Tony Lidingdon
Tony has been a showman for over 30 years – researching and implementing British popular entertainment forms in a wide variety of contexts throughout the country. Founder and performer of the last-remaining professional seaside pierrot troupe “The Pierrotters”, he has performed at countless resorts and events and as his alter ego “Uncle Tacko!”.
He started his professional career in Brighton 1983 with his first theatre company – the highly acclaimed “Bright Red Theatre”, before moving to Yorkshire to become Fellow in Theatre at Bradford University. He worked with luminary companies such as Welfare State International, Major Road Theatre Company and Opera North and directed large, spectacular community projects such as The Wakefield Mystery Cycle, The Brighton Town Plays, Bradford – the Musical and Dancing with The Wildman. These large projects culminated in Tony directing the opening ceremony of The World Gymnastics at Birmingham Indoor Arena. Subsequently, he became artistic director of Wakefield Opera House, before setting-up Prom-Prom in 2003.
Tony is a well-respected authority on British popular entertainment forms and works with many academic institutions and archives, before applying his research to contemporary performance contexts and broadcasting.
Now based in Devon, developing projects with the Royal Armouries on Agincourt, The Sheffield Fairground Archive on Nineteenth Century fairground sideshows, and The Bill Douglas Centre & The Northcott Theatre Exeter on Eighteenth Century itinerant performance.
‘Showman’ is the nearest term he can find to ‘shaman’ – a spiritual guide, whose performative persona provides access to an alternative world.
Tony presents his lecture-performance Wonder at the wonders that ever the world has wondered on Friday 8th November as part of Wavelength.
He also performed as part of Street Music on Friday 7th June, with his historic barrel organ and leading the ‘procession’ at 9pm (with ostrich).