The co-star’s

Noel Coward

The 1940s ended with an audition for Noel Coward. It was clear from the hordes of hopefuls that there was a lot of competition.

The stage manager ushered me on to audition for the man rightly known as the Master. His designer used to write notes next to names to remind him: “Biblical type – big t*ts,” she allegedly wrote. Not me, no one could say I had religious convictions.

I was told to report for rehearsals in a fortnight.

The Master really was a consummate man of the theatre and you had to be on your toes. When I asked him if it would be all right to wear a fringe, he replied: “Good idea. Hide that vast expanse of forehead.”

Barbara Windsor

In

Tommy Cooper

It was quite tricky working with Tommy Cooper. Being in a sketch with him could be unnerving as you had no idea what he was going to say or do. You just had to throw him a line and hope whatever came back offered you some slender chance of keeping the thread. As far as the audience was concerned, they were invariably helpless with laughter at whatever he did. Learning lines and practising moves held little appeal for Tommy. He’d arrive at rehearsals and launch into one of his tricks. “What d’you think of this?” he’d say. “Might work.” More often than not he’d abandon it. He tended to play by his own rules. He was alleged to have kept an entire production unit waiting once because he found a cafe he liked.

Jimmy Edwards Terry Scott

My Terry and June husband Terry Scott was somewhat accidentprone. One bank holiday he was giving me a lift home from rehearsals in his pink Jaguar when we had one of the strangest motoring mishaps possible.

Suddenly out of an alleyway charged a pair of dray horses, still harnessed to their cart, which scraped along the side of

Terry’s car. Luckily the horses were unhurt and came to a halt in front of a taxi.

Terry’s wife Maggie said he had as many lives as the proverbial cat. There was a scar on his nose from the night h on Edgwar occasion h a transpor safety net

Terry ba seven year and it was died in 199 home tow I manag congre first

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THE MASTER & ME June with theatre great Coward LEGENDS LINE UP June and Barbara with Jack Douglas, Norman Wisdom and Leslie Phillips1952 I was working on new musical, Love From Judy, about an orphan girl who falls for her guardian.Apart from the adults, there were a dozen or so “orphans”. I remember a particularly young, small, blonde orphan, who looked rather like me at her age. Her name was Barbara.As the run progressed the orphans grew up, and out, replaced as soon as they began to develop unwaiflike features, but Barbara stayed for 18 months, with nary a bulge.A short time later I saw her and was amazed by her obvious maturity. I asked:“How did you manage to outlast the other orphans?” “I used to bind ‘em up, didn’t I,” she giggled. Barbara was clearly talented and deservedly enjoyed a brilliant career. OUTSTANDING Barbara in the 1950s SCARY Cooper’s ad-libs QUIPS At the mic for Take It From Here My Take It From Here colleague came close to marrying a very upper-crust lady. They were riding one day when her hunter threw her into a pond. “Help!” cried Jim’s bride-to-be. “What shall I do?” “Throw out the ring,” said Jim. The wedding didn’t take place.And here’s my favourite SCREEN HUBBY Legendary sitcom Terry and June Take It From Here Ron and Eth story that never made it to air. The scene was their wedding night.RON: I’m going to get undressed now, Eth. You’re not to look.(Eth held up her pretty new nightie.)ETH: Ooh Ron, isn’t it lovely. All pink and crinkly.RON: I told you not to look.