Madeline Smith adored working with the legendary comedy duo, even if Ronnie Barker was obsessed with breasts
The Two Ronnies: what a fine pair!
DON SMITH / RADIO TIMES
W
hat were the happiest days of my life? Working with the Two Ronnies in 1971 would surely be up there. It was an unalloyed joy being the heroine in the spoof classic serial, Hampton Wick, which straddled the entire first series in 1971. I can’t pride myself on having been hired for my talent, but even that realisation does not cloud the memory. At 20, I had a face still relatively unmarked by time. My character, dim heroine Henrietta, was a device to provide the foil and butt of all their jokes. Ronnie Barker had me practise walking up and down with a completely expressionless face. He directed my entire part and nearly all of the rest of the scenes. It may have been comedy but he was deadly serious. I had already learnt the art of simplicity in acting from a master, Arthur Lowe. He knew the vital importance in comedy of never reacting to a joke or the humour in a scene in which you are participating. Whatever lay beneath my character Henrietta’s bodice was brought unselfconsciously and proudly to the fore. Henrietta must be totally unaware of this. Nothing must be flaunted. Her innocence was paramount. That provided lines for Mr Barker, such as ‘Please sit down and take the weight off your chest.’ I had the even riskier line ‘I can’t fasten my chest and fear my treasures may fall out.’ And fall out they did! One night, we recorded the first show of the series in front of a live studio audience at the BBC Studios in White City near Shepherd’s Bush. One of my tightly corseted treasures became unbound and slipped out of its bodice moorings. It was a long scene. Much dialogue ensued between the two rascals, with the 14 The Oldie Spring 2022
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Madeline Smith in Hampton Wick in the first series of The Two Ronnies, 1971
