Editing Ray Alan

{{short description|English ventriloquist, television personality (1930-2010)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{about|the ventriloquist|the Scottish footballer|Ray Allan|other people with similar names|Ray Allen (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Lord Charles|the baseball pitch|curveball|other uses}}
{{infobox person
|name = Ray Alan
|image = Ray Alan ventriloquist.png
|birth_name = Raymond Alan Whyberd
|birth_date = {{birth date|1930|9|18|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Greenwich]], London, England
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|5|24|1930|9|18|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Redhill, Surrey]], England
|occupation = {{hlist|Ventriloquist|entertainer|writer}}
|spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Greta Motherwell|1956|1972|end = divorced}}|{{marriage|Jane Laycock|1991}}}}
|years_active = 1944–2010
}}
'''Raymond Alan Whyberd''' (18 September 1930 – 24 May 2010) was an English [[ventriloquist]], television entertainer, and writer. His career spanned over half a century, though he was most popular from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was associated primarily with the dummies Lord Charles and Ali Kat and later with the puppets Tich and Quackers.

==Early life==
Born Raymond Alan Whyberd in [[Greenwich]], London, Alan was educated at Morden Terrace School, [[Lewisham]].<ref name = Young>{{cite ODNB|id=102467|last = Young|first = Cy|year = 2014|title = Alan, Ray [real name Raymond Alan Whyberd] (1930–2010), ventriloquist, writer, and television presenter}}</ref><ref name=who>''Who's Who on Television'' (1982), ITV Books, Michael Joseph, p.6, {{ISBN|0-900727-96-9}}</ref> He was introduced to the world of entertainment at a young age, entering a talent contest at the age of five at his local [[Gaumont-British|Gaumont cinema]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ray-alan-ventriloquist-famous-for-his-partnerships-with-lord-charles-tich-and-quackers-1982671.html|title=Ray Alan: Ventriloquist famous for his partnerships with Lord Charles,|date=25 May 2010|website=The Independent}}</ref>

==Entertainment career==
Aged 13, Alan became a [[call boy (theatre)|call-boy]] at the Hippodrome Theatre in [[Lewisham]], where he started to do magic sets on stage between acts. He then started to entertain private functions, introducing ventriloquism into his act, along with playing the [[ukulele]].<ref name = Young/> He soon left school to begin performing full-time.<ref name = Young/>

Alan toured in [[cabaret]] all over the world and performed once with [[Laurel and Hardy]] in 1954.<ref name=Lewis/> Laurel had provided inspiration for the look of Alan's most famous creation, Lord Charles,<ref name="Lewis">{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2006/10/09/ray_alan_interview_feature.shtml |title=Read his lips! There's no place like "A" home! |last=Lewis |first=Katy |date=9 October 2006 |work=Entertainment |access-date=11 October 2007 |publisher=BBC Beds, Herts and Bucks}}</ref> who first appeared at a charity show in [[Wormwood Scrubs Prison]], London.<ref name=who/>

Alan made his television debut with Lord Charles on the [[BBC]] programme ''[[The Good Old Days (UK TV series)|The Good Old Days]]'' in the 1960s<ref name= Barker/> and the pair regularly re-appeared on the programme. In the 1960s he also appeared on a children's programme ''Tich and Quackers'' with Tich, a small boy, and his pet duck Quackers. He created the puppet character ''Ali Cat'' for the [[ITV Wales & West|HTV]] series ''Magic Circle'' (1977). He was also the presenter for two years of the BBC show ''Ice Show''. In 1985 he was a special guest for [[Bob Hope]]'s birthday show at London's [[Lyric Theatre (London)|Lyric Theatre]]. In 1986 he presented a show on Channel 4 on ventriloquism, called ''A Gottle of Geer'', which he later adapted into a book.<ref name = Young/>

Alan continued to perform into his seventies, doing tours, performing in plays, and undertaking conference and corporate events.<ref name = Young/> In 1998/1999 he entertained guests on the ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2|QE2]]''. He took a break from stage work due to ill health but he did not rule out a return, if his health had permitted. His last stage appearance was in November 2008 when he performed at a special charity concert in [[Bridlington]] organised by his friend [[Greg Knight]] who was [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for the town. At the end of his performance he received a standing ovation.

==Writing==
Alan wrote four novels: ''Death and Deception'' in 2007 and ''A Game of Murder'' in 2008 (both published by [[Robert Hale and Company|Robert Hale]]), ''A Fear of Vengeance'' (2010, published by FA Thorpe) and ''Retribution'' (2011, published posthumously by Robert Hale).<ref name = Young/> 

He also wrote for [[Tony Hancock]], [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]] and for the shows ''[[Morecambe and Wise]]'', ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' and ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'', usually under the name Ray Whyberd.

==Personal life==
Alan married Greta Motherwell in 1956; they divorced in 1972. He was in a relationship with Barbie Hayes in the 1980s. He married Jane Laycock in 1991.<ref name = Young/>

Alan lived in [[Reigate]], Surrey.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10147436|accessdate=8 December 2021|title=Ventriloquist Ray Alan dies at 79|publisher=BBC News|date=24 May 2010}}</ref> He died from complications of pneumonia and [[pulmonary fibrosis]] at [[East Surrey Hospital]] in [[Redhill, Surrey|Redhill]], on 24 May 2010, at the age of 79.<ref name = Young/>

== Media appearances ==

=== Television ===
{{div col}}
* ''[[David Nixon's Comedy Bandbox]]'' (1966)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-ray-alan-1-805708 |title=Obituary: Ray Alan |work=The Scotsman |access-date=2019-10-18 |language=en}}</ref>
* ''The Tich and Quackers Show'' (1966)
* ''Ice Show'' (1969)
* ''Tell Me Another'' (1976–1978, guest, comedic anecdotal series)
* ''Magic Circle'' (1977)
* ''Three Little Words'' (c. 1980)
* ''[[Give Us a Clue]]'' (17 November 1980)
* ''[[The Sooty Show]]'' – "Soo's Party Problem" (1983)
* ''[[Mike Reid (actor)|Mike Reid]]'s Mates and Music'' (1984)
* ''[[Bobby Davro]]'s TV Weekly'' (1987)
{{div col end}}
Alan was also the presenter of the panel game ''[[Where in the World (UK game show)|Where in the World]]'' and of the children's quiz show ''It's Your Word''.<ref name=Barker/> He also hosted ''Cartoon Carnival'' and made many appearances on later game shows such as ''[[Celebrity Squares]]'', ''[[Give Us A Clue]]'', ''[[Family Fortunes]]'', ''[[3-2-1]]'', ''[[Bullseye (UK game show)|Bullseye]]'' and ''[[The Bob Monkhouse Show]]''. Alan also appeared on ''[[The Des O'Connor Show]]'' and on ''[[Blue Peter]]''.

=== Radio ===
* ''The Impressionists'', [[BBC Radio 2]] (guest 1974–75; host 1980–88)<ref name="Barker">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/may/24/ray-alan-obituary |title=Ray Alan obituary |last=Barker |first=Dennis |date=2010-05-24 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2019-10-18 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
*''[[Just a Minute]]'', [[BBC Radio 4]] (four appearances late 1970s)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://just-a-minute.info/eps.html|title = Just a Minute Episode List|access-date = 14 July 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[The News Huddlines]]'', BBC Radio 4 (presenter for one show, 29 October 1975)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://binsearch.info/browse.php?bg=alt.binaries.sounds.radio.bbc.highspeed&s=92961707&all=1&server=2|title=Browse newsgroup alt.binaries.sounds.radio.bbc.highspeed|website=binsearch.info}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0015943|Ray Alan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alan, Ray}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in England]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis]]
[[Category:English mystery writers]]
[[Category:Television personalities from the Royal Borough of Greenwich]]
[[Category:People from Greenwich]]
[[Category:People from Reigate]]
[[Category:Ventriloquists]]
[[Category:Writers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich]]
[[Category:English male entertainers]]