Merseyside Mirth Makers - Billy Matchett

Billy ' The Mirthquake' Matchett

 

William 'Billy' Charles Matchett was born, his son states, on the 28th of August 1889 at 46 Merlin Street, Toxteth, Liverpool and was christened at St. Barnabus Church, Penny Lane. This would probably be at the of the height of the Music Hall era.

His father George was a stevedore on the docks where Billy also occasionally worked. Billy was a pupil at Harrington Board School, in the Dingle, Liverpool, originally established for the education of the poor children of Toxteth Park, irrespective of their religion, but his attendance was spasmodic. In those days money was in very short supply so Billy took on jobs whenever he could to bring in a little extra and eventually left school early to help support the family, working for a while at the Liverpool Cotton Exchange.
He had begun working as a youngster in a minstrel troupe at the Florence Institute in Liverpool and later would entertain audiences during intervals in cinemas that were showing silent films. However it was a job at the Lyric Theatre, Everton, where he was paid 5 pounds a week, that got him his first big break, involving touring London and regional theatres including the Liverpool Empire. Through the 1920s he took on summer engagements and brought the family with him for their holidays which the children enjoyed immensely.

There are few references to him in literature although Roy Hudd gives us a personal view of the man and his performance in ‘Roy Hudd’s Cavalcade of Variety Acts’ saying: "A Liverpool comic of the old school. I saw him as the Chairman in Old Tyme Music Hall. He had all the attack and gusto of the music hall, having learned his trade the traditional Scouser way, via smokers, working men’s clubs and concert party. He graduated to play variety, revue and pantomime (always as the dame) at almost every theatre in Britain. He played most of the variety halls in the country, rarely as a headliner, but he had a loyal following. He was a regular broadcaster in John Sharman’s Music Hall." This was for many years the peak entertainment on the BBC's Saturday Night programmes.

In 1927 he made his London, West End debut as principal comic at the 'Alhambra', Leicester Square (now the Warner Cinema) in Florrie Forde’s show ‘The Mirthquake’ from which he took his billing, although this was changed when he was appearing in Liverpool, where he was billed as 'Liverpool’s Own'. His theatre heyday seems to be through the thirties when he was kept busy appearing in many Road Shows with 'The Two Leslies' - Sarony and Holmes, and often with Sandy Powell in summer seasons on Onchan Head, Isle Of Man. Similarly to Ken Dodd, Billy was known for regularly running overtime and was said to be the victim of the stage hook to get him off the stage. He is also credited for having the first hit with the song 'Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight?'.
He later lived in a semi-detached house on Booker Avenue where a young Paul McCartney was his paper lad.

He died in his beloved Liverpool on 15 November 1974.

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