Editing Kenneth Connor (section)

==Early life==
Connor was born in [[Highbury]], [[London Borough of Islington|Islington]], London, the son of a naval [[petty officer]] who organised concert parties.<ref name="ODNB"/> He first appeared on the stage at the age of two as an [[organ-grinder]]'s monkey in one of his father's shows, in [[Portsmouth]]. By the age of 11 he had his own act. He attended the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]], where he was a Gold Medal winner. Connor made his professional debut in [[J. M. Barrie]]'s ''The Boy David'', at [[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]], London, in December 1936.

His brother was a Doctor in General Practice in Hampshire. 

During the [[Second World War]] he served as an infantry gunner with the [[Middlesex Regiment]], but continued acting by touring Italy and the Middle East with the [[Stars in Battledress]] concert party and [[ENSA]]. Earlier in the war, in 1941, he was apparently performing as a comedic entertainer in a concert party named the "Tam o Shanter's", as evidenced by a programme from the concert at the Summer Theatre at [[Felixstowe]], dated Saturday 5 July 1941. The full cast autographed the programme, suggesting a final performance for the concert party, with Kenneth signing it "All the best Ken Connor". While waiting to be demobbed in [[Cairo]], Connor received a [[telegram]] from [[William Devlin (actor)|William Devlin]] asking him to join the newly formed [[Bristol Old Vic]], where he gained a solid grounding in the classics.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}