Comedian and Journalist

Carmelo known as Charles, the son of William George from Huddersfield, UK and Maria née Scerri from Senglea, was born in Senglea. Clews was educated at the Lyceum and the Dockyard technical college. In 1935 he entered the Dockyard where he worked as an engine fitter apprentice and, later as a surveyor.

During this time, by accident, Charles started his career as a comedian. During daily break he and Johnny Catania got together and entertained all the other workers, cracking jokes and doing impersonations during World War II. This is how in 1945 the Stage Commandos Variety Company was born. Eventually in 1953 Clews was the co-founder of Radio Muskettieri.

He introduced a new kind of humorous show and a novel kind of comedy sit-com for radio. Essentially his inspiration was Maltese, in particular his mother-in-law  whom he depicted as a ‘monster’ - though in reality he loved and respected her – who was often the butt of his jokes. In particular he was behind the comical soap-opera It-Tieġ ta’ Karmena Abdilla.

He toured London and Australia twice to entertain Maltese migrants.  

Prof. A.J. Arberry included his play ‘Dar Fuq ir-Ramel’, translated into English, in his  Maltese Anthology. For over 45 years he contributed a humorous column to It-Torċa. He is  the author of seven booklets of a humorous nature and of a great number of scripts for radio  and comedies, sketches, and songs for the stage.

Charles Clews was chairman, Board of Film and Stage Censors’ (1955-158) and member, Film and  Stage Censors’ Board (1971-1987). In 1996 he was awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (M.Q.R.) and a ‘Special Reward for a Lifetime of Light Entertainment’  (1997). The Malta Post, in October 2019 issued a postage stamp of Charles Clews, one of the founders of the Stage Commandos.

Charles Clews married Anna Pavia on 14 August 1943 and they had eight children: Hilary (died), Miriam, Jane, Irene, Norman, Kenneth, Alan and Kevin.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.