The Society offers a full programme of shows and talks open to everyone
- A regular programme of talks by historians, authors and performers
- Blue Plaque unveilings
- Variety and Music Hall based shows including an annual Day By The Sea in Eastbourne
- An annual conference covering all things Music Hall
- A range of social events from sausage and mash singalong suppers to formal dinners
Members receive discounted rates on all of our events. See below for what is upcoming.
Vulcana: Music Hall Strongwoman. An online talk by Rebecca F. John.
On a winter’s night in 1892, Kate Williams, the daughter of a Baptist Minister, leaves Abergavenny and sets out for London with a wild plan: she is going to become…
Players Please! The Players Part III. A talk by Keith Fawkes & Richard Norman
Keith and Richard’s THIRD presentation continues with the history of the Players’ Theatre, a legendary British institution. Using archive footage with examples of how the Players’ company became an integral…
Pre-Day by the Sea event: A Musical Sing Along & Supper Evening with Mr Ashley Knight
As a prelude to the BMHS Annual Day By The Sea, the Society are hosting a special ‘Musical Singalong Evening’ at the Riviera Hotel with supper featuring songs that we all know…
Day By The Sea
Day By The Sea Now a highlight of the Eastbourne theatrical year, the British Music Hall Society returns for its 9th all-day celebration of the worlds of music hall and…
Beyond The Ballroom – British Dance Bands in Variety Theatre. A talk by Catherine Tackley
Having developed to accompany social dancing, British dance bands frequently topped the bills of variety theatres between the Wars as successful acts in their own right – performances that were…
A Risky Business: Japanese Acrobats in Victorian Britain. A talk by Pernille Rudlin
Some of the first Japanese people to settle in Britain and raise families here after Japan opened up to the rest of the world in the 1860s were acrobats, jugglers…
BMHS Archive Collection on Show at Lambeth Archives
On Thursday 7th August we will be holding our very first open morning to showcase items from our collection, as well as sharing what we have been doing with our…
Recovering and Celebrating Black Entertainers in Morecambe, 1850 – 1950. A talk by Kirsty Roberts
Morecambe boasts a rich entertainment history that has garnered national acclaim within the UK, featuring notable figures such as Thora Hird and Morecambe and Wise. However, the invaluable contributions of…
Les & Roy, Cissie & Ada. A talk presented by Mark Llewellin
Mark Llewellin takes us through the lives of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough who enjoyed 25 years of creative collaboration including those iconic comedy creations Cissie and Ada. Not only…
