Sheila Bernette, who has died aged 94, had a long acting and singing career that began when she was a child. It embraced the West End, provincial theatre and summer seasons, as well as television, on which she appeared in light entertainment shows as a foil to comedy stars such as Leslie Crowther, Tommy Cooper, Dick Emery and Morecambe and Wise.
With a love of variety, she also kept returning to the Players’ theatre club, London, to perform Victorian music-hall entertainment over five decades. Standing at just 5ft tall, she was quickly recognised for her vivacious personality and became one of a small band of the Players’ company chosen to showcase their repertoire at the Strollers theatre club in New York (1961-62), enchanting US audiences with a touch of old England.
