Chaplin's Music Hall: The Chaplins and their Circle in the Limelight

 

Chaplin’s family and the circle of fellow performers whose life stories are told in this book were appearing at a time when music hall was in a state of transition, changing from an entertainment still reminiscent of its tavern-based origins to a complex, highly-financed industry seeking legitimacy with a far wider public. As venues grew larger, performers struggled to make connections with an increasingly remote audience.

 

This book tells the stories of Chaplin’s family and their music-hall circle – from *dashing* Eva Lester to the great Fred Karno and from Chaplin’s parents Hannah Hill and Charles Chaplin to *The Great Calvero* himself. Barry Anthony  reveals the difficult and often tragic lives of London's variety community in the late Victorian and Edwardian years, and in doing so, provides readers with a new and unique look into the life of Charlie Chaplin.