Jan and Basil
As my dear regular reader will be aware, one of our favourite choices for an evening's entertainment is "Old-Time Music Hall" - and there is no finer ensemble in that genre than the company of The Players Theatre. So we were thrilled to get another opportunity to go and see them on Tuesday in the absolutely perfect environs of Wilton's Music Hall, and they certainly didn't disappoint!
With the traditional "firm hand on the gavel", the very funny - and splendidly-waistcoated - Chairman Mr Kevin Gauntlett introduced a fine line-up of old and new faces, including crooner Mr Philip Day, comedy operetta duo Mr Malcolm McKee and Miss Nicola Keen, Miss Hilary O'Neil as Florrie Forde, West End chorine Miss Alice Ellen Wright, comic singer Mr Ben Stock and conjurer Mr Steve Price - all accompanied on the piano by the peerless Music Hall Maestro Mr Tom Carradine.
All the old favourite classic sing-a-long numbers were there: Down at the Old Bull and Bush, Hold Your Hand Out You Naughty Boy, Oh! Oh! Antonio!, Daisy Daisy (A Bicycle Made for Two), The Lambeth Walk, Don't Dilly-Dally On The Way, When Father Papered the Parlour, Joshua, Joshua and so on - and we sang 'em all with gusto!
There were even some new songs in the old style, too - courtesy of Mr Josh Bryant-Jones and his She Pushed Me Into the Parlour.
However, the undisputed "star turn" of the entire revue was the irreverent superstar puppet Mr Basil Brush, beloved icon of generations of children and adults alike and "national treasure" [he's been on and off British telly regularly since 1962]! Here's a (very) short snippet from Tuesday's performance:
...and here's one from the archives - the legend at work on his prime-time show, charming none other than Twiggy almost half a century ago in 1976:
It was an absolute gem of an evening's entertainment, and full kudos for the whole thing must go to the lady who was behind it all - another veteran of children's telly (Crackerjack!) and of the Player Theatre Music Hall [we've seen her performing as part of the troupe on many occasions [click her name and/or the Players Theatre link in the labels at the foot of this post for more] and hoped to do so again on Tuesday, but no such luck - although she did smile and wave when she saw us as she wandered around the auditorium!] - producer/director Miss Jan Hunt!
However, let the last word go to The Maestro, Mr Carradine:
Faboo!