7 May 2021 – Applications for brand new training opportunity now open!

Applications for our Arts Council funded training scheme for 18 – 25 year olds from Devon are now open. Please see http://www.prom-prom.com/training-opportunity-how-to-apply/ for more information.

Prom-Prom Awarded Funds From Arts Council England (April 2021)

Spike

We are delighted to announce that Promenade Promotions has been awarded funding from Arts Council England to run a pilot training scheme this summer.

Working with partners including Exeter College, the University of Exeter and a wide range of artists and other freelance professionals, the scheme will offer three weeks of intensive training in outdoor arts performance and self-employment management skills to 18-25 year-olds from Devon.

Our trainees will then join the team out on the road this summer, performing professionally at regular free public events in Teignmouth, Dawlish and Exeter.

More information about how to apply will be available in May, with auditions taking place in June. The training period will take place in July with performances throughout August.

Image of Sergeant Spike, 2020’s Trainee at Teignmouth. Photo by Prom-Prom

With thanks to Arts Council England for supporting this project.

NOW BOOKING FOR SUMMER 2021

Uncle Tacko lows his own trumpet

Prom-Prom is all ready to go with socially distanced and Covid-secure outdoor family entertainments for summer 2021!

Acts include The Imaginarium, the mighty Dom-Tink!, the Tinglary, Uncle Tacko’s Flea Circus, Uncle Tacko! & Captain Ginger & Flossie as well as brand new Seaside Games.

We regret that whilst social distancing remains in place, we are unable to offer the Raree Man’s Peepshow or to use the covered showman’s booth tent as part of the offer with The Imaginarium.

More information for events organisers and promoters can be found here.

You can also email admin@prom-prom.com to discuss how we can help you to create a unique and vibrant event, or simply to join our mailing list for events organisers and promoters and be kept up to date with what we are offering and how we are following public health guidance.

We continue to offer Illustrated Public Talks on Seaside Entertainment, Pantomime, Pre-Cinema, Victorian and Edwardian Entertainments year round, as well as digital Workshops on Puppetry, Street Theatre and Slapstick.

Launch of new digital archive (November 2020)

Dr Tony Lidington and Promenade Promotions (Prom-Prom) Ltd are delighted to announce the launch of a brand new resource for the study of contemporary street performance and seaside entertainment: the website www.pierrotters.co.uk

 

The Pierrotters

The Pierrotters at Scarborough, 2008. Photograph by Lizzie Coombes (Matron).

From 1983 to 2009 The Pierrotters were the only contemporary professional pierrot troupe, and the first for 50 years, to provide outdoor promenade performances in the UK. This website makes the company’s entire archive available digitally for the first time. The site is open access, and its development has been funded by Arts Council England.

The creation of The Pierrotters was born out of the performance practice and historical research interests of Dr Tony Lidington, now an Associate Drama Lecturer at the University of Exeter and the Artistic Director of Promenade Promotions.

Since The Pierrotters hung up their white satin and pom poms in 2009, Tony’s work has continued to focus on traditional British seaside entertainments and itinerant performers: from a flea circus to a travelling showman’s booth, from Punch & Judy performances to a Raree Man’s travelling peep show, Tony and his company Prom-Prom continue to provide entertainment to a huge range of diverse audiences up and down the country every summer, as well as providing a meeting point for historical research and contemporary drama practice.

Alongside performance work, teaching commitments and research projects, Promenade Promotions also maintains the website www.seasidefollies.co.uk which is home to the largest archive of material relating to seaside pierrot troupes and concert parties in the UK. Like the brand new Pierrotters website, Seaside Follies is open access and was originally developed with support from Venue Cymru and Heritage Lottery Fund Wales. Seaside Follies includes material from the personal collections of Dr. Tony Lidington, Max Tyler, John Pertwee, Michael Rouse and Alan Upton as well as materials from Clacton & District Local History Society, Llandudno Museum Services and the University of Exeter Archives, special collections.

With thanks to Arts Council England for supporting this project.

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Summer 2020

We were the first company to be performing live outdoor seaside entertainment after the UK lockdown! We’re really proud of all we achieved and very grateful for those who supported us. Read more about this summer on our blog.

 

Please see our blog page for recent news and updates

 

NEWS  ARCHIVE

Summer 2017

Tony Lidington became Dr. Lidington in May 2017. Read more…


Summer 2016

Tony is off to Richmond, North Yorkshire again to direct Jack & The Beanstalk (the 6th year in a row – see the glowing reviews on the Pantomime pages).

Tony has started a Ph.D in the history and contemporary practice of British Showmanship.

The Raree Man’ Peepshow was developed successfully and had its first run of shows in 2015 and is now available for 2016.

Chin Up! A 2-year project working in Torbay, funded by the Armed Forces Community Covenant, this project links young people and veterans on the armed forces through a practical study of the history of  entertainment during armed service…what was the entertainment that took place, what impact does it have and what does it mean. We are producing concert party shows and a small exhibition of our work.

We are busy updating this website with the many photos and videos that we gathered in 2015.


Summer Season 2015

Well what a blast that was – from Pilton Green Man Festival in North Devon, to a medieval castle in Beaumaris on Anglesey, from Sidmouth Folk Festival to the Kite Festival in Morecambe…and everywhere inbetween, we have criss-crossed the country throughout the Summer and brought fun, diversity and robust yet gentle nonsense o thousands upon thousands of people. Thank you to all the acts who have performed with us this year: Professor Reakes, Isabella Storyteller, Billy Squire, Anthony, Zoot & Pat, but especially thank you to our audiences…we hope to see you (and all your friends) next year!

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 Uncle Tacko presents a flea to a crowd of kids  Uncle Tacko Ginger and Actress closeup  dom-tink with actor in costume  Tony as Mr Punch at Covent Garden

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