Merseyside Mirth Makers - Music Hall Beginnings

You've Gorra  Be Jokin'

When Ken Dodd passed away in 2018 some said Liverpool, as a body, lost it's 'Funny Bone'. He was a man who infected anyone he came into contact with his humour, warmth and generosity of time. He wrote about his city some years ago - " It really should be called Mirthyside, because it is a city of laughter. The humour has developed because Liverpool is a melting pot of different cultures. There has been an influx of Welsh, English, Scotish and Irish people, which has given us a diverse view of life and a sense of humour. It is a humour which can perceive incongruity and see oddness from a different perspective."

The growth of this culture of humour in the city is often attributed to its working class and a city that has traditionally been a place of transitory employment, especially with dock workers. The importance of the port and the number of people coming and going meant there were communication and meetings with worldly men travelling to here from different countries with their diverse religions and political persuasions. Therefore they had to learn to communicate with others and understood that humour was a great way to break down barriers.

It was also humour that kept spirits high against all manner of exploitation. Liverpool people have an inner confidence, being quick to laugh at themselves, and do not take themselves too seriously over trivial matters.

This was very evident in the Liverpool docks where the humour seemed to be born of despair, as they had a dreadful working life, unsure daily of being employed, and, if they did, they worked long, long hours. Dockers were classed as casual labour so they couldn't buy houses or substantial material things and it wouldn't be unusual for them to travel miles along the length of the waterfront picking up work for several hours here and there.
As Arthur Askey once famously said " You've got to be a comedian to live in Liverpool."

The original Music Halls were places of fun and entertainment that had developed from the new style saloon bars of public houses during the 1830s and such establishments during the 185's and were mostly built in and on the grounds of public houses where people could drink alcohol and smoke tobacco whilst watching the show.

The interior of the first Philharmonic Hall in 1839

The typical music hall comedian was a man or woman, usually dressed in character to suit the subject of a comic song, or sometimes attired in absurd and eccentric style. Singing and the comic song remained at the heart of music hall with some of the songs very risque. These music hall venues gradually morphed into variety theatres of which Liverpool had its fair share, such as The Star, or the New Star as it was eventually called, which is now The Playhouse in Williamson Square, the Alexandra Theatre now The Empire Theatre in Lime Street and The Liverpool Philharmonic Society Hall now a new building, The Philharmonic Hall.

The Rotunda Theatre, situated at the junction of Scotland Road and Stanley Road, was the first  to be constructed as a Music Hall and opened on the 11th of July 1863. It was a very popular venue and was enlarged and improved on several occasions.
There were many more venues that would enable artists to perform and the following laughter makers from Liverpool would entertain many during their illustrious careers some going on to other media such as radio, TV or film.

What follows is an indication of how many of these people had their origins in Liverpool and of how it's influence has continued for over 100 years from the very well known to those who have maybe been forgotten. Early lesser known performers such as :-

Harry Rowson, who was known as the Northern Star;
Wally Wood who Ken Dodd said looked after him and took him under his wing when he first started out;
Jimmy Gay, born in Liverpool in 1906, who is one of the forgotten comics. Roy Hudd wrote in his book 'Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts' that he was 'a highly underrated stand-up comic in the mould of fellow Liverpudlian Robb Wilton. 'He was not a sketch comic but a laid-back commentator on life whose immobility on stage was a perfect example of relaxed control.' He always smoked a Capstan Full Strength cigarette on stage, leaving a pile of ash behind. He played most of the variety halls, rarely as a headliner, but had a loyal following.
He was later to appear in a television sitcom in a small role but suffered a nervous breakdown. Roy Hudd reports: 'The last time I saw him he was an attendant at the Ace of Clubs nightspot in Leeds.'
Cyril Dowler was born in Liverpool in 1906 and was King Rat in the Grand Order of Water Rats in 1957. He began his career with concert parties until he teamed up with fellow entertainer Kay White working as a double act, 'Dowler and White'. They were often seen in pantomime (Kay as principal boy, Dowler as Dame) and, during World War II, appeared in a several revues.

The partnership broke up with peace time and Dowler met and married Rhoda Rogers, a dancer once claimed to be Britain's Brigitte Bardot, and they formed another double act. In the act, he played an old man and she his stage-struck daughter with the pair touring the country. 

Cyril Dowler died in 1986, Rhoda in 1996.

But let us travel chronologically through the decades from where it all began, beginning with an English/American comedian who was born in Aigburth.

See next :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2018/05/merseyside-mirth-makers-john-e-owens.html?q=John+E+Owens