Les Dawson at the Royal Variety Performance (1987)

I really do love Les Dawson - his manner of speaking, the very British working-class-bloke-with-ideas-above-his-station affectation, and the dark(ish) tone of his jokes make him stand out a mile from the other comedians of his era. But, of course, the one thing that cracks everyone up is his piano playing, and there are some fantastic examples of that in this clip, including an audience sing-along of the old standard Side By Side. And at the end, he's joined by some very special larger-than-life guests.

As far as I can tell, this Royal Variety Performance took place on 23rd November 1987, and was broadcast the following week on the 29th. Many thanks to Lindsay for lending me this tape.

(Please remember that this is an off-air VHS recording, so don't go expecting 1080p HD quality. I'm fairly certain that this video isn't commercially available, and I've uploaded it for its historic interest only. That said, if you are a copyright holder and object, please don't hesitate to contact me.)