Gladys Morgan

Gladys Mabel Morgan was born on 7 November 1898 in Swansea, Wales, and died on 16 April 1983 in Worthing, West Sussex. A comedian widely billed as the Queen of Comedy or the Queen of Laughter, she was known for a toothless, ear-splitting laugh that became her professional signature. Although her family had no theatrical background, Morgan developed an interest in performance from an early age, and by the time she was eleven she had assembled her own song and dance act.

Her early career took shape through a children's concert party called The Brilliant Gems, where one of her fellow performers was Albert Burdon, who would later establish himself as an actor and comedian. Standing four feet ten inches tall, Morgan subsequently formed a trio called The Three Virgins alongside Betty Jumel, who played violin, and Vy Vivienne, who played piano. A turning point in her comedic development came during a solo concert party tour on the Isle of Man, when a company manager asked her to play an old deaf woman in a sketch. The audience response was unexpectedly enthusiastic, and the experience redirected her career toward comedy.

Morgan married fellow comedian Frank Laurie, whom she had first encountered when he was sixteen. Their double act struggled until they reversed their roles, with Morgan taking on the comic part and Laurie serving as the straight man. The restructured act attracted consistent bookings. Around this period Morgan replaced her natural Welsh accent with a Lancashire one, an approach influenced by her admiration for comedian Frank Randle. During the Second World War, Morgan and Laurie performed for ENSA, and their daughter Joan joined the act. Joan later married Bert Hollman, who had served as the ENSA organiser for northwest England, and Hollman subsequently became both a performer and manager within the family act.

Morgan's profile rose substantially after she auditioned for the BBC radio variety programme Welsh Rarebit. Producer Mai Jones was initially hesitant to cast her because of her well-known Lancashire accent, but a week of performances at the Town Hall in Pontypridd, delivered in her natural Welsh accent, satisfied Jones that Morgan qualified for the show. She was given a two-minute spot, and her laugh generated an immediate response from audiences. Comedian Wyn Calvin, a close friend, noted that her laugh practically filled the two minutes on its own. Morgan became the resident comedienne on Welsh Rarebit, sharing top billing with Harry Secombe.

Her Broadway credit dates to 1926, when she appeared in Deep River. The success Morgan found on Welsh Rarebit translated into variety tours across major theatres throughout the United Kingdom, including a supporting engagement with Frankie Vaughan at the London Palladium in 1961. She made television appearances on programmes such as The Good Old Days and was a regular presence on radio shows including Workers' Playtime, Midday Music Hall, Educating Archie, and The Frankie Howerd Show. Her trademark striped blazer and cheeky grin were consistent elements of her stage persona. During the 1960s she worked extensively in pantomime and summer season, completed five tours of Australia, and undertook four sell-out tours of South Africa, where the family also hosted their own series on Springbok Radio titled The Morgans. In 1965 she appeared in the film The Wild Affair alongside Nancy Kwan, Terry-Thomas, and Bud Flanagan.

Arthritis brought about her retirement from performing when she was in her seventies. Morgan had lived in Worthing for 47 years at the time of her death in 1983. In May 2006 BBC Radio Wales broadcast a thirty-minute tribute to her, introduced by Wyn Calvin. In 2012 a Blue Plaque was unveiled by her daughter Joan Laurie at Morgan's former flat at 30 Salisbury Road, Worthing. The ceremony was attended by Roy Hudd, then President of the British Music Hall Society, Wyn Calvin in his capacity as Vice President of the same organisation, and the Mayor of Worthing. The plaque was organised by Geoff Bowden, editor of the British Music Hall Society's magazine The Call Boy, in conjunction with the Worthing Society.