Anthony Slide
Just a Regular Bloke: The Ted Ray Story is the third in a trilogy of volumes on legends of British comedy, that began with Jimmy Edwards and continued with Arthur Askey. Ted Ray became a star as British Music Hall came to an end, and continued into radio, television and motion pictures. He never stopped performing on stage as Music Hall morphed into Variety, and could always be relied upon to make audiences laugh with his quick wit and rapid-fire humor. It might be said that it was on radio with Ray’s a Laugh that he became a star throughout the U.K., but, in reality, he had appeared as a Music Hall comedian in just about every city in the country. Just a Regular Bloke documents Ted Ray’s career, and also examines the work of his two sons, Robin and Andrew, who became a star in his own right with his first film, The Mudlark. It is an informative and entertaining volume that should appeal to readers interested not only in British stand-up comedy in the 20th Century but also with the development of British popular culture.
