26 Oct 2025
A celebration of one of the greatest radio comedies of all time is coming to Harpenden’s Eric Morecambe Centre next week.
The Round the Horne 60th anniversary tour is being presented by Apollo Theatre with the blessing and support of the estates of the show’s writers, Barry Took and Marty Feldman, and can be seen on Friday October 31.
Round the Horne was a hugely successful BBC radio show which ran weekly from 1965 to 1968, featuring a mix of parody and satire and starring Kenneth Horne – actually a former pupil of St George’s School – alongside Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Bettery Marsden and Bill Pertwee
One of the anniversary show’s actors is Callum Hale, who actually lives in Harpenden and works part-time at Rothamsted Enterprises.
He explained the format of the show: “We present two extended episodes, compiled from original material written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. Our director and producer Tim Astley has done a wonderful job of choosing sketches that will please existing fans of Round the Horne, and people who might be not so familiar with the material but like a good laugh. He’s also chosen some really timely pieces; it’s incredible how relevant it still feels, and of course, it’s still very, very funny. It’s camp and silly in all the best ways.”
Callum plays the announcer Douglas Smith: “I have the great privilege of getting the ball rolling then, for the most part, sitting back and watching the rest of the cast be utterly amazing and enjoy the show along with the audience. Albeit from behind.
“Colin Elmer is Kenneth Williams, and I don’t mean he plays him, I mean he becomes him. He embodies all his chaotic preening that we all loved him for; he’s a riot.
Eve Winters as Betty not only does every voice superbly, but brings a hilarious physicality to the part, which is so important for a live stage show.
“Alex Scott Fairley as Hugh has me in stitches every night, particularly as ‘ageing juvenile Binky Huckaback’; never has a dramatic pause been so well played.
They are not just good at replicating the voices, but they all have funny-bones themselves, which brings an extra twinkle to the whole show.
“At the Eric Morecambe Centre we’ll have Darren Street on as Kenneth Horne, and I defy you not to ask for a jar of his voice so you can spread it on your toast. Delicious!”
He added: “It’s great to be performing in my hometown; it means I don’t have to run for a train after the show! But it’s so important that we have these local venues and these types of touring shows. It means people get to see theatre without paying an arm and a leg just getting into London, let alone on the tickets themselves.
“I’m so proud that we have a venue like the EMC on our doorstep and I’m thrilled I get to perform there in this fantastic show and stick around to allow my friends to buy me a beverage afterwards.
“Just the one, mind; as we’re off to Norwich the next day. No rest for the strolling player, you know.”
For tickets, visit https://everyonetheatres.com/whats-on/round-the-horne/
Photos by Sarah Agnew.
