THE UK CABARET CLUBLAND PAGE
Recently I was booked to act as Compere for the Leeds Club and Institute Union monthly showcase event, writes Mark Ritchie. This show took place at the roomy and extremely well-appointed Swarcliffe W.M.C in Leeds. Here is how we rolled and what went down on the night.
It was noticeably gratifying to see the club’s own regulars joining the show business folk to support this event. The Club and Institute Union, although much smaller in the numbers of member clubs and debatably truncated in terms of its range of influence these days, is still a hugely important source of income for live entertainers.
The entertainment agent Ashley Wheelhouse phoned me up just a few days before the event, after I presume someone or other must have let him down.
I do not perform as much as I used to on any stages at all these days, let alone Clubland stages. The clubs provided my show business roots and helped me to establish my show business credentials. Unlike many others, I do not have negative chimes to ring when it comes to conversations and social media exchanges between those who comment on the manifold reasons why so many club venues have failed and how many others had sadly been allowed to close their doors, only to be dismissed as a failed business model.
It was pleasure to see that almost legendary Leeds Club Official Terry Coffey on the night. Terry and others have strived so hard to keep the whole business of Clubland going for the next generation and should be commended for his many years of work.
Agent Ashley Wheelhouse is like me, steeped in the creed of Clubland. His mother Valerie, a children’s entertainer known as Mrs Tipsy, encouraged and enabled her young son into what we used to refer to as ‘club life’. Before becoming involved with Ashley Wheelhouse Entertainments and its parent company, Ricky Graham Leisure, Ashley worked under the auspices of another Clubland legend, the late great entertainment agent Gordon Kellett, who began booking the then burgeoning Clubland scene back in 1968.
On the night, one of the more established Leeds based female singers Debbie Jayne came along to entertain. A new duo, a female singer and a male singer, all of them new to the Clubland scene came along to do their best and the evening was, I believe, a success.
I performed some comedy on the night, which seemed to get the laughs, but Clubland comedy is like walking on eggshells these days, just as it is in other sections of the industry. Political correctness and other factors have determined that comedy is rarely performed in so many of the remaining clubs these days, which is rather a shame. Still, while events like these continue to take place, there will always be a Clubland for like-minded to enjoy on some level or another.
We are always on the lookout for Clubland people who would like to write something of their own experiences for this page. If you have a Clubland story to tell, or if you would care to contribute a little more regularly, we want to hear from you. Please e-mail the editor at mark.ritchie@ukcabaret.com
