Welcome return of The Good Old Days
DRAMATIST John Osborne wrote in the 1950s: “The music hall is dying and with it a significant part of England. Some of the heart of England has gone, something that once belonged to everyone…” But now music hall is back. The Good Old Days, British television’s longest- running variety show, broadcast from 1953 to 1983, is being re- shown on Fridays on BBC Four. What a pleasure it has been to watch once again great speciality acts of the past: trick cyclists, comedy drunks, ventriloquists, knife throwers.
The Good Old Days aimed to recreate the golden age of music hall. The programme came from the ornate Leeds City Varieties Theatre, a Grade II- listed music hall built in 1865. The audience all wore Edwardian- era clothes. The entertainment began with a singalong before the curtain rose and chairman Leonard Sachs appeared. He would move swiftly to his podium- desk before waving his handkerchief and announcing in a loud, theatrical voice: “Once again, good evening ladies and gentlemen!”
Sachs, an actor who had appeared in music hall, was famous for his alliterative introductions. “Verisimilitudinous, violent, ventriloquial virtuosity” was how he introduced ventriloquist Neville King.
Towards the end of each show the chairman would say there was “just time” for the final chorus of Down At The Old Bull And Bush, sung with gusto by performers and audience.
Recent editions of The Good Old Days have provided wonderful entertainment. Last week’s featured comedian Ronnie Corbett. “Mr Sachs has just told me that Ladysmith has fallen again,” he quipped ( in reference to the siege during the Boer War). “And Lord Smith says he’s going to have the operation.” Another recent edition featured actor Edward Woodward, who came on stage singing Champagne Charlie and then led the audience in a rousing rendition of Who Were You With Last Night?
IT’S great to see so many happy faces in the audience. Every time the camera cuts to the audience during a comedy act you see people roaring with laughter. It’s hard not to be won over by the cheerfulness of The Good Old Days and I defy anyone to watch the programme and not be in a better mood.
It is about 150 years since the music halls took off in Britain. They were always lively, raucous places. People from all classes would pay to see performers such as Marie Lloyd and Dan Leno.
Lloyd, a singer and comedienne, made her stage debut at the age of 14. Known as the Queen of the Music Hall she was popular not just in Britain but around the world and at one point was earning £ 600 a week One of her biggest hits was My Old Man ( Said Follow The Van).
Dan Leno was a comedian and legendary pantomime dame. He was nicknamed the King’s Jester as King Edward VII was a big fan.
After the First World War music hall became known as “variety”. The halls were not as rowdy as they were – in 1914 London County Council banned eating and drinking. But still the audiences came to watch their favourites. Acts such as the Egyptian sand dancers Wilson, Kepple and Betty and comedian Max Miller.
In the 1950s variety declined due to the growing popularity of television. But The Good Old Days helped to keep the music hall spirit alive. The show got 10 million viewers at its peak and was sold across the world. Seven hundred programmes were made with the curtain going down for the last time on Christmas Eve 1983 with Danny La Rue leading a singalong to We’ll Meet Again.
Now 33 years on we are doing just that. But that’s not the only thing music hall fans have to look forward to. The Leeds City Varieties Theatre puts on regular Good Old Days events. The next are scheduled for March 11 and 12 with singer Anita Harris topping the bill. As in the TV programme the audience is encouraged to come in period costume.
The Players’ Theatre Club, whose performers could be seen on The Good Old Days each week, still puts on music hall for the public. Their next performance is at London’s Museum of Comedy on March 13.
The BBC should be congratulated for bringing this magnificent programme back. In the words of Leonard Sachs: “Once again, good evening ladies and gentlemen!”
The Good Old Days, Fridays, BBC Four, 8pm, also on iPlayer.
FERGUS KELLY IS AWAY