Nicholas Parsons, OBE's Biography

Nicholas Parsons, OBE's Professional Career

Career

actor, presenter, comedy performer; Variety Club Radio Personality of the Year 1967, entered in the Guinness Book of Records for longest after dinner humorous speech 1978; involved with children's charities incl The Lord's Taverners (past pres) and NSPCC (govr), Barker of The Variety Club of GB; tstee: Aspire, Deaf Blind UK, Spring Centre, Breakthrough, Br Dyslexia Assoc, Br Stammering Assoc; memb: Soc of Stars, Sparks; ambass Childline; rector Univ of St Andrews 1988-91, Hon LLD Univ of St Andrews, Hon DA Univ of Lincoln; Theatre The Hasty Heart (London), Jack in Charley's Aunt (Palace Theatre) 1947, Arsenic and Old Lace (tour) 1948, in repertory Bromley 1949-51, in cabaret 1951-65 (Quaglinos, Colony, Cafe de Paris, Blue Angel, Pigalle, Society), as comedian (Windmill Theatre) 1953, revues (London fringe theatres and Lyric Revue) 1953, 1st and 2nd Edition (Watergate Theatre) 1954, Swing Along with Arthur Haynes (Palladium) 1963, starred in Boeing Boeing (Duchess Theatre) 1967-68, Say Who You Are (Vaudeville Theatre) 1968, Uproar in the House (Whitehall Theatre) 1968, Darling I'm Home (tour) 1978, Stage Struck (tour) 1980, Keeping Down with the Joneses (tour) 1981, Charlie Girl (Victoria Palace and nat tour) 1987-88, the Narrator in Into the Woods (Stephen Sondheim musical, Phoenix Theatre) 1990-91, Rocky Horror Show (Duke of York's Theatre) 1994 and 1995 (tour 1996, 1998-99 and 2000), numerous pantomimes and 3 one-man shows (Edward Lear Show performed at Edinburgh Festival 1990, BBC Radio 1996, tour on cruise ships ongoing), Nicholas Parsons A Laugh a Minute (tour and cruise ships, ongoing), Nicholas Parsons Happy Hour (Edinburgh Fringe The Pleanse, annually) 2000-; Television comedy work in partnership with Eric Barker 1952-55, comedy partnership with Arthur Haynes 1956-66, Last Train to Surbiton (comedy series, BBC) 1966, Benny Hill Show 1969-70, host of Sale of the Century (Anglia TV) 1971-84 and The All New Alphabet Game (LWT Night Network) 1988, Mr Jolly Lives Next Door (for Comic Strip) 1988, The Curse of Fenric (Dr Who story, BBC) 1989, host of Laughlines (BSB) 1990, Just a Minute (Carlton TV) 1994 and 1995, Just a Minute (BBC) 1999 and 2012; Radio since 1952 incl: various prodns for BBC Drama Repertory Company 1953, host Just a Minute 1967-, Listen to This Space (first radio satire show) 1967-92, How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear (solo show) 1995-96; Film Brothers-in-Law, Carlton Browne of the FO, Happy is the Bride, Don't Raise the Bridge Lower the River, Spy Story, Simon and Laura, Upstairs Downstairs, Too Many Crooks, Eyewitness, Carry On Regardless, Murder Ahoy; writer and dir of 5 comedy documentaries for cinema and TV for own production co

Nicholas Parsons, OBE's Publications

Books and Publications

Egg on the Face (1985), The Straight Man - My Life in Comedy (autobiography, 1994), Nicholas Parsons, with just a touch of hesitation, repetition and deviation - a life in comedy (memoires)

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