Wyn Calvin
Who Wyn Calvin is
Wyn Calvin was a Welsh comedian and entertainer, billed as the Welsh Prince of Laughter, born in Narberth in August 1925 and raised in Cardiff. He started out entertaining the troops with ENSA during the Second World War, made his name on BBC radio's Welsh Rarebit and Workers' Playtime, and became one of the greats of variety theatre, topping the bill at Blackpool's Central Pier Theatre for five consecutive seasons and breaking box-office records for seven seasons in Llandudno.
He was also a television chat show host, an after-dinner speaker and one of the greatest pantomime dames, hailed by The Stage as 'the Laurence Olivier of pantomime dames', and a tireless charity worker through the Grand Order of Water Rats and the Variety Club of Great Britain. He celebrated 75 years in show business in 2020 and died in January 2022, aged 96.
At a glance
- Born
- 1925
- Died
- 2022
- On screen
- Welsh Rarebit, Workers' Playtime and Midday Music Hall
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Welsh Rarebit BBC radio
- Workers' Playtime BBC radio
- Midday Music Hall BBC Light Programme radio, 1953–1964
Their stand-up
Wyn Calvin's first big break on stage came in the 1960s as Humpty Dumpty, in a part written for Harry Secombe at the London Palladium, which he took on the road from London to Manchester. He went on to appear in more than 50 pantomimes, playing Widow Twankey in Aladdin until 2011, and he broke into radio in the 1950s as Tommy Trotter on BBC Wales's Welsh Rarebit.
He appeared on the BBC Light Programme's Workers' Playtime 47 times between 1951 and 1964, and in 1991 he became the first Welshman ever elected King Rat of the Grand Order of Water Rats. He was appointed MBE for charitable services in 1989 and awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 1994.
Career timeline
- 1925Born
- 1953Midday Music Hall (BBC Light Programme radio, 1953–1964) On screen
- 2022Died
Questions and answers
What TV shows and films is Wyn Calvin in?
Welsh Rarebit, Workers' Playtime and Midday Music Hall.
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Nation.Cymru — One of Wales' greatest entertainers Wyn Calvin has died ↗ 25 January 2022: dubbed the 'Welsh prince of laughter' and one of theatre's greatest panto dames, died at the age of 96; 75 years in showbusiness celebrated…
- Wikipedia ↗ Humpty Dumpty break in the 1960s in a part written for Harry Secombe at the London Palladium, taken from London to Manchester; more than 50 pantomimes and…
Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026