Glamour! Peep Show! Saucy Stuff! In Brixton!

[editor]

Whats funny about that!

There were phones in 1939, I know. But I doubt many people had them, and I doubt people used to use them for phoning up for tickets for kinky shows!

The same phone number is on a Dec 1937 poster here: http://www.urban75.org/brixton/history/empress1.html

 

[Guineveretoo]

Just a thought, and may be completely wrong, but, since the Empress was, presumably, named after Victoria, who was the last Empress of whatever, doesn't it make it likely that VTC was "Victorian Theatre Company" or "Victoria Theatre Company" or similar?

 

[Guineveretoo]

On the other hand, since it appears to have had the full name of "The Empress Theatre of Varieties Limited", perhaps I am quite wrong

 

[editor]

Ah ha! Maybe it's something to do with the Variety Artists Federation.

Check out the Brixton shenanigans going on here:
http://www.nationaltheatreofvariety.org/variety.pdf (PDF file)

 

[Guineveretoo]

Have you seen this one?

http://www.vaudeville-postcards.com/postcards/b3.html

Hey, maybe it is neither and it is "Vaudeville Theatre Company"

 

[editor]

More:

Walter Gibbons was busy forming a chain of halls and had taken over the Brixton Theatre with plans to re-open it purely for variety as the Brixton Hippodrome in December 1906.

He had even got as far as naming a date and signing-up an opening bill when the London County Council refused his application for a twice-nightly music and dancing licence. Gibbons’ solution was to transfer all the staff from the Brixton Empress to the Brixton Hippodrome and all the staff from the Hippodrome to the Empress.

The V.A.F. (supported by the local trades association) quickly mounted pickets at the stage doors of both venues.

Some performers and staff crossed the lines, some did not and Gibbons brought in non - V.A.F. members to fill the gaps.

Audiences had no idea what to expect. At the end of a fortnight’s chaos, Gibbons decided to close the Hippodrome and return the Empress to its old regime. Having successfully won this local battle the V.A.F. decided that it could operate on a larger stage and arranged a meeting with the Amalgamated Musician’s Union and the National Association of Theatrical Employees at the Surrey Theatre on 20 January 1907.

I think it's maybe a union that came after this one? There's lots of initials flying about!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Have you seen this one?

http://www.vaudeville-postcards.com/postcards/b3.html

Hey, maybe it is neither and it is "Vaudeville Theatre Company"

I said that ages ago

 

[Guineveretoo]

Oh sorry. I got so involved in googling this (it's better than the huge amount of washing up I am supposed to be doing), that I didn't notice.

 

[lang rabbie]

I'm thinking 1950 rather than 1944.

The Empress, Brixton
...
In 1925 it joined the Variety Theatres Consolidated Ltd., to which it stayed for the next 30 years.
...
Variety shows were the diet of most theatres during the 1939-45 wa, and the New Empress sailed through confidently after the hostilities with the same fare. AN increasing element was the "girlie" shows - often displaying as little talent as the clothing. Although pantomimes were provided during the Christmas season - in one year as many as four! - and an occasional circus on stage, the main fare was adult.

Early in 1956 Granada Theatre took over the Empress, and they promised the nude shows would be replaced by the best in variety. A panto was produced that Christmas - "Aladdin" with Alma Cogan 0 and this was followed the second week in January with Max Miller. After which the theatre was closed, refurbished and reopened as a cinema.

Lambeth's Theatrical Heritage - buy the book!

 

[PHW]

Date of Programme

Phwooooar! Shame I'm about fifty years too late.

Anyone got a date for this? I'm thinking late 30s/40s but couldn't find anything more. And what's a 'VTC' theatre?

Doyle Crossley was manager at the Empress Brixton between 1947 and 1957 when it was closed.

 

[hendo]

Gerard Heath was a theatre operator and agent in the forties fifties and sixties.
He turns up managing Jimmy Clitheroe for a while in the sixties.
He was also part of a consortium who bought a theatre in Plymouth after the war.

 

[miss minnie]

Same poster for the same show in Leeds

Title: 'The French Folies-Revue'
ID: 2003919_71578616
Theatre The Empire
Year: 1956
Description: Monday, 2nd July, 1956.
This week at The Empire Theatre, Gaston and Andree present, 'The French Folies-Revue', including Jack Whitely's Peep-Show Lovelies.
'...A real French revue'.
'...The sauciest of shows'.
'...Glamorous! Spectacular! Sensational! Exciting!'.
Performances of this Show will be twice nightly, commencing at 6.00pm and then at 8.15pm.
Artistes include: Jack Whitely's Peep-Show Lovelies.

http://www.leodis.net/playbills/item.asp?ri=2003919_71578616