Dear Old Pals

We had another rip-roaring time at the Victorian Music Hall evening at Wilton's on Sunday. As you might expect, the fabulous and long-serving Players' Theatre Company (celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, and now regularly resident at the Leicester Square Theatre) were in their element, "at home" at last at this, the most outstanding (and indeed the oldest) of Britain's surviving Music Halls.

Stalwart of the Players' company (and former Crackerjack star) Jan Hunt was not only the lead performer this time around, but also the show's producer. And as well as performing her "signature tunes" How'd You Like To Spoon With Me? and Why Am I Always the Bridesmaid?, she had chosen a fabulous selection of acts - Miss Judith Hibbert (who paid tribute to Gracie Fields), Mr Richard Winch, Mr Ben Stock, Miss Julia Sutton, Romany the Diva of Magic, comic juggler Mr Michael Pearse and opera diva Miss Jane Webster among them.

There are (sadly) few videos out there in internetland of the Players' Theatre star performers, but two of the acts who were on stage included:

Ukulele virtuoso Andy Eastwood, who played a remarkable William Tell Overture...

Andy Eastwood and his ukulele - William Tell Overture

...and the youngest member of the company, 14-year old Ellie Bamber, who sang an an almost innocent version (given her age) of the famous double entendre classic Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me A Bow-Wow and this, a typically mawkish Temperance Movement warning song, Father Dear Father:

Ellie Bamber - Father Dear Father

Here is the original version of Why am I Always the Bridesmaid?, sung by Miss Lily Morris:

Lily Morris - Why am I Always the Bridesmaid?

Ben Stock performed for us a wonderfully rollicking version of When Father Papered the Parlour (here sung by David Jones):

David Jones - When Father Papered the Parlour

Among many other gorgeous Music Hall standards the fantastic Miss Julia Sutton sang was the classic Hold Your Hand Out, You Naughty Boy - and here is a rare recording of the ebullient Florrie Forde singing it:

Florrie Forde - Hold Your Hand Out, You Naughty Boy

Another (rather wonderful) song Miss Sutton sang included the lyric "you told me you loved me, in The Old Welsh Harp down Hendon way". I cannot for the life of me find a trace of this song anywhere on the web, so if anyone has a clue please let me know...

I digress.

Let's finish off with an oddity - a medley of Music Hall classics recorded lord alone knows when by a long-forgotten ensemble called "The Coronets". It's jolly stuff nonetheless, and includes several choons from Sunday that I haven't included so far such as Don't Dilly Dally On The Way and Dear Old Pals (the Players' Theatre Company's traditional closing number):

The Coronets - Make It A Party!

The whole evening was exceptionally good entertainment, and all in aid of the capital restoration fund for Wilton's Music Hall - visit their website for more on how to donate to this magnificent cause!