Theatre Appearances
This section is currently under development, but will include details of Hancock's stage appearances by year. Over time copies of theatre programmes will be added to the listings. If anyone has a theatre programme not included in this section, please can you email a copy to website@tonyhancock.org.uk.
Theatre Appearances – 1940 – 1949
1940
Spring: Supporting act at Bournemouth’s Avon Road Labour Hall
Summer: Church of the Sacred Heart, Bournemouth
1941
Hancock joins George Fairweather’s Black Dominoes concert party and tours army bases close to his Bournemouth home. He also performs at Boscombe.
1942
Hancock performs in local camp concerts following his call up to the Royal Air Force
1944
May: The Gang Show (featuring Hancock) tours North Africa
June 4: The Gang Show performs at the Jubilee Theatre, Blackpool
August: The No 9 Gang Show tours Italy
1945
May: The No 9 Gang Show returns to the UK after a 12-month tour
July: The No 9 and No 4 Gang Shows are merged and perform in Gibraltar
1946
December 27: The No 4 Gang Show performs in Cairo
1947
Hancock goes on tour with Wings, set up by Ralph Reader, the guiding force behind the Gang Shows
April 28, 1947: One week at Blackpool Opera House
May 5, 1947: One week at Nottingham, Theatre Royal
May 12, 1947: One week at Hull, New Theatre
May 19, 1947: One week at Sheffield, Empire Theatre
May 26, 1947: One week at Birmingham. Theatre Royal
June 2, 1947: One week at Coventry, Hippodrome
June 9, 1947: One week at Newcastle, Empire Theatre
June 16, 1947: One week at Edinburgh, Empire Theatre
June 23, 1947: One week at Liverpool, Empire Theatre
June 30, 1947: Two weeks at Manchester Palace Theatre
July 14, 1947: One week at Brighton, Hippodrome Theatre
July 21, 1947: Two weeks at Southsea, King’s Theatre
August 11, 1947: One week at Plymouth, Palace Theatre
August 18, 1947: One week at Oxford, New Theatre
August 25, 1947: One week at Dudley, Hippodrome Theatre
September 1, 1947: One week at Morecambe, Winter Gardens
Following this tour, Tony had two other engagements in 1947:
September 14, 1947: RAFA Festival of Reunion at the Royal Albert Hall, London
December 25, 1947 – January 24, 1948: Cinderella: Pantomime at Oxford, Playhouse Theatre
1948
April 26 – May 1, 1948: Peace in Our Time: play performed at the Playhouse Theatre, Oxford
July 12 – August 21, 1948: Revudeville No 214 at the Windmill Theatre, London. Tony performed as part of a double act with Derek Scott and performed as ‘Derek Scott and Hank’
September: Churchill’s Cabaret Club, New Bond Street, London (performing as Derek Scott and Hank, two dates)
October: Brixton Empire, Chelsea and East Ham (performing as Derek Scott and Hank, three dates)
December 27 – January 1949: Cinderella at the Dolphin Theatre, Brighton
1949
For 1949, Hancock performed his comedy act as a solo performer. The Derek Scott and Hank collaboration finished in 1948.
April 11, 1949: One week variety at Feldman’s Theatre, Blackpool
June 13 – September 30, 1949: Flotsam’s Follies at Esplanade Concert Hall, Bognor Regis. A recording of this show was broadcast by the BBC on February 20, 1950. Hancock appeared in a sketch entitled The Conjuror
November 19, 1949: One night cabaret at Victoria Hotel, Sidmouth
December 24, 1949: Four weeks pantomime: Cinderella at Woolwich Royal Artillery Theatre, London. A copy of the programme can be seen here
Theatre Appearances 1950 – 1959
1950
February 23, 1950: Election Ball at London Claridges
February 27, 1950: One week variety at Brixton, Empress Theatre
March 6, 1950: One week variety at Chelsea Palace
March 13, 1950: One week variety at London, Metropolitan Theatre
March 27, 1950: One week variety at Blackpool Palace
April 10, 1950: One week Alma Theatre, Luton. Tony Hancock: The Modern Clown
June 17 – September 16, 1950 Ocean Review at Ocean Theatre, Clacton Pier. Excerpts from this show were broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on August 25, 1950
October 2, 1950: One week variety at Birmingham Hippodrome
October 9, 1950: One week variety at Liverpool, Empire Theatre
October 16, 1950: One week variety at Newcastle, Empire Theatre
October 30, 1950: One week variety at Glasgow, Empire Theatre
December 23, 1950 – March 10, 1951: Red Riding Hood at Theatre Royal, Nottingham
1951
May 21, 1951: One week variety at Empire Theatre, Shepherd’s Bush
June 4, 1951: One week variety at Palace Theatre, Reading
July 6, 1951: Midnight matinee variety at Ritz Cinema, Nuneaton
July 9, 1951: One week variety at Palace Theatre, Chelsea
July 16, 1951: One week variety at Palace Theatre, East Ham
July 23, 1951: One week variety at Empire Theatre, Finsbury Park
August 1, 1951: Midnight matinee Big Show for the Small Hours at Century Cinema, Clacton
August 9, 1951: Three nights Music for the Millions at Winter Gardens, Eastbourne
August 20, 1951: One week variety at Empire Theatre, Sunderland
August 26, 1951: One night variety at Spa Theatre, Scarborough
September 17, 1951: Three nights Music for the Millions at Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
September 20, 1951: Three nights variety at Winter Gardens, Eastbourne
September 24, 1951: One week variety at Ritz Cinema, Weymouth
October 1, 1951: One week Educating Archie at the Empire, Nottingham
October 8, 1951: One night variety at Empire Theatre, Edinburgh
October 12, 1951: One night variety at Odeon Theatre, Southampton
October 14, 1951: One night charity performance at the Palace, Walthamstow
October 15, 1951: One week variety at Palace Theatre, Blackpool
October 22, 1951: One week Educating Archie at Opera House, Belfast
November 3, 1951: One night variety at Dome Theatre, Brighton
November 12, 1951: One week Educating Archie at Gaumont, Southampton
November 19, 1951: One week variety at Embassy Theatre, Peterborough
December 3, 1951: One week Educating Archie at Hippodrome, Dudley
December 21, 1951 – January 19, 1952: Archie Andrews Christmas Party (matinees only) at Prince of Wales Theatre, London
1952
January 6, 1952: One night variety at Trocadero, Elephant and Castle
January 13, 1952: One night variety at Gaumont, Lewisham
January 20, 1952: One night variety at Odeon, Barking
February 4, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Sunderland
February 11, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
February 17, 1952: One night charity performance at Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
February 18, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Hackney
February 25, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Palace, Leicester
March 3, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Leeds
March 10, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Granada, Rugby
March 17, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Hippodrome, Birmingham
March 24, 1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Glasgow
March 31,1952: One week Educating Archie at Empire, Liverpool
April 12, 1952 – December 6, 1953: London Laughs at the Adelphi Theatre, London. The production starred Jimmy Edwards, Tony Hancock and Vera Lynn. Excerpts from the show were broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on May13, 1952 at 7.30pm
During the run of London Laughs, Tony also had a few one-night performances, usually on a Sunday:
June 1, 1952: One night variety at Villa Marina, Douglas (Isle of Man)
June 22, 1952: One night Sunday Serenade at Sandown & Shanklin
August 31, 1952: One night variety at Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Filey
December 3, 1952: One night Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. Highlights from the show were broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on November 9, 1952 and a copy of Hancock’s segment is available to hire from the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society Audio Library (only available to members). More details of the show can be seen here.
December: Christmas Cabaret at Windsor Castle.
1953
Throughout 1953, Tony continued to appear in London Laughs with his last show on December 6. From December 7, Tony was replaced by Tommy Cooper until the show finished on February 6, 1954.
December 23, 1953 – February 27, 1954: Cinderella at Theatre Royal, Nottingham
1954
May 17, 1954: One week variety at Hippodrome Theatre, Brighton
Tony’s next big production was The Talk of the Town, which again starred Jimmy Edwards and Tony Hancock, this time with Joan Turner:
June 5 – October 9, 1954: The Talk of the Town at Opera House, Blackpool
November 8 – December 13, 1954: The Talk of the Town at New Theatre, Oxford
November 17, 1954 – December 31, 1955: The Talk of the Town at Adelphi Theatre, London
1955
Throughout 1955, Tony continued to appear in The Talk of the Town other than April 25 to June when he was replaced by first Bonar Colleano and then Dave King. Also, Hancock was replaced by Maria Pavolou from August 22-25. Tony’s last show was on October 31 when he was replaced by King until the show finished on December 19.
During Hancock’s second absence from The Talk of the Town, he had the following engagement:
August 22, 1955: One week variety at Hippodrome Theatre, Coventry
1956
Tony had no stage appearances during 1956
1957
March 15, 1957: One night at the Combined Services Entertainment Show, RAF Wunstorf, West Germany
August 19, 1957: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester
August 26, 1957: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol
September 2, 1957: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham
September 9, 1957: One week The Hancock Show at Empire Theatre, Finsbury Park, London
1958
March 24 – April 15, 1958: Entertaining troops in Malta, Tripoli and Cyprus
July 21, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Regal ABC Theatre, Gloucester
July 28, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Savoy ABC Theatre, Exeter
August 4, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Empire ABC Theatre, Liverpool
August 11, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Globe ABC Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees
October 13, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Savoy ABC Theatre, Lincoln
October 20, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Regal Cinema, Hull
October 27, 1958: One week Tony Hancock in Person at Theatre Royal, Hanley
November 3, 1958: One night Royal Variety Performance at Coliseum, London
1959
Tony had no stage appearances during 1959
Theatre Appearances 1960 – 1967
1960
Circa 1960: Tony appeared in a radio version of Juke Box Jury broadcast by the Patients’ Broadcasting Service of the General Infirmary at Leeds.
1961
February: Two-week tour of Cyprus, Malta and North Africa entertaining troops
March 6, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at Granada, Shrewsbury
March 13, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at Empire Theatre, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
March 20, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at Gaumont, Southampton
March 27, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Brighton
April 3, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol
April 10, 1961: One week The Hancock Show at New Theatre, Oxford
1962
October 8, 1962: One week The Hancock Show at Kings Theatre, Southsea
October 15, 1962: One week The Hancock Show at Empire Theatre, Liverpool
October 22, 1962: One week The Hancock Show at Hippodrome Theatre, Brighton
1963
July 15, 1963: One week Tony Hancock Entertains at Theatre Royal, Nottingham
July 22, 1963: One week Tony Hancock Entertains at Palace Theatre, Manchester
July 29, 1963: One week Tony Hancock Entertains at Grand Opera House, Leeds
A copy of the Playbill can be seen here
August 6 – September 28, 1963: Swingalong at Palladium Theatre, London
1964
Tony had no stage appearances during 1964
1965
June 28 – August 7, 1965: Fatal Fascination at London Talk of the Town
August 30, 1965: One week The Hancock Show at Kings Theatre, Southsea. The programme can be viewed here
October 4, 1965: One night The Hancock Show at The Pavilion, Torquay
November 2, 1965: Three weeks cabaret at Chevron Hilton Hotel, Sydney
1966
February 14, 1966: One week Tony Hancock Tour of Scotland at Theatre Royal, Dundee
February 21, 1966: One week Tony Hancock Tour of Scotland at Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen
February 28, 1966: One week Tony Hancock Tour of Scotland at an unknown theatre in Glasgow
September 5, 66: One week The Show of the Stars at Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
September 22, 1966: One night at The Royal Festival Hall, London. This show was televised and a copy is available to hire from the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society DVD library (only available to members)
December 1966: Four weeks cabaret at Mandarin Hotel, Hong Kong
1967
June 18, 1967: Four nights variety at Batley Variety Club, Batley
June 25, 1967: One night Celebrity Concert at Princess Theatre, Torquay
July 2, 1967: One night variety at Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man
July 17, 1967: Five days entertaining troops in Aden
October 4-27, 1967: Cabaret at the Denby Cinema, Melbourne. A newspaper advert for the show can be seen here
October 22, 1967: Cabaret at Hadley’s Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania.
The British Library has many sound recordings available on its website. Of interest to Hancock fans is an interview with John Fisher which is available in 2 parts:
There is also an interview with John Moffatt which you can listen to here