Alexander Witkin (2 February 1907 – 17 December 1961), who performed as Afrique, was a South African singer and impressionist who starred in theatre in Britain and the United States in the 1930s and 1940s.

Biography

The son of

Russian Jew The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

s who emigrated to South Africa in the 1890s, Witkin was born in Johannesburg in 1907. He originally intended to study law, but then trained as a singer, making his debut in South Africa in 1927. In 1930, he performed at a Hebrew Order of David friendly society function in Johannesburg. "Alec Witkin", ''Encyclopaedia of South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance''
Retrieved 10 March 2021 He emigrated to England, and joined the Vic-Wells Opera Company in 1931. His vocal range allowed him to sing opera parts ranging from tenor to

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, with the result that he was able to imitate both Richard Tauber and Paul Robeson. In 1934, he auditioned for the Windmill Theatre as a

variety act Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

.Michael Kilgarriff, ''Grace, Beauty and Banjos: Peculiar Lives and Strange Times of Music Hall and Variety Artistes'', Oberon Books, 1998, , p.19 The owner,

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' o ...

, wrote that he picked him because of his stage presence, saying: "He had no act, no set routine. He came on dressed in a leopard skin, carrying a spear and made terrifying Zulu noises deep in his throat. From those small beginnings, we built up an act for him and very soon he had a ten-minute spot in each show and was a very big attraction." He regularly performed on the London revue and cabaret circuit, performing impressions of singers and actors. One of his most popular impressions was of the Prince of Wales; although the Lord Chamberlain said that it was "most undesirable and in very bad taste", he had no powers to prevent performances in nightclubs, though Afrique dropped the impersonation soon afterwards.Richard Anthony Baker, ''Old Time Variety: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2011, , pp.167-168 Afrique made radio broadcasts on shows such as '' Variety Bandbox'' during the 1930s and 1940s.Search, "Afrique", ''BBC Radio Times Genome''
Retrieved 10 March 2021 He first performed at the London Palladium in 1936, toured South Africa with

Larry Adler Lawrence Cecil Adler (February 10, 1914 – August 6, 2001) was an American harmonica player. Known for playing major works, he played compositions by George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Benjamin. ...

in 1938, and appeared in the 1939 film '' Discoveries''. In a 1940 British Pathe film clip, he impersonates

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Hea ...

, George Bernard Shaw, Hitler, and singer Peter Dawson. He performed regularly in London revues and pantomimes through the 1950s, but became a heavy gambler.Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin, ''Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts'', Robson Books, 1998, , p.2 He died in

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...

, London in 1961, aged 54, and was buried at

Willesden Jewish Cemetery The Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery, usually known as Willesden Jewish Cemetery, is a Jewish cemetery at Beaconsfield Road, Willesden, in the London Borough of Brent, England. It opened in 1873 on a site. It has been described as the "R ...

References

External links

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Film of Afrique performing in 1940
''British Pathe'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Afrique 1907 births 1961 deaths South African impressionists (entertainers) South African Jews Burials at Willesden Jewish Cemetery South African emigrants to the United Kingdom