Kenny at 90: Kenneth and Maggie

Kenneth Williams is one of my comedy heroes. Along with Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth he is one of my all time favourite Carry On actors. 

Unlike some of his Carry On contemporaries however, Kenneth had originally set his sights on a very serious theatrical career. Back in the 1950s and early 60s he appeared regularly on stage, making it into the West End after years of slogging it out in regional rep theatre. A lot of this period is recorded in his diaries which make fascinating reading.

It was through appearances on stage that he first met, worked with and fell under the spell of Maggie Smith. Mags, as he called her, was in many ways a female equivalent of Kenneth Williams. Seeing them together or hearing them perform I am always struck by their similarities. It really was a match made in heaven. I wish I had been around to see them work together on the London stage.

It was quite unusual for Kenneth to form such a close bond with another performer, let alone an actress. He was close to Hattie Jacques, who he adored as a kind of mother figure as well as Barbara Windsor who had a similar London background to his own. He famously asked Joan Sims to marry him (imagine!) but she very wisely turned him down. Kenneth and Joan had a spiky relationship, if his diaries are to be believed, but I also think there was a real understanding and closeness to their relationship too.

On stage he could be a menace with leading ladies. He rowed endlessly with Fenella Fielding during their revue days. While the record of this in his diaries might be amusing to us today, it must have been a trying experience for all concerned. He also struggled with Sheila Hancock as she answered back and didn't take any rubbish. Eventually they called it a draw and became good friends. While Kenneth was in awe of Ingrid Bergman when they worked together in 1970/71, it still didn't prevent the occasional loss of temper and snide comment in her direction. Jennie Linden fared no better in My Fat Friend a year later. The only one who seemed to escape any of this rancour was Maggie Smith.

They first appeared together in Share My Lettuce, a review performed in 1957. They immediately bonded. Kenneth also got on very well with Maggie's then boyfriend and future husband, the playwright Beverley Cross. They continued to grow close, socialising a great deal and sharing dinners late into the evening, fuelled by theatrical gossip. What fun that must have been. They later reunited on stage in The Private Ear and The Public Eye, by Peter Shaffer, which was staged in 1962. Again they worked brilliantly well together.

The intervening years saw Maggie's career go stratospheric while Kenneth stayed within the safety of his North London parameters. However the two actors stayed in touch, writing to each other regularly. Many of these letters are reproduced in The Kenneth Williams Letters - also worth a read. Whenever Maggie returned to London there would be dinners and fun. The bond never seemed to fade. When she appeared on the London stage again in 1972, the two actors were in neighbouring theatres which brought about a great reunion. Those days are recorded in the diaries with great relish and affection by Williams. It was heartwarming to see him happy. 

Contact between Kenneth and Maggie seemed to dwindle in later years, probably mainly due to Kenneth's ill health and general attitudes to life as he got older and more disenchanted. Sadly one incident is recorded in his diaries from the mid-1980s when he returns tickets he's been sent to attend a play Maggie was doing in London. I do honestly believe that in some ways they were twin souls, I think they understood each other in a way others could never dream of doing. As performers and friends they seemed very closely attuned. 

Dame Maggie Smith has rarely spoken of her long friendship with Kenneth Williams. I don't recall ever seeing her discuss him in print or in a television interview, although if I've missed something I'm sure you'll let me know! I think it's lovely that she has kept these cherished memories private although part of me would also love to hear her reminisce about a man she probably knew better than anyone else. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan

Why I love The Kenneth Williams Diaries

I grew up reading Kenneth Williams' fantastic diaries. The diaries, edited by Russell Davies and first published in 1993, were a revelation when first made public and continue to entertain, provoke, shock and appeal to us all so many years after they were written. 

I remember very clearly when I first started reading them. I was 18 years old, off on holiday with my parents and picked up a copy at an airport book shop. I wasn't sure I wanted to read them as I was worried the true picture of Kenneth would be unpalatable and the diaries would debase one of my comedy heroes. I persevered though as they were Kenneth's own words, not those of a biographer who never knew him. 

So here are a few reasons why I love the diaries and why you should read them:

They offer a unique insight into the private life of a public figure
It's not often someone in the public eye reveals so much of their private life and private thoughts to us. Although committed to paper for his eyes only, in published form they give us a fully rounded portrait of a much loved man.

They were so well written
Kenneth Williams shows complete dedication to his diary and to writing. Although a published author by the early 1980s, the diaries are his main body of work and his legacy. Kenneth had a fierce intellect, was mainly self-taught and his command of the English language was legendary. In short, Kenneth wrote beautifully.

The extraordinary cast of characters
So many famous faces, both alive and dead, pass through the pages of Kenneth's diaries. Some were close friends - Maggie Smith, Gordon Jackson, Stanley Baxter, Barbara Windsor, Hattie Jacques, Sheila Hancock. Others merely acquaintances or colleagues - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Dirk Bogarde, Alec Guinness, Billy Connolly, Ingrid Bergman, Edith Evans, Fenella Fielding and Noel Coward.  The diaries span a massive chunk of modern British culture and nearly anyone who is anyone features at some point. Not only do we hear stories about these icons in their prime, we also get Kenneth's unique take on them. Priceless.

What a Carry On
As Carry On fans, the diaries are a wonderful insight into the making of the films, the people involved and Kenneth's general hatred of the finished product! While many of his reactions or nasty asides are obviously committed to paper in the heat of the moment, they also provide a delightful sideways glance at life at Pinewood. From his adoration of Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor and Bernard Bresslaw; his apparent love/hate relationship with Joan Sims and his unflattering portraits of Charles Hawtrey and Sid James, they are a joy to behold. I also love it when Kenneth compliments other performers. He wrote some very sweet things about the likes of Gail Grainger and Angela Douglas.

A love of London
Kenneth Williams was a Londoner through and through. Apart from evacuation to Oxfordshire during the war, he always lived within the same confines of the Kings Cross / Bloomsbury / Euston district. Despite his growing hatred at being a star without star money and being constantly recognised in the street, in shops or on the bus, Kenneth always loved his city. He writes beautifully about London, catching glimpses of the twinkling lights from up above at his Farley Court flat or describing long walks through the areas of the city he grew up in. I love it when I find myself in parts of London Kenneth knew well and remain the same today as they were when he was a Londoner.

A social history
Kenneth's diaries record so many major world events during their forty years. They begin in the middle of the Second World War and end at the height of Thatcherism and the rise of the Yuppie. They take in the Queen's coronation, the assassination of both John and Robert Kennedy, the height of the troubles in Northern Ireland, the legalisation of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, the Moon Landing in 1969, Watergate, the Aids epidemic and the Falklands War. They are a fantastic social history document and a time capsule.

Kenneth the man
Not often do we get such a unique and sustained portrait of an individual. From the youthful optimism and early faith in socialism to the wary, weary right wing man he became in maturity. We all change as we grow, develop and move through life, and Kenneth's diaries display this perfectly. While many of his attitudes changed and were informed by life experiences, I do believe Kenneth stayed true to himself until the very end.

Those final words
We all know Kenneth Williams died well before his time at the young age of 62. As the diaries progress, he becomes more and more disenchanted with life and more frequently suffers from pain and various ailments. The last few years of his life are, for the most part, a difficult read. When the end came, it left more questions and than answers, however his last words leave little to the imagination. While we mourn the loss of a comic genius and a true individual, Kenneth's story should make us all think.

I often wonder what Kenneth would have made of the reaction his diaries received on publication. He was quoted in interviews saying he wouldn't mind them being published once he had gone, so I can't imagine he would have reacted badly. Although The Kenneth Williams Letters were published in a collection the following year, the diaries definitely do leave you wanting more. The full transcripts remain locked away in a vault, with only the editor and Kenneth's trustees being fully aware of what was not chosen for public view. I'd love access to the rest of the diaries. Wishful thinking!

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Kenneth and Gordon

I've always loved that fine Scottish actor Gordon Jackson. He had a long acting career, beginning during the Second World War in 1942 and rising to prominence in the early 1970s through two stand out roles on television, as Mr Hudson in Upstairs Downstairs and later as George Cowley in The Professionals. While I admire Gordon's performances on screen, and his career is littered with classic films (The Great Escape, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Ipcress File to name only a few), I also found his long, close friendship with Kenneth Williams particularly fascinating.

Gordon Jackson was a quiet, unstarry member of the acting profession. In the days before social media and reality television, he just got on with doing his job and being a family man (he was married to the actress Rona Anderson for nearly 40 years and together they had two sons). However we do get glimpses of the man off stage through his regular appearances in Kenneth's wonderful diaries. Kenneth and Gordon were friends nearly all their adult lives. In a rare diversion for Kenneth, his friendship with Gordon matured and endured despite the various ups and downs of life. It was rare if not impossible to find any mention of Gordon Jackson that was not completely positive and in full admiration.

I must dispel the myth that Kenneth Williams had few friends and was a loner. He quite simply was not. Yes you can see from his diaries that he could be difficult, awkward or down right rude, but in essence he was a lovable, sentimental character who cherished long term friendships. Kenneth had well rounded, deep friendships with the likes of Maggie Smith, Richard Pearson, Stanley Baxter, Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor and Joan Sims for many years. 

While some friends came and went, Gordon and the rest of the Jackson family were constants. Kenneth, although undoubtedly a gay man, relished the so-called "straight domesticity" that regular trips to the Jackson household in Hampstead provided. Reading the diaries, as I often do, I can't help but smile when Kenneth records an enjoyable dinner party chez Jackson, an afternoon with their children or being included in a family Christmas. Although Kenneth suffered great pain and sadness at times in his life, it is heartening to see moments of relaxation and pleasure too. 

I remember clearly one of the very few times there were cross words between the pair. Jackson came across as someone who did his best to avoid conflict, however one family trip to Wales on which Kenneth was invited ended badly. Kenneth appeared to have rather old fashioned ideas, even back in 1966, and when Rona's culinary efforts did not meet with his satisfaction, a rather curt exchange resulted! This led Kenneth to leave early and unannounced and head back to London. Normal service was resumed, but it temporarily damaged their solid footing. 

Kenneth did clearly adore Gordon though as a trip to the theatre in 1982 definitely demonstrated. Kenneth was notorious for hating the theatre, particularly later on in life. He was known to walk out mid-performance if it was not to his liking. Patience often wore very thin indeed! However, in 1982 he sat through an entire Agatha Christie play at the Vaudeville Theatre (very close to me now as I write this) and as his diary records, he loathed it. He stayed until the end regardless, only because it starred Gordon Jackson, who's performance he still praised. That from Kenneth, is the ultimate sign of respect!

Gordon outlived Kenneth by only a couple of years. He, along with many other close friends spoke movingly at Williams' funeral in 1988. Sadly, by late 1989 Jackson has been diagnosed with advanced bone cancer. He passed away in early 1990 at the age of just 66. He worked right up until the end, his last performance screened posthumously. 

Kenneth clearly admired Gordon Jackson as an actor, but also more importantly as a man and a human being. I always think it's a touching friendship and a high point in the diaries. If you are unfamiliar with Gordon Jackson or his work, track some of it down and check it out. He was quite simply fantastic in everything he did.

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Kenneth Williams on Parkinson

Kenneth Williams was a famous raconteur. The advent of the television chat show in the 1960s opened up a whole new avenue of employment for the Carry On star.

While most of his appearances on the likes of Parkinson, Wogan and Russell Harty are an absolute joy to watch, behind the scenes poor Kenneth was gradually hating it more and more. He loathed having to perform, repeating the same old stories (he thought) for a few laughs. As time passed you could see it eating away at him which was dreadfully sad to witness.

I don't want to dwell though. I love Kenneth whenever he appears on my screen. His energy, wit and natural flair for comedy light up even the dreariest of days. I think some of his finest chat show performances were on the Parkinson show during the 1970s. He appeared several times, being a bankable guest. Yes, those were the days when personalities were interviewed on telly without necessarily having anything to promote! Imagine!

So here is Kenny in one of his finest appearances with Michael Parkinson. He is in good company too, sharing the screen with Sir John Betjeman and Kenneth's life long friend, Dame Maggie Smith. In the second part of the programme (also available on YouTube) Kenneth and Maggie recite on of Betjeman's poems. It is well worth a watch.

Lovely stuff. 

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Kenny and Mags

Kenneth Williams is one of my comedy heroes. Along with Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth he is one of my all time favourite Carry On actors. 

Unlike some of his Carry On contemporaries however, Kenneth had originally set his sights on a very serious theatrical career. Back in the 1950s and early 60s he appeared regularly on stage, making it into the West End after years of slogging it out in regional rep theatre. A lot of this period is recorded in his diaries which make fascinating reading.

It was through appearances on stage that he first met, worked with and fell under the spell of Maggie Smith. Mags, as he called her, was in many ways a female equivalent of Kenneth Williams. Seeing them together or hearing them perform I am always struck by their similarities. It really was a match made in heaven. I wish I had been around to see them work together on the London stage.

It was quite unusual for Kenneth to form such a close bond with another performer, let alone an actress. He was close to Hattie Jacques, who he adored as a kind of mother figure as well as Barbara Windsor who had a similar London background to his own. He famously asked Joan Sims to marry him (imagine!) but she very wisely turned him down. Kenneth and Joan had a spiky relationship, if his diaries are to be believed, but I also think there was a real understanding and closeness to their relationship too.

On stage he could be a menace with leading ladies. He rowed endlessly with Fenella Fielding during their revue days. While the record of this in his diaries might be amusing to us today, it must have been a trying experience for all concerned. He also struggled with Sheila Hancock as she answered back and didn't take any rubbish. Eventually they called it a draw and became good friends. While Kenneth was in awe of Ingrid Bergman when they worked together in 1970/71, it still didn't prevent the occasional loss of temper and snide comment in her direction. Jennie Linden fared no better in My Fat Friend a year later. The only one who seemed to escape any of this rancour was Maggie Smith.

They first appeared together in Share My Lettuce, a review performed in 1957. They immediately bonded. Kenneth also got on very well with Maggie's then boyfriend and future husband, the playwright Beverley Cross. They continued to grow close, socialising a great deal and sharing dinners late into the evening, fuelled by theatrical gossip. What fun that must have been. They later reunited on stage in The Private Ear and The Public Eye, by Peter Shaffer, which was staged in 1962. Again they worked brilliantly well together.

The intervening years saw Maggie's career go stratospheric while Kenneth stayed within the safety of his North London parameters. However the two actors stayed in touch, writing to each other regularly. Many of these letters are reproduced in The Kenneth Williams Letters - also worth a read. Whenever Maggie returned to London there would be dinners and fun. The bond never seemed to fade. When she appeared on the London stage again in 1972, the two actors were in neighbouring theatres which brought about a great reunion. Those days are recorded in the diaries with great relish and affection by Williams. It was heartwarming to see him happy. 

Contact between Kenneth and Maggie seemed to dwindle in later years, probably mainly due to Kenneth's ill health and general attitudes to life as he got older and more disenchanted. Sadly one incident is recorded in his diaries from the mid-1980s when he returns tickets he's been sent to attend a play Maggie was doing in London. I do honestly believe that in some ways they were twin souls, I think they understood each other in a way others could never dream of doing. As performers and friends they seemed very closely attuned. 

Dame Maggie Smith has rarely spoken of her long friendship with Kenneth Williams. I don't recall ever seeing her discuss him in print or in a television interview, although if I've missed something I'm sure you'll let me know! I think it's lovely that she has kept these cherished memories private although part of me would also love to hear her reminisce about a man she probably knew better than anyone else. 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

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