Showzam Central will this year place host to Cine-Variety – a show highlighting and celebrating the film and variety tradition of Blackpool and the North West. Films, magic shows and variety walk up performances will be shown within the famous fairground booth that was Tom Norman’s Travelling Palladium Show. Compered by Miss Behave and featuring the amazing Marawa, Andrew Van Buren and Tim Cockerill, these sideshow spectacle will entertain and amuse.

The show itself is one of the oldest and most famous fairground booths that ever travelled the British fairgrounds and has never before appeared in Blackpool.

Tom Norman’s Palladium show was one of the most famous shows travelling. Acts such as Carlos Miers the Mexican Wonder, Dr Walford Bodie, armless pianist Tommy Toes Jacobsen, Ellis the Hangman and Lt. Commdr. Ian Frazer and his team of wartime Frogmen all appeared within its canvas booth. Billed as the “largest and grandest walk up show travelling,” Tom Norman’s Palladium was known throughout England.

In association with Showzam and the National Fairground Archive, the world famous travelling palladium show will once again play host to the stars of variety and film and will be open from 11am to 7pm throughout the festival with as special series of magic performances commissioned for the weekend.

Magic Show

In association with Fred and Andrew Van Buren a specially commissioned magic show which pays tribute to the famous magicians who once appeared in Tom Norman’s show will be presented three times a day Saturdays and Sundays of the festival. This one hour show will feature magicians such as the Great Carmo, the wondrous Koringa and the infamous Dr Walford Bodie with Andrew Van Buren recreating Carmo, the amazing Marawa playng the part of Koringa the world’s first female fakir and Tim Cockerill as Dr Walford Bodie, the inventor of electricity and his famous Electra act.

Film Shows

Also during the festival – rare footage of Blackpool through the ages from the North West Film Archive, the British Film Institute and the Thompson family collection will be shown alongside circus and fairground films from the National Fairground Archive. Presented daily with live music accompaniment the material spans from the early 1900s to the 19060s and will include special showings of the Mitchell & Kenyon Collection, footage of Belle Vue Circus in Manchester, the Tower Circus, flea circus, boxing kangaroos and dancing pigs. Other featured events include a day on Mancunian Films featuring the irrepressible Frank Randall presented by Dr C.P. Lee of Salford University, Hindle Wakes (1927) by British Silents in association with the BFI and Professor Vanessa’s Peculiar Entertainments, on overview of variety acts on film.