The Stage

A savage attack

Published Tuesday 9 February 2010 at 11:20

How dare my comedy hero Arthur Smith suggest in his column of January 28 that there are no laughs to be had at a Cliff Richard concert (Singing praises to Hackney Empire, page 11). Has he ever been to one? Certainly, there is nothing funny about the ticket prices at London’s O2 arena, but last year’s Shadows’ golden anniversary gig was full of merry quips -mainly about ageing and fake tans - from the veteran group members. The sainted Sir Cliff even had a pop - pardon the pun - at the oleaginous Piers Morgan who had been seen interviewing him on TV a few days before.

Arthur proffered a fine list of comic songwriters to which I would add Paddy Roberts, the Durban-born former RAF pilot, who gave us The Belle of Bethnal Green and The Ballad of Barking Creek, Berkshire’s Jeremy Taylor whose anti-apartheid numbers resulted in him being banned from South Africa, Yorkshire’s chansonnier Jake Thackray, and Weston and Lee who provided Stanley Holloway with so many of his humorous hits.

Regarding the “musical exit”, I am about to book some banjolele lessons so that when I launch my stand-up act in the summer - David J Savage, the non-PC pensioner - I can end with a song, possibly, Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think).

I am sorry in was not able to join Arthur and the audience at Hackney Empire’s New Act of the Year Final, but I have slipped and broken my ankle, not on a banana skin but on an ungritted pavement during the recent snowy spell.

I wish him and that venue - where once music hall star Marie Lloyd brought laughter to the working classes with songs such as A Little Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good and My Old Man - every success in the future.

David Savage

The Green

South Ockendon

Essex