John Lancelot Blades Percival (26 July 1933 – 6 January 2015), known as Lance Percival, was an English actor, comedian and singer, best known for his appearances in

satirical comedy Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

television shows of the early 1960s and his ability to improvise comic calypsos about current news stories. He later became successful as an

after-dinner speaker Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech delive ...

Biography

Percival was born in

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506 situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lon ...

, Kent, and was educated at

Sherborne School (God and My Right) , established = 705 by Aldhelm, re-founded by King Edward VI 1550 , closed = , type = Public school Independent, boarding school , religion = Church of England , president = , chair_label = Chairman of the governors , ...

in Dorset, where he learnt to play the guitar. He then did

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

with the

Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw servic ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and was posted to Egypt. In 1955 he emigrated to Canada where he worked as an advertising copywriter, writing jingles for radio. He also formed a calypso group as "Lord Lance" which toured the US and Canada.Lance Percival Guardian Obituary
Retrieved 9 January 2015 He first became well known in the early 1960s for performing topical calypsos on television shows such as ''

That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pre ...

'', after having been discovered by

Ned Sherrin Edward George Sherrin (18 February 1931 – 1 October 2007) was an English broadcaster, author and stage director. He qualified as a barrister and then worked in independent television before joining the BBC. He appeared in a variety of r ...

, performing at the Blue Angel Club in

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

. A tall thin man with a distinctive crooked nose and prominent ears, he also appeared in several British comedy films including the

Carry On Carry On may refer to: * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (novel), ...

film '' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) (replacing Charles Hawtrey who quit in a dispute over billing). He had a cameo role in '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) and another in ''

The Yellow Rolls-Royce ''The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' is a 1964 British dramatic composite film written by Terence Rattigan, produced by Anatole de Grunwald, and directed by Anthony Asquith, the trio responsible for '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963). Apparently adapting an idea fr ...

'' (1964). He had a major role, and second billing, in the comedy musical '' It's All Over Town'' (1964). He also appeared in his own

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...

comedy series ''Lance at Large'' (also 1964), with writers

Peter Tinniswood Peter Tinniswood (21 December 1936 – 9 January 2003) was an English radio and TV comedy scriptwriter, and author of a series of popular novels. He was born in Liverpool, but grew up above a dry cleaner's on Eastway in Sale, Cheshire. Early ca ...

and

David Nobbs David Gordon Nobbs (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015"C ...

. in 1960 he starred on the

Comedy revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

One Over The Eight ''One Over the Eight'' was a comedy revue which opened on April 5, 1961. It was written by Peter Cook and starred Kenneth Williams. The material included a "One Leg Too Few" sketch and "Interesting Facts" sketch with Williams playing an E. L. W ...

''. Working, like many British comics of the era, with

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

, Percival had one

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

hit, his cover version of a calypso-style song entitled "

Shame and Scandal in the Family "Shame and Scandal in the Family", also known as "Shame & Scandal" for short, is a song written by calypso singer Sir Lancelot for the movie ''I Walked with a Zombie'' in 1943 and originally titled "Fort Holland Calypso Song". Retrieved on 22 Jun ...

" which reached number 37 in October 1965, and recorded several other comedy songs, including "The Beetroot Song" ("If You Like Beetroot I'll Be True To You", 1963), written by

Mitch Murray Mitch Murray (born Lionel Michael Stitcher; 30 January 1940) is an English songwriter, record producer and author. He has won two Ivor Novello Awards, including the Jimmy Kennedy Award. Murray has written, or co-written, songs that have produ ...

, and "The Maharajah of Brum" (1967), written with Martin. Later he provided the voice of both

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

for the cartoon series ''

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

'' (1965), leading to his voicing the central character "Old Fred" in

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

animated film Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...

'' Yellow Submarine''. He also appeared as an "upper class tramp" in the

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK a ...

film ''

Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" is a popular song written by British actor, screenwriter and songwriter Trevor Peacock. It was originally sung by actor Tom Courtenay in ''The Lads'', a British TV play of 1963, and released as a singl ...

'' (1968). During the 1960s and 1970s, on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

and on its predecessor the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

, he was a regular panelist on

Ian Messiter Ian Cassan Messiter (2 April 1920 – 22 November 1999) was a BBC Radio producer and the creator of a number of panel games, including '' Just a Minute'', ''Dealing With Daniels'' and '' Many a Slip''. Messiter brought the successful '' twenty ...

's '' Many a Slip''. He starred alongside

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

and

Jeremy Kemp Edmund Jeremy James Walker (3 February 1935 – 19 July 2019), known professionally as Jeremy Kemp, was an English actor. He was known for his significant roles in the miniseries ''The Winds of War'' and ''War and Remembrance'', the film ''The ...

in the musical film ''

Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...

'' (1970) and also appeared in ''

There's a Girl in My Soup '' There's a Girl in My Soup'' is a 1970 British romantic comedy film based on the stage play of the same name, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. The film was Sellers' last commercial success until '' Return ...

''. Also in 1970, he appeared in a rare dramatic role in the war film '' Too Late the Hero'' starring

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

and

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 196 ...

. On 14 December 1970, he was involved in a fatal three-car crash in his

Jaguar XJ The Jaguar XJ is a series of full-size luxury cars produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars (becoming Jaguar Land Rover in 2013) from 1968 to 2019. It was produced across five basic platform generations (debuting in 1968, 1986, 1 ...

on a notorious stretch of the A20, south of

Farningham Farningham is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located south-east of Swanley. It has a population of 1,314. History Farningham is believed to be home to Neolithic history – flint and other tools ha ...

, Kent, known as Death Hill. Percival was in hospital for a month, he almost lost the sight of one eye and required 123 stitches. Following his recovery, he was charged with

causing death by dangerous driving Causing death by dangerous driving is a statutory offence in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is an aggravated form of dangerous driving. It is currently created by section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as substituted by the ...

. In court he testified remembering the car drifting left and right, but his memory of the accident was vague. He was acquitted after evidence showed that a tyre on his car had probably deflated before the crash. Percival accepted liability for the accident and in a legal action that reached the Court of Appeal he paid a total of £35,781 in

damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...

to his two passengers and to the widow and the two children of the driver who was killed (). Percival returned to film work in the

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

films ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...

'' (1971), ''

Up the Chastity Belt ''Up the Chastity Belt'' (also released as ''Naughty Knights'' in the United States) is a 1971 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd. It was a spin-off from the TV series '' Up Pompeii!'' Plot Eleanor of Aquit ...

'' (1971), and ''

Up the Front ''Up the Front'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd, Bill Fraser, and Hermione Baddeley. It is the third film spin-off from the television series '' Up Pompeii!'' (the previous films being ''Up t ...

'' (1972), sustaining a film career until 1978. Between 1972 and 1978 the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

game show ''

Whodunnit! A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the ...

'' was written by Percival and

Jeremy Lloyd John Jeremy Lloyd, OBE (22 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an English writer, screenwriter, author, poet and actor. He was the co-writer of several successful British sitcoms, including ''Are You Being Served?'' and Allo 'Allo!''. Ear ...

. Percival appeared on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

light entertainment programmes such as '' Just a Minute'' throughout the 1980s and was also the author of two books of verse, ''Well-Versed Cats'' and ''Well-Versed Dogs'', both illustrated by

Lalla Ward Sarah Jill "Lalla" Ward (born 28 June 1951) is an English actress, voice artist and author. She is best known for playing the role of Romana II in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1979 to 1981. Career Early career Ward's stage na ...

. Subsequently, he gained a reputation as a writer and later as an after-dinner speaker. Percival died on 6 January 2015, aged 81, after a long illness. His son Jamie said: "When he spoke about his showbiz life, he spoke fondly of his time on ''That Was the Week That Was'', and he always loved

, who discovered him performing at the Blue Angel Club". He was cremated at

Putney Vale Cemetery Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in southwest London is located in Putney Vale, surrounded by Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. It is located within of parkland. The cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 1938. ...

on 20 January 2015.

Filmography

Film

*''

The Devil's Daffodil ''The Devil's Daffodil'' (also known as ''Daffodil Killer'' or german: Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzissen/ ''Secret of the Yellow Daffodils'') is a 1961 British-West German black-and-white crime film directed by Ákos Ráthonyi. The film was pro ...

'' (1961) – Französischer Gendarme / French gendarme (uncredited) *'' Raising the Wind'' (1961) – Harry *''

On the Fiddle ''On the Fiddle'' (released as ''Operation Snafu'' and ''Operation War Head'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sean Connery, Alfred Lynch, Cecil Parker, Stanley Holloway, Eric Barker, Mi ...

'' (1961) – MacTaggart (uncredited) *''

What a Whopper ''What a Whopper'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn. It was written by Terry Nation, from a story by Jeremy Lloyd and Trevor Peacock. Pop singer Adam Faith stars as a writer who travels with some friends to Scotland to fake ...

'' (1961) – Policeman at Roundabout *'' Postman's Knock'' (1961) – Joe *''

Twice Round the Daffodils ''Twice Round the Daffodils'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring Juliet Mills, Donald Sinden, Donald Houston, Kenneth Williams, Ronald Lewis, Andrew Ray, Joan Sims and Jill Ireland. The film was adapted from the ...

'' (1962) – George Logg *'' Carry On Cruising'' (1962) – Wilfred Haines, Ship's Cook *'' In the Doghouse'' (1962) – Policeman (uncredited) *'' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) – B.O.A.C. Officer *'' It's All Over Town'' (1964) – Richard Abel *''

Hide and Seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...

'' (1964) – Idiot *''

'' (1964) – Assistant Car Salesman *''

Joey Boy Joey Boy ( th, โจอี้ บอย; born 1975) or Apisit Opasaimlikit ( th, อภิสิทธิ์ โอภาสเอี่ยมลิขิต, ), is a Thai hip hop singer and producer known as The Godfather of Thai Hip Hop. ...

'' (1965) – Clarence Doubleday *'' You Must Be Joking!'' (1965) – Young Man (uncredited) *'' The Big Job'' (1965) – Timothy 'Dipper' Day *''

'' (1968) – Percy Sutton *'' Yellow Submarine'' (1968) – Old Fred (voice) *'' Too Late the Hero'' (1970) – Cpl. McLean *''

'' (1970) – T.C. Carstairs *''

The Weekend Murders ''The Weekend Murders'' ( it, Concerto per pistola solista, also known as ''The Story of a Crime'') is a 1970 Italian giallo film directed by Michele Lupo. It starred Ida Galli, Beryl Cunningham, Anna Moffo and Orchidea De Santis. Plot A family g ...

'' (1970) – Supt. Grey *''

'' (1970) – Willie the Bridegroom (uncredited) *''

'' (1971) – Bilius *''

The Magnificent Six and ½ ''The Magnificent Six and 1/2'' was a British comedy film series for the Children's Film Foundation. Based on Hal Roach's popular Our Gang series of shorts, "Six and 1/2" followed a group of seven children on their fun misadventures. Created by ...

: Up the Creek'' (1971) *''

'' (1971) – Reporter *''

'' (1972) – Von Gutz *''

Our Miss Fred ''Our Miss Fred'' is a 1972 British comedy film starring Danny La Rue, set during World War II. The film was also known by its video release titles ''Beyond the Call of Duty'' (Canada) and ''Operation: Fred'' (US). In the 1960s, La Rue was one ...

'' (1972) – Smallpiece *''

Confessions from a Holiday Camp ''Confessions from a Holiday Camp'' is a 1977 British comedy film. It is the last film in the series which began with '' Confessions of a Window Cleaner''. The film was released in North America in 1978 under the title ''Confessions of a Summer ...

'' (1977) – Lionel *'' The Water Babies'' (1978) – Terence the Sea Horse (voice) *'' Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse'' (1978) – Jake Fletcher *''

Quincy's Quest ''Quincy's Quest'' is a 1979 British family film directed by Robert Reed, and starring Tommy Steele, Mel Martin and Charles Morgan. A version was first shown on television on 23 December 1962 as ''The Tommy Steele Show: Quincy's Quest''. Plot ...

'' (1979) – Jack *''

Jekyll & Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

'' (1990) – Beresford Mount, Prince's Private Secretary (final film role)

Television

*''

That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pre ...

'' (1962–1963) – Himself *''

Citizen James ''Citizen James'' is a BBC sitcom that ran for three series between 24 November 1960 and 23 November 1962. The show featured comedian and actor Sid James and Sydney Tafler with Bill Kerr and Liz Fraser appearing in early episodes. It was initial ...

'' (1962) *''

'' (1965–1967) –

*'' Jason King'' (1972) – Alfred Trim *'' Who Do You Do?'' (1972–1973) – Various Impressions *'' Chico the Rainmaker aka The Boy with Two Heads'' (1974) – Stanley Thornton *''Oscar the Rabbit in Rubbidge'' (1977) – narrator (English version) *'' Shoestring'' (1980) – Jake Rivere *''

Bullseye Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to: Symbols * ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block * (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click Animals and plants * Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...

'' (1983) – Himself

Discography

*1963 – Riviera Cayf / You're Joking of Course (7", Single) arlophone – R 5032*1963 – The Beetroot Song / Dancing in the Streets Tonight (7", Single) arlophone – R 5071*1965 – There's Another One Behind / Shame and Scandal in the Family (7", Single) arlophone – R 5335*1966 – If I Had Wings / My Girl, My Shirll (7", Single) arlophone – R 5417*1966 – End of the Season / Our Jim (7", Single) arlophone – R 5517*1967 – I'm Beautiful / I've Been Left Behind (7", Single) arlophone – R 5657*1967 – The Maharajah of Brum / Taking the Maharajah Apart (7", Single) arlophone – R 5587

References

External links

*
Obituary
at

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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