Summer 1991 - Blackpool

Programme

Souvenir Programme

Programme Summer 1991

The Dream Girls
Introducing Mike Doyle
Pete Matthews
The Dream Girls
Mike Doyle
The Sounds of The Platters

Interval

Cannon and Ball
Finale – The Cast Bid You Farewell

Cannon and Ball

Programme To describe Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball as stars is at the very least an understatement. To describe them as superstars and a true phenomenon is perhaps more accurate. Since their debut TV series for London Weekend Television in 1979, they have not only become top TV stars with their own television series and specials every year, but they are without doubt the biggest box office attraction in the UK.

In the summer of ’85 their ten week run at the Opera House, Blackpool smashed all previous records by playing to over 300,000 people and grossing over 1 million. Results in 86 were the same when they played a serie at the Bournemouth International Centre. Bookings for their 86/87 pantomime flooded in and ‘Babes in the Wood’ at the Alhambra Theatre was yet another success with the record-books once again having to be re-written!

Cannon and Ball’s star status is further enhanced by the fact that they are the only act in showbusiness to have won three seperate National Club Awards; they have enjoyed success as recoding artistes with both singles and albums; starred in their own feature film ‘The Boys In Blue’; triumphed in numerous popularity polls and have also been named Showbusiness Personalities of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain, the highest accolade that can be bestowed by fellow professionals.

Bobby (Robert Harper) and Tommy (Thomas Derbyshire) were former workmates at an Oldham engineering factory in the 1960’s. By day they were welders, but at night they became the Harper Brothers, a singing duo, which achieved a great deal of popularity in the Northern clubs.

It soon became evident that Bobby had a natural flair for comedy and this was complemented by Tommy’s ability to remain straight-faced; acting as the perfect foil. Singing remained part of their act, but the comedy content grew stronger as did their popularity.

Since then their career of over twenty years is showbusiness history – their series and specials are always in the top TV ratings and they play to capacity audiences not just in the UK, but even in Australia and the Middle East.

1987 was just as busy as ever for Cannon and Ball. Following the finish of their pantomime in Bradford at the end of February, Tommy and Bobby took a well earned holiday and then straight into a spring tour from mid-April until the end of June. Their summer season at Blackpool Opera House commenced mid July until the end of October – another marathon record breaking fourteen week season.

The Guiness Book of Records had to be re-written yet again when Cannon and Ball took their pantomime ‘Babes in the Wood’ for the 1987/8 Christmas season to the most famous variety theatre in the world – The London Palladium. During its breathtaking 2 million run another record was created, when during one week ticket sales contributed to the biggest box office gross in the history of the British theatre.

The London Palladium embraces true stars and makes them feel at home, and the London Palladium certainly became a second home to Tommy and Bobby; where, in addition to their pantomime season, from the same stage they recorded their TV Christmas special; appeared with Jimmy Tarbuck as his guest stars in LWT’s Live from the Palladium series, and appeared in the Royal Variety Show before Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip.

A completely new venture took off during spring 1989, when Cannon and Ball starred in the comedy play ‘You’ll Do For Me’ which was directed by Brian Rix and toured throughout Britain.

Summer ’89 was spent in Scarborough with Sunday concerts being held across the Pennines where they starred at the Opera House in Blackpool.

Following summer season they recorded for Yorkshire Television and undertook a cabaret tour. Their lavish ‘Babes in the Wood’ was at Birmingham Hippodrom Christmas 89/90 followed by more work with Yorkshire Television. A spring tour during 1990 was followed by a summer season at the Britannia Pier Great Yarmouth and more cabaret work towards the end of the year.

They will be playing a short tour before playing the 25 week summer North Pier 1991 here at Blackpool.

The Sounds of The Platter

Programme The original PLATTERS had an unbelievable forty golden hits!

This line-up, who have been together for nine years now, have appeared on television with Cannon and Ball and jasper Carrot at the London Palladium, and a summer season in Torquay two years ago. They recently performed in the Far and Middle East.

Martine Girault, William Lessenberry and Miles Caine sung with Herb Reed of the original Platters and went on to continue “The Platters” tradition with their hits such as: Only You Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Twilight Time, My Prayer, Magic Touch etc. etc.

This truly great American act will continue singing these great golden hits for many years to come.

Pete Matthews

Pete started his entertaining career at 1 4 years old around Bournmouth. He disrupted many lessons at Queen Elizabeth School in Wimbourne with his antics during class, his teachers still however invite him back! He intended to be a commercial artist after he achieved grade A in his art exam, but realised he much prefers to make people laugh.

Pete’s act started as a clown which included slapstick and face paint, he went under the name of PEPE, but soon decided to pursue his career as ‘himself. Pete loves to make people happy and has entertained at many local pubs, clubs, parties, charity shows, hotels and carnivals. In the summer of 1989 he could be seen busking around the busy seafront of Bournemouth and earned a great deal of money for charity. He is self taught and a master of juggling, uni-cycling, plate spinning, comedy, magic, stilt walking, roller skating, gymnastics, trampolining, yo yo, diablo, tight rope walking, fire eating and break dancing.He was the youngest person to perform on the West Piazza at Covent Garden at 15 years old.

He has won many talent contests and one of which led him to perform at a Royal Variety Youth Showcase attended by H.R.H. Prince Edward. He has performed with Cannon and Ball in a Charity show, and has done television shows for H.T.V. Wales and T.V.S.

Pete used to run his own juggling workshop in his hometown of Wimbourne where he still lives with his parents and brothers and sisters. He used the workshop not only to teach others, but to improve his own skills enough to make his love of entertaining his career. His act is comedy blended with unicycling, juggling, and diablo – it is always ad lib and one never quite knows what to expect, but one thing you can always be sure of – the most important thing to Pete is: Leave ’em laughing.

Mike Doyle

Programme In December 1990 Mike Doyle was named Stage Comedy Newcomer” at the ‘British Comedy Awards’ televised by L.W.T., thus giving proof to the rapid emergence of Mike Doyle as one of the bright new stars of British showbusiness.

A dynamic, young, comedian/entertainer with a relaxed and distinctive style of his own, who made so much impact on the 1988 series of “Opportunity Knocks”. The B.B.C. backed their judgement and faith in him by signing him to star in their Saturday evening comedy series, “Something for the Weekend”. Indeed this series was so successful that it was recently repeated.

Since Mike’s success in “Opportunity Knocks” his career has moved forward in leaps and bounds. His television appearances include: ‘Summertime special’, ‘The Childrens Royal Variety Show’ a Special return guest appearance on the 1989 series of “Opportunity Knocks”, and more recently he was invited to guest on the ‘Des O’ Connor Show’.

He made his pantomime debut in 1988/89 alongside ‘Neighbours’ stars Elaine Smith and Peter O’ Brien in ‘Mother Goose’ at the Davenport Theatre, Stockport. In the summer of 1 990 he was Danny La Rue’s special guest star in his summer season in Blackpool. Blackpool welcomes Mike back again this summer when he helps to celebrate Cannon & Ball’s 15 years in showbusiness at the North Pier. This will be immediatly followed by pantomime, when he co-stars in ‘Aladdin’ at the New Theatre, Cardiff.

Mike was born in the Welsh town of Carmarthen in Dyfed and started singing at school in the choir. Coming from Wales, there were plenty of opportunities to sing in local concerts and music festivals.

Mike left school at 16 and joined a professional showgroup. “During the summer season, we had a lengthy residency at the Hollymarine Holiday Centre in the West Wales resort of New Quay, where we became a band-of-all-trades, entertaining holidaymakers, playing for dancing and backing other cabaret performers. It was a very good grounding in the business for me”, he adds. “At the end of each season, we toured the country working the clubs”.

Three years later, he decided to quit the band and break out on his own solo career, and landed a six month engagement on board the luxury P. & O. cruise liner, ‘Oriana’,entertaining passengers.

It was during a cabaret engagement at the Talk of London that Mike was seen and given an opportunity to appear on “Opportunity Knocks” from where his television career really began. The most exciting project for Mike at the moment is his own television series for H.T.V. which is currently in preparation.

In recent years Wales, traditionally the land of song, has produced some fine comedy entertainers, including Harry Secombe and Max Boyce… and it will not be long before Mike Doyle joins that elite company.
THE DREAM GIRLS