In the first major academic work to examine British variety theatre, Double provides a detailed history of this art form and analyses its performance dynamics and techniques. Encompassing singers, comedians, dancers, magicians, ventriloquists and diverse speciality acts, this vibrant book draws on a series of new interviews with variety veterans.

OLIVER DOUBLE is a senior lecturer in Drama at the University of Kent, UK. Once a stand-up comedian himself, his teaching in this area is highly acclaimed and has received national media attention. He is the author of Getting the Joke: The Inner Workings of Stand-Up Comedy (Methuen, 2005) and Stand Up! On Being a Comedian (Methuen, 1997). Find out more about the author here: www.oliverdouble.com and view a celebration of variety theatre on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRUKjWZ47SI