Overview of Rikki Fulton

Comedian and actor. Born in Dennistoun (Glasgow), the youngest son of a shopkeeper. He volunteered for the navy during World War II and saw service in the Mediterranean, where his ship was sunk by enemy fire. Fulton's early career was that of a serious broadcaster for the BBC, together with appearances in repertory theatre. From the 1950s, Fulton has been a popular pantomime actor, adopting the role of Josie, playing against Jack Milroy's Francie and playing regularly in Glasgow and Edinburgh. His annual BBC TV appearance in Scotch and Wry on Hogmanay became an institution, especially his role as the melancholy Presbyterian minister the Reverend I.M. Jolly.

Fulton appeared in The Tales of Para Handy (1994), the return of the classic comedy BBC television series first broadcast in 1959 portraying the adventures of a Clyde puffer. His films include an unusually serious role in Gorky Park (1983), together with the comedies Local Hero (1983), playing alongside Fulton Mackay (1922-87), and Comfort and Joy (1984), both directed by Bill Forsyth (b.1946).

Other than very occasional appearances, Fulton retired from the stage in the mid-1990s. He received a lifetime achievement award from BAFTA in 1993 and an honorary doctorate from St. Andrew's University in 2000. He died in Glasgow, having suffered from the degenerative Alzheimer's disease, and his funeral was held at Clydebank Crematorium.