Underneath the arches with Chaim Weintrop

By Lauren Krotosky - Thursday 13th 2008f November 2008


Bud Flanagan

Everyone knows that the East End is synonymous with Jewish history.

So now that The Whitechapel Gallery has announced that it will be presenting a one-off musical event celebrating wartime entertainer and East End celebrity Bud Flanagan later this month, who are we to refuse?

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of his death, musicians, singers and comedians are invited to reinterpret performances by Bud. The event, aptly titled Underneath the Arches, will be held at the retro Palm Tree pub in Mile End and is programmed by curatorial collective, Canal. Forming part of the gallery's participatory art project, The Street, a major year-long series of site specific artist commissions on or around Wentworth Street, East London (home to Petticoat Lane market), it will focus on Bud's outstanding contribution to music.

Natasha Vicars, organiser of The Street project, says Bud was picked for his connection with the area. "He grew up in the area, went to school round there and lived very near to Wentworth Street. He went to the Jews Free School on Commercial Street. Bud's music appeals to different generations - for instance artists know his music now because East End artists Gilbert and George's performed Underneath the Arches in one of their first artworks, The Singing Sculpture, in 1969. His music reaches different audiences."

Born Chaim Reuben Weintrop in Whitechapel in 1896 to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland, Bud took an Irish-influenced stage name to aid his success in the music halls, but also changed his name by deed poll to Robert Winthrop. At the age of 12, he performed conjuring tricks at the London Music Hall in Shoreditch and went on to become a popular singer and entertainer. He later teamed up with Chesney Allen to create the successful comedy duo Flanagan and Allen. When Allen's ill health forced him to retire in 1945, Flanagan carried on alone until he died in 1968.

Although Underneath the Arches was undoubtedly one of his greatest hits, his solo recording of Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler even became the theme to the long-running British sitcom, Dad's Army.

This month's event will be a whole evening of musical entertainment in a fantastic venue. "People often refer to the Palm Tree pub as an old-fashioned boozer," says Natasha. "The interior is very special and has gold foil wallpaper - it has a lot of character."

Featuring a performance from Rod Melvin, a singer and pianist who regularly plays at the Groucho Club, with Richard Layzell - who comes from a performing arts background and whose work involves comedy, lectures and hosting - as compère, it promises to be a night to remember. On the night, Richard will be speaking about Bud, and John Citizen will also be performing. The Whitechapel Gallery is even getting the man on the street involved, and putting out a last minute public call for anyone who is a fan of Bud's music and would like to sing a song on the night to call them on 020 7522 7888. But anyone who is interested had better get their skates on, because the deadline is Monday 17 November.

"What is so great about the East End is that it keeps changing," says Natasha. "The whole mix of different people and cultures is fascinating. A capsule of the whole city is in one street - Wentworth Street. Wentworth Street has everything on it, and it goes all the way down to Brick Lane. There are lots of shops selling a whole range of different items - typical of the East End."

Forthcoming artist commissions include groups entitled Henry VIII's Wives and Minerva Cuevas, with Minerva Cuevas' final project being exhibited at the gallery as its major expansion opens in spring 2009.

The Street - Underneath the Arches is on Wednesday 26 November at 7.30pm at The Palm Tree, London, E3 5BH. For more information, call The Whitechapel Gallery on 020 7522 7888.