 Robust physical comedy is a large part of the appeal of northern comedy duo
Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. The exasperated straight man Tommy was forced to
endure the childlike over-exuberance of his braces-twanging partner Bobby, whose
provoking catchphrase 'Rock on Tommy' was part of their stage act. That act
easily transferred to television in the 1980s, drawing comparisons with American
acts like Abbott and Costello and the Smothers Brothers.
Both from Oldham, Lancashire, Tommy Cannon (born Thomas Derbyshire in 1938)
and Bobby Ball (born Robert Harper in 1944), met in the 1960s at a factory where
they worked as welders. At first, Tommy joined Bobby as a singer in Oldham pubs
and clubs, and the pair developed their comedy act between songs.
As Cannon and Ball, they made their TV debut in 1974 on ITV's northern
working man's revue show The Wheeltappers and Shunters Club (1974-77). They won
their own series, The Cannon and Ball Show for LWT (1979-88) and enjoyed
enormous success during the 1980s, with sell-out performances, pantomimes and
even a feature film, The Boys in Blue (1983). This was the last film directed by
Val Guest, who began his career 50 years earlier making similar vehicles for
Will Hay and George Formby.
By the mid-1980s celebrity excess caused a meltdown in their personal and
professional lives. Although the duo continued to perform, their relationship
had deteriorated to the point that they would only speak to each other during
their act. Their issues were resolved when first Bobby, and then Tommy, became
Christians, which gave their partnership and their act a new lease of life.
Subsequent TV work veered away from their stand-up act with shortlived sitcoms
Cannon and Ball's Playhouse (ITV, 1987) and Plaza Patrol (ITV, 1991) and a game
show, Cannon and Ball's Casino (ITV, 1990).
Their enduring popularity saw them on screens again in I'm A Celebrity, Get
Me Out of Here (ITV, 2002-) and Cannon and Ball continue to play to sell-out
audiences around the country. In 2009, Ball delivered a creditable straight performance
in the poignant comic drama The Fattest Man in Britain (ITV, tx. 20/12/2009).
Eddie Dyja
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FILM & TV CREDITS
