Norman Collier
Encyclopedia
Norman Collier is a long-serving comedian
. He is best known for his 'faulty microphone' routine and for his chicken impressions.
He served as a gunner in World War II, and after demob found work as a labourer. In 1948, while visiting Hull's Perth Street West club, an act failed to turn up, and Collier volunteered to fill in. He felt natural on stage and started to work a few local clubs. While working at BP's
chemical factory in Salt End
, east of Hull, Collier started making his workmates laugh with improvised comic routines during breaks (and all too often outside them). Encouraged by his managers, he started to work the wider northern working club
scene, becoming a full-time comic in 1962 and enjoying steady success through the 1960s.
He first came to national media attention after a successful appearance at the Royal Variety Command Performance
in 1971. Though occasionally appearing on television thereafter, he made his main reputation on the northern club circuit, and was highly regarded by many fellow comics (notably Frank Carson
, Les Dawson
, and Little and Large
, who were regular house guests). Jimmy Tarbuck dubbed him 'the comedian's comedian'
To casual television viewers, he is best known for two routines: one in the guise of a northern club compere whose microphone is working intermittently; another adopting the noises, gestures and movements of a chicken, using his outturned jacket to suggest the fowl's wings. He was the originator of the 'club chairman' character later popularised by Colin Crompton
in the ITV series Wheeltappers and Shunters Club. The 'soundbite' demands of television work have never reflected the detailed and large-scale routines that have characterised Collier's club work and which brought him enormous success through the 1970s and 1980s. (He was never a participant, for example, in the 1970s ITV series The Comedians.)
In 1970 he won an ITV
series called Ace of Clubs, in which club entertainers were pitted against each other, performing their full routines in front of a panel of judges. Collier easily won the final by a unanimous decision of the panel.
Norman Collier is married with three children, several grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. He lives in Welton
, a village west of Hull. His autobiography
, Just a job, was published in 2009.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
. He is best known for his 'faulty microphone' routine and for his chicken impressions.
Career and reputation
Collier was born in Hull into the working-class family of Thomas and Mary (née Dowling) Collier on Christmas Day 1925 weighing 15 lb 4 oz. He grew up in the centre of Hull as the eldest of eight children.He served as a gunner in World War II, and after demob found work as a labourer. In 1948, while visiting Hull's Perth Street West club, an act failed to turn up, and Collier volunteered to fill in. He felt natural on stage and started to work a few local clubs. While working at BP's
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
chemical factory in Salt End
Salt End
Salt End or Saltend is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness. It is situated on the north bank of the Humber just outside the Hull eastern boundary on the A1033 road....
, east of Hull, Collier started making his workmates laugh with improvised comic routines during breaks (and all too often outside them). Encouraged by his managers, he started to work the wider northern working club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
scene, becoming a full-time comic in 1962 and enjoying steady success through the 1960s.
He first came to national media attention after a successful appearance at the Royal Variety Command Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
in 1971. Though occasionally appearing on television thereafter, he made his main reputation on the northern club circuit, and was highly regarded by many fellow comics (notably Frank Carson
Frank Carson
Frank Carson is a Northern Irish comedian and actor, best known on television in series such as The Comedians and Tiswas.-Early life:...
, Les Dawson
Les Dawson
Leslie "Les" Dawson was a popular English comedian remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife.-Life and career:...
, and Little and Large
Little and Large
Little and Large were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little and comic Eddie Large . They formed their partnership in 1962, appearing as singers in local pubs around the North-West of England...
, who were regular house guests). Jimmy Tarbuck dubbed him 'the comedian's comedian'
To casual television viewers, he is best known for two routines: one in the guise of a northern club compere whose microphone is working intermittently; another adopting the noises, gestures and movements of a chicken, using his outturned jacket to suggest the fowl's wings. He was the originator of the 'club chairman' character later popularised by Colin Crompton
Colin Crompton
Colin Crompton was an English stand-up comedian. He found fame on the Granada Television programme The Comedians in the early 1970s....
in the ITV series Wheeltappers and Shunters Club. The 'soundbite' demands of television work have never reflected the detailed and large-scale routines that have characterised Collier's club work and which brought him enormous success through the 1970s and 1980s. (He was never a participant, for example, in the 1970s ITV series The Comedians.)
In 1970 he won an ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series called Ace of Clubs, in which club entertainers were pitted against each other, performing their full routines in front of a panel of judges. Collier easily won the final by a unanimous decision of the panel.
Style
Collier's style is very much in the traditional northern-comic school, based on absurdist situational monologues rather than a 'series of jokes', and shows a notable influence of the 1950s star Al Read. Unlike some comedians of the 1970s, Collier did not rely on any racist material; however, his zany set-pieces have often drawn on northern working-class archetypes.Norman Collier is married with three children, several grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. He lives in Welton
Welton, East Riding of Yorkshire
Welton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of the town of Brough on the north side of the A63 road to Kingston upon Hull....
, a village west of Hull. His autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Just a job, was published in 2009.