Mark Sheridan

Mark Sheridan (11 September 1864 – 15 January 1918), born Frederick Shaw, was an English music hall comedian and singer. He became a popular performer of lusty seaside songs and originated the J. Glover-Kind classic, "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside" in 1909. He recorded over fifty songs during a ten-year period, including "One of the Bhoys" (1910), "Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser" (1914) and "I'd Like to Shake Shakespeare" (1915). He was also a major presence in pantomime productions throughout the British Isles during his later career.

Born in Hendon, County Durham, he initially worked on the Sunderland docks before being employed at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Theatre, where he took up amateur dramatics. To progress his stage career, he secured engagements in Europe and South Africa in 1890, and performed in Australia two years later. In 1895 he returned to London and entered the vibrant scene of English music hall and became a leading performer on the circuit. In 1909 he first performed what was to become his most famous song "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside", which he later recorded.

In 1917 Sheridan wrote and composed the musical burlesque, Gay Paree, which he performed with a London theatre company and later toured the northern provencies including Scotland. His career took a decline in later years and he suffered severe depression, as a result. He committed suicide in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow in 1918 aged 53.

Sheridan was born Frederick Shaw to Scottish-Irish parents in Hendon, County Durham and began working with his father, a sail maker, on the Sunderland docks. He progressed from there to working in the back offices of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Theatre for four years between 1877–1881. There, he became interested in performing and took up amateur dramatics. Sheridan decided to shorten his name to Fred as was a popular name on the music hall circuit. He later changed his name again when he moved from amateur dramatics to the professional theatre and decided upon Mark Sheridan. He took the first name from the American writer and humorist Mark Twain and used his Irish mother's maiden surname, Sheridan.

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