A Song or Two from Piccadilly Circus
With its gaudy lights, traffic problems and statue of Eros, Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s most famous landmarks. This old postcard by Miller & Lang shows Piccadilly Circus early in the 20th century. It is a busy junction with people in their fancy Edwardian hats dodging a muddle of horses, carriages and early motor vehicles. ‘The Two Bobs’ are headlining at the London Pavilion Theatre. Finding out more about this once popular act provides a fascinating delve into music hall theatre of the time.
From Vaudeville to Music Hall
Robert (‘Thin Bob’) Alden and Robert (‘Fat Bob’) Adams met in Chicago. As ‘The Two Bobs’ they performed together in sideshows and theatre across the United States. A false news report that claimed they had a contract in the United Kingdom inspired the duo to travel to England where they found work in provincial theatres around the country.1
Referring to the cost of a theatre ticket at the time “it was humorously observed that two Bobs for a shilling were value for money“2
Theirs was a light-hearted act. They danced, played the piano, and performed songs like ‘Mother Pin a Rose on Me’, ‘Be My Little Bumble Bee’, ‘Daddy did the Same Thing Fifty Years Ago’, ‘Way Down South’ and ‘Paddy McGinty’s Goat’. The last of these became a huge hit for Val Doonican many years later.
In common with many other entertainers at the time, ‘The Two Bobs’ exploited the popularity of Ragtime music and their performances depicted racial stereotypes that would be unacceptable today.
Back in 1913 however, a review in the Leeds Mercury was enthusiastic: “They radiate gaiety, and they sing rag-time ditties as can only the finished American artiste”3
The London Pavilion Theatre
In 1911 ‘The Two Bobs’ were top of the bill at the London Pavilion Theatre4. Other acts that performed on the same bill included Little Tich.5 He was a 4’ 6” tall comedian whose stage name brought the slang word ‘titchy’ (meaning small) into common use. Another was Zona Vevey, a comedienne and singer from Blackburn whose real name was Maud Brennan.6 And there was one George Formby,7 father to the Ukulele playing entertainer of the same name.
‘The Two Bobs’ made the UK their permanent home and continued to entertain on stages around the country well into the 1920s. “A laugh or two, a joke or two, a song or two by a Bob or two” was their slogan.8 They made numerous recordings, some of which are still in existence9.
Offstage
Bob Alden died in 1932. Bob Adams moved to Maidenhead in Berkshire where he opened Sunny’s Club,10 an American style restaurant just a short walk from Boulter’s Lock on the River Thames. He died in 1948.
At the time that this old postcard of Piccadilly Circus and the one of Boulter’s Lock were published, ‘The Two Bobs’ were perhaps at the height of their success. They were regarded as ‘One of the merriest and most artistic musical mixtures in all music hall land’.11
Sources:
[1], [2] The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1889-1931) Sat 18 April 1914 (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5424732)
[3] Leeds Mercury Tuesday 18 November 1913
[4] Globe – Tuesday 26 September 1911
[5] Daily Telegraph & Courier (London) – Saturday 26 November 1910
[6] https://www.discogs.com/artist/4787781-Zona-Vevey
[7] Globe – Monday 03 February 1913
[8] Cannock Chase Courier – Saturday 03 September 1927
[9] https://www.musichallcds.co.uk
[10] The Stage – Thursday 04 March 1948
[11] The Referee – Sunday 03 July 1910
The British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Bobs
Find My Past: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/