2022 Edinburgh Fringe

Tony Marshall captures the very essence of Charlie Williams - the cheeky grin, pitch perfect comic timing and of course the famous laugh - in a sharp script that combines classic gags with a wider examination of Williams and his place in the history of stand up comedy.

In the 1970s, the biggest comedy show on television was ITV's The Comedians. It made Charlie Williams the first black comic to become a household name. Perhaps his material would nowadays be considered questionable. But perhaps if you'd lived his extraordinary life in a white man's world - coal miner, professional footballer, cabaret singer, comedian - you'd have done the same. Now in retirement, Charlie faces an uncomfortable visit from a mysterious stranger who demands that he justify himself... By Chris England (An Evening with Gary Lineker) and starring Tony Marshall (Casualty, Life on Mars).