The Music Hall and Theatre History Website

Homepage - Index- Contact -

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Theatres and Halls, Past and Present, in Glasgow, Scotland

Also see Edinburgh Theatres - Clydebank Theatres

Click the yellow highlights on the map, or links below, to see the relevant theatres

Above - Mr. Arthur Lloyd in Glasgow - Glasgow News, September 29, 1878. - Courtesy Jennifer Carnell.

"Popular Concerts. - A little nonsense, according to the old adage, is relished by the wisest people, and if Washington Irving may be believed, there is no social companionship equal to that where the jokes are rather small and the laughter abundant. It is generally considered that nonsense ought to be administered sparingly, by infinitesimal doses, as it were; but the audience at the City Hall on Saturday evening showed that larger proportions did not altogether disagree with the public digestion. They were promised 'two hours genuine fun,' and they got them; for Mr.Arthur Lloyd, the versatile son of our veteran comedian, was there in great force, accompanied by a party whose native drollery was calculated to set any table in a roar. The effect of the performance was not wholly what Goldsmith described as 'the loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind.' It was rather that happy ebullition of merriment which braces the vital power, enlivens the spirits, and makes a man better disposed towards his fellows than he was before. A healthy exuberance of animal spirits was apparent all through, and the outward mirth afforded indubitable evidence of inward satisfaction. We are free to confess that the members of Mr. Arthur Lloyd's party are about the funniest people we have seen for a long time, and that their sallies of humour were met by those frank manifestations of delight so unmistakably dear to every public performer." - Glasgow News, September 29, 1878.

MR. ARTHUR LLOYD (as every Glaswegian knows) is a son of the late well-known "Old Lloyd" (the comedian of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Theatres for sixty years). Arthur Lloyd came into prominence many years ago, when quite a youth he made an immense sensation as a comedian and vocalist at the Old Whitebait Varieties. Since then his name has become renowned as author, composer, comedian, and vocalist. He is also a dramatic author, and for the last ten years has devoted his time more to Theatres than Variety Halls. He travels with a drama of his own called "Ballyvogan," in which be plays an old Scotchman, which has been pronounced by public and press a remarkable creation. He commenced a tour with this on August 26, at the Rotunda Theatre, Liverpool, and is booked in all the best Theatres of the United Kingdom. Arthur Lloyd has just returned from nine months tour of the States and Canada where he has been most enthusiastically received, and returns in the fall of 1895. He travelled with a musical comedy of his own called "Our Party" assisted by a company including his clever son and daughter Mr. Harry King Lloyd and Miss Annie King Lloyd. Mr. Arthur Lloyd was at the Britannia this week, and on Monday night was awarded quite an ovation-the applause and cheers lasting quite a minute. This is Mr. Lloyd's only music hall engagement this year - the rest of' his time being devoted to theatres.

Text and image from an article entitled 'Series of Character Sketches, No. 35.' published in 'The Quiz' of August 9th 1894. - Courtesy Iain Wotherspoon.