{"title":"Judith Bowers","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"stan-laurel-and-other-stars-of-the-panopticon-book-judith-bowers-9781841586175","title":"Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon","description":"A humorous and, at times, tragic journey through the life of the oldest surviving music hall in Britain (if not the world) which is famed for being the place where Stan Laurel made his debut in 1906. Originally known as the Britannia, this early music hall was the site for many famous early performances and debuts which included Harry Lauder, Charles Coburn, Dan Leno, and Marie Loftus. Britannia was host to early burlesque and risque performers who pushed the boundaries of decency in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1896, early films were shown in the music hall and by 1897 had become a regular feature of the Britannia playbills.In 1906, the biggest change of all was to come when 'A E Pickard Unlimited of London, Paris, Moscow and Bannockburn' arrived as manager. He was a follower of the American showman P T Barnum, and with this influence in mind added to the bill of entertainments by creating a carnival, wax works, and freak show in the attic space above the auditorium and a zoo in the basement of the building which included 42 animal cages, distorting mirrors, paintings by Hogarth, and medieval etchings of Chinese torture.   The building closed in 1938 and the auditorium sealed behind partitions; its last use was as a chicken farm during the Second World War.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49549773406481,"sku":"GOR002350293","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50453695201553,"sku":"GOR006410515","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50541444202769,"sku":"GOR010327198","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/184158617X.jpg?v=1751412081"},{"product_id":"glasgow-s-lost-theatre-book-judith-bowers-9781780272122","title":"Glasgow's Lost Theatre","description":"Music-hall stars such as Jack Buchanan, Charles Coburn, Harry Lauder, Dan Leno and Vesta Tilley all trod the boards at what started life as the Britannia Music Hall, as did a certain Stan Laurel, who made his debut there in 1906. Under the management of A.E. Pickard, the Panopticon, as it became known, widened its range of attractions to include freak shows, waxworks, a carnival and a zoo, continuing to draw the crowds until 1938.    During the next sixty years, however, its very existence faded into memory as the building was converted and its auditorium sealed off. It was only in 1997 that Judith Bowers discovered the theatre, since when she has made it her mission to bring the Britannia back to life. In this book Judith Bowers, founder of the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall Trust, traces the history of this magical place and the people who performed there, and tells the fascinating story of how the Britannia is being restored to its former glory.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49569269186833,"sku":"GOR006642223","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50607959572753,"sku":"GOR011453785","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/178027212X.jpg?v=1751344422"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-judith-bowers.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}