Frankie's On Fire!

Frankie Howerd didn’t need a traditional theater to do his act. Put him in a room full of firefighters, and he simply adapts his trademark camp, hesitation, and rambling anecdotes for the uniform-clad crowd. Frankie’s On Fire! catches the comic leaning entirely on his cultivated persona, delivering an unhurried, faux-scandalized routine of half-finished thoughts and knowing glances. Filmed at The Fire Training College in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, the set was part of a 1992 television series where Howerd performed for specific occupational groups. He passed away in April of that year, leaving only four of the planned six episodes recorded. At the time of filming, he was riding a wave of renewed popularity, having unexpectedly won over a following of university students.