In a touching tribute to a ‘Allo ‘Allo! star, the director of the Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra has dedicated a YouTube video to actor Gorden Kaye. Kaye who died in a Knaresborough care home on January 23rd at the age of 75 played café owner and lady’s man René Artois on the popular television series. Kaye’s career started in the 1960’s and spanned theatre, radio, television, and film. Kaye played Bernard Butler, Elsie Tanner’s nephew, in the ITV television series Coronation Street and as middle class Ray Benge in the Thames comedy drama Born and Bred. He also guested on such series as Are You Being Served?, Come Back Mrs. Noah, Last of the Summer Wine, and All Creatures Great and Small.
The Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra is a youth orchestra based out of the Gimnazija Kranj school in Slovenia. In a sold out 2014 Christmas concert held at Gallus Hall, the ‘Allo ‘Allo! theme written by Croft and Roy Moore was performed. Recorded for YouTube, the video was uploaded by Symphony Director Primož Zevnik on February 25, 2015. Credits were given on the video page to those involved with the concert, but after Kaye’s death a change was made to acknowledge his passing. Zevnik in a nod to the actor who brought so much laughter to ‘Allo ‘Allo! wrote “Dedicated to loving memory of Gordon Kaye (1941-2017).”
‘Allo ‘Allo ran on BBC One from 1982-1992 and spawned a successful stage show. It is rated one of the “Top 50 TV Sitcoms” of all time according to the British Comedy Guide website. The series, created by the team of Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft (of Are You Being Served? fame), makes light of Nazi occupation in the fictional town of Nouvion, France during World War II. Though much of the humor comes from the characters themselves, the show delights in lampooning the multiple nationalities found within the series.
Video Source(s): zevnikov.
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