Not currently on display at the V&A

Theatre Costume

ca. 1920-1929 (made)

Will Judge (1883-1960), billed as The Norfolk Comedian, was a well-known comedy- variety and pantomime artist for thirty years in the first half of the 20th century. Although he performed all over the British Isles, occasionally in London, he was best known in East Anglia and the North of England; at this period, before the spread of radio and the invention of television, comedians were often 'local' and humour in the North could be very different from that in the South (for example, Max Miller was never as popular in the North of England, while Jimmy Learmouth was most popular in his native Lancashire). He played Dame in pantomime and married Gertrude Orchard, who played Principal Boy. His Dame characters, while obviously exaggerated, inclined towards the 'elegant' or homely rather than the grotesque.

The technique of dancing in flaps, shoes with elongated feet, was developed especially by the great music hall performer, Little Titch, but taken up by many other comedians who tried to develop their own routines wearing flaps of varying lengths. It would have taken hours of practice to develop the skill to learn to control the exaggerated length until the shoes became an integral part of the foot.
The Museum has several examples of flaps in its collection, but these are the longest and most exaggerated.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Theatre Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Shoe
  • Theatre Costume
  • Dance Costume
  • Shoe
Materials and techniques
Leather uppers with wooden soles and metal toe caps
Brief description
Dance shoe worn by Will Judge, ca.1920s. Light brown lace-up leather flaps, with elongated toes with metal toe caps and wooden soles.
Credit line
Given by Patric Judge in memory of his grandfather Will Judge (1883-1960).
Object history
Given by Patric Judge in memory of his grandfather Will Judge (1883-1960)
Summary
Will Judge (1883-1960), billed as The Norfolk Comedian, was a well-known comedy- variety and pantomime artist for thirty years in the first half of the 20th century. Although he performed all over the British Isles, occasionally in London, he was best known in East Anglia and the North of England; at this period, before the spread of radio and the invention of television, comedians were often 'local' and humour in the North could be very different from that in the South (for example, Max Miller was never as popular in the North of England, while Jimmy Learmouth was most popular in his native Lancashire). He played Dame in pantomime and married Gertrude Orchard, who played Principal Boy. His Dame characters, while obviously exaggerated, inclined towards the 'elegant' or homely rather than the grotesque.

The technique of dancing in flaps, shoes with elongated feet, was developed especially by the great music hall performer, Little Titch, but taken up by many other comedians who tried to develop their own routines wearing flaps of varying lengths. It would have taken hours of practice to develop the skill to learn to control the exaggerated length until the shoes became an integral part of the foot.
The Museum has several examples of flaps in its collection, but these are the longest and most exaggerated.
Collection
Accession number
S.108:1 to 2-2004

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Record createdJune 2, 2004
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