Cube has had some celebrated interviews in its time, but few come close to this gem. Can you imagine what it’s like to have been performing for an astounding 73 years, since you were 5 years old? Ben Wylde speaks to one of Britain’s longest standing and greatly loved, stage and television performers. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome, to the wonderful entertainer and ventriloquist, Mr. Ray Alan…

As someone learning ventriloquism, I was looking forward to speaking to this master of the craft.
Ray Alan’s most famous monocle wearing character, Lord Charles, has had several generations of TV viewers laughing time and time again. I was delighted to find the man himself to be one of the most affable and unpretentious people I have ever spoken to.

What first attracted you to ventriloquism?
I became a ventriloquist by accident because I used to incorporated magic with impressions of famous film stars. One day a stagehand left an old green toolbox on my table with my magic props on. When I walked onto the stage and saw this dirty old wooden box, and knew the audience would be wondering what it was, I had to do something to bring it into my act. There had been a ventriloquist who had appeared at that theatre a few weeks before called Senior Winces who was famous for doing voices from boxes and I thought, that’s what
I’ll do. I got a little voice to interrupt my act and give my tricks away. There was an agent in the audience who liked the act and said I should do it more often…but that I needed a better box.

I’ve heard you travelled with the great Laurel and Hardy. What was it like to work with one of the greatest comedy duos of all time?
They were real gentlemen. Lovely people. Stan was the brains behind their image. The best and funniest films they did were when he was in control. When the studio wanted to be in charge, their films started to lose their interest really, which was very sad. They were wonderful.

I want to ask you about your most famous character Lord Charles. What was your inspiration for him?
It was 1957 and all the theatres were closing. The future was television and cabaret. I went to see a comedian in a nightclub to see what that was like and ended up watching a man for about 60, in a dinner suit. He had a rather young lady with him and he was plying her with champagne and saying ‘By Jove you lovely little thing, have some more champers my dear’, and I thought, what a lovely character! It started the idea in my mind of an English charmer who loved to drink. While I was thinking about that, I was staying in the same private hotel as a famous actor of the time called A.E Matthews, who used to always play squires and lords. As a character he used to start conversations and wander off on a tangent and you never knew when he was coming back to it. Lord Charles combined the two. So I had Lord Charles made to get the right face. I wanted him to look like a person not a doll.

Did you always want to be an entertainer?
Yes. On my fifth birthday I was taken for the first time to see a film in a big cinema. It was a novel thing for me but what impressed me was, in those days, between films, they used to have stage shows. All the lights went up and the curtains opened. A man came and asked for someone to sing, dance or recite and nobody came out. I was sitting on the end of the gangway to get a clear view and I got up and ran on stage. Their was an organ which came up from the ground like magic and I sang a song. It was packed out for a Shirley Temple film, she was the biggest child star at that time. I just remember the organist and audience went mad because of a five year old boy standing on the stage singing. It wouldn’t have mattered if I just stood there and scratched my nose, they would have liked it.

That’s a really beautiful memory to have.
When I was asked after that, what I was going to be when I grew up, instead of a soldier or firemen, I said, I’m going on the stage.

What do you think about the representation of ventriloquism as being eerie, murderous or supernatural or about dummies being alter egos?
I can understand it because most ventriloquists I’ve known have been rather strange to be honest. I’m just an ordinary fellow. There’s one dummy that had its own bank account, place at breakfast and seat belt in the car. Long before there were seatbelt.

When I’m working I take the doll out of the case, I do the show and when I’m finished, it goes back in until the next performance. I’m a professional entertainer who uses ventriloquism as my entertainment because it’s what the public want. They always want Lord Charles. With the character I’ve never been offensive and people know they can trust me.

Yes I think that’s what makes you unique as an entertainer Mr. Alan. You’re someone that people from my parents and grandparents era, really appreciate.

Finally…you’ve had a long and interesting career, what have been some of the highlights for you?
Too many to name. I’ve worked with the biggest stars, been all around the world and enjoyed entertaining since I was a boy. I was lucky enough to get a call from Bob Hope to do a big TV show with him when he came to London. He had so many stars come, we were trying to work out how many millions of dollars worth of talent were there. It was unbelievable. He was a nice chap. Working with Laurel and Hardy was another highlight. The many royal variety shows, seeing the Duke of Edinburg sitting there roaring with laughter is a lovely feeling. Prince Charles, Prince Edward, most of the people I’ve met, in the entertainment industry and the royal family, have been very nice. I’ve been very lucky.

Thank you Mr. Alan. You’re up there with the best.
You’re welcome. It’s been a pleasure.