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Please see the thread; The Sandow Family Circus Variety History.
Trafford and Parnell formed one excellent partnership in Variety and Pantomime, grand stage actors and comedians and show producers. Known to the business as Actor Managers. We had the great pleasure working for Tommy and Ronnie in several engagements one being the pantomime (see poster) for the Southport Theatre and another being for the summer season at Leisureworld Bridlington 1987. Ronnie was a very good tap-dancer and Tommy was a very good pantomime Dame. Both worked together of course. This photograph is of Tommy signed and given to our daughter who also managed a small walk-on part at Southport for him. Wonderful old comic sketches occur in ‘pantos’ so here I reproduce one that went something like this!
Pantomime Dame enters to see the Woodsman. ‘When Mr Woodsman will you repay the pound for the chicken that you purchased on credit? (Woodsman) ‘When your son Idle Jack pays to me the pound he borrowed so that then I can afford to repay the pound I owe to you’! (Dame) ‘That lazy boy, I will have words when I find him’
The band-leader; ‘and Idle Jack also owes one pound to me as well that he borrowed to pay the Woodsman and I must have that to pay the pound I owe to the King’!
Enter the King. What is all this commotion? (Woodsman) ‘Your Majesty. I am complaining about the pound that Idle Jack still owes to me so that I may settle with his mother for the chicken I purchased from her on credit.
The King; ‘indeed Woodsman, but not until you settle your debt to me in back taxes to my treasury of one pound.’
Enter Idle jack to large cheers from the audience; ‘Hello chillblains! (Hello Idle Jack shouts the children). The King. ‘It seems everybody owes one pound all round starting with you Idle jack. You must pay the pound that you owe to the Woodsman so that he may pay into my treasury, but first you must repay the loan to the band-leader so that he may settle the dept he owes to me!
Idle Jack; Serpently your Majority! I need a pound so I will go to Wonga! ‘No you will not go to Wonga (replied the King). ‘Alright your Maggoty, may I ask that you loan to me one pound for just one minute? Now mother, here is the pound that I owe to the Woodsman, so please give it to him. Now Woodsman give the pound to my mother to settle your dept to her for the chicken. Now mother give the pound back to the Woodsman so that he may settle his tax dept to the Treasury. Now Woodsman pay His Royal Shyness. Now Majestic that is the pound owed to you by the Woodsman and the pound owed to the Band-leader will give to you to settle his dept. The King; ‘that is corect Jack, that settles the pound I loaned to him last week so I shall keep it’. Idle Jack; ‘There, I have paid all of my depts and it has cost me nothing! (Everybody says; ‘but what about the chicken? Enter Bernie Clifton!)
A pantomime winter season at the Southport Theatre1982/3
A very special Variety function for the Solihull Rotary Club with the Lady Mayoress in attendance. Sheila is within the press photo patting a Chimpanzee, one of the novelty acts supplied by Billy Dash.