Little and Large
| Little and Large | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Cyril John Mead 19 December 1942 Blackpool, Lancashire, England Edward Hugh McGinnis 25 June 1941 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | Edward Hugh McGinnis 2 April 2020 (aged 78) Bristol, England |
| Medium | |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1962–2003, 2018–2020 |
| Genres | Observational comedy, musical comedy, satire |
| Subject(s) | |
| Notable works and roles | The Little and Large Show |
Little and Large were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little (born Cyril John Mead; 19 December 1942) and comic Eddie Large (born Edward Hugh McGinnis; 25 June 1941 – 2 April 2020).
Comedy duo
[edit]They formed their partnership in 1962, originally appearing as singers in local pubs around north-west England. According to an interview with Eddie Large in Metro newspaper (11 January 2019), they went professional in October 1963. Originally performing under their real names, they started using the names "Little and Large".[1] The origin of their name comes from the fact that Syd Little was skinny, contrasting to the girthy Eddie Large.[2]
By the 1970s, the two were contemplating on weather or not to give up comedy and make a living in their normal day jobs, or continue with comedy;[1] deciding to concentrate on comedy, Little and Large's big break came in 1971 when they appeared on ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks. They won the programme's vote, turning them into household names virtually overnight.[3]
Within five years, the duo had their own prime-time show on ITV called The Little and Large Tellyshow. It began with a pilot episode in 1976, which earned the pair a commission for a series in 1977. However, the duo transferred to BBC1 with a new show called The Little and Large Show from 1978, and remained on the channel for over a decade until its cancellation in 1991.[4] At its peak, the series was watched by an estimated nearly 15 million people each week.[3]
Eddie Large was generally the funny man while Syd Little was the more serious 'straight guy'. Eddie Large performed a number of impressions, particularly cartoon characters like Popeye, Deputy Dawg, Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble and Woody Woodpecker,[5] while Syd Little simply stood next to him, looking perplexed and distressed. Large's onstage catchphrase (to describe Little) was "Supersonic".[6]
Eddie Large was told he might have a heart attack at any moment. The partnership split up when Large had to have a heart transplant.[5]
Syd Little performed on cruise ships, such as the QE2, during September 2007, and used to run The "Little" Restaurant at the Strawberry Gardens pub and now runs a restaurant in the oldest pub in his home town Fleetwood, called The Steamer.[7][8]
Eddie Large remained in showbusiness. Large said in a 2010 interview he had not spoken to Syd Little for several years.[3] They did subsequently have a reunion in 2018 when they appeared on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, featuring in the sketch serial "Saturday Knight Takeaway",[9] and in February 2019, appearing together on Pointless Celebrities. They reached the head-to-head round (in effect, the semi-final).
On 2 April 2020, Eddie Large died after contracting coronavirus while receiving treatment for heart failure. Large had suffered from kidney and heart problems for a number of years .[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "BFI Screenonline: Little, Syd (1942-) and Large, Eddie (1942-) Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (2 April 2020). "Large by name, large by nature: Eddie was the big man of 80s British TV comedy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ a b c "Little and Large 'haven't spoken for a long time'". The Independent. London. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - Little And Large". web.archive.org. 27 December 2004. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ a b 'The Story of Light Entertainment' BBC Two, 25 February 2012
- ^ Hensman, Jim (1989). Pears Ultimate Quiz Companion. Pelham Books. p. 101. ISBN 0-7207-1812-0.
- ^ "The Steamer: Fleetwood | Home". www.thesteamerfleetwood.foodanddrinksites.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ ""I just wanted to see Syd and Sheree and have the opportunity to say thank you in person"". Blackpool Gazette. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ "Ant & Dec reunited a classic comedy duo in sketch". Digital Spy. 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Eddie Large dies aged 78". British Comedy Guide. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
Other pages
[edit]External links
[edit]- Little and Large discography at Discogs