Stars of Variety

The Stars of Variety stamp collection celebrates iconic personalities from the Golden Age of variety entertainment. This beautifully designed set of six stamps highlights legendary performers who have graced stages across the Isle of Man, bringing joy to audiences with their various acts. Each stamp features a captivating headshot of an individual entertainer, against a background of the venues in which they performed, which have been taken from period postcards. This issue pays homage to the timeless talent and charisma of these stars and celebrates a time when people would queue round the block, buzzing with excitement to see the names on everyone's lips.

Featured on the stamps are:

85p: Sandy Powell (1900-1982): a comedian from Rotherham, he was noted for the fact he sold records of his performances and was a regular at Onchan Head Pavilion and the Gaiety in Douglas.

£1.28: Victoria Carmen (1890-1962): one of the most popular music hall singers of the early twentieth century, she was also sometimes billed as a comedienne, performing into the 1940s.

£1.60: Tommy Trinder (1909-1989): a cheeky and confident comedian, he also made a number of films during the war, and switched to television when it took off.

£2.31: Leslie Sarony (1897-1985): talented in various forms of entertainment, from singing to comedy. He came up with most of his own material as a songwriter and also later starred in television shows such as Monty Python's Flying Circus.

£2.31: Florrie Forde (1875-1940): hailing from Australia, Florrie Forde had a powerful voice and presence on stage, inviting up-and-coming local talent to join in her shows at the height of her fame.

£2.31: George Lacy (1904-1989): a female impersonator, credited with developing the character of the pantomime dame, George Lacy was the principal comedian at the Palace Coliseum in Douglas.

Issue text is written by Matthew Richardson, a curator, historian and writer for more than thirty years. Since moving to the Isle of Man, he has immersed himself in Manx heritage and research into the entertainment history of the Island.