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The Ups & Downs of the Extraordinary Mr Falahaa !!

Some Staffordshire figure collectors may be aware of an unusual lone standing figure illustration tucked into the back pages of the theatrical section of P.D. Gordon Pugh’s fine volume ’Staffordshire Portrait Figures and Allied Subjects of the Victorian Era'.

In my dog eared 1970’s volume, a first edition, it can be found on page E 478, Plate 143 and Figure 301. 

Pugh gives us a little information about its ownership history and, at the time of the publication of the book, it’s whereabouts.

It had once been in the collection of the late, Lady Lucy Wise, and it would appear the figure was bequeathed to the Laing Art Gallery and Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne, where, to my knowledge it has been located in there store ever since, at the moment, shut away and languishing in the museum’s store, hidden from public view.

In fact, to my knowledge, no other example has ever been recorded. I think we can safely say, if it wasn’t for Mr Pugh’s illustration, none of us would ever have known it exists....

The black and white illustration has always intrigued and fascinated me, as to my eyes, it displays a number of the characteristics I would usually associate with the figures I have chosen to collect over the last 30 years, some may know already, but for those that do not know me, I collect mainly ‘Alpha’ factory/type figures.

The indented gilt capital letters to the base, those typical black pupils on a white ground with the perfectly arched eyebrows, and of course those cupid bow lips, all stand out to me as a candidate for an Alpha attribution. Now with these recently taken colour photographs (Peg leg Illustration 1a & Name Illustration 1b), I am convinced it is an Alpha figure.

Pugh gives us a good description of the figure which is clearly animated and dancing a ‘Highland Fling’. The animation and drama of the figure can almost act as a distraction from the rest of the figure details, which at first glance appears to be just another Scottish dancer adorned in Highland attire including a jacket, kilt, sporran, and tartan scarf. But if you look a little closer you will notice that this dancer has some unusual additions to his costume and demeanour that are important pointers, put there intentionally to emphasise the character the potters wish to portray, a gold medal or pocket watch on his left side is one and most importantly, he is wearing a wooden peg leg with a tartan sock on it!!

(Illustration 1a)

The observations in the book go on to detail some vague possible candidates as to whom this figure might portray, sadly, they are all guesses, an unconvincing attempt to identify this curious character from a bygone era.

For 50 more years there has been no further published attempt at his identity or clear and firm evidence found to identify him, no discoveries to point us in the right direction, nothing proved once and for all that determines whether a ‘Mr Falahaa’ was a real person or not, nothing to let us know for sure if he ever existed at all.

All we have is this one, curious, splendid, sole and lonely example.

One thing I have learned about our Staffordshire potters over the years of collecting, they were a frugal bunch in manufacture, they would not have wasted time and effort to make just one figure, it just wouldn’t sit right.  Why would they go to all that production expense for just one example?

This character must have made a huge impression on the potters and public at large, one that inspired our potters so much so that they thought him especially worthy to be immortalised in clay over 170 years ago.

But why have no others ever been found?

I had set myself a challenge!! I had to try harder, turn over every leaf, use every new resource available, dig a little deeper and find out if he was real or not, I had to know who he was and what had happened to halt the mass production run of this figure!!

Well, folks, I have some good news to report!!

I have put in the hours searching, (lockdown weeks have had their advantages) and it’s paid off.

I have a story you might like to hear!!...............

Come a little closer and let me tell you the tale about ’The Ups and Downs of the extraordinary Mr Falahaa!!

(Illustration 1b)

(Illustration 2) Cider House Passage, off Broad Street, Bristol c1820)

The first public appearance of Mr Falahaa was at the Doughty’s Concert Room in Bristol (Illustration 2) on Saturday 18 September 1848. A popular but small concert room attached to and affiliated with a popular Tavern on the Cider-House-Passage just off Broad Street, Bristol. A venue that between 1842 and 1852, put on a variety of concerts and stage acts. These tended to feature a range of singers (comic singers, balladists, sentimental vocalists, etc), along with the occasional dancer, ventriloquist act or tableaux vivant troupe.

An advertisement in, ’The Bristol Mercury and Western Counties Advertiser, for Saturday, September 16, 1848, gave me the first real documented evidence of Mr Falahaa’s actual existence.

The column describes in the line up of that following Monday evening's entertainment (Illustration 3), and for the first time, gives us a record of a certain; [Mr Falahaa, the only Wooden Leg Dancer in England], was to make his first public stage performance ........Admission Free!

(Illustration (3) 

I was beside myself, I’d found an account of him at last!!

He must have been an instant hit with the public, as just a few weeks later he appeared again, at the same venue (Illustration 4), Saturday 30 September 1848, only this time he is advertised in the Bristol Mercury; [Mr Falahaa being an old soldier, and having lost his leg in defence of his country, is allowed to be the most astonishing Dancer in England].

(Illustration (4)

A picture of a life lived was beginning to emerge, I had a couple of clues, but needed more!!

Our Mr Falahaa was finally real, a self-confessed war hero, battle-scarred and maimed in the defence of the Empire, who through his newfound dancing exploits (and state of the art prosthetic wooden leg!) starts to become a popular act, a new celebrity to the delight of the British public.

A countrywide tour begins, popping up next in the West Country (Illustration 5), a small theatre, possibly on Union Street, Plymouth. This time we have a small but glowing published theatre revue of his performance in; The West of England Conservative, Wednesday, December 13, 1848 [On the evening Mr Falahaa, the wooden leg dancer, who had previously gratified the audiences by his “Highland Fling,” and other dances, took his benefit].

(Illustration 5)

Here he is in full colour for the first time (Illustration 5a), just about to perform his ‘Highland Fling’. (with special thanks to Sarah Richardson, curator of Art, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for supplying the colour photographs)

(Illustration 5a Mr Falahaa in colour)

From Plymouth his popularity begins to snowball, we can follow his movements across the south of the country before heading North to Birmingham later in the year, (from this next advertisement I uncovered ); Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, Monday 28 May 1849. See illustration (6), it shows that Mr Falahaa travelled across to London, where he joined the celebrities and entertainers of the day by performing at the now world-famous ‘Astley's Royal Amphitheatre, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth. I surmise he stayed here performing for six months (unfortunately, I have been unable to find any Astley's advertising posters of this period that he is named on). [Mr FALAHAA the celebrated WOODEN-LEGGED DANCER, from Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre, who is engaged for a few nights, will make his first Appearance To-morrow (Tuesday.)]

(Illustration 6)

It is whilst in London that he probably first came to the attention of the renowned and respected black entertainer and circus owner, Pablo Fanque (Illustration 6a) who not only attended Astley's himself to perform but was also very successful in his own capacity, operating several other parallel circus shows in the North West, one in Sheffield, the others in Rochdale and Liverpool, (Incidentally, for those who like popular music, John Lennon of 'The Beatles' fame, immortalised Mr Fanque in his song, ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite’, on their best selling album 'Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’).

Here is a copy of the lyrics to the song:

For the benefit of Mr. Kite

There will be a show tonight on trampoline

The Hendersons will all be there

Late of Pablo Fanques Fair, what a scene

Over men and horses, hoops and garters

Lastly through a hogshead of real fire

In this way Mr. K. will challenge the world

The celebrated Mr. K.

Performs his feat on Saturday at Bishops Gate

The Hendersons will dance and sing

As Mr. Kite flies through the ring, don't be late

Messrs. K and H. assure the public

Their production will be second to none

And of course Henry The Horse dances the waltz

The band begins at ten to six

When Mr. K. performs his tricks without a sound

And Mr. H. will demonstrate

Ten summer sets he'll undertake on solid ground

Having been some days in preparation

A splendid time is guaranteed for all

And tonight Mr. Kite is topping the bill.

An original Victorian Broadside that John Lennon had bought from a local antique shop, close to where he was living at the time, became the inspiration for the song!! (See Illustration 6b).

(Illustration 6a Pablo Fanque)

(Illustration 6b John Lennon’s inspirational Broadside)

Having moved up the country during late May, and now being located in Birmingham, his first appearance at the Theatre Royal as advertised on Monday 28 May 1849, [Mr Falahaa the celebrated WOODEN-LEGGED-DANCER, from Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre, who is engaged for a few nights, will make his first Appearance To-morrow (Tuesday)].

A few days later, on 4 June 1849 (Illustration 7), [‘For the Benefit of Mr FALAHAA, the celebrated Wooden-leg Dancer, and his last appearance, [At the Theatre Royal, Birmingham] being under the immediate patronage of the Hon. J. Y. Scarlet and the Officers of the Fifth Dragoon Guards].

Could one suggest that this was the regiment Mr Falahaa had once been associated with in his war years?

Strangely, no military records exist for a Mr Falahaa, he simply can’t be found!

One must assume he may have used a stage name or perhaps a darker element loomed!!

He was possibly not quite as honest an entertainer as one would have hoped, he may well have been a bare-faced lier and fraud, exaggerating the truth about his past exploits for personal gain and furtherance of his career!!

Illustration (7)

It was on this journey north he would have passed right through the potteries, stopping along the way, perhaps a few nights entertainment at a Potteries theatre venue? Could one of his performances have been watched by a talented and gifted Staffordshire modeller? Had news travelled to the area already about his extraordinary dance performance? A published account of his visit is still to be found, the sole figure being the only evidence of that Staffordshire connection and possible Potteries performance.

It was clear that Mr Falahaa had hit the big time!! (Illustration 8)

(Illustration 8 full front)

During the first week of July 1849 Mr Falahaa moved out of Birmingham and headed North to a venue in Rochdale (Illustration 9), a revue in ‘The Era’s theatrical column reveals; [Mr Falahaa, a wooden-legged dancer has been engaged for seven nights, and draws crowded houses; he seems to please very well.]

(Illustration 9)

It would be nice to think, that around this time Mr Falahaa would have performed in my home city of Liverpool, Mr Pablo Fanque having a regular performance show there.

At this point, the trail grows quiet for nearly twelve months. He must have enjoyed his stay in the North West and felt comfortable with Liverpudlian company and banter!!

A best part of a year passes before we hear about him again, and when we do, he's not to be found in Great Britain!

It looks like the whole of Pablo Fanque’s circus group took a ship to Ireland, a regular crossing at the time, direct from Liverpool. According to ‘The Dublin Warder’ and ‘The Dublin Weekly Nation’ he next appeared on Saturday, May 4th, 1850, at a new venue, across the Irish Sea. He was booked to perform in ‘The Music Hall’, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin, Ireland.(Illustration 9a)

Pablo Fanque was clearly expanding his entertainment empire;

[Mr Falahaa, The Extraordinary WOODEN-LEG DANCER, Whose performances must be seen to be believed]

(Illustration 9a)

And then, suddenly, just like that, over the course of the next few days, it would appear that Mr Falahaa’s run of popularity was coming dramatically and suddenly to an end.

Perhaps his true nature and character had finally been revealed, according to the next advertisement I discovered, a footnote notice at the bottom of ‘Pablo Fanque’s Circus’ advertisement for Friday, May 17, 1850, it says!! (Illustration 10)

’NOTICE’

INFORMATION having been given to Mr PABLO FANQUE that a person of the name of Falahaa, who was engaged in the Circus for a few evenings, has without authority, been issuing Tickets, purporting to be for his Benefit this evening, Mr Pablo Fanque takes this the earliest opportunity of apprising the Public that such tickets cannot possibly be admitted, Mr Falahaa having been discharged from the establishment.

(Illustration 10)

It looks like his luck had run out, he had been found out, nothing seemed to add up, no military record, no real medals and no war hero, just a dishonest fraud!

But what a dancer!!

Sadly, his last recorded performance was seven years later on the 18th May 1857, still in Dublin, ‘Prince Patrick’s Theatre, Fishamble Street. The notice in the ‘Saunders News Letter & Daily Advertiser’  tells us he had joined up with twelve juvenile clog dancers! (Illustration 11)

(Illustration 11)

Was it this published account of an apparent dishonest nature that resulted in a lack of bookings and fall in popularity? It's difficult to say, did it put a stop to the production of the figures? Perhaps, we will never really know.

As for many celebrities in today's modern world, the story is far too familiar, the press build them up with one hand and then chop them down with the other!

I suspect he would have been proud to have known that the potters at least created this single figure of him and that he is still remembered and talked about 170 years later.

Had he been more honest, the production run may have gone ahead, and I for one would have an example of him on my shelf (Illustration 12), a figure I would personally have liked to give a big round of applause for!!

(Illustration 12 Mr Falahaa just about to take a bow)