Reach for the Big Time - Tapa dura

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please take your seats, put your hands together and prepare to take a mesmerizing trip. Boxing dogs, pre-PC comics, yodeling country singers, comedy monks, and exotic bird impressionists are just some of the artistes featured in this collection of classic light entertainment flyers from the 1970s and 1980s. From holiday camps to corporate function rooms, end-of-the-pier theaters to cruise ships and hotel lobbies, the esoteric and enchanting entertainers featured here delighted (and at times bemused) audiences up and down the country. But, for the lucky few, opportunity knocked, and they really did hit the Big Time!

James Innes-Smith is a resting actor with too much spare time. His first book was Bad Hair, and its companion, Big Hair is coming out in December.