Tag: Shows

Mike Dennett’s First Performance in Front of Laurel & Hardy

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Nottingham born ventriloquist and comedian Mike Dennett, whose career spanned seven decades, passed away at the age of 82. He died peacefully at his home in Blackpool on 2 December 2024 after living in the town for 41 years, surrounded by loved ones following a short illness. A celebrated figure in the world of entertainment, Dennett was known for his sharp wit, stage presence, and enduring dedication to his craft. Born with a natural talent for performance, Dennett made his stage debut at just 10 years old at the Nottingham Empire, performing at Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s Christmas Party… Read more »

John Simm Gets His First Big TV Role

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John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970 in Leeds) is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars, the Master in Doctor Who, and DS Roy Grace in Grace. His other television credits include State of Play, The Lakes, Crime and Punishment, Exile, Prey, and Cracker. His film roles include Wonderland, Everyday, Boston Kickout, Human Traffic and 24-Hour Party People. He has twice been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. In April 2004, Simm married actress Kate Magowan in the Forest of Dean. Simm and Magowan have appeared… Read more »

Harry Corbett Brings Sooty to Life

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Sooty is a British children’s television franchise created by Harry Corbett, primarily encompassing television and stage shows. The origins of the franchise date back to 19 July 1948, when Corbett discovered an all-yellow bear glove puppet while visiting the North Pier on holiday in Blackpool. He purchased the puppet and began using it to entertain his children, including his newborn son, Matthew (later known as Peter). Initially named “Teddy,” Corbett used the puppet for comedic routines and magic tricks, which led him to appear on the BBC talent competition Talent Night in 1952, held at Belle Vue, Manchester. Corbett’s performance… Read more »

Nicola Thorp Lands Role In Coronation Street

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Nicola Sian Thorp was born in Blackpool and attended Arnold School, where she held the position of deputy head girl. Her family runs a Blackpool rock factory, established by her grandfather in 1962. Thorp is a broadcaster, columnist, activist, and former actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Nicola Rubinstein in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, as well as her contributions to Metro newspaper, This Morning, and Talk Today. She studied acting at the Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in London from 2007 to 2010. In 2018, Thorp took part in Sport Relief’s “Clash of the Channels” boat… Read more »

Arthur Askey at Royal Variety Performance in the Opera House

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Arthur Askey, CBE OBE, was one of Britain’s most beloved comedians, actors, and musicians, known for his quick wit, infectious energy, and enduring catchphrases. Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Dingle, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Betsy (née Bowden), originally from Knutsford, Cheshire, and Samuel Askey, company secretary of Sugar Products of Liverpool. Six months after his birth, the family moved to 90 Rosslyn Street, Liverpool. His connection to Blackpool ran deep, and in July 1955, he made a special appearance at the annual garden party at St Annes College for Girls. Askey not only performed… Read more »

The Palace Theatre

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The Palace Theatre was situated within Blackpool’s huge and lavish seafront Palace Complex, which was next door to the Tower Complex. The Theatre was a redesign of the former Alhambra Theatre by the renowned Theatre Architect Frank Matcham in 1904. The Alhambra had been designed by Wylson & Long and had originally opened in 1899, as part of the former Alhambra Complex which had run into financial difficulties soon after opening and was sold to the Blackpool Tower Company in July 1903. The Tower Company then set about restructuring the building and they reopened the newly redesigned Matcham Theatre as the… Read more »

Jenny Eclair – First Woman to Win Perrier Award

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Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves; 16 March 1960) is an English comedian, novelist, and actress, best known for her roles in Grumpy Old Women between 2004 and 2007 and in Loose Women in 2011 and 2012. She is said to have adopted the alternative surname Eclair (later her stage name) in her teens, when she was at a disco in Blackpool and pretended to be French. She focuses on growing up in the following video clip from her standup act. Eclair was born to English parents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, where her father, Derek Hargreaves, a major in the… Read more »

Josef Locke’s Summer Show at the Opera House

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Josef Locke made an immediate impact when featured in “Starry Way,” a twenty-week summer show at the Blackpool Opera House in 1946 and was rebooked for the following summer, then starring for three seasons at the Blackpool Hippodrome. He appeared in ten Blackpool seasons from 1946 to 1969, not the nineteen seasons he later claimed. Joseph McLaughlin (23 March 1917 – 15 October 1999), known professionally as Josef Locke, was an Irish tenor. He was successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Derry, Ireland, he was the son of a butcher and cattle… Read more »

Steve Royle in Snow White at the Grand Theatre

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The Blackpool Grand Theatre first staged Snow White as its Christmas pantomime for the 2020/21 season. Blackpool panto favourite and BBC Radio Lancashire presenter Steve Royle starred as Muddles, marking his 18th consecutive appearance at the Grand Theatre. Royle, from Chorley, is an actor, writer, comedian, and juggler, as well as a “Gillard Award”-winning presenter on BBC Radio Lancashire and a finalist on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent 2020. In recognition of his contributions to the theatre, he was made an honorary member of The Friends of The Grand in 2016. The classic story of Snow White originates from a 19th-century… Read more »

Bette Davis at The ABC Theatre

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Bette Davis’ 1976 appearance at Blackpool’s ABC Theatre, a popular venue at the time, was part of a brief tour in the UK to promote her autobiography The Lonely Life and to engage with her British audience. The visit to Blackpool was a notable event, as it marked a rare opportunity for her fans in the town to see the legendary Hollywood actress in person, even as her Hollywood career had somewhat slowed in the 1970s. She delivered a talk about her life and career that evening at the ABC Theatre. It included a chance for the audience to hear first hand… Read more »