Sid James – Not Just A Dirty Laugh

Marking the 40th anniversary of Sid James’ death, comedian Lee Mack presents archive and seldom-heard family recordings of the actor’s work on radio, stage and screen.

Sid James moved from Johannesburg to Britain in 1946 and went on to make his mark as sidekick to comedy legend Tony Hancock. After an acrimonious split, James then went on to become a household name as a star of the Carry On film series.

Bernard Cribbins, Lance Percival and Liz Fraser reveal their own experiences of working with Sid. His daughter, the author Reina James, provides rare material from the family archives of her father's years in South Africa. Sketches of Sid’s shows from the BBC’s Written Archive are brought to life by actor Christopher Fairbank (Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Dickensian).

As Lee Mack reveals, there's more to Sid James than is often evident. Prior to Hancock and the Carry On movies, he'd already made numerous screen appearances – straight and comic – in films by Powell and Pressburger and in Ealing Comedies. He also appeared on stage in Guys And Dolls and starred in Citizen James, his own television sitcom scripted for him by Galton and Simpson.

Written by Alan Stafford and produced in Salford by Stephen Garner

First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2013

Publicity contact: BBC Radio 4 Extra Publicity