Time Walk
A Camberwell Street That Trained Hollywood
A terrace of ordinary stucco villas once drilled the men who would define silent comedy. Walk along Southwell Road today and the paired villas still line the street, little changed. A blue plaque at No. 38 is the only outward sign of what happened here.
Beneath that quiet front lies a working music-hall factory. The street was once called Vaughan Road, and it was under that name that Fred Karno built his comedy empire here. That earlier name is the first thread to pull on.
Name Origin
From Vaughan Road to Southwell Road
The street was first known as Vaughan Road. At some point it became Southwell Road, the name it carries today, but the sources used here do not explain the change or where "Southwell" came from.
History
Three Pairs of Villas and a Springfield Cottage
Three matching pairs of stucco villas survive together on Southwell Road. Nos. 44–46, 48–50 and 52–54 are grouped as a set, sharing group value with the Grade II listed pair beside them.
That listed pair, Nos. 56–58, dates from the early-to-mid 19th century, with its doors inscribed "SPRINGFIELD COTTAGES". It was added to the National Heritage List on 27 March 1981.
Culture
The Fun Factory
Fred Karno is credited with popularising the custard-pie-in-the-face gag that became slapstick's signature move. His training ground here produced the Fred Karno Company, which went on to give the world Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Will Hay and Max Miller.
Karno's name outlived his troupe in an unexpected way. Disorganised volunteer soldiers of the Great War took to calling themselves "Fred Karno's Army", and the phrase entered the English language as shorthand for any chaotic outfit.
"Fred Karno's Army"Nickname adopted by volunteer soldiers of the Great War
People
Karno, Chaplin and Laurel
Fred Karno was born Frederick John Westcott on 26 March 1866 and died on 17 September 1941. He built a reputation as an English vaudeville impresario and slapstick comedian. His sketch Mumming Birds, produced for the Hackney Empire in 1904, ran longer than any other sketch the music halls had seen.
It was at his premises on this street that two of the century's biggest comic names were shaped, before their careers took them to America. Will Hay and Max Miller also emerged from the wider Fred Karno Company.
Recent Times
A Plaque for the Fun Factory
Karno's legacy on the street is now marked rather than inhabited. On 30 September 2012, the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America unveiled a blue plaque to Fred Karno at No. 38.
The blue plaque to Fred Karno at 38 Southwell Road gives the postcode SE5 9PG.
On the Map
Southwell Road Then & Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Southwell Road?
The street was earlier known as Vaughan Road. The sources used here do not explain why or when it became Southwell Road.
What is Southwell Road known for?
It was the site of Fred Karno's Fun Factory, where Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel trained before becoming world-famous comedians. A blue plaque at No. 38 marks the spot.
Are there any listed buildings on Southwell Road?
Yes. Nos. 56–58 is a Grade II listed early-to-mid 19th-century pair of villas, with doors inscribed "SPRINGFIELD COTTAGES". Three nearby pairs of stucco villas share group value with it.