Stop twiddling your parasols and spit-polish those dancing shoes – the Music Hall is back, and it’s bringing the rafters down across the land! Don’t Dilly Dally is rolling into town with a trunk full of songs, laughter and nostalgia, ready to whisk audiences straight back to the golden age of variety.
Where better to start than at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre on Tuesday 14 October, right in the middle of its 130th birthday celebrations? The Lyric first opened its doors as a music hall and vaudeville house – and for one night only, the old girl gets to relive her glory days. After that, this merry band of entertainers heads off on tour: Norwich Playhouse (27 Oct), Mercury Theatre, Colchester (29 Oct), The Radlett Centre (1 Nov) and Theatre Royal Windsor (11 Nov).
And what a line-up’s been packed into the satchel! We’re talking Anita Harris – the Carry On darling with a voice like velvet – and Jan Hunt, star of Crackerjack and The Good Old Days. There’s Claire Moore, pantomime royalty with comic timing sharp as a paper cut, and international musical whizz Damian Williams. Add Big Band legend Georgina Jackson, vaudeville dazzler Ian Marchant, all-round charmer Ben Stock, and singalong maestro Tom Carradine pounding the ivories, and you’ve got yourself a knees-up of epic proportions. Fresh faces Toby Brewer, Isabella Mason and Kane Verrall will also be strutting their stuff, proving the spirit of the halls is alive and kicking.
Back in 1878, London was stuffed with nearly 400 music halls, from palaces of song to back-street gems. Now Don’t Dilly Dally is giving us a taste of that magic once more. So hop on your Bicycle Made for Two, belt out “Let’s All Go Down the Strand,” and meet us down at the Old Bull & Bush – this one’s a proper sing-song special.
Produced by Green Room Ents Ltd, Don’t Dilly Dally isn’t just a show. It’s a time machine with a top hat.
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
www.lyric.co.uk
Tuesday 14th October, 7.30pm
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