A Funny Thing . . . arrived in London on 3 October 1963 at the Strand Theatre with a cast made up of Britain’s comic hierarchy and became an immediate hit running 762 performances. Once again casting became an important factor to the show's success.
Frankie Howerd was no obvious choice to take on the role of Pseudolus. He had first made his name on radio after the war and for a time he was one of the brightest new stars around. Radio had made him a house-hold name and he starred in the West End in revues such as Out of This World at the London Palladium and Pardon My French at the Prince of Wales. At the height of his popularity he had played in one of the greatest British farces Charley’s Aunt and had even ventured into Shakespeare as a notable Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But his career had taken a nose dive and he had spent a few years in a show business wilderness. However, an upturn occurred when he was re¬discovered as a comedian with a satirical touch that matched the new wave of comedy as seen in the clubs such as the Establishment and on television in ‘That Was A Week That Was’. It was in the latter that he turned one guest appearance into such a comic tour-de-force that he was again a ‘star’. A Funny Thing . . . cemented this stardom and led to a long running television situation comedy based on this show called ‘Up Pompeii’ and a film spin-off. He was named Show Business Personality of the Year in 1967 by the Variety Club of Great Britain.
The four supporting comedians were also house-hold names. Robertson Hare, the old man of farce, was in his seventies when he took on the role of Erronius, the citizen of Rome whose lost children are the concluding part of the jigsaw of a plot. ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Gray was a veteran of the music hall where he had started as a juggler, an act he turned into a comedy routine utilising his own version of the French language. He had been an original member of the Crazy Gang before the war and he rejoined them in the latter part of their reign at the Victoria Palace in 1956. As Senex he was the hen-pecked husband and head of the household where much of the plot of the show takes place. ‘Carry On’ star Kenneth Connor played the other slave, Hysterium, the one who almost gets ‘married’ to the magnificent warrior Miles Gloriosus. Another star of radio, his ‘Navy Lark’ is one of the classics of radio comedy, was Jon Pertwee who played the Roman procurer, the dealer in courtesans, Lycus.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum was revived with Frankie Howerd recreating his original role in 1986 at the Chichester Festival Theatre. It made a brief visit to the Piccadilly Theatre later that year. The director for this production was Larry Gelbart, co-author of the piece.
