Tour Dates
| Mon 14th – Weds 16th March | Bristol Hippodrome |
| Thurs 17th March | Oxford Apollo |
| Sat 19th March | Coventry Apollo |
| Sun 20th March | Ipswich Gaumont |
| Mon 21st, Tues 22nd, Fri 25th and Sat 26th March | Norwich Theatre Royal |
| Sun 27th – Mon 28th March | Croydon Fairfield Hall |
| Tues 29th – Thurs 31st March | Frimley Lakeside Club |
| Sat 2nd April | Blackpool Opera House |
| Sun 3rd April | Nottingham Royal COncert Hall |
| Mon 4th April | Skegness Embassy Centre |
| Tues 5th – Weds 6th April | Sunderland Empire |
| Fri 8th – Sun 10th April | Aberdeen Capitol |
| Mon 11th – Weds 13th April | Inverness Eden Court Theatre |
| Fri 15th April | Kendal Leisure Centre |
| Sat 16th April | Middlesbrough Town Hall |
| Mon 18th – Tues 19th April | Cardiff New Theatre |
| Weds 20th April | Leicester de Montfort Hall |
| Thurs 21st April | Wolverhampton Civic Hall |
| Fri 22nd April | Gloucester Leisure Centre |
| Sat 23rd – Sun 24th April | Birmingham Odeon |
| Tues 26th – Weds 27th April | St Austell Coliseum |
| Thurs 28th – Fri 29th April | Torquay Princess Theatre |
| Sat 30th April | Portsmouth Guildhall |
| Sun 1st May | Worthing Pavilion Theatre |
| Mon 2nd – Sat 7th May | Windsor Blazers |
| Sun 8th May | Crawley Leisure Centre |
| Mon 9th – Tues 10th May | Reading Hexagon |
| Weds 11th May | Northampton Derngate Centre |
| Fri 13th – Sat 14th May | Derby Assembly Rooms |
| Weds 18th May | Douglas (I.O.M) Villa Marina |
| Fri 20th May | Liverpool Empire Theatre |
| Sat 21st May | Llandudno Astra Theatre |
| Sun 22nd – Tues 24th May | Glasgow Theatre Royal |
| Thurs 26th May | Edinburgh Playhouse |
| Fri 27th May | Southport Theatre |
| Sat 28th May | Blackpool Opera House |
| Weds 1st June | Ashton-Under-Lyne Tameside Theatre |
| Thurs 2nd June | Hanley Victoria Hall |
| Fri 3rd June | Southend Cliffs Pavilion |
| Sat 4th June | Eastbourne Congress Theatre |
| Sun 5th – Mon 6th June | Ramsgate Granville Theatre |
| Tues 7th June | Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall |
| Weds 8th June | Sandown (I.O.W) Pier Pavilion |
| Fri 10th – Sun 12th June | Jersey Fort Regent |
Souvenir Programme Articles
Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball
In 1981 Cannon and Ball completed another television series for London Weekend Television and broke further summer season records at Great Yarmouth, where their show outstripped all other productions at the resort. Following a brief theatre tour that autumn, Tommy and Bobby spent Christmas at the Apollo Theatre, Coventry, with anew show devised by their television producer, David Bell. Once again, public support was overwhelming and the boys were pleased to play to completely full houses for the entire run of the show
In the spring of ’82 they returned to London for yet another television series which was broadcast in May and June. Guest stars featured on this series included Leo Sayer, Bruce Forsyth, Iris Williams, Adam Ant, David Essex and snooker champion, Steve Davis, amongst others. Many memorable sketches resulted from the pairing of Tommy and Bobby with their guests in comic situations. In the summer of 1982, Cannon and Ball had their first opportunity to take on Southern audiences for a continuous season, when they played at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens for a total of twenty weeks. This was a nostalgic return for the boys, as they had previously played a summer season there in 1974 as ‘bottom of the bill supports’ to the Rolf Harris Show.
Their opening night in June was greeted with a rapturous reception from the audience and the critics and the season went on to break all known records at Bournemouth, with capacity business being achieved for seventeen of the twnety weeks and the boys enjoying a great critical response from all quarters.
No sooner had the season finished than Cannon and Ball were plunged straight into their most demanding new role to date – starring in their own full-length feature movie ‘The Boys In Blue’. This was shot at Elstree and on location between September and December, and like all filming schedules involved Tommy and Bobby in getting up at 5am on a regular basis to be made up and wardrobed in time for shooting to commence at 8:30.
Christmas ’82 brought a further step up the ladder with their first ever West End season at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road. This ran for seven weeks and once again broke all records for a non-pantomime West End Christmas Show. The advance demand for tickets was so great that virtually every seat for the run had been sold before the show even opened. Just three days after the Christmas Show finished, Cannon and Ball attended the Variety Club luncheon at London’s Hilton Hotel, where they were proud to receive the Showbusiness Personalities of the Year Award for their achievements in 1982.
Following well deserved holidays in the Pacific and Far East during February, the boys returned to record a new Easter Special for London Weekend Television before commencing their present tour. Summer ’83 will see them undertaking a further season in Scarborough and their Christmas Show this year will be in Manchester. Discussions are already under way for a second feature film and they are also due to record a new album this year following the success of their first album released in 1982 on the Music for Pleasure label.
Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry – From 14 March to 1 May
Clarence Henry was born in New Orleans in 1937 and at the age of 15 was already playing piano on a Mississippi riverboat, absorbing the rich jazz, boogie and rhythm-and-blues influences which abounded in his home city throughout the fifties. In 1957 he was spotted by Leonard Chess and signed to Chess Records where he joined an impressive register of established artists including his lifelong friends Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. His first single Am’t got no home was an instant success with black music stations across the U.S., but took two years to make the Billboard National chart, where it reached number 1 in 1959. The song also featured Clarence Henry’s famous vocal “croaking” effect which rapidly earned him the unusual but unfortgettable middle name which subsequently became known around the world. ‘Frogman’ Henry first achieved international recognition in 1961 with But I Do, a single which made the top ten in eighteen countries and scored over 3 million sales world wide. The follow-up You always hurt the one you love enjoyed similar international success and Frogman’s first album soon followed. In the early sixties he visited the U.K. twice, joining concert tours with Bobby Vee and Dusty Springfield. He also played tours in Canada, Australia, South America and the Far East, when not working across the States where his bouncy, uncomplicated rock ‘n’ roll style was always in demand. In 1965 he was featured as special guest on the Beatles’ first ever U.S. coast to coast tour. In 1974 Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry retired from concert touring in the States to spend more time at home in New Orleans with his young family.
Always a strong favourite in his home State, Louisiana, and throughout the American South, Frogman appeared regularly in the late 70’s at R ‘n’ B festivals, special events, revival concerts and Mardi Gras balls whilst at the same time enjoying a 10-year residency on Bourbon Street, New Orleans where the Frogman’s nightly cabaret was accurately billed as the top tourist attraction on the strip. In September 1982, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry visited the U.K. to record a new album and appear in the Channel 4 series Unforgettable, which was transmitted in January this year.
Berni Flint
Bern! Flint believes that thirteen is a very lucky number! For that’s the number of appearances he made on Thames Television’s top-rating programme Opportunity Knocks – twelve of them as winner! Indeed, he became so popular with viewers all over Britain who kept on voting for him, that eventually he retired from the show… undefeated! And he has since gone on to even greater success.
But amazingly, Berni nearly didn’t appear on the show at all! After he auditioned for Opportunity Knocks, the organisers actually lost Berni’s address and couldn’t contact him to arrange an appearance on the programme. So a hurried advertisement was duly placed in the Daily Mirror, followed by an appeal on national television requesting him to contact Thames Television. Luckily, Berni saw the advertisement… but only just in time for him to appear on the show! Since then, Berni has enjoyed much success in showbusiness. His first record for E.M.I. – I don’t want to put a hold on you, which he co-wrote with his brother Mike – went to number 3 in the British singles chart, while his debut album was another big Hit Parade success. On television he has subsequently appeared on such shows as Seaside Special, London Night Out, The Little and Large Show, Get It Together and Night Out From The London Casino. In February 1979, he hosted his own Granada Television series – Pop Gospel. Berni has also appeared in all the major British cabaret clubs and in theatres throughout the country. In 1977 he appeared in summer season in Great Yarmouth, followed a year later by another successful summer engagement at the Winter Gardens Theatre, Margate. 1979 saw him starring for the summer at the Spa Pavilion, Bridlington. In 1980 Berni appeared at the Floral Hall Theatre, Scarborough in the Peters and Lee Show and earlier in the Spring of that year he hosted a second thirteen week series – Pop Gospel and guested on a series of six light entertainment programmes called Contrasts for B.B.C. North West.
Since then he has continued to appear in cabaret and theatre shows around the country with artistes such as Cannon and Ball, Cilia Black and the late Dick Emery with T.V. appearances on Night of One Hundred Stars, Russ Abbot Special, Pebble Mill at One, 3-2-1, and Punchlines.
Adrian Walsh – 14 March to 1 May
Adrian Walsh, as far back as he can remember has had only one ambition, to be a comedian. Always the one at school to make his fellow class-mates laugh, this talent saw him as a semi-professional at the incredibly early age of sixteen. Adrian can also claim to be the youngest comedian in Northern Ireland, (his home town is Bangor), to have topped bills. That was when he was nineteen, mind you as Adrian says, ‘I was the only act on the show!’.
Adrian has worked every conceivable venue, from Working Mens’ Clubs to the London Palladium. He has worked with many American and British stars, not only in this country, but in Belgium, Holland, Germany and France.
Performing in No. 1 venues throughout Great Britain, including a week at the London Palladium, has meant appearing with such super stars as Glen Campbell, Neil Sedaka, Petula Clark and Gladys Knight and the Pips. A highlight for his career came during a recent summer season spent in Jersey, where he scooped two major showbusiness awards, (given by the Jersey Press and The Variety Club of Jersey), that of Best Comedian and Best Top of the Bill.
Adrian has made numerous radio and television appearances and is shortly to be seen in a new television comedy quiz game.
Young Love – 14 March to 1 May
Young Love, featuring Andy, Chris and Paula have become one of Britain’s top cabaret acts, appearing on T.V. and at most of the country’s top venues. They have also appeared in successful summer shows and concerts with Ken Dodd, The Dooleys, Gene Pitney, The Barron Knights, Harry Secombe, Tony Bennett, Lena Zavaroni and Cilia Black.
Their professionally choreographed routines teamed up with their vocal talents have taken Young Love as far afield as West Germany, Iceland, Malta, Cyprus, Greece, Bahrain and Indonesia, touring many of the worlds top night clubs and hotels. You will love Young Love.
Dudley Doolittle – 8 May to 12 June
Dudley Doolittle has a highly developed sense of humour and was born in Rochdale. He says the two are connected. As he puts it “Have you seen Rochdale? You have to laugh before you break down and cry”. Dudley is very attached to his home town and claims a rare distinction amongst the citizenry – he is believed to be the only fully paid-up season ticket holder for Rochdale AFC, or at least the only one who is prepared to admit this unusual and specialised hobby in public.
Dudley commenced his career as an entertainer in the Sixties as a singer and guitarist who rapidly moved into comedy when he found his alert observations on life provoked more audience enthusiasm than his guitar playing. Since that time he has appeared many times on television and has frequently worked abroad covering Scandinavia, the Middle East, South Africa and the Caribbean.
He has worked with The Three Degrees and the Bee Gees, and has undertaken summer seasons in Blackpool and the Isle of Man. His friendly off-the-cuff style has brought him a lot of work in television studios as the unseen “warm-up man” – a difficult trade to master and one for which Dudley holds the respect of many TV producers.
Following his present tour with Cannon & Ball, Dudley will be undertaking a further summer season in 1983 before returning to television work in the autumn.
Phizzical – 8 May to 12 June
This experienced three-some was formerly the Medium Wave Band who established themselves both in the U.K. and in many European countries.
They also had the honour of appearing before H.R.H. Princess Margaret at a Royal Gala performance.
Whilst working in Jersey in different summer shows the act was formed and their first professional engagement was ITV’s New Faces which they won and appeared on the winners’ show on Christmas Day. During their five years together they developed a fast moving, spectacular act which Trevor, Kate and Julia have cleverly adapted to become Phizzical.
The Boys In Blue
“The Boys In Blue” is the debut movie of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball.
Producer Gregory Smith comments: “I saw them on television some two and a half years ago and thought them unique; and their managers, Laurie Mansfield and Stuart Little wood, and I got together to talk over ideas. They weren’t then enjoying the exceptional countrywide success they have now. Nothing speaks louder than money, and when the film people could see the kind of response they were getting, it made the job of setting up the film that much easier.”
The Rank Organisation’s financial stake in the cops and robbers movie is the largest they have made for a number of years and it marks a first-time feature film investment for Rank’s partners, MAM and Apollo Leisure Group.
Writer-Director Val Guest and Greg Smith successfully collaborated on several feature productions and this happy liaison plus Guest’s, undoubted ability as a ‘comedians’ director’ virtually ensured Val would be asked to help Tommy and Bobby’s debut. In his own debut days, Val wrote sketches for the inimitable Sid Fields, scripted Will Hay’s classic comedy, Oh, Mr Porter, which is now in the National Film Theatre Library, and the first Crazy Gang films. Comedy men who owe their film start to Val include Peter Sellers, Frankie Howard, Jon Pertwee, Ronnie Corbett and Lionel Jeffries. Co-starring with Cannon and Ball in “The Boys In Blue” are: Suzanne Danielle, Eric Sykes, Roy Kinnear, Jon Pertwee, Jack Douglas, Arthur English and Edward Judd.
Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball are the sergeant and constable of a village sub-station threatened with closure because the boys haven’t suffered a crime nor made an arrest in ten years.
True to comedy-cops tradition, Tommy and Bobby decide they will have to solve the mystery of nationwide art thefts to keep their station open – as well as their profitable supermarket next door (groceries delivered by police car) and betting business (over the station phone).
Vivacious Suzanne Danielle plays Kim who hinders as much as helps their crazy investigations. She is Girl Friday to the cockney lord-of the manor, Roy Kinnear.
Bobby’s attempts to date Kim and track down the art robbers proves a frustrating combination for Tommy and Bobby.
Eric Sykes is the Chief Constable, Jack Douglas, the Chief Inspector, with Jack’s wife Su, appearing with him for the first time in a movie, as secretary to Edward Judd, the undercover detective the boys think is the criminal master-mind. Jon Pertwee joins in the fun as a crafty coastguard.
See more information on this film at The Boys In Blue.