a night at the Pavilion

I am starting to work on another phd chapter - one that I have already had a go a and needs some TLC to get it into order. One of the exciting bits of the phd is when I introduce the acts that performed on the Pavilion stage the week beginning 20th April 1908. It is at this point that the phd shifts from an investigation of music hall as a popular performance to how it was manifest in a specific place. My research then looks at music hall performance in the context of local everyday life.

I remember the day I found this music hall bill - I had spent four days trawling through acres of irrelevant primary source material in the Central Library in Liverpool, patiently hoping for a gem...and there it was, in fact this was one of 6 bills I found that day. These became the basis for my phd and have kept my interest for nearly 6years.

I will let the acts speak for themselves.

This is the programme for the week commencing Monday afternoon (Monday being the day that the weekly programme changed), April 20th, 1908. Doors opened at 2.30pm and twice nightly 6.50pm and 9pm during the week. On the bill that week were:

1. Overture: ‘Francis the Radical’
2. Ida Katherina: ‘The Dolly Girl’
3. Austins: Comedy Juggling and Dancing
4. Blanche & Powel: In their High Class Drawing Room Entertainment
5. John G. Brandon & Co. In the Famous American Dramatic Sketch – The Girl & the Tough
6. Steel & Laing (Dora & Dulcie): The Meddling Tramp and the Dancing Maid
7. Kenneth & Kane (Sid & Maud) Comedy Duo: ‘Just a Few Words’
8. Capt. Devereaux: Canine Streets of London. A Drama Illustrated by Dogs Only
9. Luis Hardt ‘The Mighty Atom’ and Original Boy Samson in Flights of Imagination – A New and Original Way of Introducing Feats of Strength
10. Neilson Troupe: of Boys and Girls in a Comedy and Dancing Scena entitled ‘An Improvised Rehearsal’
11. Will Walton: Comedian
12. Sarnthaler Troupe: Lady singers and Dancers, in their Mountain Scena ‘ Ten Minutes in the Tyrol
13. ‘Crazy Quilt’ on the Bioscope
14. Tarro Miyake. The Champion Ju Jitsu Wrestler of Japan

Here we see juggling, dancing, sketches, feats of strength, comedy, even a dog act, to top it all you have the interactive challenge of Tarro Miyake who was prepared to take on any member of the audience.