Phyllis Dixey

Phyllis Dixey (1914 — 2 June 1964 in Epsom ) was a British Stage actress and impresario. Her earlier career was as a singer in variety shows in Britain. During World War II, she joined ENSA and entertained the British forces. She sang, recited and posed in naked tableaux for them, which were very popular.

In 1942 she formed her own company of girls and rented the Whitehall Theatre in London to put on a review called "The Whitehall Follies". This was the first striptease show put on in the West End of London, but not the first show to have nude studies as the Windmill reviews were already in existence. She stayed at the Whitehall for the next five years producing the "Peek-a-boo" reviews. Her performance was at the time considered artistic and she thought that it was an art form, although the mostly male audience doubtless had other thoughts. She was known as the 'Queen of Striptease'.

By 1947 the tastes of the London audience had changed, and Phyllis Dixey was forced to return to the provinces. She was not able to adapt to the direction that the public required. leaving the stage, in the late 1950s, bankrupt. She died in 1964 at the age of 50.

She appeared in two films "Love up the Pole" in 1936 and "Dual Alibi" in 1946. A TV biography written by Philip Purser, "The One and Only Phyllis Dixey", was shown in 1978 and starred Lesley-Anne Down.

References

*Roger Wilmut "Kindly Leave the Stage: Story of Variety, 1919-60", 1985, Methuen, ISBN 0-413-59290-1