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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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music hall
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(also called variety) The main popular entertainment in Britain in the second half of the 19C, surviving in places into the mid-20C. With its origins among tavern performers, music hall gradually expanded until large new theatres were required to cater for a vast audience. Performers such as Dan *Leno, Vesta *Tilley, George *Robey, Harry *Lauder and Marie *Lloyd toured the country as stars, with a national following. Safe from the mass exposure of radio and television, they needed only a small repertoire of endlessly repeated but much loved numbers.
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The old-time pleasures were brought to the television audience in successive series (from the 1950s) of The Good Old Days, a nostalgic programme of music hall broadcast from the City Varieties Theatre in Leeds, with even the audience in Victorian clothes. And on a small scale the traditions have been kept alive by places such as the Players Theatre in London.
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