The Billet Article - Presidential

This article is taken from The Billet Issue - 404 - Sep 2005, Authored by Melvyn Shalks

Presidential

Hi Again,

You may remember I told you that I did a double act with my sister, a friend and Christine.

The pros were - my sister who lived sixty miles away. Free holidays on winning Christine, we could rehearse more and free holidays on winning.

My Friend Irving Roy, an Al Jolson nut - We could rehearse more. He was experienced in stagecraft etc etc.

The cons were my sister looked good but had no stage presence. Christine looked good, performed well but hated it. She was no extrovert. I find its best to choose the right assistant in a double act. Irving and I won through to the semi finals at Butlins.

The act went great up to the semis but we died at the Metropole Blackpool. We tried to perform a fast illusion act on a postage stamp stage. Murray who was in the audience told us that the flower display that we usually finished with was missing. The reason was that we did not have enough room.

There was a frightening incident at the Skegness finals. I was in the sword cabinet surrounded by blades. The stage had a significant rake and I was set behind the front tabs. The comedian in front of the tabs was going a bomb and I suddenly felt the cabinet starting to roll downstage. I couldn't move. I couldn't yell. What could I do? I had visions of ending up, at speed, in the orchestra pit.

Would I spoil or enhance the comedian's act? Would I help the percussion with my journey to the pit?

For these answers, read this column next month.

Mel

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