Palladium Pantomimes by John Cooper

A Recollection

By John Cooper

My first experience of seeing Charlie Cairoli live was not at Blackpool Tower Circus, but in pantomime at the London Palladium sometime in the 1960s. The show was Aladdin, with Cliff Richard in the title role. Naturally, The Shadows—Hank Marvin, Brian Bennett and the late John Rostill—were involved, appearing as Wishee, Washee, Noshee and Poshee, and providing the musical score. Charlie Cairoli took the role of Chief Inspector Bathrobe, with his company forming part of the Peking Police Force, alongside Johnny Hutch and The Voltants.

For this production, Charlie’s company consisted of Jimmy Buchanan, Henry Lytton (then Ringmaster at the Tower Circus), and Paul King, portraying a doddery old character with a heavily bandaged foot that always seemed to get in the way.

Interestingly, although Charlie and the gang contributed to two speciality acts, both were slosh numbers—presumably a cookery theme in the first half and, as I recall, a decorating routine in the second. The absence of a musical slot was probably because it would have required venturing outside the specially composed Shadows score, rather than any contractual clause insisting they be the only musical performers.

Not only did we have slosh routines, but at one point several of the Voltants finished up in the pool in the Palace Garden!

Also appearing in the production—though not as full members of Charlie’s troupe—were Freddie Desmond and Jack Marks, long-serving run-in clowns at the Tower and frequent participants in slosh routines there. At the Palladium they portrayed their clown characters “Dik” and “Dok”, but as they had very little to do, I have often wondered whether they had no pantomime booked and Charlie helped them secure the engagement.

Return to the Palladium

Three years later I was back at the Palladium, this time to see Jimmy Tarbuck in Dick Whittington. Supporting him as travelling clowns were Charlie Cairoli and Company—by then Jimmy Buchanan with Paul Connor as white-face.

This time they had a musical act in the first half and a slosh routine later on, with Paul out of white-face as a chef (and then back in white-face for the finale—he must have loved it!). It appeared to be their standard slosh act, based around a party for Jimmy.

At the performance I attended, something seemed to go slightly wrong. Jimmy was taking great interest in the cream on Charlie’s spatula, and we can all imagine what was meant to happen. Except that Paul was standing directly behind Jimmy—who ducked at the crucial moment. On this occasion Paul caught the lot, on the upper chest rather than full in the face. Consequently, it was even funnier than usual for those on stage, if slightly less so for the audience. Gremlins even attack the great!

Oxford, 1978–79

My next pantomime experience of our hero was in the 1978–79 season, by which time Charlie Jnr had joined his father and Jimmy Buchanan. The venue was the New Theatre (now the Apollo) in Oxford, and once again the pantomime was Aladdin.

I remember chatting to Charlie Jnr over coffee. He told me his father thought he recognised the scenery. On examining the back of it, he discovered it dated from the Palladium production mentioned earlier.

In this production, which had been staged in Liverpool the previous season, Charlie and Company once more joined the Chinese Constabulary and presented a decorating routine early on, with a musical act in the second half. Additionally, Little and Large—as Wishee and Washee—managed to get more than a little wet in the comedy bathroom scene, thanks to Jimmy Currie’s resources.

The Final Sightings

Sadly, this was the last time I saw Charlie. Although I did visit Blackpool Tower Circus in 1979, it was during one of the periods when he was incapacitated. Charlie Jnr and Jimmy were joined by Norman Barrett in the musical act, and by Tim Delbosq in the slosh routine.

Strange, isn’t it, that the first and last shows in which I saw Charlie Cairoli should involve the same scenery?

Isn’t that right… chil’ren?

—John Cooper

EDITOR’S NOTE

John Cooper’s memory has been playing tricks! Desmond and Marks were in the second Palladium pantomime, which was not Dick Whittington but Jack and the Beanstalk. Never mind, John—it did star Jimmy Tarbuck, and we thoroughly enjoyed your reminiscences.