Bio-vaudeville

A Bio-vaudeville house was a venue utilised in South Africa for the showing of bioscope films and for music hall and vaudeville performances.

Background

The introduction of movies as an entertainment form led to the conversion of many theatres to enable them to host both stage performances as well as films.

In the early years of silent movies, films shows often formed part of a longer evening's entertainment, often preceded by variety style performances as well as being accompanied by music. Gradually a specific combined form of entertainment evolved, a form known as Bio-vaudeville or Bio-varietyin South Africa, since movie houses were known there as bioscopes. The practice lasted in some form or other into the 1960s.

In view of this development, the early 20th century soon saw the construction of custom-built Bio-vaudeville houses to present such variety shows. Examples include The Criterion, 1912, Durban; The Palladium, 1913, Johannesburg, The Grand Theatre , Bloemfontein.

See also Bio-vaudeville

Specifically built in the early 20th century to present both films and variety acts within the same programme.

Examples include the custom-built Criterion in Durban (opened 1912), and Palladium, Johannesburg (opened 1913).

A Bio-vaudeville programme usually consisted of live entertainment preceding the film.

Late examples of bio-vaudeville include Basil Rubin's Pinewood Cinema where Pieter Toerien became involved in offering Bio-vaudeville programmes from 1963 onwards.

See also Music hall.