It’s actor, author and raconteur Kenneth Williams‘ Centenary this weekend and, naturally, his life and work is being much celebrated… including a special one night show, tomorrow at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre, performed by actor and impressionist Colin Elmer.
Kenneth Williams (22nd February 1926 – 15th April 1988) was one of the most unique and beloved figures in British comedy history. From show stealing performances on the radio in Hancock’s Half Hour and Round the Horneand over twenty years of starring in the Carry On films to becoming the darling of the chat shows, he was a rare talent who could turn from broad slapstick to erudite wit in a split second.
Writing for the latest issue of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society’s magazine The Missing Page, actor and friend of Kenneth Williams Gyles Brandreth, who provided the introduction to the latest edition of Williams’ book, The Acid Drops, is effusive in his praise.
“Kenneth had a unique personality, an extraordinary voice and a wonderful sense of comedy timing. Of course, he’s could overwhelm any scene, and it’s probably for that reason that the time came when Tony Hancock didn’t feel he wanted Ken to be in his series anymore…
“… He was a complicated character, whose later life was touched with regret, because he felt at times that his true talent as an actor was not recognised because of his facility as a raconteur.
Artist Charles Waples mostly pictures him now at a permanent tea engagement with Maggie Smith, with whom he shared a unique friendship, starting in West End Revue in the 1950’s until Kenneth’s death in 1988 (although doubtlessly ensuing right now on another plane).
“Moving to a new office in 2020 I found it was adjacent to Marchmont Street, St Pancras – the site, still standing, of Kenneth Williams’ father’s Barber Shop, and was touched by the presence,” Charles notes.
“This was all the more so when the phone rang a day or two later and Channel 5 offered me the chance to illustrate their programme Kenneth Williams In His Own Words – with selected recordings that hitherto had no visuals, including Peter Cook’s sketches and the legendary Round the Horne scenes where, along with Hugh Paddick, Kenneth created the camp duo Julian And Sandy – all Bonas and Eeks, riotously landing the Gay language of Polari into polite living rooms up and down 1960’s England.
“Classical theatre, Radio, Film, Children’s TV and Carry Ons – all part of the brilliance that was Kenneth Williams, always.”
Celebrating a Comedy Legend
Celebrating Kenneth’s centenary, London’s Jermyn Street Theatre is staging “Cult Figure: Kenneth Williams” tonight, 22nd February 2026, for one night only, performed by actor and impressionist Colin Elmer, directed by Tim Astley.
Colin has played Kenneth in the UK tours of Round the Horne and Hancock’s Half Hour, and reprises his role in this new production, telling the great man’s story in his own words, using anecdotes, writings and some of the material for which the comedy legend was so well-known.
Plus, in the afternoon, join Mark Farrelly, Simon Cartwright, Madeline Smith and host Russell Davies for Kenneth Williams: A Centenary Celebration, an unforgettable journey through Kenneth Williams’ extraordinary life at both 1.00pm and 4.00pm.
Russell Davies is a prolific broadcaster and journalist who edited the Kenneth Williams diaries and letters. His award-winning work on BBC Radios 2 and 4 includes the series Word Of Mouth, and numerous programmes on jazz, literature and the history of radio comedy. He has hosted Radio 4’s Brain of Britain since 2009.
• Tickets for “Cult Figure: Kenneth Williams” are available here and Kenneth Williams: A Centenary Celebration here | Jermyn Street Theatre is at 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST. Find it on Google Maps
Stop Messing About! Head downthetubes for…
Charles Waples started as an actor and TV, Film and Radio scriptwriter, for the BBC, Granada, Sky, Radio Four and Channel 4. He’s written scripts for shows starring Paul O’Grady, John Thomson, Arnold Brown, Caroline Aherne and Johnny Vaughan.
He is developing films with his company, Nine Acre Films, and, as an illustrator, he is a published cartoonist and caricaturist.
Published illustration work includes a graphic novel of Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, published in 007 Magazine, and regular illustration work for Manchester’s City Life Magazine.
• Check out more of Charles Waples’ work on Facebook (Charles Waples), Instagram (@Scribeslikeus) and X (@scribeslike)
• Just Williams: An Autobiography (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Kenneth Williams was one of the great institutions of British entertainment. For nearly forty years his inimitable performances on stage, screen and radio delighted audiences around the world, and his autobiography recalls the most memorable moments from this time.
Barrack-room life in Singapore, post-war repertory, his roles in revue and on the London stage of the fifties and sixties, his famous cameos in great radio shows such as Hancock’s Half Hour, Round the Horne and Just a Minute, his friendships with people such as Ingrid Bergman, Maggie Smith, Orson Welles, Noel Coward, Joe Orton, Stanley Baxter and Gordon Jackson – all these are described with his special brand of humour and intelligence.
• Watch Comic Roots: Kenneth Williams on BBC iPlayer
A look at how architecture, poetry, art and music were the formative influences on Kenneth Williams: the slum architecture of St Pancras, where he grew up, the liquid poetry of his gran’s fruity anecdotes, the art of the Marcel wave practised by his hairdresser father and the musical knees-up at The Boot pub
• “He loved showing his bum. Loved it”: the subversive genius of Kenneth Williams |The Guardian, 20th February 2026 – article by Ryan Gilbey
Kenneth Williams features in the pages of Hancock: The Lad Himself by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page, published by B7 Media, (also available from AmazonUK, Affiliate Link).
The story of the legendary comedian Tony Hancock in words, pictures, and not without a few interruptions from The Lad Himself, who proves a little infuriated at how his story is told… as those who know and love his work would fully expect!
The Lad Himself is the creation of writer Stephen Walsh and artist Keith Page, exploring the strange life of a much-admired comedian.
• The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society
The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the works of Tony Hancock. They find, preserve and promote the works of Tony Hancock, one of the most popular and influential comedians of the late twentieth century, whose 1950s radio and television sitcom, Hancock’s Half Hour, is still regarded as unsurpassed in the field of light entertainment.
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Audio, British Comics, Comics, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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