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Caricature
Cooke, George - Enlarge image
Caricature
- Place of origin:
Hanley, England (made)
- Date:
August 1904 (drawn)
- Artist/Maker:
Cooke, George (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and ink and wash on paper
- Museum number:
S.393:2-2002
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This caricature is of Verno and Voyce at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 29 August 1904. They appeared in their ‘great vocal scena "Jack Shepherd, or The Burglary at the Grange"’. This was an operatic sketch based on the life of the 18th-century highwayman Jack Sheppard. It is one of the many superb caricatures of Edwardian music hall performers that were drawn by the artist George Cooke when he was based at the Grand Theatre. He compiled them in a series of albums. A review noted,
A delightful little operatic sketch, with appropriate scenic effects, it was admirably given, and the singing of both artistes, who have voices of great richness and power, and who introduced various topical illusions into their songs, were heartily appreciated.
Sydney Verno and Albert Voyce first appeared on the halls in the 1890s as ‘The Fin-de-Cycle Bicyclists’ and ‘The Singing Cyclists’. After Sydney’s death in 1897, Barney Stuart replaced him. By 1905 the duo was working as ‘sketch vocalists’ instead of a cycling act. They advertised themselves at the Canterbury, Collins’ and the Royal in April 1906 as ‘popular singing comedians’. They were never big stars, and were earning £25 a week in 1912. At this time the stars Neil Kenyon and G. H. Elliott were earning £75 and £100 a week respectively.
