Jeanette Raphael

Jeanette Raphael

Photo from the private collection of Trevor Chepstow

Celebrated local ice star

By Trevor Chepstow

Jeanette Raphael became one of the most celebrated local ice stars to appear at the Brighton Sports Stadium.

Born in Baker Street, Brighton
Born in Baker Street, Brighton, she first started skating at the Stadium in West Street when she was only nine. Her ambition was to join the famous Tom Arnold Productions who produced the ice shows at the SS Brighton and at most of the rinks in the UK.  On leaving school at sixteen she joined Tom Arnold Productions as a chorus girl, a move which led to her dreams coming true! Her first big break came in 1952, when she auditioned for the part of "Lady Jane" in "Rose Marie on Ice".

An all round entertainer
From a chorus girl, she quickly became a top skating star and appeared with many local ice skating celebrities including Valerie Moon, Sheila Hamilton and Ron Priestley. Each new show involved her playing a new part, allowing her to show her versatility and skill as a first class skater and all round entertainer. Jeanette appeared in many of the legendary shows produced by Tom Arnold including "Chu Chin Chow" in which she played the part of "Mahbubah". The original London show cost £130,000 to produce, a considerable amount of money in the Fifties, and it included over fifteen hundred costumes.

Dark good looks and warming smile
Always glamorous with her dark good looks and warming smile, Jeanette proved to be a great asset to Tom Arnold in the many shows she appeared in for him. Greatly admired by the locals she could always be relied on to pack the rink to capacity when appearing. Her final professional show at the Sports Stadium was the ever popular "Cinderella" and as usual Jeanette played the star part along with the well known American ice skater Gloria Nord.