Snippet 15 - On with the Show, Uncle Doug!
ON WITH THE SHOW, UNCLE DOUG! (Written 11 February 2022 by Warren Maloney) "Uncle" Doug Elliott was born today in 1917. If you ever met him in Theatre, TV, or Politics or down Puckle Street, you had an Uncle Doug story. One I love was at the Northcote Plaza Theatre in 1948, when my Aunt Joan was the "leading boy" in the Christmas Pantomime. One difficulty she had was that she was almost 9 months pregnant, but the black tights and specially fitted jerkin and performing mainly rear-stage helped. Then Nature called and she had to leave the stage hurriedly and mid-song. Doug, who was stage managing, stepped out and did a 12 minutes impromptu singing and comedy routine until Joan could return. It was so good and loved by the audience, Doug reprised it every show until Christmas.