# List of British music hall performers

This list of British music hall performers includes a related list of British Variety entertainers.

## Music Hall and Variety

Music Hall, Britain's first form of commercial mass entertainment, emerged, broadly speaking, in the mid-19th century, and ended (arguably) after the First World War, when the halls rebranded their entertainment as Variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Britain between bold and scandalous Victorian Music Hall and subsequent, more respectable Variety may differ (in the US, Burlesque and Vaudeville have analogous connotations).

## British Music Hall entertainers

* Annie Adams (1843–1905)
* Fred Albert (1844–1886)
* Charles Austin (1878–1944)
* Wilkie Bard (1874–1944)
* Fred Barnes (1885–1938)
* Ida Barr (1882–1967)
* T. W. Barrett (1851–1935)
* George Beauchamp (1862–1900)
* Harry Bedford (1873-1939)
* Bessie Bellwood (1856–1896)
* Ada Blanche (1862–1953)
* Bessie Bonehill (1855–1902)
* Herbert Campbell (1844–1904)
* Kate Carney (1869–1950)
* Mrs Caulfield (1817–1870)
* Harry Champion (1865–1942)
* Charles Chaplin Sr. (1863–1901)
* Hannah Chaplin (1865–1928)
* Albert Chevalier (1861–1923)
* G. H. Chirgwin (1854–1922)
* Tom Clare (1876–1946)
* Harry Clifton (1832–1872)
* Charles Coborn (1852–1945)
* Lottie Collins (1865–1910)
* Sam Collins (1825–1865)
* Kitty Colyer (1881–1972)
* Margaret Cooper (1877–1922)
* Sam Cowell (1820–1864)
* Whit Cunliffe (1875–1966)
* Marie Dainton (1881–1938; half-Russian)
* Daisy Dormer (1883–1947)
* Leo Dryden (1863–1939)
* T. E. Dunville (1867–1924)
* Gus Elen (1862–1940)
* G. H. Elliott (1882–1962)
* Kate Everleigh (1864–1926)
* James Fawn (1850–1923)
* George Formby Sr (1875–1921)
* Tom Foy (1879–1917)
* Harry Fragson (1869–1913)
* Will Fyffe (1885–1947)
* Barclay Gammon (1866–1915)
* Gertie Gitana (1887–1957)
* Robert Glindon (c. 1799–1866)
* Charles Godfrey (1854–1900)
* Ernest Hastings (1879–1940)
* Dick Henderson (1891–1958)
* May Henderson (1884–1937)
* Jenny Hill (1848–1896)
* Thomas Hudson (1791–1844)
* Alec Hurley (1871–1913)
* Jack Judge (1872–1938)
* Marie Kendall (1873–1964)
* Hetty King (1883–1972)
* John Labern (c. 1815–1881)
* Walter Laburnum (1847–1902)
* George Lashwood (1863–1942)
* Harry Lauder (1870–1950)
* John Lawson (1865–1920)
* Dan Leno (1860–1904)
* Fannie Leslie (1856–1935)
* George Leybourne (1842–1884)
* George Leyton (1864–1948)
* Letty Lind (1861–1923)
* Millie Lindon (1869–1940)
* Victor Liston (1838–1913)
* Alice Lloyd (1873–1949)
* Arthur Lloyd (1839–1904)
* Marie Lloyd (1870–1922)
* Tommy Lorne (1890–1935)
* G. H. MacDermott (1845–1901)
* E. W. Mackney (1825–1909)
* Clarice Mayne (1886–1966)
* Ernie Mayne (1871–1937)
* Jack Mayne (1887–1963) Comedian (name George Albert Caley)
* Sam Mayo (1881–1938)
* Billy Merson (1879–1947)
* Victoria Monks (1884–1927)
* Lily Morris (1882–1952)
* Jolly John Nash (1828–1901)
* Harry Nicholls (1852–1926)
* Talbot O'Farrell (1878–1952)
* Joe O'Gorman (1863–1937)
* Denise Orme (1885–1960)
* Charles Penrose (1873–1952)
* Mrs F. R. Phillips (c. 1829–1899)
* Jack Pleasants (1875–1924)
* Nelly Power (1854–1887)
* Arthur Prince (1881–1946)
* Harry Randall (1857–1932)
* Ada Reeve (1874–1966)
* Ella Retford (1885–1962)
* J. W. Rickaby (1870–1929)
* Arthur Roberts (1852–1933)
* George Robey (1869–1954)
* Frederick Robson (1821–1864)
* Austin Rudd (1868–1929)
* Maidie Scott (1881–1966)
* Malcolm Scott (1872–1929)
* Jack Selbini (c.1854–1932)
* Mark Sheridan (1864–1918)
* Ella Shields (1879–1952)
* J. H. Stead (c. 1827–1866)
* Eugene Stratton (1861–1918)
* Marie Studholme (1872–1930)
* Randolph Sutton (1888–1969)
* Harry Sydney (c. 1825–1870)
* Harry Tate (1872–1940)
* Little Tich (1867–1928)
* Vesta Tilley (1864–1952)
* Sam Torr (1849–1923)
* Alfred Vance (1839–1888)
* Harriet Vernon (1852–1923)
* Vesta Victoria (1873–1951)
* Harry Weldon (1881–1930)
* Bessie Wentworth (1873–1901)
* Mabel Whittaker (1888–1963) (Dancer) The Rainbow Girl
* Charles Whittle (1874–1947)
* Daisy Wood (1877–1961)
* Wee Georgie Wood (1894–1979)
* Tom Woottwell (1864–1941)

### British Music Hall entertainers: gallery

* Charles Coborn (1852–1945)
* Gus Elen (1862–1940)
* Little Tich (1867–1928)
* Marie Lloyd (1870–1922)
* Vesta Victoria (1873–1951)
* Frank Travis (1854-1931)

## British Variety entertainers

* Arthur Askey (1900–1982)
* Billy Bennett (1887–1942)
* Issy Bonn (1903–1977)
* Max Bygraves (1922–2012)
* Charlie Chester (1914–1997)
* Ken Dodd (1927–2018)
* Clive Dunn (1920–2012)
* Sid Field (1904–1950)
* Gracie Fields (1898–1979)
* Flanagan and Allen (respectively: 1896–1968; 1894–1982)
* Flanders and Swann (respectively: 1922–1975; 1923–1994)
* George Formby (1904–1961)
* Bruce Forsyth (1928–2017)
* Dickie Henderson (1922–1985)
* Joan Hinde (1933–2015)
* Stanley Holloway (1890–1982)
* Roy Hudd (1936–2020)
* Jack Hylton (1892–1965)
* Jewel and Warriss (respectively: 1909–1995; 1909–1993)
* Davy Kaye (1916–1998)
* Danny La Rue (1927–2009)
* Kenneth McKellar (1927–2010)
* Max Miller (1894–1963)
* Ivor Novello (1893–1951)
* Joe O'Gorman (1890–1974)
* Tessie O'Shea (1913–1995)
* Bob and Alf Pearson (respectively: 1907–1985; 1910–2012)
* Frank Randle (1901–1957)
* Ted Ray (1905–1977)
* Leslie Sarony (1897–1985)
* Andy Stewart (1933–1993)
* Tommy Trinder (1909–1989)
* Max Wall (1908–1990)
* Jimmy Wheeler (1910–1973)
* Robb Wilton (1881–1957)

### British Variety entertainers: gallery

* Ivor Novello (1893–1951)
* Gracie Fields (1898–1979)
* George Formby (1904–1961)
* Danny La Rue (1927–2009)
* Ken Dodd (1927–2018)