The Royal Variety Show
| Royal Variety Performance | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Royal Command Performance |
| Genre | Variety show |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 88 (list of episodes) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC One ITV |
| Original release | 1912, 1919, 1921–23, 1925–28, 1930–38, 1945–55, 1957 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Tonight at the London Palladium |
| External links | |
| Website | www |
The Royal Variety Performance is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which Queen Elizabeth II is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family. The evening's performance is presented as a live variety show, usually from a theatre in London and consists of family entertainment that includes comedy, music, dance, magic and other speciality acts.
The Royal Variety Performance traditionally begins with the entrance of the members of the British Royal Family followed by singing of the national anthem, God Save the Queen.
The first performance, on 1 July 1912, was called the Royal Command Performance, and this name has persisted informally for the event. This was held in the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary. After correspondence with Sir Edward Moss, the King said he would command a Royal Variety show in his coronation year, 1911, provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund, as the Royal Variety Charity was then known. It was planned to be in the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, part of the vast Moss Empires group, but the building caught on fire a month before the show. After the death of Moss, Sir Alfred Butt was chosen as the impresario and it was staged in 1912. This was a lavish occasion, and his London Palace Theatre was lavishly decorated, complete with some 3 million rose petals.
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