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Rex Jameson
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Rex Jameson
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Rex Jameson (né Coster; c.11 June 1924 – 5 March 1983) was a British comedian and female impersonator known for his creation and stage persona Mrs Shufflewick. After radio and television success in the 1950s and early 1960s, his career declined sharply because of his alcohol abuse. He returned to a niche celebrity in the 1970s in his drag act at The Black Cap, Camden Town, London.

Key Information

Life and career

[edit]

He was born in 1924, to unknown parents presumably in London, and was found abandoned at the entrance to Trinity Hospital, Greenwich. He was adopted by George and Mabel Coster of Southend-on-Sea, where he grew up, and moved with them to Holloway in London in 1938.[1]

He was called up to the Royal Air Force in 1942, and joined Ralph Reader's Gang Show in the Middle East, where he entertained the forces and worked with comedian Tony Hancock.[1] After leaving the armed forces he joined a theatre company in Harrow but was dismissed for drunkenness.[2] To avoid confusion with the entertainer Sam Costa,[3] he changed his name to Rex Jameson – his biographer Jonathan Cecil suggests that he chose the name of a well known brand of whiskey, but in fact, the name 'Jameson' was that of his 'adoptive' mother, Nell Jameson, who cared for him for many years in Southend – and joined the resident revue team at the Windmill Theatre, London, where he performed for eight years and was a personal favourite of owner Vivian Van Damm.[2][4] He also toured widely, introducing several characters including a vicar and a Cockney charlady, to whom he gave the name Gladys Shufflewick.

His act was as an archetypal woman in the corner of a pub, outwardly prim but liable to slip into tales of past sexual adventures;[5] "a gin-soaked old tart", according to the writer Richard Anthony Baker.[1] In a 2013 study of British comedy, John Fisher suggests that Jameson's Mrs Shufflewick kept alive the tragi-comic spirit of the music hall star Nellie Wallace. For Fisher, Mrs Shufflewick was:

Terribly refined and yet, in her own words, "broadminded to the point of obscenity", she resided in Wimbledon, "all cut glass and tennis balls". Clutching her handbag and wearing drop-pearl earrings, red gloves, damson velvet coat, a hat fashioned from wax fruit and feathers and the obligatory skimpy fur ("known in the trade as untouched pussy, which is unobtainable in London at the moment"), her slightly baffled appearance distilled [a] shabbily genteel world.[6]

He made his first appearance on BBC radio, as Mrs Shufflewick, in 1950, and soon became popular, appearing regularly on such programmes as Variety Bandbox and Midday Music-Hall.[7] He continued to perform in clubs, using more risqué material than on the radio, and became a mentor to the young Danny La Rue.[1] In the theatre he appeared in variety and summer shows, including summer seasons in Blackpool, and was a popular pantomime dame.[2] He also appeared on television, and in 1955 was one of the first performers to be voted as "TV Personality of the Year".[5] However, he became increasingly addicted to alcohol and gambling, and in 1962 was declared bankrupt.[4]

He was booked less frequently for broadcasts or major theatre dates and never again achieved success on television or radio. He appeared briefly in the 1970 Marty Feldman film Every Home Should Have One, and toured working men's clubs in the north of England, where his bawdy material proved popular, but he also faced hostility for his increasingly overt homosexuality, and his alcoholism meant that he lost some of his previously impeccable timing.[4] From 1972 he had a manager, Patrick Newley, who helped organise a career, initially in West End shows and later at The Black Cap in Camden Town.[2] The pub's regular clientele was gay, but the popularity of Mrs Shufflewick's act there drew many heterosexual fans to join them. Among his fans, among fellow comics, were Barry Cryer and Roy Hudd.[8] In later years, his on-stage and off-stage personas tended to merge, and he was generally known among friends as "Shuff".[1]

Jameson collapsed with a heart attack while walking between gigs, and died in the Royal Free Hospital on 5 March 1983, at the age of 58.[2]

References and sources

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Rex Jameson

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''Rex Jameson'' (né Coster) was a British comedian and female impersonator known for creating and performing the iconic character Mrs Shufflewick, a comic cockney charlady who became a staple of variety, pantomime, and television entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s. Born on 11 June 1924 in London, England, Jameson adopted his professional surname from the Jameson whisky distillers. He portrayed Mrs Shufflewick—often referred to as "Shuff"—in numerous stage and screen appearances, bringing the character's humorous and distinctive personality to audiences during the mid-20th century British variety era. His television credits featuring the persona include multiple episodes of The Norman Evans Show (1956), the role of Mother Hubbard (credited as Mrs Shufflewick) in the pantomime Red Riding Hood (1955), and an appearance in Let's Laugh (1965). Jameson also appeared as himself in an episode of The Good Old Days (1953). Rex Jameson died on 5 March 1983 in London, England, from a heart attack.

Early life

Birth and family background

Rex Jameson was born Rex Coster on 11 June 1924 in London, England. He was abandoned at birth and adopted by a couple who named him Rex Coster. He was raised in Southend-on-Sea until 1938, when the family moved to Holloway, London.

Early career beginnings

Rex Jameson began his professional career in entertainment during World War II when he was called up to the Royal Air Force in 1942 and joined Ralph Reader’s Gang Show, touring North Africa, Italy, and Cyprus to entertain troops, where he often played leading lady or comic vicar roles alongside figures like Tony Hancock. After demobilisation, to avoid confusion with broadcaster Sam Costa, he adopted the surname Jameson—inspired by the whisky distiller—and secured a position with the resident revue company at the Windmill Theatre in London, performing there for eight years and developing various characters, including a Cockney charlady named Gladys Shufflewick that evolved into his signature persona. He made his debut as Mrs Shufflewick on BBC radio in 1950, appearing on programs such as Variety Bandbox and Midday Music-Hall, which marked the first public presentation of the character that would define much of his career and led to wider recognition in variety and radio before his television appearances. His early work focused on stage revues and radio, establishing him as a female impersonator and comedian in the British variety tradition prior to his documented screen credits in the early 1950s.

Acting career

1950s television and stage work

Rex Jameson emerged as a prominent figure in British entertainment during the 1950s through his female impersonation act as Mrs. Shufflewick, a gin-loving, outspoken Cockney woman who blended saucy humor with sentimental monologues. His stage work centered on variety revues, cabaret, and summer seasons, beginning with an extended engagement at the Windmill Theatre in London, where he performed six shows a day, five days a week for three years under producer Vivian Van Damm. This residency proved highly successful, earning him £50 per week and establishing him as one of the venue's top acts. Jameson also toured variety theatres nationwide, appeared in cabaret at high-profile London venues including The Astor, The Embassy, and The Talk of the Town, and headlined a summer season at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool in 1955. His stage presence was strong enough to win over tough audiences, notably at the Glasgow Empire. On television, Jameson brought Mrs. Shufflewick to wider audiences with guest and featured appearances in variety and light entertainment programs. He performed as himself on The Good Old Days in 1954, a series recreating Victorian music hall acts. In 1955, he appeared as Mother Hubbard (credited as Mrs. Shufflewick) in the TV production Red Riding Hood and featured in It's A Great Life, earning the TV Mirror Personality of the Year award for his work that year. His most substantial television role of the decade came in 1956 with four episodes of The Norman Evans Show, where he portrayed Mrs. Shufflewick. These performances highlighted his versatility in adapting his stage act for the emerging medium of television.

1960s television guest roles

In the 1960s, Rex Jameson's television appearances became infrequent as his career transitioned toward live stage and cabaret performances amid personal challenges. His public work during this decade was largely restricted to pub drag shows under his famous persona Mrs Shufflewick, with broadcast opportunities significantly reduced compared to his 1950s prominence on radio and television. His only documented television credit in the 1960s was a performer appearance as Mrs Shufflewick in one episode of the variety series Let's Laugh in 1965. No scripted guest roles in dramatic series or other major programs from the decade are recorded in available filmographies. This limited television presence reflected a broader decline in his media work during this period.

1970s roles and final credits

In the 1970s, Rex Jameson experienced a modest revival of his performing career as Mrs. Shufflewick, shifting focus from earlier television and radio work to live stage and cabaret appearances amid personal challenges including alcoholism. Early in the decade, he took part in music-hall revival bills, notably appearing in a variety show at the Greenwich Theatre alongside Max Wall, as recalled by critic Simon Callow. Managed by Patrick Newley from around 1972, he performed in occasional high-profile settings, such as one of Dorothy Squires's self-financed comeback nights at the London Palladium, and cultivated a cult following through regular engagements in gay clubs and revival music-hall evenings featuring bawdy, character-driven comedy. He also made minor on-screen appearances, including a cameo in the feature film Every Home Should Have One (1970) and as Mrs. Shufflewick in an episode of Tony Palmer's documentary series All You Need Is Love (1977). Jameson's most sustained work in this period came through residencies and recurring performances in London venues, where his act retained appeal for niche audiences. He continued performing as Mrs. Shufflewick into the early 1980s, with his final scheduled appearance set for the Theatre Royal Stratford East in March 1983, though he collapsed and died of a heart attack en route to the venue.

Film appearances

Rex Jameson had a minor cameo in the feature film Every Home Should Have One (1970), though uncredited in some records. Otherwise, his on-screen career was primarily confined to television and variety specials, with no major feature film roles. His credited screen roles include the TV movie Red Riding Hood (1955), where he performed as Mother Hubbard under his Mrs. Shufflewick persona, and appearances as Mrs. Shufflewick in The Norman Evans Show (1956 TV mini-series). Other television credits, such as The Good Old Days (1954) and Let's Laugh (1965), further highlight his work in broadcast media rather than theatrical cinema.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Rex Jameson was abandoned as a baby on the steps of Trinity Hospital, Greenwich, and adopted by George and Mabel Coster. Little public information is available about his adult family life, with biographical sources offering no details on marriages or children. Jameson was homosexual, and his sexuality became a matter of public knowledge in the early 1970s, leading to mixed reactions from some audiences while he increasingly performed on London's emerging gay cabaret circuit, including regular appearances at venues such as The Black Cap, Vauxhall Tavern, and Skinners Arms. In 1969, Jameson entered a long-term partnership with a labourer named David (described in some accounts as intense and volatile, though apparently non-sexual), who remained with him until his death in 1983.

Death

Circumstances and date

Rex Jameson died of a heart attack on 5 March 1983 in London, England, at the age of 58. The attack struck after he had performed a show at The Black Cap pub in Camden, leading to his sudden collapse.

Legacy

Posthumous recognition and archival status

Rex Jameson has received limited posthumous recognition, largely due to the supporting and guest nature of his roles in British television and film during the 1950s to 1970s. His performances are rarely highlighted in histories of British broadcasting or actor retrospectives, with no major awards or dedicated tributes emerging after his death in 1983 beyond a single comprehensive biography. Archivally, surviving episodes featuring Jameson are preserved in institutional collections such as the British Film Institute National Archive and BBC archives, though few have been commercially released on DVD or made available on streaming platforms, contributing to their restricted accessibility for contemporary audiences.

Areas of limited documentation

Despite Rex Jameson's decades-long career in British variety, radio, television, and stage performance—most notably through his enduring character Mrs Shufflewick—detailed documentation of his life and work remains limited outside of niche or specialized sources. Public knowledge largely depends on his sparse IMDb profile, which lists basic birth and death information (11 June 1924 – 5 March 1983), a small number of television credits, and only one piece of trivia, with no substantial biography, photographs, quotes, or extended details. The primary comprehensive account is the 2007 biography The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick: The Life of Rex Jameson by Patrick Newley, presented in reviews as a valuable but necessary effort to rescue a largely forgotten performer whose recorded legacy was minimal at the time. Personal accounts and interviews are scarce, with a 1977 interview published in Gay News described as very rare and one of the few direct insights into his life. Secondary sources are predominantly confined to queer history blogs, comedy retrospectives, and articles that explicitly describe him as "all but forgotten" or "long dead and long forgotten," highlighting the absence of major awards, widespread critical recognition, or extensive mainstream archival material. His professional credits show a focus on television variety and self-performances, with minimal feature film appearances and no documented major honors to indicate broader industry impact.
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