Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A folk singer and comic, known for her humorous musical monologues that combined storytelling and historical background.
On the island
Eight records
Don Bonzo Alfonso the Torreador
GUEST said: “I came out with a number called Don Bonzo Alfonso the Torreador.” — original composition, not a real published track. No verbatim reason recorded.
The Ring of the Nibelung (comic talk with orchestra illustrations)
Anna Russell with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner (parodied/humorous narration by Anna Russell)
GUEST said: “I first did the talk on the ring with … illustrations by the orchestra.” — no verbatim reason recorded.
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:12Where were you born?
As born and made of fail
Presenter asks
2:08Why did you go to Canada?
Well, because my father died and my mother's a Canadian and being only daughter, I mother said, 'Come, dear,' and I went and I was mother's little helper … until the war started.
Presenter asks
7:24What section of the community would you say is your public?
Well it's rather hard to say because people have remarked a great deal how very peculiar my audiences are. They range from elderly clergymen to beatnecks and teenagers and polite ladies and all sorts of things.
“I was never very musical or much of a lady, but I had to do it. I used to play the double bass in the school orchestra, and I was I practised that for ages and I was terribly good on the double bass at the water music. Although actually what I really wanted to do was play the clarinet, but father said it wasn't ladylike to blow, I must scrape.”
“As a matter of fact, my first professional engagement was in the bowels of the B B C, where we are at this present, being a folk singer.”
“The local Rotary Club thought it'd be a fearfully good idea if the junior league girls were made into an all-girl troop show. … And they said some of you plainer ones have got to be the comics, and I was one of them.”
“When the war ended the Rotary Club said, 'Come and entertain our ladies tonight' and I said, 'I can't because there's no troop show' and they said, 'Well, you come and do your pieces and we'll pay you' And I thought, 'Ooh, lovely money' And so I was I turned out to be the club date queen of Toronto and my club date money was transcending my CBC money to such an extent I thought, 'Well, I think I'll quit the interview and stick to the comic turn and see where it goes.'”
“Well, it's really no more exhausting than sitting in the wings waiting for your cue, 'cause you've got to pay attention anyway, so you might as well be doing something.”