John Lancelot Blades Percival (26 July 1933 – 6 January 2015), known as Lance Percival, was an English actor, comedian and singer, best known for his appearances in satirical comedy television shows of the early 1960s and his ability to improvise comic calypsos about current news stories. He later became successful as an

after-dinner speaker Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

Biography

Percival was born in

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506, situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lo ...

, Kent, and was educated at

Sherborne School Sherborne School is a full-boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 located beside Sherborne Abbey in the Dorset town of Sherborne. The school has been in continuous operation on the same site for over 1,300 years. It was founded in 705 AD by Ald ...

in Dorset, where he learnt to play the guitar. He then did

national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

with the

Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

and was posted to Egypt. In 1955 he emigrated to Canada where he worked as an advertising copywriter, writing jingles for radio. He also formed a calypso group as "Lord Lance" which toured the US and Canada.Lance Percival Guardian Obituary
Retrieved 9 January 2015 He first became well known in the early 1960s for performing topical calypsos on television shows such as ''

That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

'', after having been discovered by

Ned Sherrin Edward George Sherrin (18 February 1931 – 1 October 2007) was an English broadcaster, author and stage director. He qualified as a barrister and then worked in independent television before joining the BBC. He appeared in a variety of r ...

, performing at the Blue Angel Club in

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

. A tall thin man with a distinctive crooked nose and prominent ears, he also appeared in several British comedy films including the Carry On film '' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) (replacing Charles Hawtrey who quit in a dispute over billing). He had a cameo role in '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) and another in '' The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' (1964). He had a major role, and second billing, in the comedy musical '' It's All Over Town'' (1964). He also appeared in his own

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios ...

comedy series ''Lance at Large'' (also 1964), with writers Peter Tinniswood and David Nobbs. in 1960 he starred on the Comedy revue '' One Over The Eight''. Working, like many British comics of the era, with

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

, Percival had one UK Singles Chart hit, his cover version of a calypso-style song entitled " Shame and Scandal in the Family" which reached number 37 in October 1965, and recorded several other comedy songs, including "The Beetroot Song" ("If You Like Beetroot I'll Be True To You", 1963), written by

Mitch Murray Mitch Murray (born Lionel Michael Stitcher; 30 January 1940) is an English songwriter, record producer and author. He has won two Ivor Novello Awards, including the Jimmy Kennedy Award. Murray has written, or co-written, songs that have produ ...

, and "The Maharajah of Brum" (1967), written with Martin. Later he provided the voice of both

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

for the cartoon series ''

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

'' (1965), leading to his voicing the central character "Old Fred" in

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

animated film Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

'' Yellow Submarine''. He also appeared as an "upper class tramp" in the

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English rock and pop group formed in 1963 in Manchester and formerly fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with numerous tra ...

film '' Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter'' (1968). During the 1960s and 1970s, 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 ...

and on its predecessor the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

, he was a regular panelist on Ian Messiter's '' Many a Slip''. He starred alongside

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

and

Jeremy Kemp Edmund Jeremy James Walker (3 February 1935 – 19 July 2019), known professionally as Jeremy Kemp, was an English actor. He was known for his significant roles in the miniseries '' The Winds of War'' and '' War and Remembrance'', the film ''T ...

in the musical film '' Darling Lili'' (1970) and also appeared in ''

There's a Girl in My Soup ''There's a Girl in My Soup'' is a 1970 British romantic comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. Terence Frisby wrote the screenplay based on his 1966 stage play of the same name. Plot Robert Danve ...

''. Also in 1970, he appeared in a rare dramatic role in the war film '' Too Late the Hero'' starring

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

and

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a ...

. On 14 December 1970, he was involved in a fatal three-car crash in his

Jaguar XJ The Jaguar XJ is a series of mid-size/full-size luxury cars produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars (becoming Jaguar Land Rover in 2013) from 1968 to 2019. It was produced across four basic platform generations (debuting in 1968 ...

on a notorious stretch of the A20, south of

Farningham Farningham is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located south-east of Swanley. It has a population of 1,314. History Farningham is believed to be home to Neolithic human occupancy – flint and othe ...

, Kent, known as Death Hill. Percival was in hospital for a month, he almost lost the sight of one eye and required 123 stitches. Following his recovery, he was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. In court he testified remembering the car drifting left and right, but his memory of the accident was vague. He was acquitted after evidence showed that a tyre on his car had probably deflated before the crash. Percival accepted liability for the accident and in a legal action that reached the

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

he paid a total of £35,781 in

damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...

to his two passengers and to the widow and the two children of the driver who was killed (). Percival returned to film work in the

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

films ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series set in ancient Pompeii and broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the seco ...

'' (1971), '' Up the Chastity Belt'' (1971), and '' Up the Front'' (1972), sustaining a film career until 1978. Between 1972 and 1978 the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

game show '' Whodunnit!'' was written by Percival and

Jeremy Lloyd John Jeremy Lloyd (22 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an English writer, screenwriter, author, poet and actor. He was the co-writer of several successful British sitcoms, including '' Are You Being Served?'' and '' 'Allo 'Allo!''. Early ...

. Percival appeared on

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 ...

light entertainment programmes such as ''

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 ...

'' throughout the 1980s and was also the author of two books of verse, ''Well-Versed Cats'' and ''Well-Versed Dogs'', both illustrated by Lalla Ward. Subsequently, he gained a reputation as a writer and later as an after-dinner speaker. Percival died on 6 January 2015, aged 81, after a long illness. His son Jamie said: "When he spoke about his showbiz life, he spoke fondly of his time on ''That Was the Week That Was'', and he always loved

, who discovered him performing at the Blue Angel Club". He was cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium on 20 January 2015.

Filmography

Film

*'' The Devil's Daffodil'' (1961) – Französischer Gendarme / French gendarme (uncredited) *'' Raising the Wind'' (1961) – Harry *'' On the Fiddle'' (1961) – MacTaggart (uncredited) *'' What a Whopper'' (1961) – Policeman at Roundabout *'' Postman's Knock'' (1961) – Joe *'' Twice Round the Daffodils'' (1962) – George Logg *'' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) – Wilfred Haines, Ship's Cook *'' In the Doghouse'' (1962) – Policeman (uncredited) *'' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) – B.O.A.C. Officer *'' It's All Over Town'' (1964) – Richard Abel *'' Hide and Seek'' (1964) – Dancer (uncredited) *'' The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' (1964) – Assistant Car Salesman *'' Joey Boy'' (1965) – Clarence Doubleday *'' You Must Be Joking!'' (1965) – Young Man (uncredited) *'' The Big Job'' (1965) – Timothy 'Dipper' Day *'' Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter'' (1968) – Percy Sutton *'' Yellow Submarine'' (1968) – Old Fred (voice) *'' Too Late the Hero'' (1970) – Cpl. McLean *'' Darling Lili'' (1970) – T.C. Carstairs *'' The Weekend Murders'' (1970) – Supt. Grey *''

'' (1970) – Willie the Bridegroom (uncredited) *''

'' (1971) – Bilius *'' The Magnificent Six and ½: Up the Creek'' (1971) *'' Up the Chastity Belt'' (1971) – Reporter *'' Up the Front'' (1972) – Von Gutz *'' Our Miss Fred'' (1972) – Smallpiece *'' Confessions from a Holiday Camp'' (1977) – Lionel *'' The Water Babies'' (1978) – Terence the Sea Horse (voice) *'' Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse'' (1978) – Jake Fletcher *'' Quincy's Quest'' (1979) – Jack *'' Jekyll & Hyde'' (1990) – Beresford Mount, Prince's Private Secretary (final film role)

Television

*''

That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

'' (1962–1963) – Himself *'' Citizen James'' (1962) *''

'' (1965–1967) –

*'' Jason King'' (1972) – Alfred Trim *'' Who Do You Do?'' (1972–1973) – Various Impressions *'' Chico the Rainmaker aka The Boy with Two Heads'' (1974) – Stanley Thornton *''Oscar the Rabbit in Rubbidge'' (1977) – narrator (English version) *'' Shoestring'' (1980) – Jake Rivere *'' Bullseye'' (1983) – Himself

Discography

*1963 – Riviera Cayf / You're Joking of Course (7", Single) arlophone – R 5032*1963 – The Beetroot Song / Dancing in the Streets Tonight (7", Single) arlophone – R 5071*1965 – There's Another One Behind / Shame and Scandal in the Family (7", Single) arlophone – R 5335*1966 – If I Had Wings / My Girl, My Shirll (7", Single) arlophone – R 5417*1966 – End of the Season / Our Jim (7", Single) arlophone – R 5517*1967 – I'm Beautiful / I've Been Left Behind (7", Single) arlophone – R 5657*1967 – The Maharajah of Brum / Taking the Maharajah Apart (7", Single) arlophone – R 5587

References

External links

*
Obituary
at

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Obituary
at ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''
Obituary
at ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Percival, Lance 1933 births 2015 deaths English male television actors English male film actors English male writers English male singers People educated at Sherborne School People from Sevenoaks British calypsonians Musicians from Kent Male actors from Kent Seaforth Highlanders officers 20th-century English singers 20th-century English writers 20th-century British male singers 20th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Kent Actors from Sevenoaks District British comedy musicians English voice actors