Roy Hudd

Roy Hudd (16 May 1936 – 15 March 2020) was an English comedian, actor, presenter, radio host, author and authority on the history of music hall entertainment.

Early life

Hudd was born in Croydon on 16 May 1936 to Evalina "Evie" (née Barham) and Harry Hudd. His father was a carpenter who left the family shortly after the Second World War, and his mother, who had a history of mental health problems, committed suicide by gas when Hudd was nine years old. Hudd was primarily brought up by his grandmother, and attended Tavistock Secondary Modern School in Croydon and Croydon Secondary Technical School. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, he studied commercial art at the Regent Street Polytechnic. He then worked as a messenger for an advertising agency, as a window dresser, and as a commercial artist, working under Harry Beck.

He made his professional debut as a comedian at the Streatham Hill Theatre on 27 October 1957, in a show in aid of the Sir Philip Game Boys' Club, of which he had been a member. Initially he worked with Eddie Kay, a friend from Croydon who had also been a member of the boys' club, the two billing themselves as "the peculiar pair". In 1958, they joined Butlin's Clacton as Redcoats, working alongside Cliff Richard and Dave Allen.

Career

Radio

Although Hudd and Kay had made a brief appearance as "discoveries" on the BBC's '' In Town Tonight'' in 1958, Hudd made his solo debut on radio in 1959 on '' Workers' Playtime''. His BBC Radio 2 satirical series '' The News Huddlines'' ran from 1975 to 2001. His other radio credits include playing Max Quordlepleen, the host at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, in the original radio series of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (1978), ''Crowned Hudds'' (1994–95), '' The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes'' (1999–2000) and ''Like They've Never Been Gone'' (1999–2002).

Television

Hudd broke into television in the mid-1960s in sketch series such as ''The Illustrated Weekly Hudd'' and ''The Roy Hudd Show''. His acting roles included the Dennis Potter series '' Lipstick on Your Collar'', for which he received critical praise, and ''Karaoke''. In the mid 1990s, he appeared in two series of '' Common As Muck'', a drama about a group of refuse collectors, alongside Edward Woodward. In 2000, Hudd appeared as neighbour Mr. Smedley in one episode of ''One Foot in the Grave''. From 2002 to 2003, he appeared as the undertaker Archie Shuttleworth in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and subsequently returned for guest appearances in 2006 and 2010; the character died offscreen in December 2018. He also starred in the ITV drama '' The Quest'', alongside Sir David Jason and Hywel Bennett, from 2002 to 2004. In 2007, he appeared in episodes of ''New Tricks'', ''Casualty'' (and again in July 2019) and '' The Last Detective''. In 2010, he appeared in BBC dramas '' Missing'' and '' Ashes to Ashes'', as well as two episodes of '' Just William''.

In 2012, he appeared in an episode of the BBC drama ''Call the Midwife''. In 2014, he appeared in episodes of ''Midsomer Murders'', '' Law & Order: UK'' and ''Holby City''. In December 2015, Hudd played Bud Flanagan in the BBC drama ''We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story'', about the creation of the titular long-running sitcom. In 2016 he appeared in an episode of ''Benidorm''. In 2017, he appeared in the ITV series ''Broadchurch''.

Theatre

Hudd appeared in many pantomime and variety performances. In 1977 he starred as Fagin in the West End revival of Lionel Bart's musical ''Oliver!'' at the Albery Theatre and, in 1982, he played Bud Flanagan in ''Underneath the Arches'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre, for which he won a Society of West End Theatre Award. In 2000, he starred in a musical version of '' Hard Times'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In May 2008 Hudd appeared as Njegus in the English National Opera production of ''The Merry Widow'' at the London Coliseum. and the same year he played the part of the Wizard in a production of ''The Wizard of Oz'' at London's Royal Festival Hall. Hudd played Tom Oakley in '' Goodnight Mister Tom'' at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds in 2018. This was Hudd's local theatre and was described as "a theatre he absolutely loved." by his wife Debbie. In 2019, he toured the UK in a production of Oscar Wilde's play ''A Woman of No Importance'' alongside Liza Goddard and Isla Blair.

Music hall

Hudd wrote several books on music hall, re-recorded music hall records, and appeared in the music hall revival show '' The Good Old Days.'' He was seen by broadcasters as an authority on the subject and was the longstanding President of the British Music Hall Society. His CD, ''Mirth, Magic and Melodrama'' consists of a collection of classic monologues from the music hall days, including ''The Pig'' and ''The Lion and Albert'', first recorded by Stanley Holloway. For '' Celebrity Mastermind'', broadcast in January 2014, Hudd answered questions on the specialist subject of music hall comedian Dan Leno.

He was an authority on the comedian Max Miller and was known for his impersonation of Miller. He appeared as his hero in the Big Finish Productions ''Doctor Who'' audio play '' Pier Pressure'' in 2006. He was President of the Max Miller Appreciation Society.

Charity work

Hudd had a long association with the Bristol Hospital Broadcasting Service, where he was considered an honorary member. In 1994, he officially opened their current studios in the Bristol Royal Infirmary. He was also a past King Rat of the show business charity the Grand Order of Water Rats in 1989 and 2000.

In addition to this, he was the first Honorary President of Sandwell Hospital Radio in West Bromwich for a period of ten years, visiting the studios, members and patients whenever he was appearing in the West Midlands.

Personal life

Hudd was married to Ann Lambert in 1961; they divorced in 1983. His second marriage was to Debbie Flitcroft, from 1988 until his death.

Hudd was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2004 New Year Honours List for services to entertainment. In 1983 (1982 season), he was awarded the Society of West End Theatre Award as Best Actor in a Musical for his role in ''Underneath the Arches'', as Bud Flanagan.

On 29 November 2010, Hudd was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Westminster; he studied commercial art there when it was the Regent Street Polytechnic.

Death

Hudd died in Ipswich Hospital on 15 March 2020, aged 83, following a short illness. He is buried in Crowfield Parish Church, Suffolk. In 2025, a headstone in the style of a music hall theatrical poster was installed at his grave.

Filmography

Bibliography

Hudd books began to be published in 1971:
* ''Joke Book (Mini-ha-ha Books)'' by Roy Hudd (Paperback – 28 May 1971)
* ''Music Hall (Picturefile)'' by Roy Hudd (Paperback – 4 November 1976)
* ''The News Huddlines'' by Roy Hudd and Illustrated (Paperback – 1 January 1980)
* ''Beautiful Dreamer: A musical melodrama based on the life and songs of Stephen Collins Foster'' by Roy Hudd (Unknown Binding – 1981)
* ''Underneath the Arches'' by Patrick, Glanville, Brian, Hudd, Roy Garland (Paperback – 1982)
* ''Underneath the Arches: Musical in Two Acts'' by Patrick Garland, Brian Glanville, and Roy Hudd (Paperback – 1984)
* ''That's Entertainment: Vol.1'' by Roy Hudd, etc. (Paperback – 1 December 1992)
* ''Roy Hudd's Book of Music-hall, Variety and Showbiz Anecdotes'' by Roy Hudd (Hardcover – October 1993)
* ''Roy Hudd's Huddline Annual'' by Roy Hudd and Tony Hare (Hardcover – October 1994)
* ''I Say, I Say, I Say: Johnners' Choice of Jokes to Keep You Laughing'' by Brian Johnston and Roy Hudd (Paperback – 4 September 1995)
* ''The Pantomime Book'' by Paul Harris and Roy Hudd (Paperback – August 1996)
* ''Look Back with Laughter. Volume Three'' by Mike Craig, Dame Thora Hird, and Roy Hudd (Paperback – 1998)
* ''Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A Who Was Who of Light Entertainment, 1945–60'' by Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin (Paperback – 18 November 1998)
* ''Roy Hudd's Book of Music-hall, Variety and Showbiz Anecdotes'' by Roy Hudd (Paperback – 30 October 1998)
* ''The Pantomime Book: The Only Known Collection of Pantomime Jokes and Sketches in Captivity'' by Paul Harris and Roy Hudd (Paperback – 31 October 2001)
* ''Twice Nightly'' by Roy Hudd (Hardcover – October 2007)
* ''The Pantomime Book'' by Roy Hudd and Paul Harris (Paperback – 15 September 2008)
* ''A Fart in a Colander: The Autobiography'' by Roy Hudd (Hardcover – 1 October 2009)

References

* ''A Fart in a Colander: The Autobiography'' by Roy Hudd (Hardcover – 1 October 2009),

Notes

External links

Roy Hudd
at the British Film Institute
*

BBC Biography/Profile

BBC – Radio comic Roy Hudd honoured with OBE

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudd, Roy
1936 births
2020 deaths
English male radio actors
English radio personalities
English male stage actors
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Actors from the London Borough of Croydon
Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic
Butlins Redcoats
English male television actors
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Window dressers
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
20th-century Royal Air Force personnel
English male comedians
Comedians from the London Borough of Croydon
Comedians from Surrey
Male actors from Surrey
People from Croydon
British satirists
British radio show creators
British satirical radio show creators