Oliver Wakefield, also known as "The Voice of Inexperience," is an English comedian with an American sense of humor. He is a master of droll, unfinished sentences and pithy remarks, with a brilliant faculty for biting sarcasm and sage observations of human foibles.
Born in Zululand, South Africa, Oliver Wakefield developed an unusual beginning that would shape his future in comedy. After receiving a formal education in Africa, he journeyed to England to pursue an acting career with a Shakespearean repertory company, and later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for further study.
While studying, Oliver Wakefield developed a new style of humor, which quickly established him in nightclubs and music hall circles as a versatile comedian. He became the first Resident Comedian on the B.B.C. and was a pioneer in British T.V.
Oliver Wakefield has starred in feature roles for Warner Brothers and Gainsborough Pictures, opposite top-flight British performers such as Gracie Fields, Anne Crawford, Glynis Johns, and Patricia Roc. He has also appeared regularly at the Savoy, The Berkeley, The Ritz, Cafe de Paris, and other clubs.
Before World War II, Oliver Wakefield was booked to open at the Rainbow Room in New York, but chose to remain in England and joined the R.A.F. After the war, he returned to show business, playing for a full year in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, and then a 52-week radio series for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Returning to the United States in 1952, Oliver Wakefield was immediately booked into the Blue Angel in New York, where he re-established himself in the American scene as a definite British asset. He has delighted audiences at the Blue Angel, Number One Fifth Avenue, Ruban Bleu, and Bon Soir, and has made successful appearances on the All Star Revue, Kate Smith, Steve Allen, and many other guest appearances.
Oliver Wakefield's act is difficult to describe, but it has often been said that his grasp of current affairs is only exceeded by his inability to express them. He makes a very good-looking appearance, wearing a distinguished handlebar moustache, and impresses one as a typical English gentleman.
