A History of Dick Whittington at LHT
Every year our pantomimes just get bigger and better. Between City Varieties Music Hall and Leeds Grand Theatre, we have played host to a pantomime every year since The Grand opened in 1878 (if not earlier).
Dick Whittington, this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at The Varieties, has been performed many times, with comedy legends taking the lead and even a version on ice! We have delved into our archive to uncover and share stories from a selection of these productions over the years…
Written by Bryony Jameson.
Victorian Pantomime
Pantomimes at Leeds Grand Theatre go way back to our very first year – 1878 – with a production of Blue Beard; Or, Harlequin the Amorous Ameer of Afghanistan. This old fashioned subtitle harked back to ‘the time when the harlequinade was the main feature of pantomimes, and also that the Afghan War was then raging’ (John Beaumont, A History of The Grand, 1937).
This very first pantomime was directed by our original Manager, Wilson Barrett, who hoped that it would be ‘second to none in the Kingdom’. According to Beaumont, ‘it was without doubt one of the finest pantomimes ever seen in Leeds, and the press notices peeved Charles Rice, lessee of the Bradford Theatre Royal, who, with good cause, regarded himself the Pantomime King of those days’. Oops!
Over the years there have been at least 11 productions of Dick Whittington at The Grand, the first taking place in 1879 and, ‘a greater success than the first’ (Beaumont). One popular attraction in the show was papier-mâché ‘masks of popular and local celebrities’ which received ‘a good deal of applause’. However the most spectacular moment came in the transformation scenes thanks to the installation of machinery and traps on the stage earlier that year.
According to Beaumont, the transformation scenes were ‘exquisite in design, and enhanced by the movement which could be given to them by machinery under the stage. Beauteous figures would rise from the bowels of the earth, as it were, and ascend to dizzying heights, perched on a precarious foothold which made you tremble for their safety’.
Cover of the programme for Blue Beard, the first pantomime in 1878. Plus details of the Transformation scene and the Harlequinade. Credit LHT, West Yorkshire Archive Service
To add to the atmosphere in the pre-electrical age, special lighting effects were created using ‘Greek Fire’, where coloured powders would be fed into braziers in the wings. These would generate ‘a great amount of smoke’ and in the age of ‘several theatre fires’, this would cause some great anxiety in audiences, Beaumont adding that ‘some children never fully appreciated the beauty of the transformation scene, but were always thankful when the clown, armed with red-hot poker, came on in front of all this beauty’.
Other notable productions of Dick Whittington include the first from John Hart in 1895 (following Wilson Barrett’s departure), entitled Turn Again Whittington and was apparently very heavy on puns – with King Rat being ‘a monarch of er-ratic disposition’ and the cat being ‘an a-mews-ing friend’. It was described as ‘the funniest ever seen at The Grand’ (Beaumont).
A New Century
As theatre technology developed, and with new sources of entertainment (such as cinema) growing in popularity, our archive shows how putting on traditional pantomimes changed to keep the attention of audiences. For instance, in 1897’s Aladdin, instead of a harlequinade section, video footage of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee procession was shown. Other additions include animal performers (a 1914 production of Robinson Crusoe featured a parrot called Mr. Talk-A-Tive and a goat called Giddy-all butt), stunt troupes (1912’s Humpty Dumpty starred a cycling group by Clark’s Crazy Comical Comedians) and of course – star names.
1946 would see ‘Britain’s greatest stage & screen comedian’ George Formby joining the cast of Dick Whittington as Idle Jack, alongside his wife Beryl. Armed with his Lancashire wit and signature banjolele, we can only image the joy Formby brought to Leeds audiences post-war. Due to popular demand, he would make his return three years later as Buttons in Cinderella.
Spectacle continued to be a huge selling point for mid-century pantomimes. Alongside dancing troupes of all shapes and sizes, the 1946 Dick Whittington featured Kirby’s Flying Ballet, the iconic stage equipment that – in its early years – helped Peter Pan fly. You can watch the system in action as recorded by British Pathé in 1951.
Playbill of Dick Whittington from 1946, starring George Formby, Credit LHT, West Yorkshire Archive Service. Images of Formby performing as Idle Jack in a 1956 production in Manchester, Credit It's Behind You.
But perhaps the most surprising rendition of Dick Whittington comes in 1952 when the production was staged on ice! From 1947, The Grand welcomed ice shows including Ice Follies and Ice Revue where the theatre would be transformed – and not just at Christmas either (the first ice show was in August!). This production featured ‘Britain’s Craziest Ice Comedians’, ’30 Ice Princesses’ and ’16 Flashing Blades’. We’re hoping to uncover more about these ice extravaganzas in our archive, so watch this space!
Anne Rodgers in Dick Whittington On Ice, and Anne with her husband Eddie Ward who starred alongside as the Dame. Credit Wembley Ice Shows (Tom Arnold Productions)
The Crew of the Saucy Sal, Dick Whittington On Ice, Credit Wembley Ice Shows, Programme 1950.
The Varieties Takes Over
Pantomimes continued to be a staple production at The Grand until 1994 with stars such as Lonnie Donegan, Les Dawson, Des O’Connor and Cannon and Ball taking the reins over the years.
The Varieties’ pantomime history isn’t as expansive as The Grand’s, with limited archive items to draw upon from the early 20th century, it’s hard to be completely certain when our first pantomimes were, or what they entailed. What we do know for sure is that following a period of The Varieties being known for its strip shows, the Joseph Brothers fought to change the reputation of the venue by introducing an annual family-friendly pantomime starting in 1968 with Cinderella.
When it comes to Dick Whittington, the first major production in our archive starred ‘Leeds Great Favourite’ Kenny (Oh! You Are Kind!) Cantor as Idle Jack in 1971. The son of Terry Cantor who produced the pantomime, Kenny was a regular favourite – with the programme itself saying ‘it would be hard to visualise a City Varieties Pantomime without Kenny’. However, 1971 would be his last at The Varieties. The show also starred The Fabulous T.V. Budgerigars which sadly there are no photos of in the collection!
Other renditions of Dick Whittington have seen soap actors, legendary rock fights and now – of course – rock ‘n’ roll transformations, our first being in 2014. Now in 2022, the classic tale of a plucky young lad heading to London to seek his fortune is back at The Varieties, almost 150 years ago since its first performance over the road at The Grand. Long may it continue!
Playbill of Dick Whittington at City Varieties, 1971, Credit Leodis, Leeds Libraries. Image of Terry Doogan as The Cat, Credit LHT, West Yorkshire Archive Service
Poster of Dick Whittington at City Varieties and cast photo, 1993, Credit LHT, West Yorkshire Archive Service.
Poster of Dick Whittington at City Varieties and cast photo with the Lord Mayor of Leeds, 2000, Credit LHT, West Yorkshire Archive Service.
Poster of Dick Whittington: The Rock 'n' Roll Panto at City Varieties and cast photo, 2014, Credit LHT.
You’ll be wowed by this breath-taking production which mixes traditional elements of audience participation and corny gags with a jukebox full of classic rock anthems and chart-toppers, all performed live on stage by our ultra-talented cast of actor-musicians.
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