As lockdown eases concert promoter John Hessenthaler is planning a weekend of music and entertainment in Lavenham at a special pop-up theatre weekend in September mixing war-time nostalgia with disco hits and country acts.
The weekend runs from September 5-6. Saturday afternoon commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with a series of nostalgic performances which capture the resilience and the spirit of the war years.
The matinee performance includes The Vera Lynn Story, a show officially endorsed by Dame Vera, featuring Lorrie Brown, who won National Tribute Award from the Agents Association of Great Britain.
The cast of the award-winning Dad’s Army touring show also plays an important part in the afternoon’s entertainment. Dad’s Army remains one of the most popular situation comedies on British television.
This is a variety show recreating the stars who kept the nation entertained during the dark years of war and features recreations in vision and sound of George Formby, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and Gracie Fields, Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauder and Flanningan & Allen along with a special recreation of Windsor Davies & Don Estelle singing Whispering Grass as well as many sketches from Dads Army with some from lost episodes.
The show also features The D-Day Darlings fresh from their success on Britain’s Got Talent. Their hugely successful debut Album “I’ll Remember You” received a BRIT Break Through Award.
The group was formed 10 years ago by founder and lead singer Katie Ashby, after Katie recognised the importance of this music and how it resonates with people like no other genre of music. Katie says, “To see how these songs affect people and how the melody and lyrics evoke such memories was truly eye-opening for me, and it was this that made me want to build a career singing these timeless songs and bring back memories for so many people”
Saturday evening sees The Real Thing take to the stage playing their greatest hits including their three million selling No 1 Hits ‘You To Me Are Everything’ ‘Can’t Get By Without You’ & ‘Feel The Force’ as well as the lost song, ‘Someone Ought to write a song about you’, recorded in 1976, which has sat in the vaults for over 40 years. This single has received lots of radio airplay and is receiving a lot of attention on Spotify. The video has also had over 50,000 views on YouTube.
Also on Saturday night Harry Cambridge will be bringing his Luther Vandross show to Lavenham. Harry’s career took off after appearing on Granada TV’s ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ as Luther Vandross. The producers were so impressed they invited him back for two more special shows.
On Sunday afternoon legendary guitarist Albert Lee brings his distinctive country-rock show to Suffolk. The double Grammy winner has played and recorded with a dazzling number of big names including: The Everley Brothers, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Dave Edmunds, Dolly Parton, Bobby Bare, Joan Armatrading, Ricky Scaggs, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, The Blue Caps, Robert Wells and Earl Scruggs.
The weekend comes to close on Sunday evening when T.Rextasy ‘Unplugged’ brings you the songs of Marc Bolan played acoustically and sung by Danielz accompanied by John Skelton on congas and percussion.
Tracks that many fans would have only heard the band play electrically over the years, take on a new dimension, giving the audience and musicians a more intimate and relaxed approach to the evening.
Come along to hear how famous hit songs such as ‘20th Century Boy’, ‘Get it On’, Metal Guru, and ‘Jeepster’, and many others sound like played strictly unplugged, together with a few choice album and ‘b’ side tracks.
Lavenham’s Pop-Up Theatre weekend takes place on September 5-6 and tickets are available
By phoning the box office on 01256 416384 or online
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