The life of Victorian clown Dan Leno, described as the greatest music hall star of all time, is explored in a show coming to Bradford.
In Dan Leno: The King’s Jester, performer Tony Lidington steps into the shoes of the man described as the first stand-up comic, the best-loved pantomime dame and a world champion clog dancer with a strong line in character-based skits.
“Dan Leno was, quite simply, the comic genius of his age,” says Tony. “Born in 1860, he was the most famous and highly-paid music hall artist of the age, but ended his life in a lunatic asylum, aged just 43, in 1904. Billed as ‘The Funniest Man On Earth’, he created the pantomime role of the Dame and what is now known as stand-up comedy.”
But Dan’s legacy is now almost forgotten, and Tony aims to change this through his show.
l Dan Leno: The King’s Jester, is at Bradford Playhouse on Friday. For tickets, ring (01274) 820666.
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