Our friends at the Frank Matcham Society are holding this event (as part of European Historic Theatres Day) on Tuesday 25th October 2022 at 2.30pm at the V&A. Tickets can be booked via Ticketsource here
Adultery, betrayal, age discrimination, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, press intrusion, scandal, robbery…and a rescue at sea. All set against the background of the Victorian Music Hall.
Merry Nelly Power was a real life, trailblazing performer of the 19th century, a male impersonator who struck an early blow for women’s rights by owning her own properties and headlining at all of the major theatres. Until her fame – and her most famous song – were usurped by the young Marie Lloyd. In the centenary year of Marie Lloyd’s death, Blue Fire Theatre Co. tells the story of how the “Queen of the Music Hall” came to fame at the expense of poor Nelly Power. “Marie Lloyd Stole My Life” tells the unglamorous side of show business in Victorian London through the subversive lens of Music Hall.
Written by JJ Leppink and starring BMHS Committee member Lottie Walker as Nelly Power. Catch the play at the following venues over the next few weeks:
September 29th – The Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich
October 5th & 6th – The Rosemary Branch, Islington
October 15th – The Coach House, Malvern (2 shows – matinee + evening)
October 22nd – Henstridge Village Hall, Somerset
You can book tickets for all of these venues here
October 2022 marks 100 years since the death of the Music Hall ‘great’, Marie Lloyd. The British Music Hall Society will be commemorating Marie with 2 events:
– A service at St Luke’s Church, Kidderpore Avenue, Hampstead NW3 7SU at 2pm on Friday 7th October 2022. This will be exactly 100 years to the day of her death and in the church where her funeral was held. Attending will be people from show business, academia and some of her descendants. Parts of the original funeral service will be augmented (of course) with a few music hall songs.
– Christine Padwick and Alison Young will be giving a version of the talk that they delivered at the V&A in 2020 ‘Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Halls’ at 7.30pm on Thursday 20th October at the Water Rats, 328 Grays Inn Road WC1X 8BZ. Tickets are available here or you can just turn up & pay at the door: £8 members, £12 otherwise.
Our friends at the Derby and Nottingham Music Hall Association are hosting a Zoom talk on Thursday 22 September 2022 at 7.30pm about the history of The Old Malt Cross Music Hall in Nottingham from 1877-1911 and 1982-2022.
If anyone would like to join the talk, then please email Trevor Lee trevorlee572@gmail.com and he will forward the Zoom link.
Come along to the Water Rats this Thursday to hear Alison Young (Secretary of the BMHS) talk about some of the art and artists who have captured the world of Music Hall and Variety. Alison first spoke to us on this subject in a ‘Limelight’ back in 2019 and in this second talk will introduce us to a new series of images and observations. The talk will invariably touch on Walter Sickert and his circle but will also look at the art of courtroom sketches, pavement artists and portrait painters.
Tickets can be purchased in advance via Ticketsource here or on the door on the evening.
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