Al Read

Alfred Read (3 March 1909 – 9 September 1987) was a British radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Originally a businessman, he has been described as highly influential on British comedy.

Early life Read was born in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire. On leaving school he worked at the family meat-processing firm, E. and H. Read Ltd, initially as a salesman before becoming a director in his early 20s. He always wanted to perform - on one occasion, when he was 18, he performed impressions of Maurice Chevalier in clubs in Bolton before being found by his father and having to return to work as a meat-products salesman. After his father died he started running the family business while continuing to take opportunities to entertain at local dinners and in clubs.

Early business career He became a prosperous and well-respected local businessman. In the Second World War his company won a lucrative contract with the NAAFI to supply sausages, enabling him to spend more time in the evenings as an after-dinner speaker. He honed his skills with carefully observed characterisations ranging from drunks to know-alls and cheeky children. After moving to Lytham St Annes he spent time playing golf, where he met many of the show business figures who performed in nearby Blackpool, and started active attempts to develop a second career as a comedian. In 1948 he paid a local theatre producer to let him perform in a show on the South Pier, but the performance was unsuccessful owing to Read's stage fright and he returned to his business interests. According to McCann: "His ability to flit back and forth between speakers and personalities was impressive in itself, but the seemingly effortless yet unfailingly precise rhythms of his speech, and the deftness of his key turns of phrase, were even more remarkable." McCann described him as "pioneering", with an "immense" influence on British comedy. The programme was one of the most popular radio comedy shows in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. Up to 35 million people listened to it each week.

In 1954 he appeared high on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium, and in 1959 he appeared with comedian Jimmy Clitheroe in the Royal Northern Variety Performance, in the presence of the Queen Mother, at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. The American comedian Bob Newhart came to an arrangement with Read to adapt and perform some of his routines, with the result that some of the material originally written and developed by Read, such as "The Driving Instructor", became associated more with Newhart. The first edition shown by ABC had monologues by Al entitled "The Railway Station", "A Mayfair Cocktail Party", "The Wife in her Kitchen", and "How to Park a Motor Car"; and his special guests were Shani Wallis and The King Brothers. A second series of seven episodes followed in October 1964 but was only shown wholly in the two ABC regions, with Ulster Television showing the first five episodes. Read appears to have changed his approach for this series. "A policeman, an engine driver, a bus conductor, a canteen manageress, a goalkeeper ... these are the roles undertaken by Al Read in his new series 'Life and Al Read' starting on ITV tomorrow. For the first time in his career, he will be dreaming the various parts he portrays." In 1966 a BBC TV series called Al Read Says What a Life! was broadcast. However Read's humour did not transfer very well to television, with a critic in The Stage commenting: "I'm only interested in what he has to say – I don't care what he looks like." His final TV series, It's All In Life, in 1973, was also unsuccessful, and Read returned to radio for a final series in 1976. 22/10/1952 04/12/1952 29/12/1952 19/02/1953Approximate monthly episodes, broadcast along with repeats on varying days and times. Featuring Jimmy Edwards, Louise Traill, The Kordites and the Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra conducted by Vilem Tausky. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show408/10/1953 05/11/1953 26/01/1954 15/02/1954Approximate monthly episodes, broadcast along with repeats on varying days and times. Featuring the Lifetimers and the Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra Conducted by Vilem Tausky. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show602/09/1954 26/10/1954 25/11/1954 04/01/1954 25/01/1954 22/02/1955Approximate monthly episodes, broadcast along with repeats on varying days and times. Featuring musical guests and the Augmented Northern Variety Orchestra conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show702/09/1955 25/09/1955 08/11/1955 07/12/1955 22/12/1955 14/02/1956 09/12/1956 16/12/1956 22/12/1956Weekly episodes (Sunday at 10:30, repeats various) followed by Christmas Show (Wed at 13:10, repeated Sat 29th at 21:30). Featuring The Kordites and the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show302/02/1957 03/03/1957 24/03/1957Approximate monthly episodes, broadcast along with repeats on varying days and times. Featuring The Kordites and the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show423/09/1957 21/10/1957 18/11/1957 25/12/1957Approximate monthly episodes, broadcast along with repeats on varying days and times. Featuring The Kordites and the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Produced by Ronnie Taylor.The Al Read Show1329/09/1958 to 22/12/1958Weekly episodes, broadcast Monday at 21:00 (episodes 3 and 9 at 20:30), repeated following Sunday at 18:30. With The Allegros and the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra conducted by Alyn Ainsworth. Produced by Ronnie Taylor. Second repeat of episodes 1 to 12 in the following year, from 21 March to 6th June 1969. Episode 6 (3rd Nov 1958) repeated on 7 Sept 1959 as part of 'The Best of the Best' celebration.The Al Read Show1312/12/1965 to 06/03/1966Weekly episodes, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Sunday at 13:30 and repeated the following Thursday at 20:00. With Rawicz and Landauer (E1/2/4/5/6/7/8), The Raindrops (E1/2/5/6/10), Julie De Marco (E3), Terry Burton (E4), Bettine Le Beau (E4), The Hollies (E7/8), Susan Maughan (E9), The Countrymen (E9), Paul Andrews (E10), Janie Marden (E11), The New Faces (E11), Anita Harris (E12/13), The Barron Knights (E12/13) and Woolf Phillips and His Orchestra (E1-13). Devised by Al Read, written by Ronnie Taylor, produced by Bill WorsleyThe Al Read Show '68614/01/1968 to 18/02/1968Weekly episodes, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Sunday at 14:00 and repeated the following Wednesday at 19:45. With Clinton Ford (E1/2/3), Julie Rogers (E4), Anita Harris (E5), Jackie Trent (E6) and The New Faces (E1-6). Script by Ronnie Taylor, orchestra directed by Neil Richardson, produced by John Browell. The Al Read Show605/10/1969 to 09/11/1969Weekly episodes, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Sunday at 14:00 and repeated on Monday at 20:45. Second repeat of series in May/June 1970 on BBC Radio 4. With guest singing star Helen Shapiro (E1), The Karlins (E2), Lois Lane (E3), Julie Rogers (E4), Barbara Law (E5), Rosemary Squires (E6) and George Bradley and His Orchestra (E1-6). Script by Ronnie Taylor, produced by John Browell.Al Read Expo1019/07/1970 to 20/09/1970Weekly episodes, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Sunday at 14:01 and repeated on Monday at 20:15. With Julie Rogers (E1-10), Max Harris and His Amazing Dance Band (E1-8), Geoff Alderson and His Orchestra (E9-10). Written by Ronnie Taylor, produced by John Browell.Al Read Classics604/04/1976 to 09/05/1976Weekly episodes re-recorded from original scripts. With Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen (E1/2), Alex Welsh and his Band (E3/4) and The Settlers (E5/6). Script by Ronnie Taylor, produced by John Browell. Broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Sunday at 14:02 and repeated Saturday at 19:02.Such is Life407/01/1987 to 28/01/1987Al Read looks through the pages of his 1985 autobiography ‘It's All in the Book’. Producer Mike Craig, BBC Manchester. Broadcast on Wednesday at 22:00 and repeated posthumously March/April 1988.The Al Read Show307/10/1995 14/10/1995 03/12/1998 10/12/1998 17/12/1998Second compilation series, broadcast Thursday at 21:00. Surviving editions held by the BBC Sound Archive: First Broadcast Repeated Description 25 November 1954 4 July 200413 March 200530 April 200624 June 20076 January 2008 Dad! Dad! Is that Al Read? He's a classic comedy act, isn't he, Dad? Vintage humour from November 1954, isn't it, Dad? 25 January 1955 No repeat 15 November 1955 11 July 200420 March 20057 May 20061 July 200713 January 2008 The sausage maker from Salford turned king of the comedy catchphrase stars in this episode first broadcast in 1955. 6 February 1966 12 November 199818 July 200427 March 200514 May 20068 July 200720 January 2008 The sausage maker from Salford turned king of the comedy catchphrase stars in this episode, first broadcast in 1966, featuring his best-loved characters and timeless humour. October 1995 26 November 199827 July 20043 April 200521 May 200615 July 200727 January 2008Al Read with all you ever needed to know about health, courting, marriage, kids and football, from the northern comic's monologues of the 1950s. October 1995 3 December 19981 August 200410 April 200528 May 200622 July 20073 February 2008 Ken Bruce introduces the Northern comic's monologues from the 1950s. Arriving home late, Al's efforts to relax are thwarted by his wife. October 1995 10 December 19988 August 200417 April 20054 June 200629 July 200710 February 2008 Right Monkey! A collection of Al Read's 1950s monologues. Al lifts the lid off horse racing. Compiled in October 1995 by Mike Craig. October 1995 17 December 199815 August 200424 April 200511 June 20065 August 200717 February 2008 Classic comedy from Salford's favourite son. Al Read looks at the very British institutions of hospitals, the post office and noisy neighbours. From December 1998. October 1995 24 December 199822 August 20041 May 200518 June 200612 August 200724 February 2008 Al Read gives his views on the fire brigade, the joys of driving and the morning after the night before. From December 1998.