Ken Ford
To see all the programmes I've collected before 2015 please visit my original website at www.kenford.me.uk
Some are from shows I've seen, others I've bought or had passed on to me by others.
Here are the programmes for the shows I saw in 2021. No programmes were on sale for Around the World in 80 Days but a digital programme could be downloaded and is included here.
I found two more programmes from the London Hippodrome to add to my collection of 84. The one on the right was for a charity concert to raise money to support flood victims in France. I am now just looking for one elusive programme from the 1950s to make my collection complete.
My other new collection comes from the London Coliseum. I decided to go for progammes from the time in the 1930s when it stopped being solely a variety house, to the time it was taken over by English National Opera in 1974.
Because my London Hippodrome collection is virtually complete I decided to start two more this year. The first one features Ice Shows at the Empress Hall, a venue I have previously overlooked. During the course of the year I have obtained the following:
The four programmes below and the one above are unusual in their artistry and in the use of red and yellow colouring. They were drawn by V.Hicks and favoured by the producer Emile Littler, during WWII. (See another example further down at the Piccadilly Theatre)
The programmes below are shown alongside their respective souvenir programmes.
During the year I have bought he followowing programmes for various reasons: (a) It's another in the stye of the Coliseum ones above. (b) Interesting design by Marcel Vertes, who won two Oscars for costume design an art direction. It is signed by Maurice Chevalier. (c) Another addition to my London Palladium collection. (d) Art Deco design featuring the theatre. (e) Another Art Deco design (f) A show I am interested in. (g) A very early (1908) example of a souvenir brochure - and rare brcause it was for one night only to celebrate the first anniversary of Miss Hook of Holland. (h) A souvenir programme to go with a Hippodrome one that I have already recorded. (i) Lido Lady musical. (J) Nice 50s design.
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f
(g) (h) (i) (J)
I bought the 1927 London programme for the show and inside was this cutting from the Sunday Express about this contoversial play.
I have a series of postcards promoting shows at Blackburn's Theatre Royal in the 1920s. Here is one for The Fanatics.
I was so intrigued that I decided to seek out and buy a copy of the script. I was amazed when it arrived to find it had once belonged to Leon M Lion, the producer of the play. Not only that, it had all the cuts marked in by M M (Miles Malleson, the author) necessay for it to be passed by the censor.
These last four programmes were passed on to me by Eric Nolan after his latest clear-out.
Below is the 64 page programme (with and without cover) for a 1951 memorial concert for Ivor Novello who had died that year.