Caricature of the music hall double act Bennett and Martell (John R.Bennett and Charles F. Martell), from an album of caricatures drawn by George Cooke. Dated 20 April 1910.

Pen, ink and wash caricature on pink paper of the music hall performers Bennett & Martell, full-length, as sailors. Charles Martell on the left, with a white anchor on his blue sailor's jacket, stands with his hands in his pockets and his back to John Bennett, who is wearing white trousers and a blue top emblazoned with the word 'Cunard'.

This caricature is of John R Bennett and Charles F. Martell, a double act billed as 'The Lunatics', doing a sketch entitled 'The Shipwrecked Mariners', consisting of 'Singing, Dancing, Acrobating, Posturing, Knockabouting and other Chaotic Comicalities.' This caricature was done when they were appearing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley during the week of 18th April 1910, but they also appeared at The Grand during the weeks of 10th August 1903 and 17th April 1905, and at The Hippodrome, Stoke on Trent during the week of 30th October 1905 with another sketch 'The Ship That Never Moved'.

This caricature comes from the second album of caricatures in a collection of albums owned by the Theatre Museum compiled by the graphic artist George Cooke. It is labelled by the artist 'Geo Cooke HYS BOOKE' and features music hall performers working in the early 20th century. This caricature is of a later date that others round it in the album, and on a brighter pink paper. It has been pasted in to this album later since it is dated 20 April 1910.

Attribution note: This caricature is of a later date that others round it in the album, and on a brighter pink paper. It has been pasted in to this album at a later date.

This caricature is of Bennett and Martell performing at the Grand Theatre of Varieties, Hanley, during the week of 18 April 1910. They were billed as ‘John R. Bennett and Charles F. Martell, the Old Team in a New Act entitled The Shipwrecked Mariners’. Their act was described as ‘Singing, Dancing Acrobating, Posturing, Knockabouting and other Chaotic Comicalities’. They were often advertised as ‘The Lunatics’. This 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.

Bennett and Martell had previously appeared at the Grand Theatre in 1903 and 1905 with another nautically inspired comedy act, ‘The Ship That Never Moved’. They also performed it in 1905 at the Hippodrome, Stoke-on-Trent. Called by one reviewer a ‘funny and laughter-provoking pair’, they appeared as a comedy double act in pantomime as well.

S.393:24-2002