Draft:Ray Martin

Ray Martin is a British entertainer, musician and writer.

Son of George Martin he was raised in the backstage world of theatre - The Windmill in Soho, the London Palladium, The Mister Pastry Tour, The Billy Cotton Bandshow and many others. First appeared on the big stage as a miniature ‘Buttons‘ in his father’s pantomime Cinderella.

Began performing himself as lead vocalist, guitar and harmonica in a Rhythm & Blues band then went to Butlin’s Barry Island as a Redcoat. After one season he returned to Butlin’s as part of the entertainment management team. He was Camp Compere at Skegness and later Entertainment Manager at Sir Billy Butlin’s private resort in Portelet Bay, Jersey. He worked as an Entertainment Officer for P.& O. Cruises and during this time did cabaret/compere work in Tunisia.

Ray Martin began writing in his teens. First with a few items on television’s ‘Basil Brush Show’ and then the weekly ‘Basil Brush Story’ for The Daily Sketch newspaper. He went on to write for television comedy ... The Two Ronnies; Spitting Image; Rory Bremner; Little And Large, Three Of A Kind; Fast Forward; Jimmy Cricket; The Satellite Show; The Lenny Henry Show; and comedy sketches for German television.

Regular bills with the Players Theatre Company in London’s West End and also appeared in farce at the Duchess Theatre in the West End. A member of the actors company at the Museum Of The Moving Image. He fronted his own touring productions of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ several times and performed in and wrote much of the small intimate revue ‘Body Language’. There was a lead role in ‘Power Of The Cross’ at The Swan, High Wycombe. Acted for roleplay training courses and training films for many years. TV parts in ‘Lettie’; ‘All The World’s A Stage’; ‘Whatever Next’; ‘Crimewatch’; ‘Treasure Houses’; ‘The Bretts’; ‘The Bill’; Big Brother in ‘The Spin’; ‘Crime Stoppers’; ‘The History Channel’; Jacobs in ‘The Perfectionist’; and Alec Guinness in ‘Ghostbusters Of East Finchley’. He also worked on classic television programs from 1981 onwards - various aliens on ‘Doc Who’; every series of ‘DropThe Dead Donkey’; ‘The Singing Detective’; ‘Blake’s 7’; and many more. Ray Martin appeared on the last series of ‘Opportunity Knocks’ - as bizarre singer/comedian Maximilian Jorge Starr and came third; and on ‘Sky Star Search’, coming second with a score of 98 out of 100. Ray has led his own theme bands, playing at Rochester Dickens Festivals; Chatham Navy Days; the Edinburgh Festival Of The Sea; the ‘Will Adams’ & Whitstable Oyster Festivals; Tolpuddle Festivals; various ferry lines; and he has provided ‘Pickle Night’ Trafalgar celebrations for RN Fleet HQ for a number of years. He also works solo as a singer/songwriter with a strong comedy base, appearing twice at Bath Comedy Festival, and as a self-accompanied vocalist covering themed and nostalgia material. In recent years he appeared on tv for in Renown Films 'The Windmill Girls (And Boys)'. Ray Martin is a member of show business charity organization The Grand Order Of Water Rats. He has written personalized poems and songs for many celebrities. In 2023 he was invited to take the post of ‘Poet Laureate, Grand Order Of Water Rats’.

References

gowr.co.uk members Daily Sketch clippins of Basil Brush series Theatre & TV playbills with my name cast listed Acting and writing credits on tv/dvd cast lists i.e. The Windmill Girls (And Boys); Three Of A Kind; Ghostbusters Of East Finchley etc Opportunity Knocks contract.