Remembering the Inter-War Entertainment Industry’s “Singapore Stopover” – in Biblioasia’s latest issue…

Posted: February 26th, 2019 | No Comments »

BiblioAsia is the quarterly journal promoting the collections and programmes of the Singapore National Library, and aims to foster research and learning in the history, arts and culture of Singapore and Southeast Asia. I happen to have an article that may interest some of you in their latest issue (Jan-Mar, 2019)…and no, it’s not about Raffles…

My article is entitled The Singapore Stopover: The Asian Entertainment Circuit, 1920-1940 – Between 1920 and 1940, the city was a favoured pit stop for foreign entertainers and boxers who appeared at the Victoria Theatre and the Happy World. I take a look at the Singapore antics of European exhibition dance duo Joe and Nellie Farren; Bobby Broadhurst (below), an Australian singer; and Andre Shelaeff and others who toured Asia’s boxing circuit, centred on Singapore….

You can download the entire edition with my article here – https://www.nlb.gov.sg/browse/biblioasia.aspx

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