New exhibition from the archive

Scores of candid photographs of BBC comedy stars caught in unguarded moments on set are to go on display next month.

The photos, never previously displayed, range from Tony Hancock’s lugubrious stare and the antics of The Goons and from Miranda Hart’s knowing look-to-camera and the excesses of Absolutely Fabulous.

They have been selected from the BBC’s library of more than four million photographs, taken both on set and on location, as part of the build-up to the Corporation’s Landmark Sitcom this autumn.

Paul Merton and Adil Ray have curated some of the images, which will go on display at Compton Verney, an art gallery set in 120 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

BBC comedy chief Shane Allen called the 90 images in the BBC Faces Of Comedy display ‘a fabulous photographic roll call of the comedy and sitcom greats post-war’.

While Robert Seatter, the head of BBC History, said: ‘We’re delighted to be opening up the BBC’s rich archive of great comedy photos, many of which will be seen for the first time and are newly digitised. We hope BBC Faces of Comedy will inspire visitors to Compton Verney to think about the art of broadcast comedy in fresh and different ways.’

Paul Merton wrote notes to accompany pictures of his comic hero, Tony Hancock, saying:‘I was about twelve... I would play back this show and try and practice comic timing by copying how they were doing it.

The exhibition opens on July 9 and runs until October 2. Here are just some of the rare images on display:

Published: 27 Jun 2016