The Village Concert

Little concert parties travelled the length and breadth of Britain after the 2nd World War. Many of the artistes (men and women) were just demobbed from the armed forces. These were hard times, people were desperate for work. The story, which is light-hearted and humorous in tone, can also be seen as a sequel, in some ways—though this is unintentional—to The Good Companions, a novel by the English author J B Priestley. His book was written in 1929 and focuses on the trials and tribulations of a concert party in England between World War I and World War II. In the working class areas of Scotland and especially in the coalfields, post-war, these productions were known as 'Go As You Please' performances. Sometimes a local, possessed of a particular talent, would make a first appearance at one of these engagements. Most, however, came from the ranks of the acting and vaudeville worlds, temporarily 'resting'—the term used for being out of full-time job elsewhere. Many, of course, came from South-East England, where most of this type of employment was to be found. Much of the funding for such performing parties came from London agents and producers. This, as we shall see, could cause problems.