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This September marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the English actor, comedian and member of Chelsea Lodge No 3098, Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers on 8 September 1925).  So in this edition of Arena, we salute the genius of one of Britain’s greatest entertainers. 

Born in Southsea to theatrical parents, Peter Sellers made his stage debut at the tender age of just two weeks old, with a walk-on role – or carried-on role – as part of their variety act.  During his childhood he continued to accompany his parents touring around the provincial theatres of England, watching and learning the stagecraft which would later serve him well. 

With the outbreak of war in 1939, Peter’s formal education ended at the age of 14 and, in 1940, the Sellers family moved to Ilfracombe in North Devon, where Peter’s uncle managed the Victoria Palace Theatre.  Peter took on a number of roles at the theatre, starting out as a part-time caretaker before moving on to Box Office clerk and, eventually, a lighting operator.  Proximity to the various productions produced at or passing through the theatre even allowed him the opportunity to take on some small acting roles.  

During his stay at the Victoria Palace, he began practising the drums and, as the war progressed, he found work playing with a series of touring bands.  He then joined the British Army's Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) – a veritable training ground for many of our successful post-war entertainers – providing entertainment for British forces and factory workers during the war.  In September 1943, at the age of 18, he joined the Royal Air Force but was restricted to ground staff duties due to his poor eyesight; though this afforded him the opportunity to join the RAF Gang Show entertainment troupe, where he continued to develop his mimicry and improvisational skills whilst touring Britain and the Far East.  It was also in the Gang Show where he met fellow Goon, Michael Bentine.

After the war, he became a regular performer on a number of hit BBC Radio shows, culminating in his extremely successful collaboration with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and, again, Michael Bentine as part of The Goon Show during the 1950s.  The Goons mixed outrageous plots with surreal humour, puns and catchphrases, often satirising aspects of contemporary life in 1950s Britain including showbusiness, politics, the class structure and institutions such as the police and military. 

Sellers played four main characters in the series: Major Bloodnok, Hercules Grytpype-Thynne, Bluebottle, and Henry Crun; as well as seventeen minor ones (but who’s counting).  At the height of its popularity, the show had up to seven million listeners in Britain and was described by The Guardian newspaper in 1993 as "probably the most influential comedy show of all time". For Sellers, the show demonstrated his excellent ability to mimic other celebrities, and by the early 1950s he was considered a well-respected impressionist. Ultimately, The Goon Show was the launch-pad for Peter’s path to international stardom.

Following the end of The Goons in 1960, Sellers concentrated on his, by now, blossoming film career; having already had success playing the criminal Cockney spiv Harry Robison in The Ladykillers (1955), taking on various leading roles in the Ealing comedy The Mouse That Roared (1959) and his BAFTA-winning Best Actor turn as union official Fred Kite in I’m All Right Jack (also 1959). 

This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 59 – Christmas 2025.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in Arena Issue 59 here.

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