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CHARLES CLEWS
Category – Maltese Comedians
EARLY LIFE
Born in Senglea Malta on September 27th 1919, Charlie (as Charles was known to every body) had been one of the very first contributors to the local Maltese radio (then Rediffusion). He had found a great solace in his Mother in Law about whom he used to joke constantly, depicting her as a monster when in fact she had been an angel. He married Anne in 1943 and they had eight Children, namely Hilary (deceased), Miriam, Jane, Irene, Norman, Kenneth, Alan and Kevin.
ACTING CAREER
He used to work as a surveyor at the Admiralty Dockyard complex (now Malta Drydocks), from where he left to start a career in journalism.
During his lifetime his greatest love was the stage and the radio. He had started acting in Senglea, but his acting career was established in concerts for the workers at the dockyards during the constant bombardment of the Second World War, with air-raids frequently cutting short their shows. The authorities had encouraged the raising of morale in the face of grave danger that workers faced in their perilous work. His jokes kept the men laughing even during heavy bombardments.
He was the backbone of The Stage Commandoes, the stage company that came out with a new style of comedy in 1945 and was very popular all over the island, having performed in all the principal theatres of the two islands. Their repertoire included sketches, plays and musicals. The Stage Commandoes had won the “Bajda u Ħamra” award in the one act play competition at the Radio City Theatre in 1947.
Charles was the driving force of the Radju Muskettieri (The Radio Musketeers). Although he worked closely with a number of other well known personalities, his closest partner was (the late) Johnny Catania. Some other well known actors in his team included Gemma Portelli, Vitorin Galea, Johnny Navarro, Terry L. Bencini, Josette Ciappara, Nosì Ghirlando and Guża Caruana.
ENTERTAINING THE NATION
During a period when the listeners had very little to amuse them, Charles and his friends used to keep the Maltese islands laughing from programme to programme. Apart from his own series, Charles also helped in the Children’s Programmes. He and Johnny Catania never missed one of the Christmas Parties for Needy Children. Later on, during the 70’s he invented the weekly comic adventures of the mischievous boy "Fredu Frendo Sghendo" played by the late Johnny Navarro who used to amuse the young (and not so young) listeners with his (mis)adventures.
Persons of a certain age can still hum some of his limericks and funny songs. It is understood that there are a number of recordings with his comical sketches. Perhaps his greatest success was the comical soap opera “Karmena Abdilla” which had a run of some two years culminating in a sumptuous wedding on the Radio City Theatre stage. Played by the inimitable (late) Nosi Ghirlando, the hilarious play was repeated in nearly every hall in Malta and Gozo.
SUCCESS AWAY FROM MALTA
Considering the many thousands of Maltese that have settled in Australia, many musicians and actors are regularly invited to present shows down-under. Charles had been invited twice. The first time was in November 1964 when he amused his audience together with another comic, Johnny Navarro. In November 1984 he travelled with his buddy Johnny Catania when they had huge success all over Australia.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
For three years (1955 to 58) he was appointed as Chairman of the Stage and Film Censors Board.
Even though now with arthritis, Charles has kept himself busy. Since 1959 (for 47 years) he had written a weekly humorous column in the Maltese newspaper It-Torċa and the Antenna Magazine.
Some of his works include: Ali Babì, Hotel Żewwiġni and Don Rodrigo (all three being musical comedies); l-Imgermda (an adaptation of Cinderella), many sketches, one act comedies and plays
It is a pity that none of his children has followed his footsteps. In fact Alan is a well established Patissier in Fgura, Malta.
As a token of appreciation, in December 1996 Charles was awarded the “Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika” (The Medal for Services to the Republic), and two years later he was awarded the Trophy for a lifetime entertainment to the nation.