Reg Varney

^{By Laurence Marcus}

Reg Varney, born Reginald Alfred Varney on 11 July 1916, in Canning Town, East London, was a beloved British actor and comedian best known for his role as Stan Butler in the immensely popular sitcom On the Buses. Varney’s career spanned over five decades, and his comedic talents made him a household name in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s.

Varney came from humble beginnings, growing up in a working-class family. His father, Sidney Thomas Varney, worked in a rubber factory in Silvertown, and his mother, Annie, was a dressmaker. As a child, Varney demonstrated an early interest in music and performance, learning to play the piano and displaying a talent for comedy. By the age of 14, Varney left school to work as a messenger boy and page boy at the Regent Palace Hotel in West London, but his passion for performance remained strong. He played piano at local working men's clubs and music halls, often accompanying variety acts, and gradually became part of the vibrant entertainment scene of the era.

Sufficiently confident that his future may lay in showbusiness, his mother agreed that Reg should give up his day jobs and he landed gainful employment at the famous Windmill Theatre in 1938. The following year he married Emma Flavell.

World War II interrupted his budding career when Varney was called up to serve in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). During the war, he continued to entertain troops, performing in army shows, which honed his skills as a performer. After the war, Varney returned to civilian life and pursued acting and comedy more seriously, starring in the comic review Gaytime, performing a double act with Benny Hill.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, Varney worked as a variety performer, appearing in pantomimes, cabaret shows, and summer seasons at seaside resorts. His ability to engage live audiences with his charm and physical comedy soon earned him attention in the entertainment world. He became a regular performer on the BBC Light Programme and performed on radio and in early television broadcasts, making his first screen appearance in a 1948 BBC production Crock of Gold.

Varney’s breakthrough came when he was cast in The Rag Trade, a 1961 BBC sitcom set in a small garment workshop. He played the character of Reg Turner, the shop steward, alongside a talented ensemble cast. The show was a hit, and it established Varney as a prominent television actor. The Rag Trade ran for three seasons and showcased Varney’s impeccable timing and ability to play relatable, working-class characters. He was successful enough to land his own series in 1964. As the star of the children's comedy series The Valiant Varneys he played a variety of characters from throughout history. Sadly, all 15 episodes from 2 seasons (1964-65) are believed to be lost.

In 1966, Varney appeared in an episode of Comedy Playhouse entitled Beggar My Neighbour, which took the theme of keeping-up-with-the-Joneses (in this case the Butts). This one-off story turned out a first-class sitcom that ran for three series. It was the first series that reunited Reg Varney and Peter Jones and saw something of a role reversal to the characters they had played in The Rag Trade. Rose Garvey (June Whitfield) and Lana Butt (Pat Coombs) were married sisters who lived next door each other in Larkworthy Road, Muswell Hill, North London. While Rose's husband Gerald (Jones) was an underpaid junior executive who had to struggle to make ends meet, Lana's husband, (Harry) was an overpaid fitter who enjoyed foreign holidays, flashy cars and all mod-cons.

However, it was his role as Stan Butler in On the Buses (1969–1973) that cemented Reg Varney’s place as one of Britain’s favourite TV stars. On the Buses followed the misadventures of Stan, a cheeky and somewhat lazy bus driver, and his interactions with his family, colleagues, and the formidable inspector, Blakey, played by Stephen Lewis. The show was a massive success, resonating with British audiences for its humour, which often revolved around working-class life, slapstick situations, and Stan’s attempts to avoid work and deal with his overbearing family.

The show’s success led to three spin-off feature films: On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972), and Holiday on the Buses (1973), which were box-office hits in the UK. Reg Varney’s portrayal of the loveable but lazy Stan became iconic, and the character's banter with Blakey ("I 'ate you, Butler!") became part of British pop culture.

Although On the Buses was his most famous role, Varney had a versatile career and appeared in several other television shows and films. He starred in the movie The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973), in which he played a holiday camp comedian, showcasing his talents in both comedy and music. His ability to play working-class heroes with warmth and humour became his trademark, and he continued to be in demand for various television appearances throughout the 1970s which included another starring vehicle in which he played multiple characters (the self-titled Reg Varney) and a fish porter at the world-famous Billingsgate Fish Market, London (Down the 'Gate). However, neither series replicated his success with On the Buses, and after Down the 'Gate was dropped after 12 episodes, Varney did not star in another television series. LWT revived The Rag Trade in 1977 but Varney did not reprise his role.

Varney was also a pioneering figure in the banking industry, although not in a way one might expect. On 27 June 1967, he became the first person to use a cash machine (ATM) at Barclays Bank in Enfield, North London. This moment of history highlighted Varney’s status as a popular public figure in Britain at the time.

In the 1980s, as Varney grew older, he gradually retired from acting. He had suffered a heart attack in 1965 and in 1981 he suffered from another, more serious one, which was followed by a severe viral infection which made working difficult for him. In 1989, he suffered a stroke and finally left behind the fast-paced world of show business and moved to Devon, where he enjoyed a quieter life alone with his wife. Despite stepping out of the limelight, his contribution to British television comedy remained widely appreciated.

Varney also had a love for painting, which he pursued more actively in his later years. Although he lived in relative seclusion after retirement, he occasionally made public appearances and remained in touch with his loyal fanbase.

Reg Varney passed away on 16 November 2008, at the age of 92, following a short illness, in a nursing home in Devon, his wife having predeceased him in 2002. His death marked the end of an era, but his legacy as one of Britain’s most beloved comedic actors continues. On the Buses remains a classic British sitcom, and Varney’s portrayal of Stan Butler continues to entertain new generations of viewers.

Varney’s career stands as a testament to his ability to capture the hearts of audiences with his down-to-earth humour, his gift for physical comedy, and his enduring portrayal of relatable, everyman characters. Although much of his fame was tied to the character of Stan Butler, his influence on British comedy and television remains significant.