A Very Musical Chair

This Very Musical Chair was, and probably still is, in the oldest surviving Music Hall IN THE WORLD.

A Very Musical Chair ©HelenBushe

I discovered  Glasgow’s Britannia Panopticon Music Hall a couple of years before I left Glasgow. It is being painstakingly restored by enthusiasts who also put on regular Saturday afternoon shows in true Music Hall tradition to raise funds. They provide a unique entertainment experience.

Panopticon Poster ©HelenBushe

The history of the Panopticon makes fascinating reading. If you have 5 minutes to spare then I would recommend clicking on this link.

But if you are very,very busy, then here’s a short extract:

…..This was an audience that had for generations cut its teeth on the barbarous practice of public punishments and executions, which in Glasgow had been the only form of legitimate entertainment from the 1550s to the 1750s. Consequently the Glasgow audience evolved over the generations into a merciless mob who literally left no turn un-stoned. In Britannia Music Hall the turns (acts) could find themselves pelted with
shipyard rivets, nails, rancid turnips and horse manure, whilst urine might rain down on them from the balcony. However, if the turn appealed to the Britannia’s audience, they would be rewarded with thunderous applause and foot-stamping instead. –Panopticon Website

Fortunately all the acts nowadays are well received!

I had permission to take photographs on my last visit there a couple of years ago. Here’s a taster of what the show is like:

“The Mistress of Ceremonies” ©HelenBushe

“Comic Roustabouts – The McTweed Brothers” ©HelenBushe

“The Mistress of Melody” ©HelenBushe

Thanks again to Cee for this weeks Fun Foto Challenge: Musical Chairs