Tales of two contrasting 'dames' who starred on Blackpool stages and how 'super cool' heart-throb David Essex wowed the crowds

The A to Z selection of Blackpool's 20th century stars has reached letter E, writes Barry Band.
Dame Edith Evans OBE pictured in 1970Dame Edith Evans OBE pictured in 1970
Dame Edith Evans OBE pictured in 1970

Evans is the name of our two openers - and there couldn't be a greater contrast. Dame Edith, the classisist, and Norman, the "dame" comedian from Rochdale.

Edith Evans (1888-1976) was often reported to have said that God had never required her to tour - but Blackpool saw her three times in five years.

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We have to wonder how she forgot playing one of her most memorable roles, Lady Bracknell, at the Grand Theatre!

Norman Evans, a comedy greatNorman Evans, a comedy great
Norman Evans, a comedy great

The star, who became Dame Edith in 1946, first came to the Blackpool Opera House in November, 1937, in a play titled Robert's Wife, which opened in London two weeks later and ran for 600 performances.

In August, 1939, Edith Evans was among the starry cast of The Importance of Being Earnest at London's Globe Theatre who packed their trunks to exit the city on the outbreak of WW2.

Blackpool's Grand Theatre was their first call on a provincial tour of the Oscar Wilde play. Dame Edith was Lady Bracknell, John Gielgud was John Worthing, and also in the cast were Peggy Ashcroft, Margaret Rutherford, Jack Hawkins and Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies.

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A further Grand visit by Edith Evans was in October, 1942, on tour in John Van Druten's play Old Acquaintance, after a London season.

David Essex in BlackpoolDavid Essex in Blackpool
David Essex in Blackpool

And now for our other "dame" - Fanny Fairbottom - who famously gossiped over the garden wall to an unseen neighbour in many a Blackpool visit of Norman Evans (1901-1962).

Norman was a salesman and amateur performer discovered by Rochdale's Gracie Fields, whose husband, producer Archie Pitt, put him in a tour with Betty Driver which came to the Grand Theatre in July, 1935.

Norman's second sketch was The Dentist, seen in silhouette behind a gauze screen, with the comedian getting into various positions as he attempted, in grunts and mime, to extract a tooth. The sketch closed with the dentist appearing with a huge tooth in a pair of pliers.

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In 1937 Norman was in the Royal Variety Performance and had settled in Blackpool before the first of his six summer seasons, 1938 at the Blackpool Hippodrome.

Other seasons were at the Opera House, the South Pier (three) and the 1951 season at the Winter Gardens Pavilion.

Norman starred in his own variety tours, Good Evans and Evans Above, which were seen at the old Palace Theatre. He was a noted pantomime dame and was in two more Royal Variety shows, 1947 in London and 1955 at the Blackpool Opera House.

His visual comedy was a hit on television and travelled well. He was booked several times on American TV's Ed Sullivan show.

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Music Man: "Super cool" was a Gazette verdict on David Essex's November, 1974, Opera House concert when his Gonna Make You a Star was topping the charts. And 31 years later he starred at the same theatre for a summer season of the 70s-style musical Boogie Nights 2. Next week Jimmy Edwards, Robert Earl, GH Elliott and Billy Eckstine.