Stanley Baxter

Stanley Baxter celebrated his 80th birthday in May this year and deserves a word or two as one of the UK’s most versatile comedy performers. The Glasgow-born Baxter was schooled for the stage by his mother and began his career with variety of impressions, entertaining troops alongside Kenneth Williams while undertaking his National Service. He enjoyed a sporadic film career, but was most well known for his spectacular television sketch shows which were watched by enormous audiences. They were memorable for the quality of their production, led by Baxter’s uncompromising approach. He played all the parts, both male and female with his faultless impressions, with portrayals of the Queen and Pope, which were considered controversial at the time. Baxter was sacked periodically by both the BBC and ITV and eventually retired in 1990. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 1997. Here's a little bit of Stanley.