Dan Leno's legacy to theatre history is very special. This play is recounted by actor, writer and producer Tony Lidington as Dan Leno.
He is confined in an asylum, reliving his memories and struggles as a Victorian music hall star. Facing death alone, the A-list celebrity of his day cuts a tragic figure throughout. Malcolm Boyle played the doctor.
The sensitive script has been th
oroughly researched. Dan Leno's rise to music hall fame relied on him being able to invite the audiences to temporarily forget the rawness of life, and to share new experiences. Hardship and drunken brutality were familiar enough to all, but he was able to pick up many survival skills to succeed.
His singing, tap dancing, clogging and variety acts eventually took him to London stage fame. His story about the hard-boiled egg and the wasp opens the play, and shows his aptitude for spinning the humour and fun from a simple tale.
Tony's interpretation of the vulnerable but brave entertainer emphasises his pathos through details of the blunt, grimy world from which the actor emerged. The ending, where real recordings of Dan's voice crackle from an ancient gramophone, is very eloquent.
Comedy based on instantly recognisable characters, each with their own catchphrases and mannerisms, was Dan Leno's speciality – one borrowed and developed by countless entertainers since.
His famous "You know Mrs. Kelly?" routine, where the imaginary Mrs Kelly's way with oysters brought the house down, was included, as were Widow Twanky and Mother Goose.
Modern pantomime audiences probably know little of the Dame's origins, but owe much to Dan's art, so clearly understood in this production.
The Theatre Royal's stage was brilliantly transformed into a touring Victorian music hall, complete with proscenium arch and curtain. The moving backdrop was illustrated with contemporary drawings of Leno and his characters.
This highly ingenious construction, designed by Simon Pell, moves round the country with the show, giving a fascinating insight into how theatre works.
This excellent production was written and directed with so much more than a bob's worth of red ink. (Red ink was Leno's term for the liquid fuelling his inspiration, not his pen.) Like Dan Leno himself, it's quite unique.
©Mary Dunk 2009
