{{Short description|Irish comedian and actor (1910–1980)}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox comedian | name = Cecil Sheridan | image = | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1910|12|21}} | birth_place = Dublin, Ireland | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1980|01|04|1910|12|21}} | death_place = Dublin, Ireland | medium = Revue, pantomime, film | active = 1937–1978 | genre = Parody | subject = | influences = | influenced = | spouse = Ann Doyle | domesticpartner = | notable_work = "Hannigan's Hooley" (song) | signature = | website = | footnotes = | current_members = | past_members = | module = }} '''Cecil Sheridan''' (21 December 1910 – 4 January 1980) was an Irish comedian and actor who performed in variety shows and pantomimes in Ireland and Great Britain during a versatile career spanning over forty years.
==Early life== Born at 31 Queen's Square, Sheridan was the son of a Dublin upholsterer, also named Cecil, and his wife, Catherine (Kate) Buckley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/1230173750203|title=General Registrar's Office|last=|first=|date=|website=IrishGenealogy.ie|publisher=|access-date=21 December 2016}}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>[http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/South_Dock/Queen_s_Square/81910/ National Archives of Ireland – 1911 Census], retrieved 23 December 2010</ref> His mother died of tuberculosis when he was six and he and his siblings were raised by his father.<ref name="IT3">''The Irish Times'', "Cecil Sheridan", 22 May 1976</ref> He was educated at Synge Street CBS.<ref name="IT1">''The Irish Times'', "Death of Cecil Sheridan", 5 January 1980</ref> In a bid to cure a stammer he sought opportunities to perform in public.<ref name="IT2">''The Irish Times'', "Cecil Sheridan – An Appreciation", 8 January 1980</ref> He made his stage debut at the age of twenty when he won £100 in a talent show.<ref name="indo1">''Irish Independent'', "Sheridan last old style Irish comedian", 5 January 1980</ref> However, he continued to work in his father's business until 1937 when, after winning another talent contest, he decided to become a full-time stage performer.<ref name="IT1"/>
==Career== Sheridan's performances in revues, variety shows, and pantomimes kept the spirit of the old music hall and vaudeville alive on the Dublin stage well into the era of television.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "Nostalgic evening in Olympia revue", 4 April 1972</ref>
He performed frequently at Dublin's Queen's Theatre from 1940 onwards, and he appeared also on the stage of the Theatre Royal, Dublin.<ref name="IT1"/> In 1976, he was deemed by ''The Irish Times'' to have "stolen the show" when he performed his own songs in Noel Pearson's production of ''You Ain't Heard Nuttin' Yet'' at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "'You Ain't Heard Nuthin' Yet' at the Gaiety", 3 March 1976</ref> He was a regular at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, and was one of the leaders of the campaign to raise funds for the theatre's restoration following the collapse of the proscenium arch in 1974. He appeared in the first show to be staged at the Olympia when it reopened in March 1977.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "Olympia is back to life", 4 March 1977</ref>
Sheridan wrote his own material, including pantomimes. Three days before his version of ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' was due to begin its run, he learnt that Walt Disney's feature-length cartoon of the same name was about to open at a nearby cinema. He set to work immediately on a new pantomime, ''Mother Goose'', and had it ready for its first performance on the date planned for ''Snow White''.<ref name="IT2"/> His clever use of wordplay earned him the title of "Parody King".<ref name="IT3"/> One of his most famous parodies was a play on the song "Let The Rest of the World Go By". He also wrote humorous songs, notably "Hannigan's Hooley".<ref name="indo1"/>
Sheridan toured Scotland with Andy Stewart and performed at the Metropole Theatre in London.<ref name="IT3"/>
As an actor Sheridan appeared in a number of stage plays including the world première of Brian Friel's ''Crystal and Fox'', in which he played the supporting role of Pedro in a Hilton Edwards production at the Gaiety Theatre.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "New Friel play at the Gaiety Theatre", 13 November 1968</ref> He was also among the cast of several films shot in Ireland, for instance, ''Ulysses'' and ''Where's Jack?''.<ref name="IT1"/> One of his more unusual acting roles came in 1966 when he portrayed the trade union leader, James Larkin, in a pageant staged in Croke Park to commemorate the Irish struggle for independence.<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/laweb/ll/ll_t06_colour_a.html RTE Libraries and Archives], retrieved 23 December 2010</ref>
One of Sheridan's last live appearances was in ''The Heart's A Wonder'', a musical based on John Millington Synge's ''Playboy of the Western World'', which was staged at Limerick's Crescent Theatre in September 1978.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "Synge musical in Limerick", 13 September 1978</ref>
Sheridan's writings form part of the Irish Theatre Archive held at the Dublin City Archive.
==Personal life== Sheridan's wife, Ann ("Nan") Doyle, predeceased him in 1978. Towards the end of his life he credited her with restoring his Catholic faith, which had lapsed during his bachelor days.<ref name="IT3"/> They had three children, a son, Noel, who was director of Dublin's National College of Art and Design, and two daughters, Ann and Barbara. Cecil Sheridan died aged 69 and is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery.<ref>''The Irish Times'', "Final tribute to Cecil Sheridan", 8 January 1980</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1967|| ''Ulysses'' || John Henry Menton || |- |1967|| ''The Viking Queen'' || Shopkeeper at Protest Gathering || |- |1973|| ''Catholics'' || Brother Malachy || |}
==Sources== <references/>
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20250119222343/https://irishplayography.com/search/person.asp?la=en&PersonID=8103 Cecil Sheridan at Irish Playography] *{{IMDb name|0792146}} *Maureen Potter performing {{YouTube|UPn9Hug2K_w|"Hannigan's Hooley"}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, Cecil}} Category:1910 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Burials at Mount Jerome Cemetery and Crematorium Category:Irish male film actors Category:Irish male comedians Category:20th-century Irish songwriters Category:Irish male stage actors Category:Irish music hall performers Category:20th-century Irish male actors Category:People educated at Synge Street CBS Category:20th-century Irish comedians Category:Male actors from County Dublin Category:1930s in Irish comedy Category:1940s in Irish comedy Category:1950s in Irish comedy Category:1960s in Irish comedy Category:1970s in Irish comedy