This Is Your Life: Evelyn Laye 2

Evelyn LAYE CBE (1900-1996)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Evelyn Laye, actress and singer, was surprised by Michael Aspel during a presentation celebrating her recent 90th birthday on the stage of Croydon's Ashcroft Theatre, following a matinee performance of the pantomime Babes in the Wood starring Roy Hudd, June Whitfield and Bill Pertwee.

Evelyn, who was born into a theatrical family in London and made her professional debut at 15, became one of Britain's most popular stars of musical revue and operetta by the age of 20. She starred in Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet, which she performed in London and on Broadway in 1929, and later made several films, including Evensong and The Night Is Young.

She performed for troops during the Second World War, before returning to the West End stage in the 1950s, appearing with much success opposite her husband, Frank Lawton, in the musical Wedding in Paris. Evelyn continued working on stage, in television, and in films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, well into her eighties.

Evelyn Laye was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions – previously surprised by Eamonn Andrews in August 1959 at the BBC Television Theatre.

"Good gracious, well thank you very much indeed, it's lasted quite a long time! It's going to be rather exciting!"

programme details...

Edition No: 793
Subject No: second timer
Broadcast date: Wed 19 Dec 1990
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 12 Dec 1990
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 31
Edition: 9
Code name: Adam

on the guest list...

Peter - nephew
Wendy Toye
Elisabeth Welch
Doris Hare
Katie Boyle
Dinah Sheridan
Larry Grayson
Michael Denison
message from HRH Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Liz Robertson
The Sylvia Young School Choir
Michael Crawford
Douglas Fairbanks Jr
Dr Evadne Hinge
Dame Hilda Bracket

production team...

Researcher: Ian Brown
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, John Birkin
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Evelyn Laye

first tribute

Life is a Cabaret

a musical theatre chorus line

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

the programme's icon

Mary-Jane Burcher, friend and former personal assistant of Evelyn Laye, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in November 2012

Evelyn Laye This Is Your Life Big Red Book

Photographs and screenshots of Evelyn Laye This Is Your Life - and a photograph of Evelyn Laye's big red book

Series 31 subjects