This Day in Showbiz History… January 6

mr-bean-halloweenON THIS DAY IN 2023:

Rowan Atkinson (pictured), perhaps best known as bumbling Mr Bean, turns 68 today, Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne turns 41 and AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young , who died in Australia in 18 November 2017, would have turned 70 today. American director John Singleton turns 55.

It was on this day in 1964 that the Rolling Stones started their first tour as a headline act, alongside the Ronettes, and on this day in 1968 that The Beatles saw their Magical Mystery Tour album hit No 1 and stay there for eight weeks.

On the theatre scene, Playbill reports that this day in 1980 marked the Broadway opening of the David Hare play, Plenty, starring Kate Nelligan as a former member of the French resistance who searches for meaning in her post-war life. The drama ran for 92 performances at the Plymouth Theatre.

The Rick Astley toe-tapper, Never Gonna Give You Up, was crowning the South African Springbok Radio singles chart this week in 1987. It spent five weeks at No 1 after having toppled the Los Lobos hit, La Bamba, from the top spot. Just saying…