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All contents are Copyright  © 2006-2012  John M Blundall and Stephen Foster or is part of The John M Blundall Collection unless stated otherwise.

Chorus Tommy - UK

Like other family travelling marionette theatres in the 19th century the Tillers Clowes Troupe of marionettes frequently performed items made popular by their human counterparts in drinking houses, music halls and other popular performance venues. One of the most popular comic songs, Oh Cruel Were My Parents written by Edward Calver, was performed by Chorus Tommy, a wooden peg-legged sailor. The well known street performer Billy Walters had a wooden leg, played the fiddle and danced. This set a fashion and other characters followed, but usually as a sailor.

Chorus Tommy involved two aged characters Tommy and Sal who sang the popular song, at the end of each verse Sal shouted out Chorus Tommy to which he responded with a tune on his fiddle, a simple jig, and the chorus in which the audience joined in. The item was so popular that a considerable number of the 19th century travelling marionette theatres performed the item.