I'ts never too late to have a fling; for Autumn is just as nice as Spring

Sixty-five years on from the original (at the time record-breaking) run in the West End of Sandy Wilson's The Boy Friend, the show's appeal shows no sign of diminishing. We went to see a production at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2006, and now it's back - in a new revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory!

What better way to cheer us up this Tacky Music Monday - after a murky weekend, and with the prospect of a dismal week in work to come - than with one of the show's jolliest numbers...

...with puppets?!

It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love

"Whack-a-doo, Whack-a-doo, Whack-a-doo!" Indeed.

Have a great week, peeps!

Arise...

...Dame TWIGGY!

Alongside such luminaries as Companion of Honour Margaret Atwood; Sir Michael Palin (former member of Monty Python and natural history documentary maker), Sir Bill Beaumont (former England Rugby captain and broadcaster), Sir John Redwood MP, Sir Philip Pullman (author, His Dark Materials) and Sir Alastair Cook (former England cricket captain); Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) film director Christopher Nolan, violinist Nicola Benedetti, musician Nitin Sawhney, author of The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson and TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham; Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) actor Jim Carter ("Carson" in Downton Abbey),England football manager Gareth Southgate, cyclist and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and actress Thandie Newton; Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) England footballer Harry Kane, guitarist Gordon Giltrap, pop singer and vocal coach David Grant and professional darts player John Lowe; in a list of 1,148 people in HM The Queen's New Year's Honours list, the former Miss Lesley Hornby becomes a DBE for services to fashion, the arts and charity.

Congratulations, every one. And here's the Dame herself...

Twiggy with Tommy Tune - S'wonderful (from The Boy Friend)

S'wonderful, indeed!

That old vo-de-o-do

Sharing a birthday today with such disparate names as playwright Sir Tom Stoppard (who is 80), Broadway legend Betty Buckley (70), Laura Branigan (who would have been 60), Tom Cruise, Fontella Bass, Tracey Emin, George Sanders, Franz Kafka, Susan Penhaligon, Judith Durham (of The Seekers), Julian Assange, Vince Clarke and "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the eccentric genius that was Ken Russell would have been ninety years old today.

As the struggle to wake up this morning is upon us, we need the help of one of Mr Russell's completely over-the-top numbers to assist us in our progress towards the joys of work - and what better on this Tacky Music Monday (and the start of our countdown to Gay Pride on Saturday) than a little Charleston..?

The Boy Friend - Charleston With Me

Won't you Charleston with me?
Won't you Charleston with me?
And while the band is playing that
Old vo-de-o-do
Around we will go
Together we'll show them
How the Charleston is done
We'll surprise everyone
Just think what Heaven it's going to be
If you will Charleston, Charleston with me
If you will Charleston, Charleston with me

Roger Ebert review of Ken Russell's The Boy Friend.

Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell (3rd July 1927 – 27th November 2011)

Twisted masterworks

Just a small tribute to the late Ken Russell, who died yesterday - it's his remarkable take on Sandy Wilson's classic The Boy Friend...

The Boy Friend preview clip

I featured more of Ken Russell's twisted masterworks in a post earlier this year over at Dolores Delargo Towers - Museum of Camp.

Better yet, Marc over at Deep Dish has delved further in his own tribute to the great man's movies.

Ken Russell obituary on the BBC website