A veteran panto actor who has trodden the boards since the 1930s has taken his final curtain call at the grand age of 100.
Great, great grandad Harvey Kay first took the stage at as a nervous eight year old in the 1930s at a theatre in his home town in High Green, Sheffield, South Yorks.
In the ensuing decades he had panto and musical roles.
These include being the wizard in the Wizard of Oz, as Starkeeper in Carousel, as well as starring in Cinderella, the Sound of Music, and Calamity Jane.
But he took his final bow at the EPPiC(c) Theatre in Sheffield at the weekend where he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
He added that he nearly cried after receiving the ovation at the end of the performance of Cinderella.
The former miner, who worked at Barrow Colliery, was promoted to the mine’s deputy before he took early retirement in his 50s.
Widower Harvey, who used to perform alongside wife Agnes prior to her death in 2018, said he feels ‘lost’ because he now has ‘nothing to do’ following his final show.
He said: “Well, I nearly cried. I nearly cried but I didn’t. I thought it was tremendous.”
Harvey added that it was ‘definitely’ his last show, despite previous false retirements, adding: “Definitely, because I can’t see, I can’t hear, I can’t walk, so that’s it. That’s me done.”
Harvey, who has seven children, thirteen grandchildren, and ‘a lot of great grandchildren’, as well as a great great grandchild, started performing aged just eight years old.
He founded the High Green Musical Theatre Group in 1948.
Granddaughter Laura Hall, 40, said she grew up watching her granddad perform in pantomimes. Now she performs in the group herself.
The primary school teacher said: “I remember going to see him around 1992, when we went to watch Cinderella, he’s been in a lot – more before then.
“My granddad got my dad involved, and then got me and my sister involved, and I’ve stayed all that time – I got my 30 year award earlier this year.
“My granny was in it when she was alive, and my uncle’s been in it as well. Over the years, a lot of us have been involved at different points.”
Laura said her granddad has previously announced his retirement before returning the next year, but this time it feels like the retirement will stick.
Harvey played the ‘Royal Equerry’ role in a production of Cinderella earlier this month, with his son and Laura’s dad Alan playing the king.
Laura said: “When we did the last show on Saturday, it did feel quite final.
“Everybody felt quite emotional. We kind of made up a part for him and let him do what he wanted, with him being 100.”
She added: “A lot of people have said to me this week that he’s a role model and an inspiration, and that a lot of the younger ones look up to him.
“All the younger ones love him, and without him, because he started the group all those years ago, there wouldn’t be a theatre group.
“Somebody said to me ‘think of all those children who maybe would have gone off and done other things, and he’s got them into it’.”
