Merseyside Mirth Makers - Florence Avril Angers

Avril Angers

Avril Angers was one of Britain's finest comedy actresses. Once dubbed Britain's answer to Lucille Ball and also a 'male Tony Hancock', she was a great exponent of revue, musicals, cabaret and TV and film comedy. Born on the 18th of April 1922 in Toxteth, Liverpool, Angers' long and successful career in show-business began in variety. Her father was the comedian Harry Angers and her mother was Lillian Errol, a member of the original Fol-de-Rols concert party. Harry Angers was born on January 1st, 1886 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, as William Henry Angers and was an actor, known for 'My Ain Folk' (1945), 'Little Miss Molly' (1938) and 'Oh for a Plumber!' (1933).

As an actress, singer and comedienne Avril had a long and impressive career that embraced stage, screen, television, radio and cabaret. Although never a top star, she was a reliable performer much in demand by stars and producers to bolster their supporting casts.

At the age of 14, she made her debut as a dancer with the Tiller Girls on Brighton's Palace Pier and in 1940, like her mother, she also became a member of the Fol-de-Rols. She joined up with ENSA in WW2 where she became a Forces' sweetheart and was one of the hardest working members of ENSA, touring the remotest parts of West Africa. She was awarded the Africa Star for her work and during the forties and fifties was rarely off the West End stage or the cinema screen and was one of the first stand up comediennes before moving into television, film and theatre.

She has earned a footnote in history, too, by being one of the cast of the first ever British television comedy series, 'How Do You View?' in 1949. In 1954, she was one of the first women to be given her own show, 'Dear Dotty,' set in the offices of a women's magazine, in which she was a minor employee whose efforts to become a journalist result in a series of comic misadventures. 'Dear Dotty' is credited with making Angers the first comedienne to have her own story-line series on television.

In 1948 she made her screen début with Carroll Levis in the comedy-thriller 'The Brass Monkey'. Playing herself, and given co-star billing, she had what would, ironically, be her most substantial screen role. As Levis's scatterbrained secretary, she emulated Gracie Allen, though much of the material was weak.

She also partnered TV comedians such as Arthur Askey, Dick Emery and a young Bob Monkhouse and played Nora Dawson, Arnold Tanner's new fiancee, in Coronation Street who Elsie Tanner called 'Madame Toffee Shop'.

Episode 9 of Coronation Street 1963

She won critical praise for her role as Liz Piper in Roy Boulting’s film 'The Family Way' and was cast opposite Richard Burton and Rex Harrison in the off-beat comedy 'Staircase'.

In London in 1964 she played the central role with Bruce Forsyth in the musical 'Little Me' and used her singing voice to good effect.

 Avril Angers, Eileen Gourlay & Bruce Forsyth who were in “Little Me”, outside the Cambridge Theatre, 1964.

Her close friend, the variety artist Joan Rhodes, paid tribute saying: “Avril was one of the funniest and most gifted people in show business. She was very unassuming and comediennes such as Victoria Wood adored working with her.”
Comedian Roy Hudd added: “Avril was a real old-fashioned trouper who scored, and gave 100% value for money, in everything she tackled. Her early experience of getting out there in front of an audience on her own made her invincible.”
She had been suffering from pneumonia and died in the University College Hospital, London on November 9th 2015.

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