BARNES STORM
FRED BARNES WAS A GAY SUPERSTAR OF THE BRITISH MUSIC HALL BUT HIS LIFE WAS MARRED BY TRAGEDY AND SELF-DESTRUCTION, AS EDITOR-AT-LARGE MATTHEW TODD REVEALS
FRED BARNES
When performance artist Christopher Green first read about gay music-hall star Fred Barnes — one of the most popular British entertainers of the early 20th century — who ended up a forgotten alcoholic, he felt, perhaps alarmingly, a connection.
“I was instantly struck by how handsome he was, how gothic his story was,” says Christopher, who’s best known for his comedy characters Tina C and Ida Barr. “There’s violence, addiction and degradation alongside the glamour and the fame. His fall from grace terrifies me more than it fascinates. It’s textbook selfdestruction. I recognise a lot of myself in him. His need to be loved by an audience remained to the very end.”