The pierrot troupes grew from a single idea into a major international cultural industry, which boosted morale and national identity during the UK’s times of crisis. Tony Liddington will draw upon his 2022 book – “Don’t Forget The Pierrots!” The Complete History of British Pierrot Troupes & Concert Parties, which is the first scholarly exploration of this popular performance form and its heritage.

Speaker: 

Dr. Tony Liddington has been a showman, researcher and teacher for over 35 years. He specialises in historical popular entertainment forms and their application to contemporary contexts. Tony was awarded a doctorate for his research into itinerant British performance forms by the University of Exeter, where he now teaches. He regularly writes about the subject for academic journals and general interest magazines, as well as broadcasting on both radio and television. Tony was founder of ‘The Pierrotters’ – Britain’s last professional seaside pierrot troupe, with whom he performed for 27 years as ‘Uncle Tacko!’