Cinderella, Woking | © 2018 Ian Olsson Photography
Paul Chuckle, comedy legend and TV presence extraordinaire. The 71-year-old is in Woking to turn on the Christmas lights and perform in the festive Cinderella pantomime. It’s his first theatrical appearance since his brother and longstanding performance partner passed away in August, but Paul is resolute.
"Barry always said he wanted to work until he died," Paul says. "That didn’t happen, but it was close enough. We’d only just finished the series for Channel 5."
The brothers, born almost three years apart, worked together for more than 50 years and performed in 51 pantomimes. Their father was a comedian (later known as Gene Patton), their mother a dancer. Two older brothers, Jimmy and Brian, ran another successful double act as the Patton Brothers, and all four occasionally appeared as a group. But for Paul, his childhood passion was football.
‘"It wasn’t till I was 14 that I decided I was going into the family business. So when I left school, the natural thing was to join Barry. He was already a comedian."
He says his upbringing was littered with famous people, lending him and his brothers a blasé, unfazed attitude.
"It became a natural thing. We never got in awe of meeting anybody. I might have done if I’d met Laurel and Hardy, something like that, but… When you’re a kid you’re picking up all sorts of tips and things, you know?"
Paul’s now been a big name in the industry for a while, but like many things, it started with hard work. The brothers spent 23 years slogging around the country from one club to another. Paul admits it wasn’t an easy thing, and at times they struggled.
"Then we got a break with our ChuckleHounds series, which came along with ChuckleVision. Didn’t look back after that."
Life wasn’t the same after TV fame. People recognized the brothers everywhere. And the longer the series ran, the more familiar they became. Paul recounts being enthusiastically greeted by a shop owner in the Maldives.
"He came out and said, you’re a Chuckle Brother! And I said you’re joking. But he knew me."
I’ve been in front of an audience a few times, so I question him about nerves and stage fright.
"It is a thing you do have to get over. The old cliché is, if you don’t get nervous, you can’t give a good performance. That’s wrong. And Barry and I just used to look at each other before going on, from opposite sides of the stage, and give the thumbs up. Give 100%."
He remembers their father, telling them it didn’t matter how many people were in that audience, they had to give every performance their all.
"Whether there are 20 people in, or 20,000. Because it’s dead right. They’ve all paid the same money."
We talk about his career and a project to remake a 50s comedy film that was derailed by the financial crisis. Paul jokes he would have liked to work Wembley Stadium.
"I’m quite happy. I don’t think there’s anything that we regret at all. We had a great time together, a great career."
Pantomimes have always been the highlight of Paul’s year. He’s pleased to be co-starring in Woking’s Cinderella with Craig Revel Horwood, who was part of last year’s pantomime with both brothers. After that, I’m curious to know what’s coming next for him. He laughs.
"I’m doing the next James Bond. No, I’ve got a lot of clubs and things to do. A couple of festivals. Things are still ticking over. Not much rest for the wicked."
It feels awkward to ask him about his brother and his plans going forward, but he’s elegant and forthcoming. Proud of Barry, and the time they shared, and eager to return to the stage.
"It’ll be nice. Being funny, getting laughs. I’m looking forward to it, quite excited. It’s a new step. Nowadays, I don’t get any nerves at all. Which is nice. It means you can give a solid performance." He pauses. "I’ve sort of got used to it, the idea of being alone. It will be different, obviously. Solo rather than double."
Hunched around my coffee on the arduous train trip home, his words bring my own brother to mind in all his gawky charm. Swallowing an unexpected lump in my throat, I decide there’s perhaps more than a splash of courage to our remaining Chuckle Brother. I don’t know what I expected, interviewing this veteran of entertainment. He’s warm, down to earth, and determined to keep the show on the road.
