Tony Hancock first appeared on stage in 1933, whilst he was at Durlston Court School in Swanage. He had a walk-on part in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Gondoliers". The next year, he appeared in the school's production of "The Pirates of Penzance"
His next known stage appearances were in 1940 in Bournemouth - he appeared as a supporting act at the town's Avon Road Labour Club and later that year at the hall of the Church of the Sacred Heart, in Richmond Hill.
In the Summer of 1941, he joined George Fairweather's "Black Dominoes" concert party, performing at Boscombe Hippodrome and at local army bases.
In 1942, Hancock enlisted in the RAF and after some months as a regular serviceman (still performing in concerts when the opportunity arose), he auditioned for Ralph Reader and became part of the RAF Gang Shows, touring North Africa with RAF Gang Show No. 9, in 1944. After returning to Britain, Number 9 Gang Show was merged with Number 4 Gang Show and Hancock flew off with them in 1945 to play Gibraltar's Garrison Theatre and then on to tour Europe.
Listed below are the stage appearances of Tony Hancock as a professional
entertainer, from 1947 (after his release from the R.A.F.) until his death in 1968.
Thanks go to Malcolm Chapman, former Archivist of The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society (T.H.A.S.) for his help in compiling this listing of Tony Hancock`s stage appearances, which up-dates the information contained in Roger Wilmut's book "Tony Hancock - Artiste" (out of print, but try your local library, car boot sale, charity shops for a copy). Thanks also to T.H.A.S. members Jeff Hammonds, Don Roberts, Bob Bray and Chris George for providing information and copies of theatre programmes. Thanks are due also to the late THAS Honorary Member Alec Bregonzi who toured with Hancock in 1958 and 1961, for providing information about those tours.
Here are Hancock`s stage appearances from 1947 until 1968 :
28.04.47-06.09.47 : "Wings" Tour : 18 Weeks :
28.04.47 : 1 Week : Blackpool, Opera House
05.05.47 : 1 Week : Nottingham, Theatre Royal
12.05.47 : 1 Week : Hull, New Theatre
19.05.47 : 1 Week : Sheffield, Empire Theatre
26.05.47 : 1 Week : Birmingham, Theatre Royal
02.06.47 : 1 Week : Coventry, Hippodrome Theatre
09.06.47 : 1 Week : Newcastle, Empire Theatre
16.06.47 : 1 Week : Edinburgh, Empire Theatre
23.06.47 : 1 Week : Liverpool, Empire Theatre
30.06.47 : 2 Weeks: Manchester, Palace Theatre
14.07.47 : 1 Week : Brighton, Hippodrome Theatre
21.07.47 : 2 Weeks: Southsea, King`s Theatre
11.08.47 : 1 Week : Plymouth, Palace Theatre
18.08.47 : 1 Week : Oxford, New Theatre
25.08.47 : 1 Week : Dudley, Hippodrome Theatre
01.09.47 : 1 Week : Morecambe, Winter Gardens
26.12.47-17.01.48 : "The Cinderella Story”." : Oxford, Playhouse Theatre (Hancock played an Ugly Sister)
26.04.-01.05.48 : "Peace In Our Time" : Oxford, Playhouse Theatre
12.07.-21.08.48 : "Revudeville No.214" : London, Windmill Theatre
27.12.48 - ?.49 : "Cinderella" : Brighton, Dolphin Theatre (Hancock played an Ugly Sister)
11.04.49 : 1 Week : Variety : Blackpool, Feldman`s Theatre
13.06.49-30.09.49 : "Flotsam`s Follies" : Bognor Regis, Esplanade Concert Hall
19.11.49 : 1 Night : Cabaret : Sidmouth, Victoria Hotel
24.12.49 - 24.01.50 : "Cinderella" : London, Woolwich, Royal Artillery Theatre (Hancock played "Buttons")
23.02.50 : 1 Night : Election Night Ball : London, Claridges
27.02.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Brixton, Empress Theatre
06.03.50 : 1 Week (?) : Variety : Chelsea, Palace Theatre
27.03.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Blackpool, Palace Theatre
17.06.-16.09.50 : "Ocean Revue" : Clacton Pier & Ocean Theatre
02.10.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Birmingham, Hippodrome Theatre
09.10.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Liverpool, Empire Theatre
16.10.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Newcastle, Empire Theatre
30.10.50 : 1 Week : Variety : Glasgow, Empire Theatre
23.12.50-10.03.51: "Little Red Riding Hood" : Nottingham, Theatre Royal (Hancock played "Jolly Jenkins")
21.05.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Shepherds Bush, Empire Theatre
04.06.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Reading, County Theatre
06.07.51 : 1 Night : Variety : Nuneaton, Ritz Cinema
09.07.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Chelsea, Palace Theatre
16.07.51 : 1 Week : Variety : East Ham, Palace Theatre
23.07.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Finsbury Park, Empire Theatre
01.08.51 : 1 Night : "Big Show In The Small Hours", Clacton
09.08.51-11.08.51 : "Music For The Millions" : Eastbourne, Winter Gardens
20.08.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Sunderland, Empire Theatre
26.08.51 : 1 Night : Variety : Sunderland, Spa Theatre
17.09.51 : 3 Nights: Variety : Bournemouth, Winter Gardens
20.09.51 : 3 Nights: Variety : Eastbourne, Winter Gardens
24.09.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Weymouth, Ritz Cinema
01.10.51 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Nottingham, Empire Theatre
08.10.51 : 1 Night : Variety : Edinburgh, Empire Theatre
12.10.51 : 1 Night : Variety : Southampton, Odeon Theatre
14.10.51 : 1 Night : Charity Performance : Walthamstow, Palace Theatre
15.10.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Blackpool, Palace Theatre
22.10.51 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Belfast, Opera House
03.11.51 : 1 Night : Variety : Brighton, Dome Theatre
12.11.51 : 1 Week :"Educating Archie": Southampton, Gaumont
19.11.51 : 1 Week : Variety : Peterborough, Embassy Theatre
03.12.51 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Dudley, Hippodrome
21.12.51- 19.01.52 : "Archie Andrews Xmas Party" : London, Prince of Wales Theatre
21.12.51- 19.01.52 : "Peep Show" : London, Prince of Wales Theatre
06.01.52 : 1 Night : Variety : Elephant & Castle, Trocadero
13.01.52 : 1 Night : Variety : Lewisham, Gaumont
20.01.52 : 1 Night : Variety : Barking, Odeon
04.02.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Sunderland, Empire Theatre
11.02.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Shepherd`s Bush, Empire Theatre
17.02.52 : 1 Night : Charity Performance : Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre
18.02.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Hackney, Empire Theatre
25.02.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Leicester, Palace Theatre
03.03.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Leeds, Empire Theatre
10.03.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Rugby, Granada
17.03.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Birmingham, Hippodrome Theatre
24.03.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Glasgow, Empire Theatre
31.03.52 : 1 Week : "Educating Archie" : Liverpool, Empire Theatre
12.04.52 -06.12.53 : "London Laughs" : London, Adelphi Theatre
01.06.52 : 1 Night : Variety : Isle of Man, Douglas, Villa Marina
22.06.52 : 1 Night : "Sunday Serenade" : Sandown & Shanklin
31.08.52 : 1 Night : Variety : Filey, Butlin`s Holiday Camp
15.09.52 : 1 Night : Charity Performance : London, Coliseum Theatre (in aid of Lynmouth Flood Disaster Relief)
03.11.52 : Royal Variety Performance : London, Palladium
23.12.53-27.02.54 : "Cinderella" : Nottingham, Theatre Royal (Hancock played "Buttons")
17.05.54 : 1 Week : Variety : Brighton, Hippodrome Theatre
"The Talk Of The Town" Revue :
05.06.54 - 09.10.54 : Blackpool, Opera House
08.11.54 - 13.11.54 : Oxford, New Theatre
17.11.54 - 31.10.55 : London, Adelphi Theatre
[Date Unknown] : 1 Night : Appearance at Churchill`s Night Club, London
[No Known Stage Appearances]
19.08.57-14.09.57 : "The Hancock Show" Tour : 4 Weeks :
19.08.57 : 1 Week : Manchester, Hippodrome Theatre
26.08.57 : 1 Week : Bristol, Hippodrome Theatre
02.09.57 : 1 Week : Birmingham, Hippodrome Theatre
09.09.57 : 1 Week : London, Finsbury Park, Empire Theatre
24.03-15.04.58 : Entertaining Troops : Malta, Tripoli, Cyprus
21.07.58-01.11.58 : "Tony Hancock In Person" Tour : 7 Weeks:
21.07.58 : 1 Week : Gloucester, A.B.C. Regal Cinema
28.07.58 : 1 Week : Exeter, A.B.C. Savoy Theatre
04.08.58 : 1 Week : Liverpool, Empire Theatre
11.08.58 : 1 Week : Stockton-On-Tees, A.B.C. Globe Theatre
[Summer Break : 16.08.58 - 12.10.58]
13.10.58 : 1 Week : Lincoln, A.B.C. Savoy Theatre
20.10.58 : 1 Week : Hull, A.B.C. Regal Cinema
27.10.58 : 1 Week : Hanley, Theatre Royal
03.11.58 : Royal Variety Performance : London, Coliseum
[No Known Stage Appearances]
06.03.61-15.04.61 : "The Hancock Show" Tour : 6 Weeks :
06.03.61 : 1 Week : Shrewsbury, Granada
13.03.61 : 1 Week : Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Empire Theatre
20.03.61 : 1 Week : Southampton, Gaumont
27.03.61 : 1 Week : Brighton, Hippodrome Theatre
03.04.61 : 1 Week : Bristol, Hippodrome Theatre
10.04.61 : 1 Week : Oxford, New Theatre
08.10.62-27.10.62 : "The Hancock Show" Tour : 3 Weeks :
08.10.62 : 1 Week : Southsea, King`s Theatre
15.10.62 : 1 Week : Liverpool, Empire Theatre
22.10.62 : 1 Week : Brighton, Hippodrome Theatre
15.07.63-03.08.63 :"Tony Hancock Entertains" Tour: 3 Weeks:
15.07.63 : 1 Week : Nottingham, Theatre Royal
22.07.63 : 1 Week : Manchester, Palace Theatre
29.07.63 : 1 Week : Leeds, Grand Theatre and Opera House
06.08.63-28.09.63 : "Swingalong" : London, Palladium (replacing Arthur Haynes, who was ill)
[No Known Stage Appearances]
28.06-07.08.65: "Fatal Fascination": London, Talk Of The Town
04.10.65 : 1 Week : Variety : Torquay, The Pavilion (with Dick Haymes)
02.11.65 : 3 Weeks : Cabaret : Sydney, Chevron Hilton Hotel
05.09.66 : 1 Week : "The Show Of The Stars" : Bournemouth, Winter Gardens
22.09.66 : 1 Night : London, Royal Festival Hall (Recorded for transmission on BBC2-TV)
14.02.66-05.03.66 : "Tony Hancock" Tour of Scotland: 3 Weeks:
14.02.66 : 1 Week : Dundee, Theatre Royal
21.02.66 : 1 Week : Aberdeen, Tivoli Theatre
28.02.66 : 1 Week : Glasgow (confirmation of date and venue required, please)
June 1967: 1 Week (?) : Variety : Torquay, Pavilion Theatre (or Princess Theatre?)
(or is this the performance in 1965, shown above)
June 1967: 1 Week (?) : Variety : Batley Variety Club, Yorkshire (But performed only one night?)
02.07.67 : 1 Night : Variety : Isle of Man, Douglas, Villa Marina
17.07.67 : 5 Days : Entertaining Troops (with Hughie Green): Aden
04.10-27.10.67 : Cabaret : Melbourne, Brighton, Dendy Cinema
[Date Unknown] : Cabaret : Hobart, Tasmania, Hadley's Hotel
[Date Unknown] : Cabaret : Hong Kong, Mandarin Hotel (4 Weeks)
[No Known Stage Appearances]
If you want any more information, the following books are available from your local bookshop ( or from THAS Merchandise) :
"Tony Hancock - When The Wind Changed" by Cliff Goodwin
(ISBN : 0-7126-7615-5,in Hardback, published by Century Books, June 1999)
"Hancock`s Last Stand" by Edward Joffe
(ISBN : 1-85776-316-5,in Hardback, published by The Book Guild, June 1998)
(ISBN : 0-413-74040-4, in Paperback, published by Methuen, September 1999)
If you have any further information or theatre programmes, posters or handbills which you would be willing to copy for the T.H.A.S. archives, please contact our Archivist Keith Mason
Hancock made a personal appearance for the Combined Services Entertainments in Germany in 1957. Can anyone supply any further details of this ?
Go to:
Hancock's Half Hour BBC-TV First Series
Hancock's Half Hour First Radio Series
Hancock's Film Career
or back to Hancock's Career - Index Page
