A song and supper room was a dining club in mid-nineteenth century

Victorian England In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

in which entertainment and good food were provided. They provided an alternative to formal theatre and music hall with a convivial atmosphere in which the customers were encouraged to perform themselves.

"Free and easies"

In the first part of the nineteenth century, entertainment by both professional and amateur performers began to be provided at some

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...

s. Such venues were known as "free and easies", and it is said that "by and large they were disreputable establishments." There was no charge for entry, but only men were permitted in them. "Song and supper rooms", ''OvertheFootlights.co.uk'', p.S20
Retrieved 28 April 2017 The journal '' The Town'' reported in 1837:

The epidemic of vocal music has more particularly spread its contagious and devastating influence amongst the youth of the Metropolis, the London apprentice boys. These young gentlemen generally give vent to their passion and display their vocal abilities in the spacious room appropriated to that purpose of some tavern or public house and these meetings are most aptly denominated Free and Easies: free as air they are for the advancement of drunkenness and profligacy and easy enough of access to all classes of society with little regard to appearances or character.

According to the Scottish comedian W. F. Frame, "a free-and-easy was a happy, go-as-you-please sort of entertainment and a capital preparatory school for budding amateurs."

Leading song and supper rooms

The song and supper rooms developed in London from the 1820s and 1830s, and were an important influence on the development of the music hall tradition. Three of the most significant were: * The Coal Hole, in Fountain Court off the Strand, described in 1851 as "the oldest and most popular of the singing establishments". In its early days, the actor

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...

was a regular customer. Popular performers included its landlord, John Rhodes; J. A. Cave, a singer who introduced the banjo to Britain; and Joe Wells, according to one critic a "dreadful old creature.. who used to sing the most disgusting ditties". The Coal Hole lost its licence in 1862 and was later demolished for road widening. * Evans's Supper Rooms in the basement of the Grand Hotel, King Street, Covent Garden. It was established, as "Evans's late Joy's", by William Carpenter Evans, who converted Mr Joy's earlier dining rooms into a song and supper room. Its "Chairman" from 1842 was John "Paddy" Green, and its most popular entertainer in the 1840s was the singer Sam Cowell. Its patrons included

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

and

Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and th ...

. After Paddy Green retired in 1871, the new owner allowed more risqué performances, including those of Arthur Roberts, and the venue lost its licence and closed in 1880. * The Cyder Cellars, beside the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

in Covent Garden, which opened in the late 1820s. Thackeray was again a regular visitor, and described its clientele as "country tradesmen and farmers, young apprentices, rakish medical students, university bucks, guardsmen and members of the House of Lords." It featured "judge and jury" trials presided over by "Baron" Renton Nicholson, which were often parodies of real and current court cases. The Cyder Cellars also featured songs by W. G. Ross and Tom Hudson.Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustrated history'', Pen & Sword, 2014, , pp.13-14

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Song And Supper Room Music hall Catering Supper clubs

"Free and easies"

Leading song and supper rooms

See also

References