Name: Torbay Literary Festival: Melvyn Hayes
Start: 2026-08-12T14:30:00+01:00
Location: Palace Theatre

Melvyn Hayes – Still with us and making us laugh
Few people can be genuinely called a ‘Living Comedy Legend’ but Melvyn Hayes certainly warrants that title. He has spent an incredible 75 years in showbusiness, though is probably best known, to TV audiences as Gunner ‘Gloria’ Beaumont in ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’. He has appeared in over 50 films including ‘Summer Holiday’ and ‘The Young Ones’, with Cliff Richard.
Most recently Melvyn has appeared in ‘Benidorm’ and ‘Would I Lie to You?’; Now, at the age of 91 he has finally got round to writing his memoirs ‘It Ain’t Half Late Mum’. Melvyn was evacuated as a child during World War Two, to nearby Dawlish, and will talk about that time, as well as, behind-the-scenes, stories from an incredibly varied life on stage and screen.
He has promised to stay alive, at least until the late afternoon on 12 August, when he will be signing books after his interview. You can e-mail Melvyn questions in advance of the day to [email protected].