Hinge and Bracket facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hinge and Bracket |
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Dr Evadne Hinge (George Logan, left) and Dame Hilda Bracket (Patrick Fyffe, right)
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| Medium | Radio, television, stage |
| Nationality | British |
| Genres | Female Impersonators Drag, Classical musical comedy |
| Former members |
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Dr. Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket were two funny characters created by George Logan and Patrick Fyffe. They were known for their comedy and musical performances. George Logan and Patrick Fyffe, who were men, dressed up as these characters to sing songs and make people laugh.
They became very popular on TV and radio. They usually performed together, but sometimes appeared alone. Their partnership ended when Patrick Fyffe passed away in 2002. George Logan died in 2023.
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Meet Hinge and Bracket
Patrick Fyffe and George Logan created the Hinge and Bracket act after meeting in London. Patrick Fyffe had already performed as a glamorous singer named Perri St Claire. He had even appeared in TV shows like Z Cars.
Fyffe and Logan first thought of an act with Fyffe as a retired opera singer. She would still think she could sing, with Logan as her piano player. This idea grew into two funny old ladies. Their act was different from other performers who dressed as women. They made their characters seem very real.
This helped them become popular with many different people. Author Roger Baker said Hinge and Bracket were great at creating believable characters. They even stayed in character for interviews. Some fans truly believed they were two elderly ladies.
Their Characters
Hinge and Bracket were shown as two older ladies who had never married. They had spent their lives performing classical music. They often shared memories of their best days singing opera. They also talked about performing with famous people like Ivor Novello and Noël Coward.
Their characters reminded people of a polite English world from long ago. Their shows often included popular songs by Novello or Coward. They also sang light opera songs, especially by Gilbert and Sullivan. Both were singers, and Dr. Hinge usually played the piano.
The ladies shared a house called The Old Manse. It was in the made-up village of Stackton Tressel in Suffolk. They had a funny housekeeper named Maud. She was played by actress Daphne Heard in the radio series.
Where They Appeared
Hinge and Bracket spent two years performing in London pubs and clubs in the 1970s. This included the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a popular venue. They also performed at the Kensington restaurant AD8. After a successful show at the 1974 Edinburgh Festival, Hinge and Bracket toured for several years.
In 1976, Hinge and Bracket appeared on the BBC show The Good Old Days. They also had a special show on Scottish Television in 1977. In the same year, they starred in a BBC Radio 4 series called The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket. This show ran until 1979.
The duo then appeared in a BBC television show called Dear Ladies. Patrick Fyffe and George Logan helped write it. The show was set in the fictional village of Stackton Tressel. It was filmed in Cheshire towns like Knutsford and Great Budworth. Dear Ladies was shown on BBC2 from 1983 to 1984.
Their radio shows continued with The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket. This was on BBC Radio 2 from 1982 to 1989. In 1990, they had another radio series, At Home with Hinge and Bracket. This show featured a special guest in each episode.
In 1983, Hinge and Bracket appeared in a TV opera. It was a Royal Opera House production of Die Fledermaus. The duo also performed in plays in London's West End. These included Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. They also appeared in Peter Shaffer's play Lettice and Lovage. Both plays also toured around the UK.
They performed in many pantomime shows. Their act was also featured in two Royal Variety Shows. It was said that their act was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In the early 1980s, Hinge and Bracket appeared in TV ads for Emva Cream Sherry.
Hinge and Bracket released several music records. In 1980, they released an album called Hinge And Bracket at Abbey Road. The title was a joke about the Beatles' 1969 album, Abbey Road. The same photographer who took the Beatles' famous photo, Iain Macmillan, took a picture of Hinge and Bracket walking across the same zebra crossing on Abbey Road.
George Logan stopped playing Dr. Hinge after Patrick Fyffe died in 2002. However, he brought the character back for a comic opera in 2016. George Logan passed away in 2023.
Radio Shows
- The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket — BBC Radio 4 (1977–1979)
- The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket — BBC Radio 2 (1982–1989)
- At Home With Hinge and Bracket — BBC Radio 4 (1990)
Television Shows
- At Home with Dr Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket (1977)
- Hinge and Bracket — (1978-1981)
- Dear Ladies — BBC Two (1983–1985)
Music Albums
Albums released by Hinge and Bracket include:
- Hinge & Bracket – Volume 1 — One-Up (1976)
- An Evening with Hinge and Bracket — One-Up (1977)
- Hinge and Bracket in Concert — One-Up (1979)
- Hinge and Bracket at Abbey Road — EMI (1980)
- Hinge and Bracket - Dear Ladies — BBC Records (1983)
- Hinge and Bracket - Live in the Park - Stirred Not Shaken — Funny Business (1995)
- Hinge and Bracket - (Almost) Live at Stockport — Sonorama
