BMHS Conference 2023 – Call for Papers

British Music Hall Society Conference, Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th October 2023 

“How the Music Hall Worked, 1840 – 1918” CALL FOR PAPERS

The first British Music Hall Society conference will take place at the Cinema Museum in Kennington, London, over the last weekend in October 2023. It will look at ‘How the Music Hall Worked 1840 – 1918’ with a particular emphasis this year on the Speciality Act and Music Hall, Families and Children, and Agents and Circuits (including continental ones).

We invite proposals for talks (20 minutes plus 10 for questions) on subjects related to the theme.  We particularly welcome proposals that go beyond a simple biographical account, but look instead at a wider picture, for example comparing the work or experience of several families. 

We also invite proposals of short PowerPoint presentations – no longer than 6 minutes and 20 seconds, accompanied by up to 20 slides (20 seconds talking per image) – to contribute towards an hour of eight short presentations. Biographical accounts are welcome.

The British Music Hall Society is not an academic institution so presentations should be worded to appeal to a general audience rather than an exclusively academic one.

Ideally, talks will be given in-person, though consideration will be given to virtual presentations (for example, to avoid carbon emissions from long-distance travel). 

The conference will also feature panel discussions, early film of acts, and exhibitions (proposals of items to exhibit are welcome) and a local walk. The wonderfully atmospheric Cinema Museum (formerly the Lambeth Workhouse, where Charlie Chaplin was once a resident) is in an area where many music hall performers lived, many agents had their offices and where the first grand music hall and the first circus were established. 

How to submit a proposal:

Please send a short paragraph about the subject of your proposed presentation to the email below. 

Also include a short biography (up to 100 words), your mobile phone number, and any audio-visual requirements you will need beyond a microphone and lectern. For example, do you plan to display images or a PowerPoint presentation?  Will you need to play video or music during parts of your presentation?

Proposals should be emailed to: contact@britishmusichallsociety.com 

Deadline for submission: 30th April 2023 though we invite expressions of interest to be made as early as possible, and are happy to discuss your ideas.  Please consider submitting your proposal soon! Whilst we would like to accommodate all proposals, our focus is on curating a range of presentations that, together, will give a good coverage of the key topics.

The Future We hope that this will be the first in a series of potentially annual conferences, each looking at particular aspects of Music Hall. We welcome suggestions of venues, topics and presentations for future years.

The Roy Huddlines: Sunday 14th May 2023

Come along and celebrate the life of our former President Roy Hudd at the Sondheim Theatre at 5pm on Sunday 14th May 2023 in a one-off ‘News Huddlines’ reuniting some of the original cast members including Chris Emmett and Alison Steadman.

Tickets and further information can be found here.

Day by the Sea 2023

Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne Saturday 3rd June 2023 10.30am – 6.15pm A full day of music hall, variety, comedy, song, mind reading, ventriloquism, archive film clips and interviews.

Booking for BMHS members opens on Monday 30th January 2023. A booking form was included in the winter edition of The Call Boy. Tickets go on general sale on Monday 6th March 2023.

Tickets: £32.

The theatre’s box office telephone number is 01323 802020 or you can book online here.

Artistes appearing include Bernie Clifton, Hilary O’Neil, Max Fulham, Andy Eastwood, Matt Daniel-Baker, Peter John, Richard Gauntlett, Philip Day, Michelle Grant, Jane Horn, Kevin Gauntlett, The cast of the Hippodrome’s 2023 summer show, Don’t Stop The Music, Carol Anne Wells and Laurence Payne.

Sadly, Dame Maureen Lipman has had to pull out as she will be appearing in London during May and June in her one-woman play Rose. However, we are delighted that Susie Blake will be joining us that day, chatting about her long career which includes working with Frankie Howerd, Russ Abbot, Victoria Wood and Roy Hudd; appearances on Coronation Street and Mrs Brown’s Boys; and stage roles in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em with Joe Pasquale; When We Are Married and Wicked. Susie is currently touring in the Agatha Christie play The Mirror Crack’d playing the leading role of Miss Marple. 

In the Limelight: Peter Charlton on Jay Laurier, Thursday 19th January 2023

Peter Charlton will tell the story of Jay Laurier from red-nose comic to Shakespearian knight with some silly songs joined together with Nine Inch Nails. Peter will be accompanied by Stephen Lethbridge at the keyboard.

Venue: The Water Rats, 328 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8BZ.

Time: 7.30pm

Book tickets here.

Jay Laurier. Image from the British Music Hall Society Archive

PETER CHARLTON trained at The Northern Theatre School, Bradford. His professional debut was in 1954 in “The Housemaster” with The Castle Players at the Grand Theatre Lancaster, alongside Frank Finlay and David Pugh.  After touring with the Northern Childrens’ Theatre, a season with the 1957 York Mystery Plays (where Judi Dench made her debut) and a few weeks with York Rep, he went off to do National Service, mainly with NATO in France.  On demob Peter spent some years with various repertory companies, tours, puppets  and the occasional variety show ending up at the Prince of Wales in London with Max Bygraves.  There followed a long spell with BBC TV, most of it writing and directing childrens’ television programmes.  Music Hall sort of crept in one day and refused to go away starting with Professor Alexander’s Vintage Music Hall and including the Players Theatre, the Bee & Bustle Music Hall and a tour of East Coast America.  Passionately interested in the history of Music Hall, Peter is currently one of the Historians of the British Music Hall Society.

‘Under the Arches’ Music Hall Show, Charing Cross Theatre, Sunday 29th January 2023, 2pm and 7.30pm

Tickets can be booked here

‘Eve of the Eve’ Party hosted by The Players’ Theatre Club, Friday 30th December 2022

In the Limelight: Midge Gillies, Thursday 17th November 2022

Our final ‘In the Limelight’ talk of the year is next week, on Thursday 17th November at 7.30pm at the Water Rats. Midge Gillies will be talking about the history of Piccadilly Circus, the subject of her latest book which she describes as “a people’s history” of Piccadilly Circus. She will discuss how music hall performers helped to turn the world-famous junction into “the hub of the universe” and why one police officer described it as “the wickedest pavement in England”. Her illustrated talk will describe what went on at the London Pavilion and how its history marked the changing world of music hall. She will tell the story of the acts who performed at the subterranean night club, the Café de Paris and its tragic finale, as well as the big bands who performed at the GIs’ favourite, Rainbow Corner, and the more sedate Criterion. She will introduce you to performers such as the “Man/Doll” Phroso, invite you to take a cup of tea at the first Lyon’s Tea Shop and explain why Piccadilly Circus was the best place in the world to celebrate – whatever your class or means.

Many of you will be familiar with Midge from her 1999 biography of Marie Lloyd, The One and Only. Midge also spoke most eloquently about Marie’s life at our recent commemoration service. Tickets may be booked via Ticketsource and the booking link can be found here.

‘A Home for Max Miller’ documentary

Our friends at the Max Miller Appreciation Society have made a documentary in partnership with Latest TV, ‘A Home For Max Miller’.  This is scheduled to appear on Latest TV’s Freeview Channel 7 and also on Virgin Media Channel 159 on Saturdays in November at 6.00pm and is also going to be scheduled during December and on Christmas Day. 

It can also be streamed live at thelatest.co.uk by following the instructions on the panel.

Don’t Forget the Pierrots: Seaside Follies on the Prom – free talk on Tuesday 13th December

As part of the Society for Theatre Research (STR) lecture series, Tony Liddington will be talking about pierrot troupes on Tuesday 13th December at 7.30pm.

The pierrot troupes grew from a single idea into a major international cultural industry, which boosted morale and national identity during the UK’s times of crisis. Tony Liddington will draw upon his 2022 book – “Don’t Forget The Pierrots!” The Complete History of British Pierrot Troupes & Concert Parties, which is the first scholarly exploration of this popular performance form and its heritage.

Further details can be found on the STR website here.

Music Hall Shows by the Naughty Nineties Company

The Naughty Nineties Company will be presenting THREE music hall themed shows this Autumn/Winter. Dates and venues as follows:

5 November – Blackfriars Settlement (flyer shown below)

19 November – The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square

10 December – Blackfriars Settlement

All shows start at 2pm. Door Donation £5. 

Blackfriars Settlement, 1 Rushworth Street, London SE1

The Mary Ward Centre, 42 Queen Square, London WC1