Remembering the Prunella Scales You Didn't Know (And the Sitcom You've Never Seen)
A personal remembrance, plus a rediscovered episode of Lucky Feller starring Scales and David Jason
I was very sad to read of the passing of Prunella Scales. She was a close friend of my father, Terence Frisby - she appeared in lots of his plays and sitcoms - and I met her many times, including several times during her latter years when she was afflicted with dementia. I even sat next to her on Christmas Eve at Midnight Mass in Southwark Cathedral not four years ago.
She was always very kind and generous to me. My thesis at university (I read drama at Manchester) was on Fawlty Towers - for which I got a First (had to get that in there) - and she granted me the most brilliant, perspicacious interview. If I can find it, I will post it online because it is such a valuable resource for any student of comedy.
Probably because of her downmarket Sybil Fawlty persona, many do not realise what a grand dame she actually was in real life. Quite the woman of the theatre.
When I was starting out in the business, if she was appearing anywhere, Dad would take me, saying, “watch her work”. I remember seeing a production of a play called The Mother Tongue in Greenwich in 1992 and when we went for a drink after, she completely shunned have bizchat with Dad in favour of me, putting her arm around me, listening to my stories of drama school and making me feel like the most special person in the world.
Of course, she was a wonderful comedienne.
Dad always regarded It’s All Right If I Do It as one of his best plays, though it did not match the success of There’s A Girl In My Soup - in fact it bombed after a notorious first night, one of many plays to fail at The Mermaid, apparently. I never saw it, but the poster was always there on the wall of Dad’s flat with Prunella Scales boldly touted in the lead role, along with John Stride. I must have gazed at the poster a million times. He always sighed at how good she was in the part.
She was also brilliant in his 1975 sitcom, Lucky Feller, about two cockney brothers in south-east London trying to make their way in life. One of them was played by David Jason. And David Jason drove a funny car. Uncanny, isn’t it?
Pru played a randy West Country farmer’s wife (pictured above), who hasn’t been in touched by her husband in years. I’ll never forget the way she delivered the lines in this exchange.
Farmer’s wife (Scales): Your fiance’s room is just across the landing there. (winks) You won’t have any trouble finding it if you want anything in the night.
Shorty (Jason): No, no, no. We are just good friends.
Farmer’s wife (Scales): Oh, what are you then? Film stars?
Shorty (Jason) No, no, no. It’s just that I respect her.
Farmer’s wife (Scales): Oh, dear. Oh, I am sorry. Well, never mind you might get over it. (Goes out and comes back in) And if you don’t, my rooms just down the end there. I’ve had all the respect I need for this life, thank you very much.
And, guess what? I’ve found the episode on my computer.
It’s a gem. 25 minutes of classic English 1970s sitcom, which you have (almost certainly) never seen before.
I urge you to take 25 minutes and watch this. You will thank me.
Some plot background. Shorty (David Jason) is about to marry Kath (Cheryl Hall), but they have never had sex. However, she is already pregnant by Shorty’s brother Randolph (Peter Armitage), who she really loves – but who won’t marry her.
Kath is desperate to get Shorty into bed before her pregnancy shows and the truth gets out. But every time they are about to consummate, something goes wrong.
In this episode, she has persuaded him to take her away for a weekend in Bournemouth. But Shorty, driving them in his bubble car, gets lost … Enjoy.
People of Birmingham and Yorkshire
In other news I have lots of shows added for next year.
Next week we are in Huddersfield and Birmingham. Get your tickets while you still can (there are only a handful left I gather)
London, Crazy Coqs, Nov 5. Tickets here. (SOLD OUT - waiting list only)
Huddersfield, Keys, Nov 14. Tickets here.
Birmingham, Glee, Nov 15. Tickets here
London, Crazy Coqs, Dec 3. Tickets here. (SOLD OUT - waiting list only)
London, Backyard, Dec 15. End of the Year Show. Tickets here. Not many left.
London, Crazy Coqs, Jan 21. Tickets here (These sell out quickly)
Stafford, Gatehouse, Feb 26. Tickets here.
Leeds, HiFi Club, Feb 27. Tickets here.
London, Crazy Coqs, March 4. Tickets here (These sell out quickly)
Lincoln, The Engine Shed. March 5. Tickets here.
Oxford, Glee, March 6. Tickets here.
Leicester, Just the Tonic at Peter’s Pizzeria, March 12. Tickets here.
Lichfield, Garrick. March 13. Tickets here.
Southend, Palace Theatre, March 26. Tickets here.
Guildford, G Live, March 28. Tickets here.
Swindon, Swindon Arts Centre, April 18. Tickets here.
Swindon, Swindon Arts Centre, April 18. Tickets here.
I have started a WhatsApp Channel, if you want to watch and swap songs on there.
Lovely. We feel like these actors are part of our lives but we never get to find out what they are really like, wonderful memories you must have of her.
British telly used to churn out comedy like this with excellent stage actors performing live in front of an audience so you get genuine reactions and the actors can feed off it. Jason really was a masterful comedy actor and so was Scales. And the writing was spot on, just the right side of risque, your dad was a true craftsman.
Thank you for posting this. We were spoiled with the quality of tv in the 1970s.
Definitely 'classic English 1970s sitcom' and you'd never guess the gritty backstory from that episode. Thank you for sharing it AND the London Weekend theme.