The King's Jester : The Life of Dan Leno, Victorian Comic Genius

Who was Dan Leno? In 1901 everyone in Britain knew who he was. They had seen him live on the music hall stage, listened to his jokes on the new gramophone and watched his funny antics in some of the earliest moving pictures. Even King Edward VII was a fan and the popular press dubbed Dan Leno 'The King's Jester'. But his path to fame was a hard one: he journeyed from being a child performer in the London and Liverpool slums to a chaotic career in hard-bitten northern variety theatres. Dan became the nation's favourite comedian, but as one of the first mass media stars he suffered from this continual exposure and died at the early age of forty three. Drawing on many previously unused sources, this is first, authoritative, biography of Dan Leno. Only Charlie Chaplin, often compared to Dan in style and appearance, was to occupy a similar position in the hearts of the British public. In telling the full story of Dan's life and career on the stage and screen, Barry Anthony brings to life the everyday life of Victorian Britain, as well as Dan's unique brand of humour and its resonance with later comedians such as Spike Milligan and the Monty Python team. In 1901 everyone in Britain knew Dan Leno. Only Charlie Chaplin, often compared to Dan in style and appearance, was to occupy a similar position in the hearts of the British public. They had seen Dan live on the music hall stage or in Drury Lane Theatre's famous pantomimes, listened to his jokes on the new gramophone and watched his funny antics in some of the earliest moving pictures. Even the newly crowned King Edward VII was a fan, commanding Dan to give a special performance at Sandringham. Immediately, the popular press dubbed him ̀The King's Jester'. But his path to such acclaim had been hard and painful, starting as a child performer in the slums of London and Liverpool and progressing to a chaotic career in hard-bitten northern variety theatres. Dan's final position as the nation's favourite comedian involved severe strain as he struggled to meet the requirements of widely varying audiences. His stage act itself presented a series of contradictions as he attempted to present the opinions of both male and female characters. As one of the first mass media stars, Dan suffered the damaging effects of continual exposure and public expectation. After a series of much publicised physical and mental breakdowns he died at the early age of forty three