Stanley Baxter | |
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 Baxter in 1959 | |
| Born | Stanley Livingstone Baxter (1926-05-24)24 May 1926 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 11 December 2025(2025-12-11) (aged 99) London, England |
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| Years active | 1930s–2020 |
| Television | |
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Stanley Livingstone Baxter (24 May 1926 – 11 December 2025) was a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on theBBC and later became known for his British television comedy showsThe Stanley Baxter Show,The Stanley Baxter Picture Show,The Stanley Baxter Series andMr Majeika. Baxter also wrote a number of books set inGlasgow.
Baxter is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in British comedy, particularly for his work in television variety and sketch shows throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His television productions, characterised by elaborate one-off specials and a mastery of impersonation and physical comedy, drew audiences in excess of 14 million at their peak and were celebrated for their technical ambition and originality.[1][2]
The son of an insurance manager, Baxter was born inGlasgow, on 24 May 1926.[3] He was educated atHillhead High School, Glasgow, and schooled for the stage by his mother. He began his career as a child actor in the local edition of the BBC'sChildren's Hour.[4] Following employment in mining as aBevin Boy inWorld War II,[5] he developed his performing skills further during hisnational service with theBritish Army'sCombined Services Entertainment unit, working alongside comedy actorKenneth Williams, actorPeter Vaughan, film directorJohn Schlesinger and dramatistPeter Nichols,[6] who used the experience as the basis for his playPrivates on Parade.[7]
After thewar, Baxter returned to Glasgow taking to the stage for three years at Glasgow'sCitizens' Theatre. In 1949, he appeared in The Tintock Cup.[8][9] Following success on the radio withJimmy Logan,[10]Howard & Wyndham Ltd invited him to star in pantomime at theTheatre Royal in Glasgow followed by the Half Past Eight Shows, and their successors the Five Past Eight Shows at Glasgow'sAlhambra Theatre.[11][12][13] He moved to London to work in television in 1959.[14] He was shortly back performing in Glasgow at the Alhambra with hisOn the Brighter Side show.[15]
In 1969, Baxter performed in the original production ofJoe Orton's then controversial farceWhat the Butler Saw at the Queen's Theatre in theWest End with SirRalph Richardson,Coral Browne andHayward Morse.[10][16] Baxter nurtured the stage careers of Alyson McInnes and John Ramage. He starred, in pantomime, over many years along with other Scottish performers, such asJimmy Logan[6] Baxter remained a great favourite on the Scottish pantomime circuit, especially at theKing's Theatre, Glasgow, until his retirement in 1992.[17]
During the 1960s, Baxter had his own show onBBC Radio Scotland.[18] In 1994, he returned to radio, taking the role ofNoël Coward in theBBC World Service Play of the Week,Marvellous Party[19] directed by Neil Cargill. Written byJon Wynne-Tyson, it also starredDorothy Tutin as Coward's lifelong friend, Esme Wynne-Tyson (Jon's mother). Also with Cargill, he readWhisky Galore[20] andJimmy Swan – The Joy Traveller[21] for BBC Radio, providing the voices of all the characters.
After a lengthy spell in self-imposed retirement, Baxter appeared in 2004 in a series of four half-hour radio sitcoms forBBC Radio 4, entitledStanley Baxter and Friends;[22] the success of this led to further series entitledThe Stanley Baxter Playhouse in 2006,2008,2009,2010, 2013, 2014 and 2016, andTwo Pipe Problems withRichard Briers in 2008,2009 and2010. Two further plays in this series were broadcast in 2013 withGeoffrey Palmer taking the Richard Briers role. In 2009,Eddie Izzard presentedThe Stanley Baxter Story onBBC Radio 2.[23] A further series ofPlayhouse commenced airing on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018.
Baxter was known for his impressions of famous people, even appearing as 'the Duchess of Brendagh' - a character with a strong resemblance toThe Queen.[24]The Stanley Baxter Show ran between 1963 and 1971 onBBC One, andThe Stanley Baxter Picture Show from 1972 to 1975 onITV; the six-partStanley Baxter Series was made byLWT in 1981. By 1983, it was reported that LWT could no longer afford to make Baxter's shows.[25] In 1985, a return to the BBC was announced.[26] Eight one-hour TV specials were made by LWT and the BBC between 1973 and 1986.
Baxter participated in one of the earliest broadcasts of the newITV franchise,STV, when the station began transmissions on 31 August 1957.[27] STV's inaugural programme,This Is Scotland, was a live variety-style light entertainment show designed to mark the launch of Scotland's first independent television channel. Baxter appeared in comedy segments alongside other established Scottish performers, includingJimmy Logan and the Glasgow Police Pipe Band, contributing to sketches drawn from his variety theatre experience. The programme is recognised as his first television production for STV and one of his earliest major television appearances outside his work with theBBC.[28][29] The broadcast ofThis Is Scotland showcased a mixture of song, dance and comedy, framed around Scottish identity and entertainment. Baxter's involvement drew on his established stage reputation from the Glasgow variety circuit and helped introduce him to a broader Scottish television audience at the very beginning of STV's history.[29]
Baxter guest-starred in an episode ofThe Goodies and later appeared in the lead role inMr Majeika, developed from the books byHumphrey Carpenter, a children's show about a magic teacher, expelled from Walpurgis (the wizard land) for failing his professional examinations.[30] He later stated that he had wanted to retire after his spectacular hour-long shows had been cancelled and that the move to children's television was a "purely financial" arrangement.
InBing Crosby's final Christmas special, taped for CBS in the UK just a few weeks before Crosby's death in 1977, Baxter played multiple roles, including a butler, cook and – in oneskit opposite a cracking-up Crosby – the ghost ofBob Hope's court jester ancestor.[31] Having retired in 1990, Baxter returned for a one-off Christmas 2008 special forITV, containing a mix of archived and new material, with celebrity comedians commenting on Baxter's influence on their lives and careers.[32]
Baxter appeared in a number of films, includingGeordie (1955),[33]Very Important Person (1961),[34]The Fast Lady (1962),Crooks Anonymous (1962) andFather Came Too! (1963), the last four alongsideJames Robertson Justice, together with the animationThe Thief and the Cobbler (1995). Baxter had a sporadic but notable film career that ran alongside his far more extensive work in radio, theatre and television. Although best known for his television variety and sketch shows, Baxter appeared in a number of British feature films from the 1950s through the 1960s and contributed voice work to later animated projects.[35]
Baxter's first substantial screen role came in the mid-1950s with the comedy *Geordie* (1955), after which he returned to cinema work in the early 1960s in a string of comedies produced by Rank and independent companies. He appeared inVery Important Person (1961),The Fast Lady (1962),Crooks Anonymous (1962) andFather Came Too! (1963), frequently sharing the screen with established character actors of the period and often cast in comic supporting roles that showcased his facility for dialect, impersonation and physical comedy.[36][37] Baxter worked with directors such as Ken Annakin and appeared alongside leading comedy performers of the era; his film roles typically complemented rather than eclipsed his television persona. Reviewers and later obituaries noted that Baxter's film appearances allowed him to translate many of his radio and stage skills into screen comedy, but that he remained primarily a performer for television and live theatre.[38]
Later and posthumous credits include voice contribution to the long-running animated projectThe Thief and the Cobbler (worked on at various times and released in several versions; Baxter is credited on later release materials), demonstrating the occasional return to film animation projects decades after his principal screen period.[39] Though Baxter's film résumé is modest compared with his television output, the roles he took on reveal a throughline with his broader comic practice: a mastery of impersonation, an ear for regional dialects (most famously his "Parliamo Glasgow" routines) and an eye for visual and character gags. Film historians and obituarists have written that his screen work remains of interest chiefly because it captures a performer at ease translating stage and radio techniques for the cinema of the era.[35][36]
Baxter wrote a number of books based on the language of Glasgow, as developed in hisParliamo Glasgow sketch, and on the humour of the city;[40]
Baxter's performances were notable for their wide range of characterisations and bold impersonations, including portrayals of figures such as thePope andQueen Elizabeth II, as well as his comedic deconstructions ofGlaswegian dialect in routines such as "Parliamo Glasgow".[44] These sketches not only entertained but also helped broaden the scope of televised comedy in the United Kingdom.[45]
Peers and subsequent generations of performers have cited Baxter as a major influence; contemporaries described him as a "giant of Scottish entertainment," and tributes from actors and comedians highlighted his ingenuity, warmth and the inspirational quality of his work.First Minister of Scotland,John Swinney, among others, said that Baxter brought "incredible joy to generations" of audiences.[46][47]
In addition to his television influence, Baxter's legacy extends to theatre and pantomime where he was a beloved regular, as well as to radio and film, where his wide-ranging talents were on display across multiple media. He received numerous honours for his contributions to entertainment, including a lifetime achievement award at theBritish Comedy Awards and theBAFTA Scotland Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award, reflecting his long-lasting impact on the industry.[47]
Baxter's unique blend of high production values, technical ingenuity and character versatility remains influential in British comedy. His work is widely studied and remembered through retrospectives, archive releases. The BBC Scotland documentaryBeing Stanley Baxter, is intended to explore his life, career and enduring appeal.[1][48]
Baxter was brought up in theWest End of Glasgow, in atenement.[49] He lived there from the age of five until he married actress Moira Robertson at 26 years of age. He later lived inHighgate, North London.[50] He was married for 46 years until his wife's death of an overdose in 1997.[51] He was overseas at the time.[52]
In August 2014, Baxter was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardian expressing their hope thatScotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September'sreferendum on that issue.[53]
In August 2020, Baxtercame out as gay, following the release of his authorisedbiography.[52] His biography described how Baxter had told Moira that he was gay before they married, with Baxter having sought to end their relationship as a result, but that she had threatenedsuicide, causing him to relent.[52] Moira accepted that he was gay and allowed him to bring men home for sex,[52] despite homosexual acts being illegal inEngland and Wales until the passing of theSexual Offences Act 1967, 16 years after their marriage. Five years before then, Baxter had been arrested forcottaging and contemplated suicide for fear of scandal causing an end to his career. Thesoliciting charges were subsequently dropped.[52]
Baxter sought to maintain the secrecy around his sexual orientation, with his biography describing how he had been concerned about thepublication ofKenneth Williams' diaries as Williams was a close and long-time friend.[52] In his biography, Baxter describes his discomfort with his homosexuality: "Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. I'm not. I never wanted to be gay. I still don't."[54]
Baxter died on 11 December 2025, aged 99, atDenville Hall where he had been resident from 2023.[55]
Baxter was offered anOBE, but declined.[60]
All six of Baxter's hour-longITV specials were released on a two-disc DVD set in 2005 asThe Stanley Baxter Collection[61] with a further two-disc DVD set being released in 2006 under the titleThe Stanley Baxter Series & Picture Show featuring both of his series of half-hour shows for ITV.[62] In 2008 a five-disc DVD box set was released titledThe Stanley Baxter Television Set. The set includes both half-hour ITV series that Baxter made for ITV and six of his ITV specials. It also includes two of the feature films he made with James Robertson JusticeThe Fast Lady andFather Came Too!.[63]
Baxter had a range of film and television credits.[64]
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