Wartime Britain, and the period after the war ended in 1945, produced some of the most difficult times for theatre and pantomime. In the early days of the war in 1940 it looked as if all places of public entertainment would be closed indefinitely, and one by one the country’s theatres opened their doors, and the world of pantomime existed as a glittering escape from the streets ravaged by nightly air raids and austere conditions at home and abroad.

 

It was an era of great producers and performers. They had survived the onslaught of the cinema, and, in these pre-television days, drew from the popular radio shows and variety shows to provide some of the greatest pantomime stars.