The Victorian Music Hall

With my fifth Irregular Detective Mystery THE MAGICIAN’S MISADVENTURE releasing on December first of this year, I had to do some research into the music hall, so here’s a bit of background history.

Charles Morton, impresario, was the original theatre manager for what was to become the Royal Canterbury Theatre of Varieties in London.

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Morton is credited with creating the term ‘music hall’ when he first bought the building at that location on Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth.But it all began when Morton and his brother-in-law Frederick Stanley, purchased the tavern, The Canterbury Arms, in Upper Marsh, Lambeth, south London, in 1849. Because the Theatres Act 1843 for the presentation of ‘legitimate drama’ (full-length plays) didn’t allow for big theatres to what was becoming the music hall, Morton had to start small, but he soon pushed the boundaries, pulled down the old building in 1852, and built a dedicated 1500-seat theatre around the old building.

Such places had large refreshment rooms for people to retreat to for food and liquor between the acts if they wished. No need to leave!

And from the description, it was a pretty amazing place, with its highly decorated proscenium in gold leaf and gold tiles, painted panels of Indian jungles and animals, and the famous roof that slid open to view the stars! Can you imagine? On the outside of the building on the roof (see photo at the top of this post) that big round window revolved, showing off different dioramas. Talk about a performance. The whole BUILDING was a show!

The music hall was essentially a variety show, with singers, dancers, and other typical acts like magicians, knife throwers, animal acts, comics, ventriloquists, and even one-act plays. It truly was a “variety show” that my generation was familiar with from television, from Ed Sullivan in the 50s and 60s (who could forget the plate spinners and the puppet Topo Gigio!) to Sonny and Cher and the Carol Burnett show in the 70s. It was what became vaudeville in America in the 1910s, 20s, and 30s. Live entertainment to amuse, astound, and to community sing to, especially with popular singers like Marie Lloyd, and the lion comiques, who did hilarious parodies of the upper-class made popular by the likes of Alfred Vance and G. H. MacDermott.

A close shave.

Harry Champion, comic.

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Creepy ventriloquist dummy.
COMING DECEMBER 1, 2026