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Product Description
Product Description
A humorous and, at times, tragic journey through the life of the oldest surviving music hall in Britain (if not the world) which is famed for being the place where Stan Laurel made his debut in 1906. Originally known as the Britannia, this early music hall was the site for many famous early performances and debuts which included Harry Lauder, Charles Coburn, Dan Leno, and Marie Loftus. Britannia was host to early burlesque and risque performers who pushed the boundaries of decency in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1896, early films were shown in the music hall and by 1897 had become a regular feature of the Britannia playbills.In 1906, the biggest change of all was to come when 'A E Pickard Unlimited of London, Paris, Moscow and Bannockburn' arrived as manager. He was a follower of the American showman P T Barnum, and with this influence in mind added to the bill of entertainments by creating a carnival, wax works, and freak show in the attic space above the auditorium and a zoo in the basement of the building which included 42 animal cages, distorting mirrors, paintings by Hogarth, and medieval etchings of Chinese torture. The building closed in 1938 and the auditorium sealed behind partitions; its last use was as a chicken farm during the Second World War.
About the Author
Judith Bowers has worked for many years as an archaeologist, and later as a Glasgow historian. She created a children's history series called Scary Scotland, broadcast on STV in 1998 as part of the children's programme Skoosh, for which she wrote and presented seven episodes. She first discovered the building in 1997 and from that moment has made it her mission to bring Britannia Panopticon back to life. In 1998 she assisted in the research and presentation of a documentary on Britannia Panopticon for the series Arteries. She is secretary of the Britannia Music Hall Trust.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A really interesting book. The Stan Laurel stuff was a bit misleading, as it sounds as though he didn't do much at the Britannia, so i suppose it was a marketing ploy to get folk to buy the book and if its Stan you're interetsed in this book is not really worth it. But I did not buy the book for Stan. I bought it to find out about the Britannia - punters, acts, owners, and the context of working class entertainment in the public health disaster zone that was 19th Century Glasgow. IN this regard, the book is a bit weak. Overall, it's an interesting acount of the Britannia's most well known artistes and charts the gradual decline of a working class entertainment venue pretty well (if rather simply). Personally I wanted more pictures, and some more of the 19thC Glasgow social context (what a terrifying place 19thC Glasgow must have been.) Overall its worth buying, and is written with passion and enthusiasm.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Judith Bowers has written a very entertaining book that traces the history of the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall. It also contains brief biographies of the stars that appeared there, including a very young Stan Laurel.
The Panopticon had a mix of everything; variety shows, zoos, freak shows, novelty acts and in the last few years of its productive life, it became a cinema.
The book not only describes the Panopticon, it also traces the history of the music halls in Glasgow, detailing what life was like in the city during those times.
Judith has worked hard over the years to find funding to restore the Panopticon and her dedication to the project is now paying dividends. Some restoration work has been undertaken already. You will enjoy this very well-written book.
The Panopticon had a mix of everything; variety shows, zoos, freak shows, novelty acts and in the last few years of its productive life, it became a cinema.
The book not only describes the Panopticon, it also traces the history of the music halls in Glasgow, detailing what life was like in the city during those times.
Judith has worked hard over the years to find funding to restore the Panopticon and her dedication to the project is now paying dividends. Some restoration work has been undertaken already. You will enjoy this very well-written book.
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