Black & White Minstrel Show Manchester Grammar School 1920 - 1930s

[chempat]

Have you contacted the archives?

https://www.mgs.org/2011/the-mgs-archives

[daisynook]

Hi chempat - thanks for your suggestion.  No I hadn't tried contacting the archives but I have just now sent an email off.  Will let you know if I get anywhere.

[Henry7]

This may be totally irrelevant, but maybe not.

In 1954 I did some work, painting scenery, for the 'Congo Minstrels' show in Manchester. Great fun, and I was involved simply to help an office colleague. He had attended Manchester Grammar School and belonged to a Congregational church - hence the name of the minstrels.

It was all fairly harmless stuff with Mr 'Beezlebub' Bones and Mr Interlocutor being witty(?), lots of tambourines and simple songs.  All in a tradition that went back to the 'Ethiopian Serenaders' of the 1840s, the 'Kentucky Minstrels' and G.H.Elliot - "the chocolate-coloured ****".

Tastes change, but worrying about white (or pinko-grey) men putting boot-polish on their faces seems daft.  A few years back there was a report of a theatre in Africa where their latest play had the Queen and an English Archbishop as characters.  Guess what? - the actors whited up.

Can't say I felt insulted.  Or outraged.

Harry.

     

[daisynook]

Thank you for your contribution Henry.  I agree with you, maybe we didn't know any better in those days but school boys taking part in a stage show didn't know anything about prejudice.  Times have changed and not always for the better.