For several seasons, starting in 1892, he was a popular performer at "Chappell's Ring" on the sands at Great Yarmouth, an alfresco show that (weather permitting) performed three shows a day at 11am, 3pm and 7.30pm. This was hard work, but good experience for the performers, and such future stars as Arthur Roberts and Harry Pleon took early steps on the ladder to success here.

A fellow artiste at "Chappell's Ring" was Lilian Bishop who, in addition to her "turn" would would go round the seats dressed as a boy in a brown velvet suit collecting money for the performers. Lilian had appeared in pantomime as early as 1884, and had subsequently made many appearances at the London Halls, primarily as a male impersonator

Dan Crowley & Lilian Bishop were married in Hackney in June 1893, their first child Ellen was born in 1897 - and there followed another four children over the next thirteen years, Lilian, my grandmother (1899), Margaret (1905), Dorothy (1909) and finally a boy, Jack (1911). The large family didn't seem to affect either parents careers, and both Dan & Lilian continued to tour round the country together as well as appearing frequently in London.

He was particularly successful as a pantomime dame, and later in his career incorporated the 'portrayal of elderly ladies in reduced circumstances' into his music hall act, with songs such as "I'm A Bit Too Young And Tender", "It's Only A Way I've Got" and "The Mice Have Been At It Again". On several occasions he was billed as 'Dame Dan Crawley'.

On 26th March 1903, the Stage reported in its' gossip column that "Mr Dan Crawley, one of the foremost comedians and dancers of the variety stage, sails per S.S. Ophir tomorrow, in company with his wife (Lilian Bishop), to fulfil engagements in Australia." At this time Dan was 31 and at the peak of his career, his wife 27. The journey would have taken them via the Suez Canal and lasted 103 days. In October the stage proudly reported that they were both a hit at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney, and reviews had named Dan as "one of the best comedians so far imported by Mr Harry Rickards", who was the owner of the Tivoli, an impresario who had allegedly "fled to Australia to escape creditors"!