Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a
raconteur and
diarist
A diary is a writing, written or audiovisual Memorabilia, memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by Calendar date, date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwriti ...
. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31
''Carry On'' films, and appeared in many British television programmes and radio comedies, including series with
Tony Hancock and
Kenneth Horne
Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969), was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Mars ...
, as well as being a frequent panellist on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
's comedy panel show ''
Just a Minute
''Just a Minute'' is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game. For more than 50 years, with a few exceptions, it was hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Following Parsons' death in 2020, Sue Perkins became the permanent host, starting with the 87th ser ...
'' from its second series in 1968 until his death 20 years later.
Williams grew up in
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
in a working-class family; he said his father spoke
Cockney
Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
. He served in the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
during World War II, where he first became interested in becoming an entertainer. After a short spell in
repertory theatre
A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom ...
as a serious actor, he turned to comedy and achieved national fame in ''
Hancock's Half Hour
''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...
''. He sustained continued success throughout the 1960s and 1970s with his regular appearances in ''Carry On'' films, and subsequently kept himself in the public eye with chat shows and other television work.
Williams was fondly regarded in the entertainment industry; in his private life, however, he suffered from depression. He kept a series of diaries throughout his life that achieved posthumous acclaim.
Early life and education
Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February 1926 in Bingfield Street,
King's Cross, London
King's Cross is a district in the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington, on either side of Euston Road in north London, England, north of Charing Cross, bordered by Barnsbury to the north, Clerkenwell to the southeast, Angel to the east, ...
. His parents were Charles George Williams, who managed a hairdresser's in the Kings Cross area, and Louisa Alexandra (''née'' Morgan), who worked in the salon. Charles was a Methodist who had "a hatred of loose morals and effeminacy", according to
Barry Took, Williams's biographer. Charles thought the theatre immoral and effeminate, although his son aspired to be involved in the profession from an early age. Between 1935 and 1956, Williams lived with his parents in a flat above his father's barber shop at 57
Marchmont Street,
Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
. Williams had a half-sister, Alice Patricia "Pat", born to his mother in 1923 before she had met Charles and three years before Kenneth was born.
[
He was educated at The Lyulph Stanley Boys' Central Council School, a state-owned Central school, in ]Camden Town
Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London.
Laid out as a residential distri ...
, North London, and subsequently became apprenticed as a draughtsman to a mapmaker. His apprenticeship was interrupted by the Blitz
The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War.
Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...
, and he was evacuated to the home of a bachelor veterinary surgeon in Bicester. It provided his first experience of an educated, middle-class life. He returned to London with a new, vowel
A vowel is a speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract, forming the nucleus of a syllable. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness a ...
-elongated accent. In 1944, aged 18, he was called up to the British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. He became a sapper
A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...
in the Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
Survey Section, doing much the same work that he did as a civilian. When the war ended he was in Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and he opted to transfer to the Combined Services Entertainment Unit, which put on revue shows. While in that unit he met Stanley Baxter
Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a retired Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley ...
, Peter Vaughan, Peter Nichols and John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger ( ; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director, and actor. He emerged in the early 1960s as a leading light of the British New Wave, before embarking on a successful career in Hollywood ...
.
Both of Williams' parents were born in London, but with a Welsh heritage extending for several generations. Williams sometimes described himself as Welsh, noting his parents' surnames and origins in his diaries and in interviews.: In 1968, during the filming of '' Carry On Up the Khyber'' in Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...
, Williams stated that "I always like being back in Wales. I always feel a '' hiraeth'', it always comes back to you, once you step back into the place where you have atavistic memories." A year later, Williams would describe a debate in Ireland when he was told he had some nerve showing his "English face in Dublin". Williams dramatically responded with a "very slow take and riposted 'Wanna get your facts right, dear, I'm Welsh'" before rising to his feet and reciting ''The Bard. A Pindaric Ode'' by Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...
. Williams noted that this performance was cut short by applause, for which he was grateful as he did not know any more of the poem. Two years before his death, Williams guest hosted the '' Wogan'' chatshow; drawing the audience's attention to a display of red roses, Williams commented, "It's St George's Day
Saint George's Day is the Calendar of saints, feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, regions, and cities of which he is the Patronages of Saint George, patron saint, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bu ...
today and the rose is the symbol of St George, the patron saint of England. I wouldn't know anything about it. I'm not English, I'm Welsh." before proclaiming "Mymryn bach o Gymru, Cymru fydd, Cymru sydd – Cymru am byth!" (''A little bit of Wales, Wales will be, Wales is – Wales forever!'')
Career
Early career
Williams's professional career began in 1948 in repertory theatre
A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom ...
. Failure to become a serious dramatic actor disappointed him, but his potential as a comic performer gave him his break when he was spotted playing the Dauphin in Bernard Shaw's '' St Joan'' in the West End, in 1954 by radio producer Dennis Main Wilson
Dennis Geoffrey William Wilson, known as Dennis Main Wilson (1 May 1924 – 20 January 1997) was a British producer of radio and television programmes, mainly for the BBC. Main Wilson has been described by '' Screenonline'' as "arguably the ...
. Main Wilson was casting ''Hancock's Half Hour
''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...
'', a radio series starring Tony Hancock. Playing mostly funny voice roles, Williams stayed in the series almost to the end, five years later. His nasal, whiny, camp-cockney inflections (epitomised in his "Stop messing about ... !" catchphrase) became popular with listeners. Despite the success and recognition the show brought him, Williams considered theatre, film and television to be superior forms of entertainment. In 1955 he appeared in Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
's London stage production '' Moby Dick—Rehearsed''. The pair fell out after Williams became annoyed with Welles's habit of repeatedly changing the script.
When Hancock steered his show away from what he considered gimmicks and silly voices, Williams found he had less to do. Tiring of this reduced status, he joined Kenneth Horne
Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969), was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Mars ...
in '' Beyond Our Ken'' (1958–1964), and its sequel, ''Round the Horne
''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...
'' (1965–1968). His roles in ''Round the Horne'' included Rambling Syd Rumpo, the eccentric folk singer
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
; Dr Chou En Ginsberg, MA (failed), Oriental criminal mastermind; J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, telephone heavy breather and dirty old man; and Sandy of the camp couple Julian and Sandy (Julian was played by Hugh Paddick). Their double act was characterised by double entendre
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
s and Polari
Polari () is a form of slang or Cant (language), cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom by some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals and prostitutes, and particula ...
, the homosexual argot.
Williams also appeared in West End revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
s including ''Share My Lettuce'' with Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...
, written by Bamber Gascoigne
Arthur Bamber Gascoigne (, 24 January 1935 – 8 February 2022) was an English television presenter and author. He was the original quizmaster of '' University Challenge'', which initially ran from 1962 to 1987.
Early life and education
Gasc ...
, and ''Pieces of Eight'' with Fenella Fielding
Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of t ...
. The latter included material specially written for him by Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishmen ...
, then a student at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...
. Cook's " One Leg Too Few" and "Interesting Facts" were part of the show and became routines in his own performances. Williams's last revue, in 1961, was '' One Over The Eight'' at the Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...
, with Sheila Hancock
Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has performed on stage in both plays and musicals in London theatres, and is also known for her roles in films and on television.
Her Broadway ...
.
''Carry On'' films
Williams worked regularly in British film during the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, mainly in the '' Carry On'' series (1958–1978) with its double entendre humour; and appeared in the series more than any other actor. The films were commercially successful but Williams claimed the cast were poorly paid. In his diaries, Williams wrote that he earned more in a St Ivel advert than for any ''Carry On'' film, although he was still earning the average Briton's annual salary in a year for the latter. He often privately criticised and "dripped vitriol" upon the films, considering them beneath him, even though he continued to appear in them. This became the case with many of the films and shows in which he appeared. He was quick to find fault with his own work, and also that of others. Despite this, he spoke fondly of the ''Carry On''s in interviews. Peter Rogers, producer of the series, recollected, "Kenneth was worth taking care of because, while he cost very little—£5,000 a film, he made a great deal of money for the franchise."
Radio and television shows
Williams was a regular on the BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
impromptu-speaking panel game ''Just a Minute
''Just a Minute'' is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game. For more than 50 years, with a few exceptions, it was hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Following Parsons' death in 2020, Sue Perkins became the permanent host, starting with the 87th ser ...
'' from its second series in 1968 until his death. He frequently got into arguments with host Nicholas Parsons
Christopher Nicholas Parsons (10 October 1923 – 28 January 2020) was an English actor, straight man and radio and television presenter. He was the long-running presenter of the comedy radio show ''Just a Minute'' and hosted the game show '' S ...
and other guests on the show. ( Russell Davies, editor of ''The Kenneth Williams Letters'', explains that Williams's "famous tirades on the programme occurred when his desire to entertain was fuelled by his annoyance.") He was also remembered for such phrases as "I've come all the way from Great Portland Street" (i.e. one block away) and "They shouldn't have women on the show!" (directed at Sheila Hancock
Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has performed on stage in both plays and musicals in London theatres, and is also known for her roles in films and on television.
Her Broadway ...
, Aimi MacDonald and others). He once talked for almost a minute about a supposed Austrian psychiatrist called Heinrich Swartzberg, correctly guessing that the show's creator, Ian Messiter, had just made the name up. Williams was also a regular on the BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
comedy show ''Round the Horne
''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...
,'' playing, alongside Hugh Paddick, the characters Julian and Sandy who spoke in a comedic version of Polari
Polari () is a form of slang or Cant (language), cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom by some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals and prostitutes, and particula ...
.
On television, he co-hosted his own TV variety series on BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
with the Young Generation entitled ''Meanwhile, On BBC2'', which ran for ten episodes from 17 April 1971. He was a frequent contributor to the 1973–74 revival of ''What's My Line?
''What's My Line?'' is a Panel show, panel game show that originally ran in the United States, between 1950 and 1967, on CBS, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent American revivals. The game uses celebrity panelists ...
'', hosted the weekly entertainment show ''International Cabaret'' and was a regular reader on the children's storytelling series ''Jackanory
''Jackanory'' was a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in Reading (activity), reading. The programme was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the ...
'' on BBC1, hosting 69 episodes. He also narrated and provided all of the voices for the BBC children's cartoon '' Willo the Wisp'' (1981).
In 1983, Williams was the subject of an episode of the BBC series '' Comic Roots'', in which he revisited the places in London where he grew up and went to school.
Personal life and death
On 14 October 1962, Williams' father, Charlie Williams, was taken to hospital after drinking carbon tetrachloride
Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (such as carbon tet for short and tetrachloromethane, also IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry, recognised by the IUPAC), is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CCl4. It is a n ...
that had been stored in a cough-mixture bottle. He died the following day. An hour after being given the news, Williams went on stage in the West End. Williams was later denied a visa to the United States when it emerged that Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...
had suspected him of poisoning his father. The coroner's court recorded a verdict of accidental death due to corrosive poisoning by carbon tetrachloride. Williams said he believed his father had committed suicide, because the circumstances leading to the poisoning seemed unlikely to have happened by misfortune.
As a younger man, Williams was a communist, but came to move in a more conservative direction and espoused Toryism
A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The T ...
.
Williams often said that he was asexual and celibate, and his diaries appear to substantiate his claims—at least from his early forties onwards. He lived alone all his adult life and had few close companions apart from his mother, and no significant romantic relationships. His diaries contain references to unconsummated or barely consummated homosexual dalliances, which he describes as "traditional matters" or "tradiola". He befriended gay playwright Joe Orton, who wrote the role of Inspector Truscott in '' Loot'' (1965) for him. Williams went on holidays to Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
with Orton and his partner, Kenneth Halliwell. Other close friends included Stanley Baxter
Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a retired Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley ...
, Gordon Jackson and his wife Rona Anderson
Rona Anderson (3 August 1926 – 23 July 2013) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in TV series and on the stage and films throughout the 1950s. She appeared in the films ''Scrooge (1951 film), Scrooge'' and ''The Pr ...
, Sheila Hancock
Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has performed on stage in both plays and musicals in London theatres, and is also known for her roles in films and on television.
Her Broadway ...
, and Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...
and her playwright husband, Beverley Cross. Williams was also fond of fellow ''Carry On'' regulars Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. , Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Kenneth Connor, Hattie Jacques and Joan Sims.
From the mid-1950s, Williams lived in a succession of small rented flats in central London. After his father had died, his mother Louisa lived near him, and then in the flat next to his. His last home was in a block of flats called Marlborough House on Osnaburgh Street in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
(since demolished).
Williams rarely revealed details of his private life although, in two half-hour documentary programmes in 1977 on BBC Radio London
BBC Radio London is the BBC Local Radio, BBC's local radio station serving Greater London.
It broadcasts on FM broadcasting, FM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Broadcasting House in Langham Plac ...
entitled ''Carry On Kenneth'', he spoke openly to Owen Spencer-Thomas about his loneliness, despondency and sense of underachievement.
He died on 15 April 1988 in his flat. His last words, recorded in his diary, were "Oh, what's the bloody point?" and the cause of death was an overdose of barbiturate
Barbiturates are a class of depressant, depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medication, medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological a ...
s. An inquest recorded an open verdict, because it was not possible to establish whether his death was suicide or an accident
An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not deliberately caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that the event may have been caused by Risk assessment, unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Many researchers, insurers ...
. His diaries reveal that he had often had suicidal thoughts, and some of his earliest diaries record periodic feelings that there was no point in living. His authorised biography argues that Williams did not take his own life but died of an accidental overdose. He had doubled his dosage of antacid without discussing it with his doctor. That, combined with the mixture of medication, is the widely accepted cause of death. He had a stock of painkilling tablets and it is argued that he would have taken more of them if he had been intending suicide. He was cremated at East Finchley Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered in the memorial gardens. Williams left an estate worth just under £540,000 (approximately ).
Legacy
Diaries and biographies
In April 2008 Radio 4 broadcast the two-part ''The Pain of Laughter: The Last Days of Kenneth Williams''.[ The programmes were researched and written by ]Wes Butters
Wesley Paul Butters (born 4 May 1979) is a radio broadcaster, formerly of BBC Radio 1, and writer.
Early life
Butters attended Buile Hill High School in Pendleton, Salford, and studied at the University of Salford between 1995 and 1997, wh ...
and narrated by Rob Brydon
Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
. Butters purchased a collection of Williams's personal belongings from the actor's godson, Robert Chidell, to whom they had been bequeathed.
The first of the programmes said that, towards the end of his life and struggling with depression and ill health, Williams abandoned Christianity following discussions with the poet Philip Larkin. Williams had been brought up a Wesleyan and then a Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
, though he spent much of his life struggling with Christianity's teachings on homosexuality.
''Kenneth Williams Unseen'' by Wes Butters and Russell Davies, the first Williams biography in 15 years, was published by HarperCollins in October 2008.
An authorised biography, ''Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams'', by Christopher Stevens, was published in October 2010. This drew for the first time on the full Williams archive of diaries and letters, which had been stored in a London bank for 15 years following publication of edited extracts. The biography notes that Williams used a variety of handwriting styles and colours in his journals, switching between different hands on the page.
Portrayals
David Benson's 1996 Edinburgh Fringe show ''Think No Evil of Us: My Life with Kenneth Williams'' saw Benson playing Williams; after touring, the show ran in London's West End. Benson reprised his performance at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe and continues to tour.
Williams was played by Adam Godley in Terry Johnson's play '' Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick'', which premiered at the National Theatre in 1998. Godley reprised the role in the subsequent film adaptation, '' Cor, Blimey!''
In 2006, Williams' life was the subject of the television play '' Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!''. Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...
portrayed Williams.
Recognition
A flat in the Osnaburgh Street block in which Williams lived from 1972 until his death was bought by Rob Brydon
Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
and Julia Davis
Julia Davis (born August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the comedies Human Remains (TV series), ''Human Remains'' (2000) and ''Nighty Night'' (2004–2005). She later worke ...
for the writing of their comedy series '' Human Remains''. The building was demolished in 2007.
Williams is commemorated by a blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
at the address of his father's barber shop, 57 Marchmont Street, London, where he lived from 1935 to 1956. The plaque was unveiled on 11 October 2009 by Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the '' Carry On'' ...
, Bill Pertwee
William Desmond Anthony Pertwee (21 July 1926 – 27 May 2013) was an English actor and comedian. He is best remembered for playing Chief ARP Warden Hodges in ''Dad's Army'' and P.C. Wilson in '' You Rang, M'Lord?''.
Early life
Pertwee was bo ...
and Nicholas Parsons
Christopher Nicholas Parsons (10 October 1923 – 28 January 2020) was an English actor, straight man and radio and television presenter. He was the long-running presenter of the comedy radio show ''Just a Minute'' and hosted the game show '' S ...
, with whom Williams performed.
On 22 February 2014, on what would have been Williams' 88th birthday, an English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
blue plaque was unveiled at Farley Court off Marylebone Road
Marylebone Road ( ) is an important thoroughfare in central London, within the City of Westminster. It runs east–west from the Euston Road at Regent's Park to the A40 Westway at Paddington. The road which runs in three lanes in both directi ...
, where Williams lived between 1963 and 1970. Speaking at the ceremony, his ''Carry On'' co-star Barbara Windsor said: "Kenny was a one-off, a true original".
Performances
Stage
* Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall Singapore (1946)
* '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (début)
The Newquay
Newquay ( ; ) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a civil parishes in England, civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries with an airport and a spaceport, and a fishing port on t ...
Repertory Players (1948)
in order of performance:
* '' The First Mrs. Fraser'' (Ninian Fraser)
* ''The Sacred Heart''
* '' Night Must Fall'' (Lord Chief Justice)
* ''This Blessed Plot''
* ''George and Margaret''
* '' Fools Rush In'' (Joe - the bridegroom)
* '' The Bread-Winner'' (Patrick)
* '' Pink String and Sealing Wax''
* '' The Dover Road''
* ''The Long Mirror''
* ''Private Lives
''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...
''
* '' Frieda'' (Tony Dawson)
* ''The Poltergeist''
* '' Jupiter Laughs''
* '' Grand National Night'' (Morton)
* '' The Sacred Flame'' (Dr Harvester)
* ''High Temperature''
* '' The Light of Heart''
* ''The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde, the last of his four drawing-room plays, following ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (1892), ''A Woman of No Importance'' (1893) and ''An Ideal Husban ...
'' (Algernon Moncrief)
The Dolphin Players (1948)
in order of performance:
* '' On Approval''
* ''Candida''
* '' An Inspector Calls''
* ''Tobias and the Angel''
Other plays:
* '' Saint Joan'' at the Arts Theatre and New Theatre, London (1954) (Dauphin)
* '' Moby Dick—Rehearsed'' at the Duke of York's Theatre, London (1955)
* ''The Buccaneer'' at the Apollo Theatre, London (1956) (Patrick)
* '' Hotel Paradiso'' at the Winter Garden Theatre, London (1956) (Maxime)
* ''Share My Lettuce'' (revue) at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, Comedy Theatre and Garrick Theatre, London (1957)
* ''Cinderella'' (pantomime) at the London Coliseum
The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...
(1958)
* ''Pieces of Eight'' (revue) at the Apollo Theatre, London (1959)
* ''One Over the Eight'' (revue) at the Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...
, London (1961)
* ''The Private Ear'' and ''The Public Eye'' at the Globe Theatre, London (1962)
* ''Gentle Jack'' at the Queen's Theatre, London (1963)
* '' Loot'' – UK Tour (1965)
* ''The Platinum Cat'' at Wyndham's Theatre, London (1965)
* '' Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' at the Cambridge Theatre, London (1971)
* '' My Fat Friend'' at the Globe Theatre, London (1972)
* ''Signed and Sealed'' (''Le Mariage de Barillon'' by Georges Feydeau
Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the Belle Époque era, remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914.
Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parents and raised in a ...
translated by Hampton) at the Comedy Theatre, London (1976) (Barillon)
* ''The Undertaking'' at the Fortune Theatre
The Fortune Theatre is a 432-seat West End theatre in Russell Street, near Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster. From 1989 until 2023 the theatre hosted the long running play '' The Woman in Black''.
History
The site was acquired by aut ...
, London (1979)
* '' Loot'' (directed) at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Arts Theatre, London (1980)
* '' Entertaining Mr Sloane'' (directed) at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London (1981)
Radio
* Monday Matinee: ''Passport to Pimlico
''Passport to Pimlico'' is a 1949 British comedy film made by Ealing Studios and starring Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Hermione Baddeley. It was directed by Henry Cornelius and written by T. E. B. Clarke. The story concerns the unea ...
'' (6 October 1952), '' Light Programme'' - (as Benny)
* ''Hancock's Half Hour
''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...
''
* '' Beyond Our Ken''
* ''Round the Horne
''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...
''
* '' Julian and Sandy''
* ''The Betty Witherspoon Show''
* ''Kenneth Williams Playhouse''
* ''Kenneth Williams Cabaret''
* ''The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams''
* ''Oh Get On with It''
* ''Just a Minute
''Just a Minute'' is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game. For more than 50 years, with a few exceptions, it was hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Following Parsons' death in 2020, Sue Perkins became the permanent host, starting with the 87th ser ...
''
* '' Stop Messing About''
* ''Story Time'' (BBC Radio 4): 'Augustus Carp Esq by Himself' ( Augustus Carp, Esq.) - abridged in ten parts - (from 27th. July 1979)
* ''The Wind in the Willows
''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and get ...
''
* ''Post Mortem'' by Stuart Jackman
* '' Diary of a Madman'' by Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin.
Gogol used the Grotesque#In literature, grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works "The Nose (Gogol short story), ...
Films
* '' Trent's Last Case'' (1952) as Horace Evans, the gardener (uncredited)
* '' Valley of Song'' (1953) as Lloyd The Haulage
* '' The Beggar's Opera'' (1953) as Jack The Pot Boy
* '' Innocents in Paris'' (1953) as window dresser at London airport (uncredited)
* ''The Seekers
The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...
'' (1954) as Peter Wishart
* ''Three Men in a Boat
''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous novel by English writer Jerome K. Jerome describing ...
'' (1956) as Hampton Court Maze Attendant (uncredited)
* '' Carry On Sergeant'' (1958) as James Bailey
* '' Carry On Nurse'' (1959) as Oliver Reckitt
* '' Carry On Teacher'' (1959) as Edwin Milton
* '' Tommy the Toreador'' (1959) as Vice-Consul
* '' Carry On Constable'' (1960) as Constable Stanley Benson
* '' Make Mine Mink'' (1960) as Freddie Warrington
* '' His and Hers'' (1961) as Policeman; uncredited airport reporter's overdubbed voice
* '' Raising the Wind'' (1961) as Harold Chesney
* ''Carry On Regardless
''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hand', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...
'' (1961) as Francis Courtenay
* '' Twice Round the Daffodils'' (1962) as Henry Halfpenny
* '' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) as First Officer Leonard Marjoribanks
* '' Carry On Jack'' (1963) as Captain Fearless
* '' Carry On Spying'' (1964) as Desmond Simpkins
* '' Carry On Cleo'' (1964) as Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
* '' Carry On Cowboy'' (1965) as Judge Burke
* '' Carry On Screaming!'' (1966) as Dr Watt
* '' Don't Lose Your Head'' (1966) as Citizen Camembert
* '' Follow That Camel'' (1967) as Commandant Burger
* '' Carry On Doctor'' (1967) as Dr Kenneth Tinkle
* '' Carry On Up the Khyber'' (1968) as the Khasi of Khalabar
* '' Carry On Camping'' (1969) as Dr Kenneth Soaper
* '' Carry On Again Doctor'' (1969) as Frederick Carver
* '' Carry On Loving'' (1970) as Percival Snooper
* '' Carry On Henry'' (1971) as Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...
* '' Carry On at Your Convenience'' (1971) as WC Boggs
* '' Carry On Matron'' (1972) as Sir Bernard Cutting
* '' Carry On Abroad'' (1972) as Stuart Farquhar
* '' Carry On Dick'' (1974) as Captain Desmond Fancey
* '' Carry On Behind'' (1975) as Professor Roland Crump
* '' That's Carry On!'' (1977) as Presenter
* ''The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'' (1978) as Sir Henry Baskerville
* '' Carry On Emmannuelle'' (1978) as Emile Prevert
* '' The Thief and the Cobbler'' (1993) as Goblet / Tickle (voice) (final film role)
Television
* ''Wogan's Radio Fun'' ((1987) Julian and Sandy sketch with Hugh Paddick
* ''International Cabaret'' (1966–1974) as Himself – Host
* ''The Kenneth Williams Show'' (1970–1976) as Himself
* ''Jackanory
''Jackanory'' was a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in Reading (activity), reading. The programme was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the ...
'' (1968–1986) as Storyteller
* '' Willo the Wisp'' (all voices, 1981)
* '' Galloping Galaxies'' (1985–1986)
* '' An Audience with Kenneth Williams'' (1983) as Himself
* ''Bilko on Parade'' (1984) as Narrator ''(Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly 60 years. He achieved major popularity w ...
)''
* '' Countdown''
* ''Parkinson in Australia'' (1981) as Himself
* '' What's My Line?''
* ''Some You Win'' as Himself
* ''Whizzkids Guide'' (1981) as Himself
* '' Tomorrow's World'' (1981) as Himself
* ''Let's Make a Musical'' (1977) as Himself
* ''Going Places'' (1975) as Presenter
* ''Meanwhile, on BBC2'' (1971)
* '' Join Jim Dale'' (1969) as Himself (one episode, 10/7/'69)
* ''The Wednesday Play
''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic ...
'', 'Catch as Catch Can', (1964) as Napoleon (by Jean Anouilh
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...
)
* ''BBC Sunday Night Theatre
''Sunday Night Theatre'' was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959.
The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, ...
'' (1952–1958) as Captain Chalford / The Angel
* '' Saint Joan'' (1958) as The Dauphin
* '' Sword of Freedom''
* ''The School''
* ''Dick and the Duchess'' (1957) as Clive
* ''The Armoured Car''
* ''Misalliance Misalliance may refer to:
* Misalliance (play), a play by Bernard Shaw
** Misalliance (Playhouse 90), a US television play based on Shaw's work
* Mésalliance, a marriage to an unsuitable partner
{{dab ...
'' (1954) as Bentley Summerhays
Recordings
* ''Kenneth Williams'' EP 1963, Decca DFE 8548. Contains four sketches from the ''Pieces of Eight'' and ''One Over the Eight'' revues.
* ''Kenneth Williams on Pleasure Bent'' 1967, Decca LK 4856. Music by Ted Dicks, lyrics by Myles Rudge. Arrangements and musical direction by Barry Booth, sound supervision by Roger Cameron.
* ''The World of Kenneth Williams'' 1970, Decca SPA 64. Stereo edition of recordings from the 1950s and 1960s.
* ''The Bona World of Julian and Sandy'' 1976, DJM DJF20487
* ''Castle on Luke Street'' 1978, Sanctuary Records, SU0803. Roy Castle narrated eight stories from the David Lewis Series of books on side 1. Williams recorded "Lost and Found" on side 2. Dora Bryan
Dora May Broadbent (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was an English actress of stage, film and television.[Derek Nimmo
Derek Robert Nimmo (19 September 1930 – 24 February 1999) was an English character actor, producer and author. He is best remembered for his comedic upper class "silly ass" and clerical roles, including Revd Mervyn Noote in the BBC1 sitcom ...]
and Thora Hird
Dame Thora Hird (28 May 1911 – 15 March 2003) was an English actress. In a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in more than 100 films, as well as many television roles, becoming a household name and a British institution.
Hird w ...
narrated one story each.
* Williams also released several albums as Rambling Syd Rumpo.
* Kenneth Williams read eight '' Just William'' stories for Argo in the early 1980s.
* An audio reading of ''Monkey
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...
'', Arthur Waley's translation of Journey to the West
''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the ...
, for Nimbus Records
Nimbus Records is a British record company based at Wyastone Leys, Ganarew, Herefordshire. It specialises in classical music recordings and was the first company in the UK to produce compact discs.
Description
Nimbus was founded in 1972 by C ...
(1981). Re-released on MP3 CD:NI5888, in 2008.
* ''Parlour Poetry: Comic, Patriotic and Improving Verse from the Victorian Age'': (1978): Saydisc Label: SDL294: CD Re-release: 2009.
There are also several recordings of ''Round the Horne'' and ''Just a Minute'' that include Williams.
Books
* ''Acid Drops'' (1980)
* ''Back Drops'' (1983)
* ''Just Williams'' (1985)
* ''I Only Have To Close My Eyes'' (1986)
* ''The Kenneth Williams Diaries'' (1993)
* ''The Kenneth Williams Letters'' (1994)
Notes
References
*
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Kenneth
1926 births
1988 deaths
20th-century English comedians
20th-century English diarists
20th-century English LGBTQ people
20th-century English male actors
Actors from the London Borough of Camden
Actors from the London Borough of Islington
Audiobook narrators
Barbiturates-related deaths
British Army personnel of World War II
Comedians from the London Borough of Camden
Comedians from the London Borough of Islington
Drug-related deaths in London
English LGBTQ comedians
English male comedians
English male film actors
English male radio actors
English male stage actors
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Male actors from London
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