Students of Victorian popular entertainment may be aware that, as a twelve-year-old local lad playing a tin whistle,
Little Tich commenced his distinguished career at Rosherville Gardens in Gravesend, whilst Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiasts will be familiar with a somewhat scathing reference to that resort in The Sorcerer.
The cast of characters in this book includes not only the stars like
Little Tich, George Robey from Birmingham and Worcester's Vesta Tilly.
The Folies presented the most extraordinary programmes ever seen in Paris in 1886: The Isola brothers (illusionists), Nala Damajenti (snake charmer), Zulu troupe (real Zulus), a boxing kangaroo, wrestlers, Ira Paine (American marksman), Sampson (a chain breaker!), Captain Costentenus (tattooed with three hundred and twenty-five animals), the Scheffers (acrobats), Baggenssen (eccentric clown), and
Little Tich (the famous English music hall star).
Ballet extracts were woven around the comedy and musical acts, which starred such famous music-hall names as Whimsical Walker, Wee Georgie Wood, and
Little Tich. "Our dances may have had some connection with the show, but quite often they were just abstract.
1868: Harry Relph, above, an English music hall star better known as
Little Tich, was born.
And we are told that
Little Tich ('the Napoleon of the Army of Fun') had taught himself French to the point where he owned an 'apartement' in Paris.
One of them featured a 4ft 6ins Englishman called Harry Relph, better known as a clown called
Little Tich whose monicker led to the slang term "titchy".
For 100 years ago music hall was the ultimate Victorian/Edwardian entertainment - stars such as
Little Tich, Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, Gus Ellen and George Robey had a huge following but are now sadly forgotten except by a handful of diehards who are members of the Music Hall Society.