In this blog there is mention of the Coliseum on western
promenade being established in 1921 as an open air theatre. It was owned by the council and leased out to 'concert parties' of singers, musicians, dancers and comedians .
One of the earliest, if not the first, leaseholder was Billy
Churchill whose show Uncle Billy’s Jolly Boys could not have been there more
than half a dozen years but made quite an impact because long after the troupe
had gone the public were still referring to the Coliseum as “the Jolly Boys”.
The longest lessee was Will Parkin who took over the theatre in 1927. He inherited Mr. Churchill’s mantle of Uncle Billy, and presented professional
shows there until the 1950s.
In Bill Ellis’ book 'Entertainment
In Rhyl And North Wales' (published 1997) you would find an entire chapter
about Will Parkin. Since then - nearly 20 years - I have been looking for a Parkin picture that Bill
had not included, and here it is:
Click on the picture to see a bigger version.
The picture is from the 1920s when the troupe was called The Optimists;
Mr. Parkin is the one sitting on a surreal animal.
By late 1920s, a time of economic depression, they had re-branded as Will Parkin and Frank A. Terry present The Famous Super Optimists.
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6720. Three additional images added here in June 2020:
Above are images from the souvenir programme of the 26th consecutive season by Will Parkin (Uncle Billy) in 1952 at the Coliseum which was still an open air theatre at the time.
Other performers listed are Jack Noyes comedian, Freddie Dexter, Harry Dillon, Robbie Ions organist, Brian Baines, The Three Cheers, Dorothy Duval, Tessa Sims soprano, Roy Muir and June probably dancers, Jon Evans probably a magician, Phyllis Fisher puppets.
Among the minor credits are comedy actor Ted Lune (probably as a writer) and Box & Co. (music shop), Water Street, Rhyl.
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The picture is from the 1920s when the troupe was called The Optimists;
Mr. Parkin is the one sitting on a surreal animal.
By late 1920s, a time of economic depression, they had re-branded as Will Parkin and Frank A. Terry present The Famous Super Optimists.
--
6720. Three additional images added here in June 2020:
Above are images from the souvenir programme of the 26th consecutive season by Will Parkin (Uncle Billy) in 1952 at the Coliseum which was still an open air theatre at the time.
Other performers listed are Jack Noyes comedian, Freddie Dexter, Harry Dillon, Robbie Ions organist, Brian Baines, The Three Cheers, Dorothy Duval, Tessa Sims soprano, Roy Muir and June probably dancers, Jon Evans probably a magician, Phyllis Fisher puppets.
Among the minor credits are comedy actor Ted Lune (probably as a writer) and Box & Co. (music shop), Water Street, Rhyl.
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Colin Jones / email: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk
See my Rhyl videos on YouTube:
Only the videos marked RhylTime are mine!
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