NextBackI was first involved as a performer at the age of 14 years in 1944 and appeared as a tap dancer with the Show of Shows Company, This was the Elsie Siddele Downing’s Redditch Stage School, during the 1940s she presented a week long show every August and an original pantomime, written by her, every January. The profits were given to charity and she probably put more bums on seats during that period than anyone else in the history of the theatre.
During my teenage years and also well into the fifties, I spent time visiting many theatres to see the stars of the rapidly disappearing variety era, this was partly due to the advent of television and also audience tastes in entertainment, my late father used to say he had seen far better talent at the Palace, than is seen on television, and agreed with him because the old acts had a lifetime to hone their skills.
The photograph shows Colin's Tap Dancing Class
