The Shocking truth of Victorian Entertainment (Cheap and Nasty Penny Gaff Theatres in 1800s London)
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- Опубліковано 1 кві 2023
- How rude and filthy was Victorian entertainment? At a London Penny Gaff theatre the entrance fee was cheap, and so were the shows. In the 1800s all kinds of vulgar dancing and comic acts could be watched at one of these East End London theatres for just a penny. The language wasn't only filthy, but it was positively encouraged by an audience that, believe it or not, consisted mostly of working class children and teenagers. Find out what the 'entertainment' was like at one of these East End theatres, in a genuine account of a visit made by a Victorian journalist in the 1840s.
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Credits: Narration - markmanningmedia.com
CC BY - A drunken scene in a dancing hall, Illustration of a dance hall above a cemetery area by Wellcome Collection; Close-up view of Caucasian businessman hands footage by videvo.com
CC BY-SA - Blue Plaque erected in 1953 by London County Council by Spudgun67; Victoria Penny ID 3957 by cgb; Marga Graf, Austrias operatta star by Polygoon-Profilti, Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid
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▶Crazy Gin Palaces of Victorian London - ua-cam.com/video/rrHVtLcGIuo/v-deo.html
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fabulous channel thankyou 😁
You’re welcome! It’s great that you like the content.
When you think how unbearable their day to day existance was you can understand their need for total abandonment of all the rules. Anything goes to forget their woes.
Absolutely.
When I hear from these books there's this tone of "How dare poor people have fun! I'm only here for research, but I will deeply describe the bodies of young women with out describing what I'm actually researching. They're perverts! Not me!""
The very impudence of it all!
It's the hypocrisy that gets me. Girls as young as 12 could legally be forced into prostitution until 1885 (and I'm sure many were younger than 12). And who would a lot of their clients have been but those of upper classes who were filthy perverts wanting to abuse a young girl....and then turn around and complain they're not ladylike, they're watching such filthy shows, and the debauchery! "WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN!?" They lived fully within debauchery themselves. I'd be surprised if very many of them were protected from any of that....they couldn't be. Society failed them by starving out their parents for generations, leading them down the road to complete and utter poverty. They didn't have a chance....and here comes Victorian man Karen, incensed by what they're doing for fun.
I’m sure what they considered dirty, is tame compared to our naughty goings on!
"All the World's A Stage... most of it being a Penny Gaff" - Me, 2023
That would be a rowdy stage!
My thoughts exactly.
Brilliant ❤
All the internets a stage,...
All the flat Earth's an internet Collab....
I hate myself right now 😅
What a treat when Fact Feast uploads on a Sunday afternoon.
Hope you enjoyed the story!
A lot of this feels awfully familiar.
You are certainly not wrong.
I do however resonate with the insight of the gentleman interviewed towards the end.
I know that my family (myself included) will absolutely laugh (perhaps excessively 😅) when viewing a comedy routine that would probably be considered of ‘low class’. I also know that those same family members have been moved to tears when hearing renowned orchestra’s or when viewing acclaimed stage productions.
I personally played the flute/piccolo with the Sydney symphony orchestra for a time (Australia). To this day, the same people who enjoy off-colour jokes will still remark about watching the orchestra perform and how much they enjoyed it.
I think that the entertainment that different classes of people enjoy very much comes down to accessibility. Whether that be distance, cost or even the ability to adhere to certain dress codes which would require additional funds.
I was lucky enough to attend a school where they believed that the arts were a vital part of education. We would go on excursions several times a year to view performances or productions. The children who were unable to afford the required attire were very quietly loaned a suitable outfit.
I will never forget the look of wonder on the faces of the children who had not received that opportunity before. Once the curtains rose, they were transfixed!
I suppose this is all to say that yes, I do understand your point that low-brow humour is enjoyed now probably more than ever before. All that I ask is that you consider the reason why more people are not enjoying more stereotypically ‘refined’ entertainment. There is a wall that seemingly exists between this entertainment and a large portion of society.
To put it frankly, people will seek out entertainment from wherever they are able to find it. Much like in this account, they find it with ‘crass’ humour as that is what is accessible to them.
I'm sure this was tame compared to what is available these days.
Basically the Victorian version of a rave
A branch of my ancestors were born, lived. and worked in St. Giles throughout the 1750s to 1850s. They lived in a bottleneck that most maps of the day didn't include, but I knew nothing about what they did to entertain themselves. Thank you for your enlightenment.
Benny Hill carried it on into the recent past. TS Eliot said he wished he was as popular as the music halls, which connected strongly with their audiences.
A lot of parallels to today's world here.
Sorry I missed this upload yesterday! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR CHANNEL
To humanise the lower classes of the past... oh how I appreciate what you're doing.
Thank you.
Thank you TheWhitefisher. It’s great that you enjoy the stories!
@@FactFeast You [team?] do a really good job of sourcing your material, and I still wonder what kind of person in what kind of career has this kind of exposure to contemporary sources? Academic? If so, are you a volunteer in this capacity? What drives you to go to all of this effort?
Don't worry about answering right now, because I have an idea: have you considered any form of livestream or anything like that? It might take only an hour or two if you schedule far enough in advance and then filter the questions you answer and then dedicate a further say 30 minutes to free interaction.
The material is so fascinating as to beg the question: who has presented it and why?
My emphasis is and should always be in thanks for what you've [already] done on this channel.
[edited word in these]
Love your channel. 🖤😊
Thank you so much!
What utter Victorian shows the narrator represents! I know it was the times but the contempt for the working class that was displayed in the narrator's script is sadly alive today.
"Victorian snobs" not Victorian shows. I hate Autocorrect.
But don’t forget the lens used by Victorian reformers & in this case Mayhew, a journalist, in analysing the dire poverty worsening in the cities after the Industrial Revolution. It was often linked to moral failures.
I understand what you mean, but this was a satirical piece "in keeping with the times" as you say. One only has to look at Dickens' work.
Mayhew was actually a reformer, the biggest social reformer of victorian england, to be honest.
He interviewed hundreds of poor people for his books on poor London - beggars, street-entertainers (such as Punch and Judy men), market traders, prostitutes, labourers, sweatshop workers, even down to the "mudlarks" who searched the mud on the banks of the Thames for wood, metal, rope, and coal from passing ships, and the "pure-finders" who gathered dog poo to sell to tanners. He described their clothes, how and where they lived, their entertainments and customs, and made detailed estimates of the numbers and incomes of those practising each trade. The books were thoroughly honest and showed how sadly precarious many people's lives were, in what, at that time, was the richest city in the world.
His work drew much attention to what was at the time the largely ignored underbelly of London and was the single biggest influence towards social change.
I personally believe we are slipping back to Victorian era social standards, but sadly there are no great reformers such as this, or Dickens, et al to save us .
He was reading an article written by a journalist at the time. He said so right at the start. Maybe pay attention to what’s being said and you won’t have to be outraged.
@@thehangingparsiple5692you are not alone in feeling we are slipping back to the 19th century but less social in person interaction sadly for some of us.
what else could they do? the poor have been ignored by the rich, and this still happens.
This phrase springs to mind: *Den of Iniquity*
So...give us something better to watch that we can afford, we will enjoy that too"
The drawings are incredible…
Pretty rich that they're so shocked at young girls being present at a show like this when they could still be forced into prostitution at 12. When you allow society's children to be used and abused legally, like they still very much were in the 1840s, you are a huge hypocrite for feigning shock that they're not "ladylike" while living so roughly. They would've seen everything by that point. There is no hiding debauchery from children literally living in debauchery.
There’s a huge difference between being forced into prostitution by predators, or for survival and paying precious money to be entertained by the crude dehumanizing jokes at their expense that they are trying to escape from for a short while. Just because that’s a fact of life for many young girls, doesn’t mean all the other even younger children should be forced to have their innocence stolen before necessary. Like the journalist said, at the end, they only went to those because it was, the only entertainment offered to them that they could afford. They would’ve gone to better entertainment that was less sleazy if they had the opportunity.
The writer was a journalist trying to create reform and improve their living standards , so he was writing this on behalf of people that have never step foot in that area much less gone to one of those Penny gaffes so he was painting the scene from the perspective of the middle class or upper class view on society.
So yes, they would be shocked because women and children were not allowed to behave in such a crass manner (in public at least).
Exactly
The rich were so out of touch of the poors situations they literally figured dress them civily they will act civilly. Give them church morals and they will act accordigly when, they had no option to do so.
Choice was, be moral and starve pure or do what is necessary and eat.
Thank you for sharing this, that last part is the real takeaway!
Absolutely!
Thank you 👍
A pleasure!
Last and most important part of my research penny gaff shop also called penny gaff cheap or low class place of entertainment, cheap theater or music hall in Victorian England. Gaff means in old term person home or flat . Penny referred to entrance fee for low class. Shows featured melodrama, music hall artists , plays of Shakespeare in more than two and half hours, repeated many times during course of evening. Penny gaff theaters flourished in London between 1830and 1900 . Sited In empty shops, where houses , pubs , anywhere house paying spectators. This theatre feared ad rearing grounds for criminals by Victorian reformers . Rotunda black friars road was biggest venue in London . It’s could seat 1,000 people lasting up to two and half hours. Showing elephant man was popular however public attitudes about freak shows , display of human novelties was begins so offensive. Best wishes for you your family friends. Ihope you like my research.
The word "gaff" continues to this day...just meaning someone's home.
Debauchery, foul language and lewdness. Well, I know which end of town I'd be at. 😉
Wonderful video sir!
And only a penny to get in! 😃
....house of commons bbc1 haha😅
Given how meek the Victorian ideas of what constitutes "undignified" dress or dance were, I wonder how their "dirty jokes" would compare to our modern stand up open mics😁
Sounds like NYC's 42nd street in the 60's-70's.
I have enjoyed many of your videos and found this especially interesting .I had never heard of a penny gaff before ,though of course knew about music halls .I find it easy enough to understand how such places must have appealed to young people who's lives were otherwise pretty grim .It's not hard to imagine how bright and jolly they must have seemed ,at least compared to spending an evening in their (probably) cramped and cold homes .I expect the coloured lights ,painted walls ,music ,warmth and dancing seemed almost glamorous and the only fun and excitement they could expect for the most part .All very shocking and immoral to the comfortable middle class of course but morality is (And no doubt was ) easier from a warm fireside and a comfortable armchair .
Thank you Wendy! I'm glad you found this one interesting. There were certainly worse activities to be doing on the streets than to be in a Penny Gaff.
Thanks F.F.❤
You’re very welcome 😊
@@FactFeast 😊
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
You're welcome!
My favorite UA-camr! It’s the VOICE for me!! And the content is great, too!
That’s great! Hope you enjoyed the story.
New subscriber here. Very much enjoyed. Will be back for more !!!
Welcome to the channel! Thank you. You will find lots more like this here and to come.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the Super Thanks Fang Slaughter. You are very kind and I'm glad you enjoyed the story!
@@FactFeast History is in good hands here.
Thank you Sir.
I will always support you.
Great art work as good as any digital camera drawn by people who lived it all
What exactly was going on, and being sung and being joked about? I remember the same lofty moral tone was used against " Rock'n Roll ' which enriched my working class teenage years.
Meanwhile,over at the library.
😂
Fabulous.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the history.
Cockneys will never change then! They are still the same today but none actually live in London anymore! 😂
Sounds like fun as long as a fire doesn't start.
It's like Benidorm today
At least the rich can afford the pearls he's clutching.
Victorian operations were public "entertainment" are there any accounts of operations that would suit your style?
How are you doing sir thank you for wonderful cultural documentary channel. I like your topics especially this episode I just now right now there are special theaters for low classes too . Good acting is meaningful and delivers massage and bad acting just for entertainment and make money is tastefully fell and encourages crimes for both young and old people and we must be carful to differentiate . As always iam gathering main information about topics you mentioned briefly here it’s
The name gaffer in Hollywood actually comes from British slang for tool called gaff which was hooked metal pole used in theater to adjust stage lights .
Sorry imean ijust know right now .
Most depressing . Thanks.
I. Watched a film called Limehouse golem brilliant I recommend it
It’s got East End music halls and mystery. Nice!
@@FactFeast yes and some in it there was Limehouse Dan leamy was a real person lots of none truths and plenty of truth I thought bit was really good
The writer sounds like a real hand-wringing, pearl-clutching Miss Grundy.
The writer did it on purpose so the end would have bigger impact on the reader. It helps his true intentions land.
The writers, whole point is wrapped up in the final comment when he drops the façade, that poor people are different creatures. When in reality, they want the same things as middle class and upper class. They don’t choose the vulgar they’re only offered the cheapest lowest effort form of entertainment-vulgar humor of graphic nature.
When everything surrounding them is at the basest lowest quality, including how people treat them, as well as any entertainment or information given to them, is then that is what they’re going to imitate. The saddest shame is it trickles down to even the little ones.
The actual writer was a notable reformer for social change, trying to make improvements for the lower classes and less fortunate. He was well-versed in the realities of what the common person faced in order to survive. The Pearl clutching, was a reflection of some of the audience he was writing to to try to be more relatable, (cultural snobs) so they could then be educated to the truth.
Hilarious. I think the author of this extract would only be happy if everyone was at home studying their Bible. And the only time they went out was to regular church services.
I still love Harry Champion! But he was 20th century!
ADMISSION 1 PENNY
🏃💨Son of a ahhhh 🦍💨
👥️👥️👥️👥️👥️👥️👥️👥️👥️
Mayhew kind of sounds like a grumpass.
🥳
Thanks Tal Park.
❤
Thanks lynne! Much appreciated.
Can you do a review of assassins creed syndicate?
Penny Gaffs
And now those same penny shows are shown in tvs and internet for young viewers starting at the very young age of 1.
How the bankers destroy society.
What on earth do bankers have to do with TV broadcasting standards..
Was the sickly stench from the lack of hygiene or from all the different perfumes?? I would say just pure filth on the clothes and bodies and they probably doused perfume over that.(toilet water). Lol
And today children are brought to drag shows.
And what's wrong with that 😌
@@coconutsmarties not even going to justify a reply
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks Miji 😊
7:35= They were twerking
*An Ill-Cast Comedy For Fools.*
_Ars Longa Vita Brevis_
Stay free ... Rab ⏰ 🎲 ☠ 🕊
Still here in the 21 first century. Just turn on a tv or read a newspaper.
WAT FOLKS
Second
Third
First
Strike a light guv'nor. 😮
This phrase springs to mind: *Den of Iniquity*
Thanks!
Thanks for watching. Much appreciated!
This phrase springs to mind: *Den of Iniquity*