Rikki Fulton
Encyclopedia
Robert Kerr Fulton, OBE
(15 April 1924 – 27 January 2004), more commonly known as Rikki Fulton, was a Scottish
comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland
sketch show, Scotch and Wry
. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie
, alongside Jack Milroy
. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease
in his later years, Fulton died in 2004, aged 79 years.
, Glasgow
. Fulton's mother, who was 40 at the time of his birth, fell into a deep depression after his birth. Due to this, Fulton grew up a "solitary child" and developed a "voracious reading habit" throughout his childhood. His father was a master locksmith who changed professions, purchasing a newsagent and stationery shop at 28 Roebank Street, Dennistoun. At the age of three, Fulton and his family moved to Riddrie
, another district of Glasgow. There he attended the local primary school, but later returned to Dennistoun, for his secondary education, at Whitehill Secondary School
.
Fulton completed his education in 1939 deciding to enter the world of acting, after a backstage visit at the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre
. In 1941, aged seventeen, Fulton joined the Royal Navy
. The following year, he was posted to HMS Ibis
but that November, the sloop was sunk in the Bay of Algiers. Fulton spent five hours in the water before being rescued. He later joined the Coastal Forces
for D-Day, travelling back and forth between Gosport
and Arromanches
with vital supplies. In 1945, four years after signing up, Fulton was invalided out of the Navy due to blackouts, leaving with the rank of sub-lieutenant.
, including The Gowrie Conspiracy in 1947. He also maintained a secondary job in the stationery business with his brothers. However, when the bank pulled money from their enterprise, Fulton gave his full attention to his acting career. In the early 1950s, Fulton moved to London
and became the compère of The Show Band Show, working alongside the likes of singer Frank Sinatra
. After a short period, Fulton returned to Scotland to perform for Howard & Wyndham Ltd
in pantomime
from 1956 at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow
with Jimmy Logan
and Kenneth McKellar
followed by the Five Past Eight summer revues with Stanley Baxter
and Fay Lenore. In 1960 he headlined in the new Scottish pantomime A Wish for Jamie, with Kenneth McKellar
and Fay Lenore premiered at the Alhambra Theatre Glasgow
, and in its sequel A Love for Jamie which ran for three consecutive winters. He starred in pantomime and Five Past Eight in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. While working at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh
, Fulton met comedian Jack Milroy
. Together, they created a stage double act named "Francie and Josie
", two teddy boys
from Glasgow. In one of his first forays into television, Fulton brought the act to television in 1962's Scottish Television
series, The Adventures of Francie and Josie. The series established both Fulton and Milroy as household names in their native country. In 1970 and 1989, Fulton and Milroy were named Scotland's "Light Entertainers of the Year".
Fulton continued to perform regularly in pantomime and in straight theatre, mostly notably with the Royal Lyceum Company in Edinburgh
and the Scottish Theatre Company
based in Glasgow. However, it was the comedy sketch show, Scotch and Wry
, that became an institution at Hogmanay
. The series featured one of Fulton's most remembered characters, the Reverend IM Jolly, a dour minister prone to inappropriate television conversations. The series began in 1978 and continued for 15 years, shown only once throughout the United Kingdom in 1983. Fulton was named Scottish Television Personality of the Year in 1963 and 1979.
In 1982, Fulton made an appearance in the film, Gorky Park
, where he played a KGB
officer. Director Michael Apted
chose Fulton for the role, because "he [Apted] had never seen such cruel eyes". He also performed in Bill Forsyth
's Local Hero
and Comfort and Joy. In 1985, under the pseudonym
"Rabaith", Fulton, along with Denise Coffey
, adapted the French
playwright Molière
's, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
as A Wee Touch o' Class. He performed in the lead role at that year's Edinburgh Fringe
; the Festival rebooked it for the following year and it went on tour throughout Scotland.
Fulton made several guest appearances in other BBC Scotland
programmes. Alongside his Scotch and Wry co-stars, Gregor Fisher
and Tony Roper
, Fulton made two appearances in Rab C. Nesbitt
; once in 1988 and ten years later in 1998. In 1992, Fulton was awarded the Order of the British Empire
and a year later, the Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA Scotland
. In 1994, he again appeared alongside Fisher as Dan McPhail, The Vital Spark
's engineer, in The Tales of Para Handy
. In 1996, after 36 years of performing as Francie and Josie, Fulton and Milroy appeared in their "Final Farewell" at the King's Theatre, Glasgow
. Milroy later died in 2001, aged 85 years. Fulton's last full performance on television came in 1998, his second appearance in Rab C. Nesbitt. Although he would reprise his famous Rev I.M Jolly character one last time for a short skit on New Year's Eve 1999 as part of the "Millennium" celebrations. After saying his final goodbye to television, Fulton wrote and published his autobiography
, Is It That Time Already?. In 1994, Fulton was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts
from Abertay University
, Dundee, in 1995 an honorary Doctor of Letters
from the University of Strathclyde
and in 2000, another honorary Doctor of Letters
from the University of St Andrews
.
's Hay Fever
, but it would be 17 years before they met in person. After one day together, Fulton proposed; the couple marrying in 1969. In 1976, Matheson became pregnant but later lost the baby.
In 1998, Fulton began to display symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
. In 2004, his wife Kate recalled "he [Fulton] returned home, and, devastated, told her, "I can't remember lines any more." In 2002, after being diagnosed with the disease, Fulton remained at his own home and fronted that year's Alzheimer Scotland Christmas appeal. However, he grew to depend on his wife more and more. It was decided that Fulton would go into care and was moved into the Quayside nursing home. In 2003, after breaking his hip in a fall, he was admitted to the Western Infirmary
and then to Gartnavel Royal Hospital
for assessment. After contracting the superbug MRSA
, and returning to the Quayside home, Fulton died peacefully in 2004, aged 79 years.
Fulton's death sparked numerous dedications in his memory. The then-BBC Scotland
Controller, John McCormick, said "he [Fulton] was a legend for people across the whole country." Fulton's funeral took place 6 days after his death. In tribute to his Scotch and Wry character, Supercop (a police traffic officer), police motorcyclists escorted the funeral cortège as it made its way to Clydebank Crematorium. The Reverend Alastair Symington, who was a close friend of Fulton, led the service, which also featured tributes from Fulton's wife and Tony Roper
. Symington had previously collaborated with Fulton on the book, For God's Sake, Ask!. Fulton's widow, Kate Matheson, died in 2005 after completing a book about her relationship with Fulton, entitled Rikki & Me. For her funeral in Glasgow, Matheson requested no black ties should be worn, because "we [she and Fulton] [were] together again".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(15 April 1924 – 27 January 2004), more commonly known as Rikki Fulton, was a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
sketch show, Scotch and Wry
Scotch and Wry
Scotch and Wry was a Scottish comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC One Scotland and starred Rikki Fulton. After two series, in 1978 and 1979, the programme continued as a regular part of the channel's Hogmanay celebrations between 1980 and 1992...
. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie
Francie and Josie
Francie and Josie was a double act performed by two Scottish comedians Jack Milroy as Francie and Rikki Fulton as Josie. from 1958 - 1990's.-History:...
, alongside Jack Milroy
Jack Milroy
Jack Milroy was a Scottish comedian . Born James Cruden in Govanhill and educated at Shawlands Academy, Milroy is noted for his partnership with comedy actor Rikki Fulton, as Francie and Josie...
. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in his later years, Fulton died in 2004, aged 79 years.
Early life
The youngest of three brothers, Robert Kerr Fulton was born into a non-theatrical family at 46 Appin Road, DennistounDennistoun
Dennistoun is a district of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde in the east end of the city. It is made up of a number of smaller districts - Milnbank to the north, 'The Drives' in the centre of the area and Bellgrove below Duke Street to the south. In a 2004...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Fulton's mother, who was 40 at the time of his birth, fell into a deep depression after his birth. Due to this, Fulton grew up a "solitary child" and developed a "voracious reading habit" throughout his childhood. His father was a master locksmith who changed professions, purchasing a newsagent and stationery shop at 28 Roebank Street, Dennistoun. At the age of three, Fulton and his family moved to Riddrie
Riddrie
Riddrie is a north eastern district of Glasgow, Scotland. It lies on the A80 Cumbernauld Road.Riddrie is a residential area mainly consisting of 1930s semi-detached houses, originally built as council housing but now largely privately owned. The former Monkland Canal to the north was filled in the...
, another district of Glasgow. There he attended the local primary school, but later returned to Dennistoun, for his secondary education, at Whitehill Secondary School
Whitehill Secondary School
Whitehill Secondary School is a Scottish non-denominational comprehensive secondary school located in the suburb of Dennistoun in Glasgow, Scotland...
.
Fulton completed his education in 1939 deciding to enter the world of acting, after a backstage visit at the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre
Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)
-History:One of Glasgow's oldest theatres, the Pavilion Theatre of Varieties opened on 29 February 1904 as a Music hall. The building has remained relatively unchanged in layout, although the sound and lighting systems have been updated over the years...
. In 1941, aged seventeen, Fulton joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The following year, he was posted to HMS Ibis
HMS Ibis (U99)
HMS Ibis was a Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy, named after the Ibis.Ibis, built by Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Haverton Hill-on-Tees, Co...
but that November, the sloop was sunk in the Bay of Algiers. Fulton spent five hours in the water before being rescued. He later joined the Coastal Forces
Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy
Coastal Forces was a division of the Royal Navy established duringWorld War II under the command of Rear Admiral Coastal Forces. -History:The Royal Navy had previously operated flotillas of small torpedo- and depth-charge-armed craft during the First World WarThe first Headquarters was set up at ...
for D-Day, travelling back and forth between Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
and Arromanches
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
with vital supplies. In 1945, four years after signing up, Fulton was invalided out of the Navy due to blackouts, leaving with the rank of sub-lieutenant.
Career
Fulton began his professional acting career as a straight actor, mostly appearing in repertory theatre and BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, including The Gowrie Conspiracy in 1947. He also maintained a secondary job in the stationery business with his brothers. However, when the bank pulled money from their enterprise, Fulton gave his full attention to his acting career. In the early 1950s, Fulton moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and became the compère of The Show Band Show, working alongside the likes of singer Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. After a short period, Fulton returned to Scotland to perform for Howard & Wyndham Ltd
Howard & Wyndham Ltd
Howard & Wyndham Ltd was a theatre owning, production and management company, founded in 1895 by Baillie Michael Simons of Glasgow to formalise and extend an 1883 partnership between Irish born John B. Howard and Edinburgh born Frederick WP Wyndham which had first formed in order to run the Royal...
in pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
from 1956 at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow
Alhambra Theatre Glasgow
The Alhambra Theatre Glasgow opened on 19 December 1910 at the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street, Glasgow under the direction of Sir Alfred Butt and was acknowledged as one of the best equipped theatres in Britain, planned to accommodate 2,800 people.The Theatre was designed by...
with Jimmy Logan
Jimmy Logan
Jimmy Logan OBE, FRSAMD , born as James Allan Short, Dennistoun, Glasgow, was a Scottish performer, producer, impresario and director.-Family:...
and Kenneth McKellar
Kenneth McKellar
Kenneth Douglas McKellar was an American politician from Tennessee who served as a United States Representative from 1911 until 1917 and as a United States Senator from 1917 until 1953...
followed by the Five Past Eight summer revues with Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
and Fay Lenore. In 1960 he headlined in the new Scottish pantomime A Wish for Jamie, with Kenneth McKellar
Kenneth McKellar
Kenneth Douglas McKellar was an American politician from Tennessee who served as a United States Representative from 1911 until 1917 and as a United States Senator from 1917 until 1953...
and Fay Lenore premiered at the Alhambra Theatre Glasgow
Alhambra Theatre Glasgow
The Alhambra Theatre Glasgow opened on 19 December 1910 at the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street, Glasgow under the direction of Sir Alfred Butt and was acknowledged as one of the best equipped theatres in Britain, planned to accommodate 2,800 people.The Theatre was designed by...
, and in its sequel A Love for Jamie which ran for three consecutive winters. He starred in pantomime and Five Past Eight in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. While working at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh
King's Theatre, Edinburgh
The King's Theatre was opened in 1906 and stands on a prominent site on Leven Street in Edinburgh. It is one of Scotland's historic and most important theatres...
, Fulton met comedian Jack Milroy
Jack Milroy
Jack Milroy was a Scottish comedian . Born James Cruden in Govanhill and educated at Shawlands Academy, Milroy is noted for his partnership with comedy actor Rikki Fulton, as Francie and Josie...
. Together, they created a stage double act named "Francie and Josie
Francie and Josie
Francie and Josie was a double act performed by two Scottish comedians Jack Milroy as Francie and Rikki Fulton as Josie. from 1958 - 1990's.-History:...
", two teddy boys
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
from Glasgow. In one of his first forays into television, Fulton brought the act to television in 1962's Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
series, The Adventures of Francie and Josie. The series established both Fulton and Milroy as household names in their native country. In 1970 and 1989, Fulton and Milroy were named Scotland's "Light Entertainers of the Year".
Fulton continued to perform regularly in pantomime and in straight theatre, mostly notably with the Royal Lyceum Company in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and the Scottish Theatre Company
Scottish Theatre Company
The Scottish Theatre Company was started in 1980 under the direction of actor Ewan Hooper, but for most of its 8 years it was directed by his successor Tom Fleming. From its production base in Glasgow, where its home theatre was the Theatre Royal, it set out its policy of presenting Scottish and...
based in Glasgow. However, it was the comedy sketch show, Scotch and Wry
Scotch and Wry
Scotch and Wry was a Scottish comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC One Scotland and starred Rikki Fulton. After two series, in 1978 and 1979, the programme continued as a regular part of the channel's Hogmanay celebrations between 1980 and 1992...
, that became an institution at Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
. The series featured one of Fulton's most remembered characters, the Reverend IM Jolly, a dour minister prone to inappropriate television conversations. The series began in 1978 and continued for 15 years, shown only once throughout the United Kingdom in 1983. Fulton was named Scottish Television Personality of the Year in 1963 and 1979.
In 1982, Fulton made an appearance in the film, Gorky Park
Gorky Park (film)
Gorky Park is a 1983 film based on the novel Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith. It was directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by Dennis Potter ....
, where he played a KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
officer. Director Michael Apted
Michael Apted
Michael David Apted, CMG is an English director, producer, writer and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up Series of documentaries and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.On 29 June 2003 he was elected...
chose Fulton for the role, because "he [Apted] had never seen such cruel eyes". He also performed in Bill Forsyth
Bill Forsyth
Bill Forsyth is a Scottish film director and writer, noted for his commitment to national film-making.Forsyth first came to attention with a low-budget film, That Sinking Feeling, made with youth theatre actors and featuring a cameo appearance by the Edinburgh gallery owner Richard Demarco...
's Local Hero
Local Hero
Local Hero is a 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster. It was directed by Bill Forsyth and produced by David Puttnam....
and Comfort and Joy. In 1985, under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Rabaith", Fulton, along with Denise Coffey
Denise Coffey
Denise Coffey is an English actress, director, and playwright.After training at the Glasgow College of Dramatic Art, Coffey began a career in repertory at the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh, then moved to the Palladium Theatre there...
, adapted the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
playwright Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is a five-act comédie-ballet—a play intermingled with music, dance and singing—by Molière, first presented on 14 October 1670 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors...
as A Wee Touch o' Class. He performed in the lead role at that year's Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
; the Festival rebooked it for the following year and it went on tour throughout Scotland.
Fulton made several guest appearances in other BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
programmes. Alongside his Scotch and Wry co-stars, Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher is a Scottish comedian and actor.-Early life:Fisher was born in Glasgow and following the death of his parents was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School...
and Tony Roper
Tony Roper (actor)
Tony Roper is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer.His first major starring role was in Scotch and Wry. He wrote the classic comedy-drama The Steamie in 1988. He achieved even greater fame in Naked Video and in the spin off series Rab C Nesbitt, in which he played Rab's...
, Fulton made two appearances in Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt
Rab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him...
; once in 1988 and ten years later in 1998. In 1992, Fulton was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and a year later, the Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
. In 1994, he again appeared alongside Fisher as Dan McPhail, The Vital Spark
Vital Spark
The Vital Spark is a fictional Clyde puffer, created by Scottish writer Neil Munro. As its captain, the redoubtable Para Handy, often says: "the smertest boat in the coastin' tred"....
's engineer, in The Tales of Para Handy
The Tales of Para Handy
The Tales of Para Handy was a Scottish television series set in the west of Scotland, based on the Para Handy books by Neil Munro. It was a sitcom about a puffer boat and its crew.It ran from 1994 to 1995 on BBC One, a total of nine episodes....
. In 1996, after 36 years of performing as Francie and Josie, Fulton and Milroy appeared in their "Final Farewell" at the King's Theatre, Glasgow
King's Theatre, Glasgow
The King's Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. It was built for Howard & Wyndham Ltd under its chairman Baillie Michael Simons as a sister theatre of their Theatre Royal in the city and was designed by Frank Matcham, opening in 1904. The theatre is primarily a receiving house for touring...
. Milroy later died in 2001, aged 85 years. Fulton's last full performance on television came in 1998, his second appearance in Rab C. Nesbitt. Although he would reprise his famous Rev I.M Jolly character one last time for a short skit on New Year's Eve 1999 as part of the "Millennium" celebrations. After saying his final goodbye to television, Fulton wrote and published his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Is It That Time Already?. In 1994, Fulton was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
from Abertay University
University of Abertay Dundee
The University of Abertay Dundee, usually known simply as Abertay University, is a modern university in Dundee, Scotland.- History :The University of Abertay Dundee was created in 1994, under government legislation granting the title University to the Dundee Institute of Technology...
, Dundee, in 1995 an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
from the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
and in 2000, another honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
from the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
.
Personal life
Fulton was first married to actress Ethel Scott, with whom he appeared on The Rikki Fulton Show in 1960 and 1961. While separated from their respective partners, Fulton met Audrey Matheson Craig-Brown (known as Kate Matheson), an actress 13 years his junior. Matheson saw Fulton perform in a production of Noel CowardNoël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Hay Fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
, but it would be 17 years before they met in person. After one day together, Fulton proposed; the couple marrying in 1969. In 1976, Matheson became pregnant but later lost the baby.
In 1998, Fulton began to display symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. In 2004, his wife Kate recalled "he [Fulton] returned home, and, devastated, told her, "I can't remember lines any more." In 2002, after being diagnosed with the disease, Fulton remained at his own home and fronted that year's Alzheimer Scotland Christmas appeal. However, he grew to depend on his wife more and more. It was decided that Fulton would go into care and was moved into the Quayside nursing home. In 2003, after breaking his hip in a fall, he was admitted to the Western Infirmary
Western Infirmary
The Western Infirmary is a teaching hospital situated in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. There is also a Maggie's centre at the hospital to help cancer patients, as well as the Glasgow Clinical Research Facility....
and then to Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Gartnavel Royal Hospital is a mental health facility based in the west end of Glasgow, Scotland. It provides inpatient psychiatric care for the population of the West of the City; covering Hillhead, Partick, Scotstoun, Yoker, Clydebank, Drumchapel, Bearsden and Milngavie...
for assessment. After contracting the superbug MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...
, and returning to the Quayside home, Fulton died peacefully in 2004, aged 79 years.
Fulton's death sparked numerous dedications in his memory. The then-BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
Controller, John McCormick, said "he [Fulton] was a legend for people across the whole country." Fulton's funeral took place 6 days after his death. In tribute to his Scotch and Wry character, Supercop (a police traffic officer), police motorcyclists escorted the funeral cortège as it made its way to Clydebank Crematorium. The Reverend Alastair Symington, who was a close friend of Fulton, led the service, which also featured tributes from Fulton's wife and Tony Roper
Tony Roper (actor)
Tony Roper is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer.His first major starring role was in Scotch and Wry. He wrote the classic comedy-drama The Steamie in 1988. He achieved even greater fame in Naked Video and in the spin off series Rab C Nesbitt, in which he played Rab's...
. Symington had previously collaborated with Fulton on the book, For God's Sake, Ask!. Fulton's widow, Kate Matheson, died in 2005 after completing a book about her relationship with Fulton, entitled Rikki & Me. For her funeral in Glasgow, Matheson requested no black ties should be worn, because "we [she and Fulton] [were] together again".
Filmography
- Laxdale HallLaxdale HallLaxdale Hall is a 1953 British comedy film directed by John Elridge and starring Ronald Squire, Kathleen Ryan, Raymond Huntley, Prunella Scales, Fulton Mackay, and Jean Colin....
(1953) - The Rikki Fulton Show (1960)
- The Five past eight (1960's)
- The Adventures of Francie and Josie (1962-1965)
- The Grand Tour (1965)
- The Rikki Fulton Hour (1965)
- Rikki (1966)
- The Scotched Earth Show (1977)
- Scotch and WryScotch and WryScotch and Wry was a Scottish comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC One Scotland and starred Rikki Fulton. After two series, in 1978 and 1979, the programme continued as a regular part of the channel's Hogmanay celebrations between 1980 and 1992...
(1978) - Out with the Old, in with the New (1978)
- The Miser (1978)
- Charles Endell EsquireCharles Endell EsquireCharles Endell Esquire was a spin-off drama from Budgie , with the role of Endell continuing to be played by Iain Cuthbertson. Due to an ITV technicians' strike which took the network completely off the air for three months, the first two episodes were broadcast in 1979 and the remaining episodes...
(1979) - Square Mile of Murder (1980)
- It Ain't Half Hot MumIt Ain't Half Hot MumIt Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
(1980) - Boswell for the Defence (1981)
- The Winter's TaleThe Winter's TaleThe Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
(1981) - The Dollar BottomThe Dollar BottomThe Dollar Bottom is a 1980 short film directed by Roger Christian. It won an Academy Award at the 53rd Academy Awards in 1981 for Best Short Subject.-Cast:* Robert Urquhart - Headmaster* Rikki Fulton - Karl* Jonathan McNeil - Taylor 2...
(1981) - The House on the Hill (1981)
- BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
(1983) - Local HeroLocal HeroLocal Hero is a 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster. It was directed by Bill Forsyth and produced by David Puttnam....
(1983) - Gorky ParkGorky Park (film)Gorky Park is a 1983 film based on the novel Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith. It was directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by Dennis Potter ....
(1983) - The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984)
- Comfort and Joy (1984)
- The Holy City (1986)
- The Girl in the Picture (1986)
- SupergranSupergranSuper Gran is a 1980s children's television programme, about a grandmother with super powers. The show was adapted by Jenny McDade from books written by Forrest Wilson and was produced by Tyne Tees Television for Children's ITV, with the titular character played by Gudrun Ure, and Iain Cuthbertson...
(1986) - Rab C. NesbittRab C. NesbittRab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him...
(1988, 1998) - Tis' the Season to be Jolly (1993)
- Jolly, a Man for All Seasons (1994)
- The Tales of Para HandyThe Tales of Para HandyThe Tales of Para Handy was a Scottish television series set in the west of Scotland, based on the Para Handy books by Neil Munro. It was a sitcom about a puffer boat and its crew.It ran from 1994 to 1995 on BBC One, a total of nine episodes....
(1994) - Jolly: A Life (1995)