Catherine Bott examines the female stage stars of the Edwardian era
Edwardian music hall made superstars out of singers such as Marie Lloyd, but it also launched the careers of many other women including the male impersonator Hetty King and the acrobat The Flying Arrow who was shot out of a crossbow! At the more glamorous end of the theatrical spectrum, the Gaiety Girls were famous beauties who performed in light opera and were courted by men called ‘Stage Door Johnnies’.
Jenni is joined by the singer Catherine Bott, who performs on a new CD of Edwardian light opera, and Cathy Haill from the Theatre Collections at the V&A Museum, to discuss the frivolous women who graced the Edwardian stage.
Lionel Monckton 'Songs from the Shows', featuring Catherine Bott and the New London Orchestra conducted by Ronald Corp, is available now (CDA67654).
