The late 1920s is not the best time to be in the business of traditional variety entertainment, as audiences flock to the new cinemas opening in every town.
But it is amid these inauspicious circumstances that the Gibsons – comedian Alec (Jimmy Jewel) and his children Davey (David Schofield), Teddy (Andrew Fell) and Kath (Sharon Duce) – and an assortment of charismatic performers make the move south from their native North East to try to break into the London circuit.
Encountering family tragedy, indifferent audiences and a constant shortage of funds, it’s just as well that Alec Gibson is a tireless perfectionist and a man who rarely accepts defeat.
The series was based on the experience of Jewel’s father’s company of players in the 1920s and ’30s and featured a regular cast that included Jean Boht, Pamela Stephenson and Lynda Bellingham.
Alec Gibson
Jimmy Jewel DaveyGibson
David Schofield Teddy Gibson
Andrew Fell Gwen
Lynda Bellingham Elsie
Jean Boht Kath Gibson
Sharon Duce Babs
Trudie Styler Wendy
Lesley Hand Freda
Veronica Doran Dolly
Patricia Ford
