Mr. Pastry Dances the Lancers
Richard Hearne (aka "Mr. Pastry") was an English vaudeville performer and a regular performer in children's shows on the BBC starting in the 1950s.
Here he mimes being part of a set dancing the Lancers. Even television audiences with no direct familiarity with that classic dance had little trouble imagining the figures as he whirled vigorously about on stage.
A website that focuses on the actor comments, "He copied one sketch from a comic called Tom D. Newall, with his widow's permission. This became the performance by which many remember him - it was called 'The Lancers'. In the sketch Mr. Pastry charged through a ballroom while dancing with imaginary partners with whom he was completely out of step. His act earned him an accolade from Ed Sullivan, whose show he appeared on in the USA in 1954 and repeat bookings followed for many years."
This performance comes from 1963. Also available on YouTube is a color version of the same routine, from a 1976 BBC production, The Good Old Days.
The Lancers is well represented on the Square Dance History Project. This link will take you to more than three dozen related items.
Subjects: Lancers
Tags: Ed Sullivan, Lancers, Lancers Quadrille, Mr. Pastry, Richard Hearne
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Lancers Quadrille (in costume) |
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Here he mimes being part of a set dancing the Lancers. Even television audiences with no direct familiarity with that classic dance had little trouble imagining the figures as he whirled vigorously about on stage.
A website that focuses on the actor comments, "He copied one sketch from a comic called Tom D. Newall, with his widow's permission. This became the performance by which many remember him - it was called 'The Lancers'. In the sketch Mr. Pastry charged through a ballroom while dancing with imaginary partners with whom he was completely out of step. His act earned him an accolade from Ed Sullivan, whose show he appeared on in the USA in 1954 and repeat bookings followed for many years."
This performance comes from 1963. Also available on YouTube is a color version of the same routine, from a 1976 BBC production, The Good Old Days.
The Lancers is well represented on the Square Dance History Project. This link will take you to more than three dozen related items.