A ‘solo performance’ with costumes and props, some songs and a dance by Brian Freeland.

50 Years of Seaside Entertainment history

Seaside holidays started with King George III: seaside entertainment started with donkey rides and Punch & Judy, developed through the Minstrels and the Pierrots to the Concert Parties, and ended with cheap foreign holidays and colour television.

Was any holiday complete without a visit to the summer show or concert party? The very names conjure up the period – Sandy Powell’s Startime; Cyril Fletcher’s Summer Masquerade; Hedley Claxton’s Gaytime; The Fol-de-Rols and Clarkson Rose’s Twinkle.

Clarkson Rose joined his first Pierrot show in Sussex in 1914, and staged his last Twinkle season in Devon in 1967 – an experience which makes him the perfect guide for a presentation about Seaside Entertainment.

50 years of seaside entertainment is a ‘solo performance’ with costumes and props, some songs and a dance.

Brian Freeland is a Speaker, Playwright and Author. He has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, Sadler’s Wells and many more.