Joyce Grenfell site

Charlie, she was a wonderful writer & performer of monologues & worked in review & radio from the 40's. Her mother was American, and she toured in America.

I remember reading an interview where she described her experiences when she was booked by a southern religion-based college & how she was vetted by a member of the school to see that she would not wear immodest clothing! This college encourage early marriage & many students had young children, I can't remember now whether she performed her "George" sketches.

She was famous for her sketches of nursery school life & here's a bit from the back cover of "George, Don't do that ... Six of Joyce Grenfell's famous nursery sketches ...
UK, Macmillan (Futura p/b) 1978

Imagine a refined, upper class British voice -

Now, children I want you all to say 'Good Morning' to Mrs Hingle. Good morning, Mrs Hingle.

No, Sidney, not good-bye. Mrs Higle has only just come. You don't want her to go away yet?

No, she hasn't got a funny hat on, that's her hair.

So sorry, Mrs Hingle. Sometimes we ARE just a trifle outspoken. We try to encourage honesty, only sometime it doesn't always ...

And this is my friend Caroline, and Caroline is painting such a lovely red picture, aren't you, Caroline? I wonder what it is? Perhaps it's a lovely sunset? Or is it a big red orange?

It's a picture of Mummy! For a moment I thought it was a big red orange, but now you tell me, I can see it is a picture of Mummy.

Aren't you going to give her any nose?

No nose.

It's so interesting the way they see things ...