Page 9 - Colin Wheeler's Memories

My Palace Theatre and other Memories Redditch Heritage

He allowed a member of the audience to break a slab of concrete on the chest

with a sledgehammer, and also allowed members of the audience to come up on
stage and play tug of war with the rope looped around his neck. Samson looped a

towel around his fist and drove a 6 inch nail through a 2 inch plank of wood, for
many years my late father never stopped relating how unbelievable it was that he

was he was able to withdraw the nail, it wasn’t until many years later that I
became more aware of the working of the entertainment business that I realized

the plank may have been balsa wood. He then threw out a challenge to any man
in the audience to come up on stage and from a standing position punch him in the
chest and if he could be knocked to the floor he would pay £5 (two weeks wages

at the time). Against all rules of the theatre, Bill Brough, who was employed as
the fly man came down from above the stage and threw him a punch, although it

didn’t floor him hit brought him down on one knee. Afterwards, Samson’s
assistant came to Bill backstage, pressed a 10 shilling note in his hand and said
“Samson said don’t come up again” I should mention that Samson Brown was a

Hungarian who spoke no English and he had a very presentable young man who
stood on the left hand corner of the stage and commentated and translated

during his performance. One of the things he said and remains clearly in my mind
is that Samson attributes his enormous strength to the fact that he never goes

out with ladies, in my childish mind I thought what on earth has that got to do
with it?

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