enormously in our ‘off time’ and was also used for photography shoots for the local papers. Today, we were heading down for some company, fun and relaxation with the rest of the cast from the show. It was a vast pebbled beach with sandy areas just at the point where the waves broke onto the shore and was to be the scene, a few weeks later, for a photo shoot following Will Hammer’s announcements of his new principals in his upcoming pantomimes.