To be Frank.

‘You won’t do any good until you’re 40,’ was the advice given to a young Frank Thornton by farceur Robertson Hare.

That prediction came true when Frank joined Michael Bentine’s It’s A Square World in 1961, and by the time Are You Being Served? propelled Frank to stardom in 1972 he was considered a veteran of stage and screen. When the curtain came down on his career in 2012, he had become one of the most recognisable actors in Britain. All this despite shying away from fame, preferring to work in the shadows of such comedy giants as Tony Hancock, Harry Worth, Tommy Cooper, Benny Hill, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett and Morecambe and Wise.

In To Be Frank… Brian Slade tells the full story of Frank Thornton’s career, with access to family archives and Frank’s own journals and letters. From his early days performing Shakespeare with Donald Wolfit to his lengthy stay in Last of the Summer Wine, via the RAF, a career-threatening speech impediment and the worldwide popularity of Captain Peacock – all with his beloved wife Beryl by his side. With contributions from his daughter, Jane, and friends and colleagues including Alan Titchmarsh MBE, Julian Clary, Noel Edmonds, Gyles Brandreth, Richard Bentine and David MacGillivray, To Be Frank… shines the spotlight on a man too humble to crave stardom, but who became one of the most famous faces on British television.