The Crazy Gang began their long and distinguished career during the 1930s at the London Palladium. They dominated comedy at The Palladium throughout the '30s. During their nine-year reign there had never been another single attraction which had brought people to one theatre in such large numbers over such a long period. Inspired by the free-wheeling plotless revues pioneered by Nervo and Knox with Eddie Gray in the early 1920s, George Black presented his first Crazy Week at the London Palladium in November 1931, starring Nervo and Knox, Naughton and Gold, and Caryll & Mundy. The first show was booked for two weeks and ran for eight months. Crazy Week became Crazy Month when Flanagan and Allen joined the team in June 1932. The 1933 show ran for fourteen weeks and from then until the Blitz of 1940 the Crazy Gang remained in residence. The first production to boast a title was the 1934 edition Life Begins at Oxford Circus. Caryll and Mundy left shortly after Flanagan and Allen came on board, and prior contractual obligations kept the other regulars out of the shows from time to time. One celebrated temporary replacement for Bud Flanagan was Stanley Holloway. During the Second World War the Gang split into its component parts, performing for ENSA all over Europe, with Eddle Gray roaming as far as the Middle East. The other London theatre with which they were long associated was The Victoria Palace Theatre (right, top). Their first show, Together Again, played for 1,566 performances and this was followed by an almost continuous run of Crazy Gang Shows. From 1951, the Gang consisted of Bud Flanagan (Chesney Allen had retired for health reasons), Nervo, Knox, Naughton and Gold, and now Eddie Gray rejoined the team. Nervo and Knox were always the highest paid, as their top billing indicated. By 1959, the Gang had been together for 27 years and were all aged between 60 and 72. They had been threatening to retire for years, but kept being persuaded to do one more show - until their last show together on 19 May 1962. Jimmy Gold's health had caused him to miss most of the final two productions, though he did put in an appearance on that emotional last night of the last show. As one reviewer remarked about their last show at the Victoria Palace in 1962: "Two shows a night like this would kill anybody who had not been brought up as they were - hard-working boys in the business". |
Palladium Shows:
Victoria Palace Shows:
Knights
of Madness 1950 Musical Revue in two acts. Original music and lyrics by Ross Parker; Comedy directed by Charles Henry; Sketches by Con West, Talbot Rothwell and Arthur Rose; Dances and Ensembles arranged by George Carden; Production by Alec Shanks; Orchestra under the direction of Freddie Bretherton; Victoria Palace, London - 16 March, 1950 The cast included:
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Ring Out The Bells 1952 Musical Revue in two acts. Original music and lyrics by Ross Parker; Comady directed by Charles Henry; Dances and ensembles by Joan Davis; Orchestra directed by Freddie Bretherton; Deputy musical Director William Davis; Staged by Alec Shanks. Victoria Palace, London The cast included:
The Gang lost Chesney Allen from their line-up beginning with this show when he retired due to ill health (he eventually outlived all the other members). |
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Jokers
Wild 1954 Musical Revue in two acts. Original music and lyrics by Ross Parker; Comedy by Charles Henry; Dances and musical ensembles by George Carden; Musical director Ronnie Munro; Staged by Alan Shanks. Victoria Palace, London - 16 December 1954 The cast included:
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These
Foolish Kings 1956 Revue devised by Jack Hylton. Comedy Scenes by William Shakespeare and Bud Flanagan; Comedy directed by Charles Henry; Music & Lyrics by Ross Parker; Choreography by Lionel Blair and Colette Brosset; Musical Director - Jack Ansell. Staged by Alec Shanks. Orchestrations by Billy Ternent. Victoria Palace Theatre, London - 18 December, 1958 (882 perfs) The Cast included:
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Clown
Jewels 1959 Musical Revue in two acts. Comedy Scenes by Bud Flanagan and The Gang; Comedy directed by Charles Henry; Original music and lyrics by Ross Parker; Dances and Musical Numbers by Joan Davis; Musical Director Jack Ansell; Staged by Alan Shanks. Victoria Palace, London - March 5th, 1959. The cast included:
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Young
In Heart 1960-62 Revue by Bud Flanagan and the Gang; Music and Lyrics Ross Parker, Bryan Blackburn and Greatrex Newman; Dances and musical numbers by Joan Davis; Musical Director Jack Ansell; Staged by Alan Shanks. Victoria Palace Theatre, London - 21 December, 1960 The Cast included:
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