Vintage Views with Aled Jones: The Waterloos were a popular seaside cabaret act
In this vintage photo, the Waterloo Pierrots are performing a sketch ‘Dear Cousin Bill’.
The message on the back of the postcard, sent on August 3, 1904, to a Miss Maggie Gobey, of Hull, reads: “Hope you got home all safe. I went to the Pierrots last night. What oh? Charlie.”
This same card featured in Mike Wilson’s book ‘Bridlington’s Waterloo Pierrots’, but how it came into my possession is a mystery. I bought a pile of cards from a charity shop and I think it was part of that bundle!
Many of the images of the iconic troupe, including this one, were taken by Michael Boak of Bridlington. The world-famous photographer had a studio near the harbour and in 1910 he moved to 15 Promenade.
The Waterloos were a popular seaside cabaret act that entertained holidaymakers here before 1914, performing musical numbers, comedy acts, and seaside routines. ‘Dear Cousin Bill’ reflects the style of dark-humoured and melodramatic sketches popular in their repertoire.
Their comic and over the top nature is captured in this live performance by them, showing the founder of the troupe Charlie Beanland at the right-hand end. An actor seems to be brandishing an axe in the scene!
This historic card was taken during an evening show at the New Spa, Marine Drive, where the troupe often performed in their early days.
Later they purchased a tin-roofed stage at Beaconsfield, near Trinity Church on Flamborough Road.
Charlie Beanland (stage name Sammy) came from London, and acquired his first engagement at the Star Music Hall in Bradford. He was also a talented speed-cartoonist who could draw pictures upside down, with his eyes blindfolded!
Charlie founded the troupe in 1893 which originally dressed as coloured minstrels. They were the first pierrot act in the North of England.
The troupe regularly entertained summer crowds with open-air shows on the North Foreshore and Victoria Wall. They used a bag on a long handle to collect money from crowds watching from the terraces!
Waterloo’s often engaged directly with the public, selling songsheets and postcards after the performance.
Charlie, known as the “Guv'nor,” was so dominant that in group images of the troupe he often looked in a different direction from his partners.