Name Norman Evans | Spouse Annie Evans (m. ?–1962) | |
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Died November 25, 1962, United Kingdom Movies and TV shows Over the Garden Wall, The Norman Evans Show | ||
Variety star Norman Evans as Joe Ramsbottom in his "Throat Pill" Sketch 1937
Norman Evans - Over the garden wall too
Norman Evans (11 June 1901 – 25 November 1962) was a variety and radio performer, born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England.
Contents
- Variety star Norman Evans as Joe Ramsbottom in his Throat Pill Sketch 1937
- Norman Evans Over the garden wall too
- Filmography
- References
Evans was discovered by fellow Rochdale entertainer Gracie Fields. The act for which he is best remembered was "Over the Garden Wall", in which he played Fanny Fairbottom, a toothless hatchet-faced Lancastrian housewife gossiping over a garden wall, The routine was the inspiration for Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough's later Cissie and Ada characters. The one-sided conversations would embrace local gossip, including scandal about the neighbours and personal medical complaints, including silently mouthing words deemed too rude to be spoken out loud, and accompanied with a range of facial contortions and glances round for supposed eavesdroppers. Another famous stage sketch was "The Dentist" in which Evans played both patient and dentist, and in which he employed a large screen.
His first appearance on the London stage was alongside a young Betty Driver. Evans was the only pantomime dame to receive top billing at the London Palladium.
In May 1955, he lost his right eye in a serious car accident while driving near Preston. The accident was caused after he swerved trying to avoid a black cat.
His final summer season was at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Pwllheli in 1962. He wrote to Clarkson Rose (another top pantomime dame) "Working in a Butlin theatre is a terrific experience, and although I've not been too well, I've never been happier in my life".
Norman Evans is buried in Carleton Cemetery, Blackpool. The headstone of his grave is a low wall built from natural gritstone blocks. His epitaph (preceding birth and death dates) reads "Norman's last garden wall!"