Showtime in Yarmouth

Entertainment in the post-war years

By Martin Keable

The three decades following the second world war saw the resort proving itself to be the 'second Blackpool' with a succession of star names appearing at the theatres around the town. In the era before television exposure made their names and material commonplace, stars from the radio would appear at all the venues over town. As well as the two piers, the Wellington and the Britannia, there were shows at the Regal (where the Market Gates shopping centre now stands), the Windmill (which started off its life as the 'Gem', one of the first cinemas in the country) and the Aquarium (now the Hollywood cinema complex). The season for these entertainments would extend from early July through to the beginning of September with the stars being resident performers. The entertainment scene has changed radically over the last twenty years with only the Britannia having regular shows and these are for a limited period only. The 'big names' rarely appear unless it is for a one-off show but even these are becoming a distant memory. The programmes from yesteryear just go to show what a draw it was to appear at the top of the bill in Great Yarmouth.