Duggie Byng

Douglas Byng was one of the most redoubtable entertainers of the 20th century whose long career spanned theatre, pantomime, cabaret, film and television. Billed as 'Bawdy - But British' he was a prolific comic songwriter and a master of the double-entendre, often appearing in drag or as a noted pantomime Dame. Noël Coward once described his act as 'the most refined vulgarity in London'. Byng never really retired from the stage and was working even at the age of 90. A born raconteur, he was suddenly rediscovered when he made a guest appearance on the BBC's Parkinson (1971) Show in 1977 with Carol Channing. In 1986, he made his final stage appearance when he performed his one-man show at the Royal National Theatre in London. In one of the most successful careers in British show-business, he had appeared on stage for 72 years.