Rikki Fulton
Rikki Fulton OBE | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Kerr Fulton 15 April 1924 Glasgow, Scotland |
Died | 27 January 2004 Glasgow, Scotland | (aged 79)
Nationality | Scottish |
Years active | 1947–2002 |
Spouses | Ethel Scott
(m. 1949; div. 1968)Kate Matheson (m. 1969) |
Robert Kerr "Rikki" Fulton,[1] OBE (15 April 1924 – 27 January 2004) was a Scottish comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland sketch show, Scotch and Wry.[2] He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie, alongside Jack Milroy.[2] Suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his later years, Fulton died in 2004, aged 79.[3]
Early life
The youngest of three brothers,
Fulton completed his education in 1939 and decided to start in the acting profession after a backstage visit at the
Career
Fulton began his professional acting career as a straight actor, mostly appearing in repertory theatre and BBC Radio, including The Gowrie Conspiracy in 1947. He also maintained a secondary job in the stationery business with his brothers. When the bank pulled money from their enterprise, however, 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,[7] working alongside the likes of singer Frank Sinatra.[6] 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.[8]
In 1957 he appeared, with Tommy Steele, as the Dame in the pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. [9] His 1958 pantomime appearance was in Sinbad The Sailor at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow[10] In 1959 he appeared again in Sinbad The Sailor, with Reg Varney at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh.[11]
In 1960, he headlined in the new Scottish pantomime "A Wish for Jamie," with Kenneth McKellar, Fay Lenore and
Fulton continued to perform regularly in pantomime and in straight theatre, mostly notably with the
In 1981, Fulton played Oliphant in the Scottish Theatre Company's production of
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 10 years later in 1998. In 1992, Fulton was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and a year later the Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA Scotland.[3] In 1994, he again appeared alongside Fisher as Dan McPhail, The Vital Spark's engineer, in The Tales of Para Handy.[7] 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.[17]
Fulton's last full performance on television came on New Year's Eve 1999 with the comedy special It's a Jolly Life and his final Last Call monologue as the Reverend I.M. Jolly.
Personal life
Fulton was first married to actress Ethel Scott, who appeared with him on The Rikki Fulton Show in 1960 and 1961.[7] While separated from their respective partners, Fulton met Audrey Matheson Craig-Brown (known as Kate Matheson), an actress 13 years his junior.[22] Matheson saw Fulton perform in a production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever,[22] but it would be 17 years before they met in person. After one day together, Fulton proposed and they married in 1969. In 1976, Matheson became pregnant but later lost the baby.[22]
In 1998, Fulton began to display symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. In 2001, his wife recalled that "he [Fulton] returned home and devastatingly informed her, "I can't remember my 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.[23] He grew to depend on Kate more and more until, eventually, it was decided he move into the Quayside nursing home.[22] In 2003, after breaking his hip in a fall, he was admitted to the Western Infirmary and then to Gartnavel Royal Hospital for assessment.[24] After contracting the "superbug" MRSA and returning to Quayside, Fulton died peacefully on 27 January 2004, aged 79 years.[3]
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."[3]
Fulton's funeral took place six 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.
Kate Matheson died in 2005 after completing a book about her relationship with Fulton, entitled Rikki & Me.[27][28] For her funeral in Glasgow, Matheson requested no black ties should be worn because "we [she and Fulton] were together again".[27]
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Company | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 | Kidnapped | James More MacGregor, Duke of Argyll | Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | Bill Bryden | adaptation by Keith Dewhurst |
1981 | Let Wives Tak Tent | Oliphant | Scottish Theatre Company | Ewan Hooper | play by Robert Kemp |
Filmography
- Laxdale Hall (1953)
- "Dance party roof" (1957–58)
- 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 Wry (1978)
- Out with the Old, in with the New (1978)
- The Miser (1978)
- Charles Endell Esquire (1979)
- Square Mile of Murder (1980)
- It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1980)
- Boswell for the Defence (1981)
- The Winter's Tale (1981)
- The Dollar Bottom (1981)
- The House on the Hill (1981)
- Bergerac (1983)
- Local Hero (1983)
- Gorky Park (1983)
- The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984)
- Comfort and Joy (1984)
- The Girl in the Picture (1985)
- The Holy City (1986)
- Supergran(1986)
- Rab C. Nesbitt (1988, 1998)
- Tis' the Season to be Jolly (1993)
- Jolly, a Man for All Seasons (1994)
- The Tales of Para Handy (1994)
- Jolly: A Life (1995)
- It's a Jolly Life (1999)
Notable characters
Supercop a frequently dimwitted traffic cop who rides a motorbike, his trademark is how he removes his goggles (pings off and flies off camera), is often getting into more trouble than those he stops. Carries a small pocket sized notepad and pencil.
Rev. I.M. Jolly a very downtrodden and pessimistic minister of the Church of Scotland, presents a fictional show "Last Call" where he has a heart to heart with the audience where he tells them what he has been up to that week. His tone is always low-key and down beat.
Rev. David Goodchild a minister who offered a few thoughts on "Last Call" and has an unfortunate mix up between his water and neat gin. Rev. David Goodchild is often confused with Rev. I.M. Jolly, but they were two different people.
Dickie Dandruff owner of "The Fourways Café" also goes by the moniker "The Gallowgate Gourmet" and presents a cooking segment called "Dirty Dick's Delicat'messen" where he prepares food in comedic style from his filthy café kitchen in the Gallowgate area of Glasgow.
Josie is also another much loved character from his comedy show "Francie and Josie" with co-star Jack Milroy who played "Francie".
References
- ^ As per birth and death, recorded on ScotlandsPeople
- ^ a b c d "Final tributes to funnyman Fulton". BBC News Online. 3 February 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Comic legend Rikki Fulton dies". BBC News Online. 28 January 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rikki Fulton". The Daily Telegraph. 29 January 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2008.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d "Articles". Dennistoun.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Rikki Fulton". The Times. 29 January 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Young, Cy (29 January 2004). "OBITUARY: Rikki Fulton". The Independent. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Moore, Hazel (26 May 2007). "Howard and Wyndham Limited 1888 – 1948: 60 Years of Pantomime and Beyond". Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ Liverpool Echo, 20 December 1957
- ^ The Sunday Mail 16 November 1958
- ^ Dalkeith Advertiser 17 December 1959
- ISBN 9780955942013
- ^ The Scotsman 2 December 1960
- ^ "BBC One - Watching Ourselves: 60 Years of TV in Scotland - Rikki Fulton". BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ Stevenson, Randall (1981). Scottish Theatre Company: First Days, First Nights, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981 - 82, pp. 10 - 13.
- ^ Lochhead, Liz (17 March 2002). "Mirth from misery; Why does Molire raise the roof in Scotland". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Death of veteran comedian". BBC News Online. 1 February 2001. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ "The Final "Last call" December 31st 1999". BBC Television. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010.
- ISBN 1-84502-001-4.
- Abertay University. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
- ^ "HONORARY DEGREES". University of St Andrews. 12 June 2000. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
- ^ a b c d Ross, Peter (24 October 2004). "Loving memory; Rikki and Kate Fulton fell in love in 1967 when his career was in the doldrums". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Simmons, April (22 December 2002). "Overcoming the stigma of dementia". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Shields, Tom (16 June 2003). "It's A Dog's Life; Rikki Fulton may be trapped in his mind, but we still have his memories". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Sheilds, Tom (1 February 2004). "Ride of honour for Supercop". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ISBN 0-7152-0686-9.
- ^ a b Irving, Gordon (23 May 2005). "Kate Matheson". The Stage. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ISBN 1-84502-003-0.
External links
- Rikki Fulton at IMDb