Centenarian Pantomime Veteran Announces Retirement After Decades on Stage

A 100-year-old great-grandfather, Harvey Kay of Ecclesfield, South Yorkshire, has announced that his appearance in this year’s annual pantomime will mark his last performance, having participated since 1947. Mr. Kay, a founding member of what is now High Green Musical Theatre (formerly High Green Operatic Society), is set to perform in Cinderella alongside his son Alan and great-granddaughter Adie. Mr. Kay recalled beginning his performing career at the age of eight in 1932, noting that he has taken on every role in pantomime except for the Dame. He stated: “Unlucky, this is my last, but I can’t see and I can’t hear, I can’t read the script.” He further commented: “I’ve done everything. I love it. It’s the company and watching these young children growing up and taking parts in different acts.” However, his granddaughter, Lauren Hall, suggested that Mr. Kay’s announcement of retirement might not be definitive. Ms. Hall remarked: “He says this one is his last one, but he says that every time. Don’t take it too seriously. He absolutely loves it. “Since we lost my granny back in 2018, it’s given him something to look forward to each year, coming to do the pantomime. “It gets him out of the house, keeps him really active, he’s around lots of young people, which keeps you young, and it’s something he loves doing.” Mr. Kay’s 67-year-old son, Alan, has been associated with High Green Musical Theatre since 1992. The family’s theatrical tradition is being carried on by his daughter and grandchildren, including the youngest, three-year-old Tom, who is already slated for future roles. Alan commented: “It’s great to see my dad still involved and still enjoying it. Everybody in the cast loves him, past members – they all make a fuss of him.“It gives me great joy to be on stage with him, and my daughter and my granddaughter as well, so it’s a family affair.” Mr. Kay attributed his long tenure in performing partly to the opportunity to share the stage with his family. He remarked: “I know my great granddaughter will keep going and then we’ve got another one coming: Tom, her brother. He likes dancing.“We’re a theatre family. I’m like Kirk Douglas and John Wayne – I think I’m up there with them.” For this year’s production, Mr. Kay is cast as the Equerry to the King, a role portrayed by his son Alan. He noted that the director intentionally made the role adaptable. He explained: “The director and producer have given me a freehand for what I want to say,” adding, “Monday I shall say what I’ve got to say, and then when I come to Tuesday I’ll have forgotten what I said on Monday, so it will all be different all week.” Beyond pantomime, Mr. Kay’s theatrical experience also includes performances in Shakespearean plays and musicals. Ms. Hall mentioned that among her grandfather’s memorable performances were those in Grease and The Wizard of Oz. She recounted: “We did the Wizard of Oz, it wasn’t the traditional version, I think it was a bit more like a pantomime, and he was the wizard and I was the lion and at the end he had to present the medal and every single night he got it mixed up.“He couldn’t remember it and then my best friend Lindsay was the witch and every night he would call her the wizard.“We did a concert and he came on as Danny from Grease in his mid-70s. The director at the time was a similar age and they came on in full outfits and people couldn’t sing for laughing.” Highlights from Mr. Kay’s career include his participation in a male voice choir and his portrayal of Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream during the 1951 Festival of Britain. He concluded: “There’s no business like showbusiness. That’s why I love it. I’m sorry I must leave it, but I’ve had a good time.”