Sometimes the path to pop success begins beneath the proscenium arch, treading the boards, illuminated by lights both spot and foot, basking in waves of applause before a rapturous audience of cheering punters.

Bernard Cribbins appeared in his first London West End show in 1956 after a childhood theater career of small roles, apprenticeships, and stagehanding. A few years later, he was cast in a musical revue called And Another Thing, written by Ted Dicks and Myles Rudge. Although not a trained singer, Cribbins performed one of the most popular songs in the show — popular enough to gain the attention of George Martin, the head of Parlophone Records and also a renowned producer of comedy and novelty records.

Martin signed Cribbins to record his song from And Another Thing, and then asked Dicks and Rudge to write more tunes to help fill up an album. The pair played to Cribbins’ strength by giving him characters to inhabit, including that of a Cockney mover. Dicks had recently hired movers to transport a piano from his upstairs to his downstairs and the event inspired him to write a song called “Right, Said Fred” about a trio of movers and their struggles to perform a job.

The song never actually specifies the object being transported. Could be a piano. Could be a Louis Quatorze armoire. Either way, it doesn’t get far, and many cups of tea are consumed while attempting to solve how to move the blasted thing.

Released as a single in 1962, “Right, Said Fred” provided Cribbins with his second Top 10 UK hit. His producer, George Martin, continued to make comedy and novelty records with an obscure Liverpool band he signed at the very same time he was busy recording “Right, Said Fred” — Martin’s expertise with sound effects would prove useful. Meanwhile, Cribbins concentrated solely on acting during the ensuing decades, becoming a beloved figure in the UK, particularly for his work on children’s programs like The Wombles and Jackanory.

So have a cuppa tea — and another … with Bernard Cribbins.