The First Night Party

Hancock's Half Hour (Radio) First Series - Programme 1

Hancock rents a posh flat from Sid James in order to hold an impressive party launching his new radio series. Unfortunately, Sid has omitted to get permission from the owner.

Cast
Tony Hancock
Bill Kerr
Moira Lister
Sidney James
Alan Simpson
Gerald Campion
Kenneth Williams

Programme Guide

A new series, a new concept and The Lad Himself delivering the hesitant introduction: "H--H--Hancock's Half Hour".
The show opens in Tony Hancock's London flat, where he is planning a dinner party to impress the BBC top brass and to gain publicity for his new radio series. Bill Kerr is typing the invitations in boxing gloves and Hancock is writing OHMS on the envelopes - Old Hancock's Mail Swindle!
Tony's girlfriend, Moira Lister, says the flat is "an upholstered dustbin" and no place to stage a party. Bill knows someone who can help - Smooth-talk Sidney (James). Sid takes an instant liking to Moira - "Permit me to shake your hand" he says. "You wont find it round there" counters Hancock. Sid cons them into taking Lord Bayswater's "empty" penthouse. They enter the apartment with the aid of a crowbar, because Sid has "lost" the key, and they make preparations for the party.
As the guests arrive, Sid and Coatsleeve Charlie "Sniff-sniff" deputise as butlers and help themselves to the guests wallets and valuables. Someone starts a fire on the table, the windows are smashed and then Lord Bayswater arrives.
"Do you realise who I am?" he asks; "I'm afraid your mime wasn't very helpful", Hancock replies.
They all beat a hasty retreat but Bayswater demands to know Hancock's identity. Hancock tells him he is Ted Ray. The next day, there is no publicity for the show in the newspapers, due to the chaos at the party.

At this early stage, it is not wholly a show of comedy of situation or character. Galton and Simpson have included some jokes and these are distributed mainly to the supporting players. Tony Hancock is, as yet, still shackled to his stage variety personality, including the comic voice and even the off-stage character from "Star Bill", Higgins. His delivery is slower and only occasionally slips into the more familiar tone.

Bill Kerr plays a brash "smart alec" in total contrast to his "witless wonder" portrayal of later shows. On the other hand, Sidney James plays the unscrupulous procurer of the main chance - a crook, as ever. Moira Lister is very competent, but her presence is surplus to requirements. Kenneth Williams does his "distinguished old man" voice as Lord Bayswater.

Alan Simpson appears briefly as the man who always agrees with Hancock. Coatsleeve Charlie (Gerald Campion - TV's Billy Bunter) was to have been a regular, bur after one outing was thought to be unnecessary.
Despite the obvious shortcomings, the programme succeeds: the listener laughs on first hearing and that is enough - anything deeper is for later shows. Even at the start, the show was having an influence: One of the last lines in the script was "Police are still looking for a little fat man by the name of Ted Ray". One week later on "The Goon Show",9.11.1954, was heard the line "New Scotland Yard are trying to trace a short fat man who started a rumour ..."