'Allo 'Allo star Gorden Kaye may have trod the boards in drag for the first time at a Rawthorpe church.

Elaine Merlin, a member of Huddersfield Gilbert and Sullivan Society, recalled how a young Gorden stepped into a performance at St James’ Church in the early 1960s.

Elaine and cousin Sheila Livings organised concerts at the church as members of the Married Ladies Group.

Speaking after Huddersfield-born Gorden’s death, Elaine told how the aspiring actor – then aged in his early 20s – stepped in at the last minute when one of the women was ill.

Huddersfield actor Gorden Kaye jokes during choir rehearsals for a town hall concert, in February 2006
Huddersfield actor Gorden Kaye jokes during choir rehearsals for a town hall concert, in February 2006

Elaine, 78, of Skelmanthorpe, said: “It was only many years later, when he became famous, that my cousin said to me: ‘You know who that is, don’t you?’

“Gorden must have attended the church and he had been around helping out with concerts.

“We were producing a play called Jam for Mrs Hooper, about women’s institute jam-making, and one evening one of the ladies was poorly so Gorden played the part in drag.

'Allo 'Allo actor Gorden Kaye with Francesca Gonshaw, left, and Vicki Michelle from the sitcom in 1984
'Allo 'Allo actor Gorden Kaye with Francesca Gonshaw, left, and Vicki Michelle from the sitcom in 1984

“That was probably his first venture into drag. As you’d expect he was word perfect. At the time he was a bit stagestruck and would probably have done anything to get into acting.”

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Gorden, who grew up in Moldgreen, died in a care home aged 75. He worked in hospital radio in Huddersfield and interviewed The Beatles in 1963.

Ironically, when Gorden went for the part of cafe owner René Artois in the 1980s sitcom 'Allo 'Allo he thought it was a drag part.