2 0 2 3
R O YA L VA R I E T Y PERFORMANCE
T H U R S D AY 3 0 T H N O V E M B E R L O N D O N R O YA L A L B E R T H A L L S TA G E D I N T H E P R E S E N C E O F T H E I R R OYA L H I G H N E S S E S T H E P R I N C E & P R I N C E S S O F WA L E S A N D I N A I D O F T H E R OYA L VA R I E T Y C H A R I T Y
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
Presented annually in aid of the
Royal Variety Charity Staged at
The Royal Albert Hall, London In the presence of
THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
THE R O YA L V A R I E T Y PERFORMANCE
2 0 2 3 Executive Producers, Royal Variety Charity Laurie Mansfield, Giles Cooper & Phil Dale
Executive Producer, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Fiona Clark Series Producer, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Helen Riddell Director, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Richard Valentine
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 3
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
The ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY extends its warmest thanks to
THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES for their kind support of this evening’s Royal Variety Performance
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 5
www.michaelharrisonentertainment.com
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
THE R O YA L VA R I E T Y PERFORMANCE 2023
CONTENTS CHAIRMAN - WELCOME TO THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE LIFE PRESIDENT - MESSAGE OF THANKS VICE-CHAIRMAN & TREASURER TRIBUTE TO BILL KENWRIGHT PATRONS OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY MANAGEMENT BODY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY REFURBISHMENT OF BRINSWORTH HOUSE HOW TO DONATE TO THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 - LINEUP GILES BROADBENT OBITUARY CHAIRMAN’S CHARITY THANKS RESIDENT OUTINGS BRINSWORTH HOUSE PERFORMERS 2023 LIFTED ENTERTAINMENT (PART OF ITV STUDIOS) LIFTED ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION STAFF BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE VIGGO VENN VISITS BRINSWORTH HOUSE PREVIOUS ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCES CREDITS & THANKS
10,11 12,13 14 15 16-19 23 26-29 30 31-45 47 48 49 51 53 54,55 56-57 58-65 67 68-75 76,77
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 7
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCE OF WALES and HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCESS OF WALES accompanied by THE CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA & PRINCE DANIEL OF SWEDEN will be presented to their Hosts for the evening:
LAURIE MANSFIELD Life-President & Executive Producer
GILES COOPER Chairman & Executive Producer
who will then in turn present the official Royal Line-Up:
PRE-SHOW ROYAL LINE-UP PHIL DALE Vice-Chairman, Royal Variety Charity
KEVIN LYGO Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, ITV
IAN FREEMAN Treasurer, Royal Variety Charity
KATIE RAWCLIFFE Head of Entertainment Commissioning, Media and Entertainment, ITV
SPENCER PHILLIPS Executive Committee Member, Royal Variety Charity
JULIAN BELLAMY Managing Director, ITV Studios
VICKI MICHELLE MBE Executive Committee Member, Royal Variety Charity
RICHARD COWLES Managing Director, Lifted Entertainment, part of ITV Studios
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
PRESENTATIONS DAPHNE SELFE, one of the current residents of BRINSWORTH HOUSE, will be presented to THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES.
A posy of flowers, picked from the gardens of Brinsworth House by its residents, will be presented to Her Royal Highness by 10-year-old HARRIET CLEE and the show programme will be presented to His Royal Highness by 9-year-old DEXTER MOYSE.
THE ROYAL BOX HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCE OF WALES and
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE PRINCESS OF WALES will be accompanied in the Royal Box by
THE CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA & PRINCE DANIEL OF SWEDEN GILES COOPER Chairman & Executive Producer and
LAURIE MANSFIELD Life-President & Executive Producer
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 9
WELCOME
GILES COOPER CHAIRMAN A very warm welcome to the Royal Variety Performance 2023! On behalf of the Royal Variety Charity, I’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince and Princess of Wales, for attending this evening and supporting those in need within the entertainment industry. This annual British institution is such a crucial fundraising event supporting an industry so often overlooked. The live entertainment business has been through some of the toughest years it’s ever known and this now combined with the devastatingly difficult ‘cost of living crisis’ makes the work of the Royal Variety as essential now, as it’s ever been. I’d like to thank the Royal Albert Hall for their fantastic hospitality and the whole team at ITV/ Lifted Entertainment for their boundless energy and dedication to what has become the longest running and most successful show in the world! I’d also like to thank each one of my fellow volunteers on our Executive Committee, together with our Board of Trustees, Laurie Mansfield, Phil Dale and Ian Freeman. The time and energy that these 28 volunteers on our Management Body give to this great charity for free all year round, is so appreciated and never taken for granted. Lastly, but by no means least, a very big thank you to all of the artists performing in tonight’s show, all of whom have donated their services in support of the Royal Variety Charity. I’m sure you’ll ‘do us all proud’ and thank you so much for committing your valuable time and energy to this evening’s production. This is going to be an amazing show – please enjoy!
Chairman & Executive Producer
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
Giles Cooper Chairman & Executive Producer
WELCOME ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 11
MESSAGE OF THANKS
LAURIE MANSFIELD LIFE-PRESIDENT Tonight, we return once again to the Royal Albert Hall and extend a very warm welcome to TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales. I would like to thank all at ITV Studios for their support, commitment and enthusiasm to our charity. I would also like to acknowledge our great relationship with Britain’s Got Talent whose winning prize is appearing on our show. I would also like to thank the Matron of Brinsworth House, Tatree Preece RGN, and everyone who is connected at Brinsworth House for their devotion and effort through the year. I feel it is important to thank the work and commitment of our Chairman, Giles Cooper, together with all the members of the Executive Committee and of course my fellow Trustees. Their combined work and dedication bind our charity together with strength during these difficult times. Finally I would like to thank the Royal Family for their continued support and especially TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales for attending this evening. So please sit back and enjoy what will undoubtedly be a fabulous night of entertainment.
Laurie Mansfield - Hon. Life-President & Executive Producer
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
Laurie Mansfield Hon. Life President & Executive Producer
THANKS ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 13
PHIL DALE VICE-CHAIRMAN I’d like to commend the wonderful efforts of the Management Body of the Royal Variety Charity. We are all volunteers, giving our time freely to aid the outstanding work carried out by our employees at our care home, Brinsworth House and of our charity’s grants team, assisting those entertainers in need all over the UK.
Phil Dale Vice-Chairman
What is so unique about the charity’s voluntary Officers/ Trustees is that each one of us brings our own special skill-set to aid the work of this great charity. For example, myself and Life-President Laurie Mansfield have worked as theatrical agents in television, theatre and radio for more years than I care to remember(!), our Chairman Giles Cooper is a renowned concert promoter and show producer and our Treasurer Ian Freeman, is a diligent businessman and PR guru. The Officers/ Trustees, together with the Members of our Executive Committee, volunteer their services every day of the year for this, the entertainment industry’s very own charity - bringing help, comfort and joy to so many in our industry. However, we couldn’t do it without your support, particularly at this world famous, annual extravaganza, so thank you most sincerely and please enjoy the show!
IAN FREEMAN TREASURER In the few words that I am permitted in this brochure, it’s hard to express the gratitude that I feel towards you all joining us here tonight. Your investment in the work of our Charity, in what we know are trying and challenging times, is a source of comfort to us all. The Royal Variety Performance is our touchstone, the most important event in our year. It’s the major fundraiser which enables us to provide comfort, care and support for our Brinsworth House residents and for many others in their own homes who rely on us for regular or occasional financial assistance. Our nursing, care and administrative staff continue to provide an exemplary service to our residents, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. My role is to ensure the financial health of the Charity and special thanks must go to my Finance Director, Martin Dalby, who works diligently to safeguard the Charity’s finances by keeping a close watch on our income and expenditure.
Ian Freeman Treasurer
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Most other charities would give their right arms to have the kind of loyal supporters and staff that we enjoy. In return, I pledge to continue to play my part in upholding and maintaining the well-being of this magnificent organisation, which I am proud and honoured to serve.
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
TRIBUTE
Bill Kenwright 1945-2023
“A Man for All Seasons” ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 15
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
PATRONS OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
1921 HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
1936 1936
&
HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY
1952
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI
1936
2002
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER
1952 HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
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2022
PATRONS OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
The Royal Variety Charity has been honoured with Royal Patronage from the reigning Monarch ever since 1921…
… when His Majesty King George V became the first Patron of the Variety Aristes’ Benevolent Fund (the previous name of the Royal Variety Charity). His Majesty King George V also decreed, in the same year, that the Royal Variety Performance would become an annual event, after the success of the two previous Royal shows in 1912 and 1919. Her Majesty Queen Mary joined her husband the King, as joint Patron of the charity, shortly afterwards. King George V added that ‘the Monarch or a senior member of the Royal Family, would attend an annual Performance, in aid of Brinsworth House and the Royal Variety Charity, once a year thereafter, to demonstrate the Royal family’s love and support for the entertainment industry and its associated charity.’
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
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PATRONS OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
Following the passing of King George V in 1936, HM King George VI become Patron of the Royal Variety Charity, in conjunction with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, continuing the successful ‘dual Patronage’ that the charity had previously enjoyed. The new Patrons enjoyed countless Royal Variety shows, often making it a family event, bringing their daughters the young Princess Elizabeth and young Princess Margaret to numerous Royal Variety Performances. When Princess Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, she readily became Patron of the Royal Variety Charity alongside Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who insisted she remain joint Patron, due to her deep love of live entertainment. The Queen Mother remained ‘joint Patron’ with HM The Queen, until her passing in 2002.
HM Queen Elizabath II remained Patron of the Royal Variety Charity until her passing in 2022, having been Patron for an incredible 70 years!
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Fawn JamesAND and the team ESTATES FAWN JAMES ALLentire AT SOHO at SohoLIKE Estates WOULD TOextend WISHtheir THE ROYAL FAWNVARIETY JAMES AND ALL AT ESTATES warmest wishes to SOHO the CHARITY A HUGELY WOULD LIKECharity TO WISH THE ROYAL Royal Variety for a hugely SUCCESSFUL Fawn James and the entire team at Soho Estates s and the entire team at Soho Estates VARIETY CHARITY A toHUGELY extend their warmest wishes the Royal Variety Charity successful Royal Variety Performance! Fawn JamesPERFORMANCE and the entire team at Soho Estates armest wishes to the ROYAL Royal Variety Charity VARIETY 2022 for a hugely successful Royal Variety Performance! SUCCESSFUL successful Royal Variety Performance!
extend their warmest wishes to the Royal Variety Charity
for a hugely successful Royal Variety Performance! ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2022
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31/10/2023 10:56
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
MANAGEMENT BODY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
THE
R O YA L VA R I ET Y C H A R I T Y F O R M E R L Y
T H E
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
A R T I S T E S'
B E N E V O L E N T
F U N D
Elected Members: Elected Chairman of the Royal Variety Charity: GILES COOPER Elected Vice-Chairman: PHIL DALE, Elected Treasurer: IAN FREEMAN Elected Trustees of the Royal Variety Charity: GILES COOPER (Chair), LAURIE MANSFIELD, PHIL DALE, IAN FREEMAN Elected Members of The Executive Committee: KAY CARMAN • PAT CHURCH • GILES COOPER • PHIL DALE • DANIEL DEAN IAN FREEMAN • PAUL GANJOU • CHERYL GARLAND • FAWN JAMES MARTIN JONES • JOHN LOGAN • VICKI MICHELLE MBE • SPENCER PHILLIPS BABS POWELL • ROBERT POWELL • KEITH SIMMONS • DOWAGER LADY WESTBURY CBE
Honorary Members: Honorary Life-President of the Royal Variety Charity: LAURIE MANSFIELD Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Royal Variety Charity: STUART LITTLEWOOD • JOE PASQUALE • ROGER DE COURCEY ROBERT EARL JNR. • BRADLEY WALSH • NICK THOMAS MBE Honorary Life-Governors of the Royal Variety Charity: LORD MICHAEL GRADE CBE • THE DOWAGER LADY WESTBURY CBE. JP Honorary Chaplain of the Royal Variety Charity: THE REVEREND SIMON GRIGG
For more information on the Royal Variety Performance, please visit: www.RoyalVarietyPerformance.org
THE
ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
For more information on the Royal Variety Charity please visit: www.royalvarietycharity.org
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 23
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For everything Jaguar Land Rover, contact the team on 020 8398 4222. SYTNER JAGUAR LAND ROVER SOUTH WEST LONDON 42 Hanworth Road, Sunbury on Thames, Surrey TW16 5LN 020 8398 4222 www.sytner.co.uk
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ADVERT The Shanly Group is pleased to once again support the Royal Variety Performance
The Shanly Group The Shanly Group is a well-established property company specialising in commercial development investment across isresidential pleasedand to once againproperty support the Royaland Variety Performance the South East. The Group has a commitment to product excellence and innovative design. The Shanly Grouparchitectural is a well-established property company specialising in residential and commercial property development and investment across the South East. The Group has a commitment to product excellence and innovative architectural design.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
REFURBISHMENT OF BRINSWORTH HOUSE
The Royal Variety Charity’s own care home, Brinsworth House in Twickenham, has undergone a 3-year refurbishment and improvement programme, with work now complete!
T
he planning of the work began back in 2012 when the charity faced an enormous task – most of the bedrooms were without ensuite bathrooms, there was limited access to the higher floors (with just one stair lift) and generally the whole home needing upgrading with tech and facilities. Chairman Giles Cooper recalls “to start with it was difficult to persuade my fellow colleagues on the management body to proceed with the vision. Quite rightly, they were concerned about whether we could afford it, but most importantly were worried about where we would house our many residents during the works. In time, however, everyone realised that without improving our facilities it wouldn’t be long before this old building would, in a few years, be no longer fit for purpose and where there is a will, there is always a way!”
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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BRINSWORTH HOUSE
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
Our residents can at last enjoy a home fit-for-purpose for the next 100 years and the Royal Variety Charity would like to thank all those who made donations and took part in numerous fundraising efforts to enable such important work to be carried out. 28 | ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
BRINSWORTH HOUSE
Building work began in 2020 with the complete refurbishment of the kitchen and dining room, followed by the newly named ‘Giles Cooper Wing’ which is now fully operational and occupied by those who’ve worked professionally in the entertainment industry during their careers. The interior was designed by celebrated interior designer, Mikhail Pietranek, giving the feel of a 5-star boutique hotel, with a theatrical twist and included converting 23 rooms to ensuite bedrooms, an 8-person passenger lift connecting three floors, fibre broadband throughout and the addition of two assisted bathrooms. The last phase of work is now done, with the completion of an additional 7 ensuite bedrooms and the complete refurbishment of the legendary hair salon(!).
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 THE
R O YA L VA R I ET Y C H A R I T Y F O R M E R L Y
T H E
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A R T I S T E S'
B E N E V O L E N T
F U N D
PLEASE HELP US TO HELP OTHERS
As the entertainment business recovers from the aftermath of Covid where the entire industry was effectively closed down for the best part of two years, vast sections of the industry’s workers are now suffering from the devastatingly difficult ‘cost of living crisis’. It’s so easy to sit back and enjoy entertainment around the country in theatres or music halls, but what is often overlooked is that many workers in comedy, theatre and music, work from ‘job to job’ or ‘season to season’, with no long-term security or stability and so when work dries up for a few months, life can become incredibly difficult. It’s only the top 4.5% * of those working in the industry, that earn more than the average UK wage! (*Nielsen survey 2019) Please don’t forget those who’ve worked so hard to entertain you for so long and please give what you can - both now and in your legacy. Thank you.
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TO CONTINUE OUR WORK, WE NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER! Please DONATE whatever you can to support us, by visiting: http://easydonate.org/TRVP Text / SMS donations To donate £10, text RVP10 to 70191 To donate £20, text RVP20 to 70191 To donate £30, text RVP30 to 70191 Every pound will be so gratefully received. * Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme (Charity No: 1149800), operating as DONATE. Texts will be charged at your standard network rate. For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
Presented annually in aid of the
Royal Variety Charity Staged at
The Royal Albert Hall, London In the presence of
THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
THE R O YA L V A R I E T Y PERFORMANCE
2 0 2 3 Executive Producers, Royal Variety Charity Laurie Mansfield, Giles Cooper & Phil Dale
Executive Producer, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Fiona Clark Series Producer, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Helen Riddell Director, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios), Richard Valentine
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 31
T HE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
ACT ONE YOUR HOST:
BRADLEY WALSH MALEVO
ZARA LARSSON ROSIE JONES CRAZY FOR YOU VIGGO VENN PALOMA FAITH TOM ALLEN HANNAH WADDINGHAM DISNEY 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FROM DISNEY THEATRICAL INTERVAL OF 25 MINUTES
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ACT ONE
YOUR HOST
BR A D L EY WA L S H
B
radley Walsh is an award-winning and highly regarded British presenter and actor. Well-known for hosting all 15 seasons of the popular ITV game show The Chase, and spin-offs The Celebrity Chase and Beat The Chasers. During his incredible and vast career, Bradley has won and been nominated for a variety of awards, including Television BAFTAs, National Television Awards, TRIC Awards, The British Soap Awards, TV Choice Awards, and The TV Quick Awards. Since 2020, Bradley has hosted the legendary game show Blankety Blank for BBC One. He will next be seen co-hosting the iconic reboot of Gladiators for BBC, with his son Barney Walsh. Together, they have also made four highly celebrated seasons of the wonderful travel show Breaking Dad for ITV. Bradley’s key acting credits include the head of the family, Pop Larkin, in ITV’s The Larkins, and BBC’s
Doctor Who, where he portrayed companion Graham O’Brien for two series opposite Jodie Whittaker. Bradley had the leading role in Law & Order: UK, where he portrayed DS Ronnie Brooks for eight seasons. Another career highlight was to tread the cobbles and play the iconic Danny Baldwin in Coronation Street, where he won a Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Bradley has hosted shows at a number of incredible venues, in particular The London Palladium, with specials The London Palladium: The Greatest Stage On Earth, Tonight At The London Palladium and Sunday Night At The Palladium. Bradley is an avid sports fan, former professional footballer and keen golfer. He is also a true car enthusiast – his first job, at age 16, was an apprentice for Rolls-Royce Helicopter Engines. It’s an honour for Bradley to be hosting the Royal Variety Performance 30 years after his first appearance on the show in the presence of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
MA L EVO
M
alevo, the dynamic all-male dance troupe, have created a performance that not only pushes the Malambo style beyond its limits and into the future, but also gives spectators an extraordinary visual and sensory experience unlike any other! Malevo have toured and entertained audiences all around the world. The South American Sensation was created by director, choreographer, and dancer, Matías Jaime. The company has reimagined the Argentine dance of Malambo; taking what is a traditional Argentinian folkloric dance and elevating it to a fiery and modern heights by infusing the dance with elements of flamenco and pulsating drumming live on stage. The choreography combines the use of boleadoras – a leather and stone hunting tool used by Gauchos – with pounding movements, energetic zapateados (stomping) and cepillados (lightning footwork). Malevo presents a living and breathing modern day interpretation of the traditional folklore art form with high respect for the past and excitement for the future. For all of the artists of Malevo, Malambo is a lifestyle and their cultural identity, and it brings them pride and happiness to share their heritage and passion with audiences around the world.
Z A R A L A RSSON
O
ne of pop’s biggest young stars, Zara Larsson provokes and pushes pop culture forward. With every move, she continues to make history and break records: her 2017 platinum-certified album, So Good, notably stands out as one of the moststreamed debuts on Spotify by a female artist. Zara’s growing catalogue boasts one Top 5 smash after another, from ‘Never Forget You’, ‘Lush Life’, and ‘I Would Like’, to the UK no.1 Clean Bandit collaboration ‘Symphony’. She has received awards and nominations from the Swedish Grammys, BRITS and MTV EMAs, and she has graced the stage of the Nobel Peace Prize. Her second album, Poster Girl, featured breakout hits like ‘Ruin My Life’ and ‘Wow’, and saw Zara make further strides towards Pop’s top table. Her upcoming album was introduced by ‘Can’t Tame Her’, which spent 16 weeks in the UK top 40 and aptly captures where Zara stands in 2023: “Can’t change her / Can’t blame her / Can’t tame her”. Having also confirmed her acting debut in Netflix’s A Part Of You movie next year, Zara will perform her new single, (a collaboration with David Guetta), ‘On My Love’ tonight.
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ACT ONE
R OSIE JON ES
R
osie Jones is an essential act on the UK comedy circuit. Having fronted two Travelogue series for Channel 4, Mission: Accessible and Trip Hazard, as well as her critically acclaimed documentary Am I A R*tard, Rosie is also now hosting a brandnew series for Comedy Central, Out Of Order, which will air soon. Rosie can also be seen on television shows including Live At The Apollo, Cats Does Countdown and The Last Leg. Rosie is also an established writer and actor, having written on Netflix series Sex Education, she also wrote and starred in Channel 4’s Disability Benefits which will return with a full series. Rosie made her prime-time acting debut in Silent Witness, and most recently starred as Paula in BBC’s Casualty as well as a role in the 2023 film Sumotherhood. Rosie has a successful children’s book series: The Amazing Edie Eckhart Since completing two sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Rosie has been doing her debut international tour, Triple Threat, which includes dates across the UK and a run at Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
CR A ZY FOR YOU
T
heatre-mad Bobby Child is torn between his show-business dreams and running the family bank. He reluctantly heads west to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a theatre’s mortgage, only to fall for the theatre owner’s daughter, Polly. Desperate to prove his good faith, Bobby decides to put on a show – complete with dancers from the glamorous Zangler Follies in New York City – to save the theatre, renew the town and hopefully win Polly’s love. The biggest and most joyful musical comedy continues to light up the West End. This large-scale production boasts 16 orchestra members and an incredible 34 strong cast, led by the ‘electrifying’ Charlie Stemp (The Times), alongside the ‘magnetic’ Carly Anderson (Broadway World) and ‘outrageously comic’ Tom Edden (Evening Standard). This show overflows with glorious Gershwin melodies, including ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’, ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘They Can’t Take That Away from Me’. With a riotously entertaining book by Ken Ludwig, directed and choreographed by multi-Tony and Olivier award winner Susan Stroman, this spectacular production is now playing at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre for its final few weeks.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
V I G G O V EN N
V
iggo Venn is a clown, comedian and Norwegian based in London. He studied clowning at the prestigious École Philippe Gaulier in France, where he learned how to get pied in the face. Until 2023, he mostly performed in obscurity. One time, he performed for an audience of four people - a family - at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The youngest child fell asleep during his performance! Viggo felt very unseen. But everything changed when Viggo moved to London. Here, he got the bright idea to put on a hi-vis vest, with the hopes of increasing his visibility. And it worked! People finally started to notice him. So he put on another vest, and then one more, and then one more. No one has fallen asleep since. Eventually, he decided to audition for Britain’s Got Talent and share his story with the British public. The rest is hi-vistory. The beloved Norwegian is currently spreading joy and laughter touring his show, British Comedian, to every corner of the UK. Viggo would like to dedicate tonight’s performance to his parents Anne Marie and Bjørn, his girlfriend Julia, and his vest friend Simon Cowell.
PA LOMA FA ITH
P
aloma Faith is a multi-award-winning international recording artist who has released five critically acclaimed albums since 2009, beginning with her debut, Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?. Paloma is now gearing up for another monumental chapter with the recent release of her new single ‘How You Leave A Man’ taken from her forthcoming sixth studio album, The Glorification of Sadness. As well as earning a number 1 album and number 1 single, she has collected dozens of awards in the last decade, including a BRIT Award for British female solo artist. Paloma has reached a wider audience with a flourishing acting career including a role as Bet Sykes in the Batman prequel series Pennyworth, and starring as Florence De Regnier in Lionsgate’s Dangerous Liaisons; as well as using her platform to spread the word about various causes she is passionate about and is an Ambassador for Oxfam Women’s Charities, Greenpeace and Choose Love.
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ACT ONE
TOM A L L EN
W
ith his signature acerbic wit and riotous storytelling, Tom Allen has cemented himself as a household name on both stage and screen. He’s the hilarious host of shows such as The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Cooking With The Stars, Complaints Welcome and The Island, and he’s also a regular on Bake Off: An Extra Slice and There’s Something About Movies. Other television appearances include Live At The Apollo, A League Of Their Own, Hypothetical, Would I Lie to You, QI, Celebrity Gogglebox and much more. Tom can be heard on BBC Radio 4 in his own series Tom Allen Is Not Very Nice. He also co-hosts the hit podcast, Like Minded Friends, alongside his comedy peer Suzi Ruffell. 2020 saw the release of his Sunday Times bestseller memoir, No Shame, and last year’s subsequent memoir, Too Much, which was described by The Guardian as “heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere”. Tom’s 2018 and 2019 Absolutely tour sold over fifty-thousand tickets, including an unforgettable show at The London Palladium which was broadcast on Channel 4. Tom is back on the road with his brand-new stand-up show, Completely, touring nationwide.
H A N N A H WA D D IN GH A M
H
annah Waddingham is an Emmy Award winning screen actress with over twenty years of celebrated musical theatre work, both in the West End and on Broadway, under her belt. She has been garnered with Critics’ Choice and Hollywood Critics Association Awards, as well as Golden Globe and SAG nominations for her role as Rebecca in Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso. Her one woman Christmas concert special, Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas, has recently dropped on Apple TV+. Hannah was recently seen on PBS’s Masterpiece, ITV’s Tom Jones and Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 in the role of Mother Witch. She made her hosting debut in April at The Olivier Awards, followed by The Eurovision Song Contest 2023, for which she received rave reviews. Hannah recently wrapped production on the action film The Fall Guy, and has also joined both the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two and Garfield movies, which are due for release next year. Hannah is thrilled to be back home tonight for the always magical Royal Variety Performance!
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
DIS NE Y 1 0 0 TH A N N IV ERSA RY C EL EBRATION F R OM D I S N EY TH EATRIC A L
2
023 sees The Walt Disney Company celebrate 100 magical years of storytelling. Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) is a proud part of this legacy, bringing these wondrous stories to life on stage since 1994. To mark this momentous occasion, DTG is presenting a medley of songs from some of its iconic stage productions including The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules and Frozen. A division of The Walt Disney Studios, DTG operates under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Thomas Schumacher, and Anne Quart. Worldwide, its ten Broadway shows have been seen by nearly 220 million theatregoers and have been nominated
for 62 Tony® Awards, winning Broadway’s highest honour 20 times. The Lion King celebrates 25 years in the West End in 2024, recognising DTG’s long relationship with British theatre, which includes productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mary Poppins (co-produced with Cameron Mackintosh), Aladdin, Shakespeare in Love (co-produced with Sonia Friedman Productions), and Frozen playing in London’s West End and touring the UK. With 24 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.
PLEASE ENJOY A 2 5 MINUTE INTERVAL
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TH E ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
ACT TWO YOUR HOST:
BRADLEY WALSH
DERREN BROWN’S UNBELIEVABLE THE BIG LITTLE THINGS RICK ASTLEY SIMON BRODKIN MCFLY ELLIE TAYLOR MELANIE C AND BEN FORSTER LANG LANG AND LUCY SISTER ACT CHER
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
D E R R E N BR OWN ’S U N BEL IEVA BL E
D
erren Brown’s Unbelievable, the hit magic show, has taken London by storm and is wowing audiences at the Criterion Theatre in the heart of Piccadilly. The show fuses jaw-dropping illusions with sleight of hand, extraordinary music, and mindreading in an original evening of magic like you’ve never seen before, brought to life by a company of multi-talented performers. Unbelievable is a unique experience as the audience are the beating heart of the production and no two performances are ever the same. Created by the team behind Derren Brown’s ground-breaking stage productions, Unbelievable is the first time Derren has swapped the spotlight and handed the reins over to a troupe of gifted actors. Prepare to leave the Royal Albert Hall believing in magic as Unbelievable’s very own Simon Lipkin presents a special version of a trick from the show, with a VIP guest who, especially for you tonight, will perform magic to the highest degree!
TH E L I T TL E BIG TH IN GS
A
n extraordinary true story about an ordinary family. When one moment changes everything, Henry’s family is split between a past they no longer recognise, and a future they could never foresee. Based on Henry Fraser’s best-selling autobiography, The Little Big Things is a groundbreaking new musical featuring the first ever wheelchair user in a West End leading role. Now playing at @sohoplace, the show serves as a life-affirming reminder about the transformative power of family, and how sometimes, it really is the little things which matter the most. An avid sportsman and academy player with a premiership Rugby club, Henry’s life changed forever after a diving accident. From that moment, he had a new life to live as a tetraplegic. Henry’s determination to prosper against devastating odds led to him wheeling himself out of hospital a whole year earlier than predicted. Today he is a successful artist, inspirational speaker and best-selling author. Henry said: “There have been many things that have happened since my accident that I never thought about in life, never planned and really surprised me, in a great way. This musical is one of those moments.”
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ACT TWO
R IC K ASTL EY
R
ick Astley’s story is a remarkable career of two chapters. Way back in 1987, he became an unlikely global phenomenon as his era-defining smash ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ established him as an international chart-topping, BRIT Award winning global star - a status heightened by further hits such as ‘Together Forever’ and ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’. But then he stepped away from the spotlight, seemingly leaving that chapter of his life firmly in the past.
Rick’s second chapter then started when he celebrated his half-century by returning to the top of the charts with 2016’s 50. The somehow still boyish singer, songwriter and producer has stayed at the top of his game ever since, leading to collaborations with everyone from Foo Fighters to Blossoms, this summer’s show-stealing double-bill of festival sets at Glastonbury, and a #2 chart position for his new album Are We There Yet?. Now set to start 2024 in style with a huge UK arena tour, Rick Astley is firmly embracing his status as a new national treasure, forever and more.
S I MON BROD K IN
S
imon is the guy who made global headlines when he handed Theresa May a P45, showered Sepp Blatter with dollar bills and upstaged Donald Trump at the opening of his Turnberry golf course, with The Telegraph describing him as “the world’s most famous blagger”. He is also the creator of “comedy legend” (The Sun) Lee Nelson and preening Premier League footballer Jason Bent. He wrote and starred in three series of BBC Three’s Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show and Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People. Simon has a huge social media following and is the most-watched British stand-up comedian on TikTok. His videos regularly go viral, with one stand-up routine about climate change getting more than 75 million views. Simon is currently on a 110-date international stand-up tour performing as himself, which culminates in a special one-off show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in March 2024. He is one of the most exciting comedians in the UK right now, with the Mail On Sunday describing his current tour show as “a full-on rat-a-tat gag fest” and Dominic Maxwell of The Times saying “no show has made me laugh more”.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
MC FLY
2
023 marks McFly’s 20th anniversary. They celebrated in style by scoring their 5th Top 5 album, Power To Play, and embarking on a sold-out UK tour. They add this to their tally of seven albums - two of them chart toppers, seven #1 singles, 10 million records sold, hundreds of sold-out shows, thousands of fans, millions of streams and countless awards. Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter formed McFly when they were teenagers, becoming the youngest band ever to have a number one debut album, beating The Beatles’ long-standing record, and are one of the most significant British bands of the 21st Century. Power To Play sees the band at their most honest, full of hair metal cheese, glam rock glitter and heavy metal attitude. “Nothing will ever beat being able to hang out with your mates and make amazing music that you love. For us, that’s what McFly is always going to be about” says drummer Harry. Tonight, McFly are playing one of their newest songs, ‘Forever’s Not Enough’, co-written with James Bay, perfectly blended into one of their biggest hits, ‘5 Colours in Her Hair’.
E L L I E TAY LOR
E
llie is a stand-up comedian, presenter, actor and writer. Best known for appearing as Sassy in the international smash hit Apple+ multi award winning comedy Ted Lasso, closer to home she hosts Bake Off The Professionals and appeared as a contestant on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing. “It’s a total honour to be asked to perform at the Royal Variety Performance. What a delight to be a part of such an iconic event for such a brilliant cause. And personally, it’s incredibly special to be a part of something that my parents will actually watch for a change.”
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ACT TWO
M E L A N I E C A N D BEN FORSTER
F
rom her rise to fame as part of the most successful girl band of all time, Spice Girls, to her solo career, Melanie C’s impact on music has been incredible, with 11 UK number ones, 100 million copies sold with the group, and 23 million as a solo artist over her 30-year career.
Melanie’s West End debut as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers earned her an Olivier Award nomination. She starred as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. Melanie returned to the West End in 2023 with How Did We Get Here? Ben Forster’s theatre credits include La Cava, Evita, Grease, Lennon and McCartney’s All You Need is Love, the 40th Anniversary Rocky Horror Show, and Thriller Live. Ben won ITV’s Superstar, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2016, Ben joined The Phantom of the Opera, leading the show’s 30th anniversary to an Olivier Award. In 2017 he took his solo show to Japan and headlined his own show on the West End. Next year, Ben will resume the role of Phantom in Tokyo. Tonight, Melanie and Ben pay tribute to the late Bill Kenwright.
L A N G L A N G A N D LU CY
L
ang Lang has long fascinated classical audiences and critics alike; his performances are charged with breathtaking virtuosity, tonal refinement and dramatic intensity. With an illustrious career, he has performed for dignitaries, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Barack Obama and Pope Francis. The Grammy-nominated pianist inspires millions across the globe to learn a musical instrument through the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. He has worked tirelessly to promote education as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and as a UN Messenger of Peace. Most recently, he became a judge on Channel 4’s The Piano.
Lucy stole the nation’s hearts when she won The Piano at just 13 years old, having performed on a keyboard at Leeds Train Station. She stopped people in their tracks and left bystanders in tears as she played her beautiful rendition of Chopin‘s ‘Nocturne in B-flat Minor’. The young Pianist has since performed at HM King Charles III‘s Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, and most recently, at Classic FM Live in the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Tonight, Lang Lang and Lucy reunite on stage for a special “one piano, four hands” performance.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
S I ST ER AC T
P
raise be! The critically-acclaimed and award-winning production, Sister Act, returns to London’s Dominion Theatre March 2024. Starring soul sensation and Olivier Award winning superstar Beverley Knight as diva-in-disguise Deloris van Cartier, and national treasure Ruth Jones (star of Gavin and Stacey, Stella) as Mother Superior. Based on the beloved film, this story of music, mishaps and nuns on the run is a joyous and uplifting tale of finding your voice and singing out, with your sisters by your side. Beverley Knight recently starred in Sylvia at the Old Vic. A three-time MOBO Award winner who has sold over a million albums in the UK, Beverley wowed audiences in Sister Act last summer and is reprising her role in this award-winning musical. Ruth Jones is best known for her role as Nessa Jenkins in the multi-award winning Gavin and Stacey for the BBC, which she also co-created and co-wrote with James Corden. In recent years Ruth has become a Sunday Times best-selling author of three novels and is currently writing her fourth. Tonight is an exclusive first look at Beverley, Ruth and the company of Sister Act performing ‘Raise Your Voice’.
THANK YOU Thank you to all tho se w h o p e r for me d t h i s eve n i n g and thank yo u to yo u t h e au d i e n ce for at te n d i n g and sup p orting the Royal Var i e t y C h ar i t y. We wish you a s afe j ou r n ey h ome and a very Hap py C h r i st mas !
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ACT TWO
C H ER
C
her is a show business icon. From her rise to fame as part of the duo Sonny & Cher, to an incredible award winning acting and solo career, Cher is one of the most successful female artists of all time. With 27 studio albums, 10 compilation records, multiple soundtracks and 2 live albums, Cher has sold over 100 million records worldwide. She has achieved 15 UK Top 10 singles including 4 chart toppers, and her internationally acclaimed hit ‘Believe’ is the UK best-selling single of all time by a female artist. She is also the only artist to have a number-one single
on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades. Her illustrious career has earned her a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, 4 Billboard Music Awards, an Emmy, 3 Golden Globes, a Grammy and an induction in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Tonight, Cher fans can count on a very merry and very rock and roll holiday season with a special performance of her single, ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’, from her new album Christmas.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
GILES BROADBENT 1972 – 2023 RIP
I
n September 2023, the Royal Variety Charity sadly lost one of its most ardent supporters, Giles Broadbent.
As leader of the string quartet, Stringfever, Giles donated his time and services to the charity countless times over the last decade, from Royal Variety Aftershow parties, performing at Brinsworth House for our residents, Royal Variety fundraising shows and most recently entertaining the welcoming party for the Commonwealth baton. Giles Broadbent studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music (RAM), and later led orchestras for several West End shows, including Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera, and My Fair Lady, amongst many others. First learning violin from his father (Head of Music at Rugby School), Giles and his younger brothers often busked on London streets as children. In 2003, Giles founded Stringfever with his brothers Ralph, Neal, and cousin Graham. Being the oldest, he was described as the group’s boss and played a five-string Violectra Violin in the ensemble.
Playing a combination of classical music, movie soundtracks, and rock classics, the group performed around the world including nineteen tours of the United States and featured performances at the Mumbai Opera House and Beijing Music Festival. In 2015, Giles was awarded the title of ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music), presented to alumni who have significantly contributed to and impacted the music profession. Giles was the most extraordinary musician, but also an exceptionally warm, kind and generous man. He will be sorely missed by us all at the Royal Variety Charity.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
CHAIRMAN’S CHARITY THANKS
I
’m very proud and privileged to lead this great charity and I’d like to highlight some of our staff and volunteers.
Our Grants Sub-Committee have worked extremely hard during the last year to give help to an ever-increasing number of grant applicants and I’d like to thank the sub-committee’s Chair, John Logan, together with Pat Church, Paul Ganjou and Keith Simmons. I’d also like to thank Kaushika Amin for her work on processing our huge amount of grant applications. From our team of employees, I’d like to thank Peter Hinton and Kirsty Bristow, most particularly for their hard work on the Brinsworth House refurbishment programme and also Angelica Lundekesi and Kay Carman for all their hard work and dedication ensuring that our residents are entertained royally, throughout the year! I’d like to thank all of our nurses, carers, maintenance staff and kitchen staff for their continued hard work. Their commitment too, has been exemplary, particularly during the challenges of the Covid crisis and its aftermath. I still can’t believe that we didn’t lose a single resident to covid and that’s testament to all of their professionalism, resourcefulness and energy, in getting us through. I’d especially like to thank Victoria Bond in our events team, who has worked so hard on the arrangements for this evening’s show and Aftershow party. It’s always such a great team effort that keeps this wonderful charity in the shape that it’s in and my heartfelt thanks also goes to all the Members of our Executive Committee. Giles Cooper, Chairman
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
RESIDENT OUTINGS
I
n the last 12 months, regular activities at Brinsworth House have included volleyball, armchair exercise classes and the reintroduction of yoga, as well as our residents warmly welcoming back visiting PAT dogs with Taffy the Corgi upstaging us all! Thoroughly making the most of post-pandemic freedom, our residents have also enjoyed excursions a little further
afield than Twickenham, including a trip to Circus Berlin in Old Deer Park, when Zippos Circus came to our door step. Our gentlemen residents made the most of some male bonding afternoons for lunch and drinks at the local pub for Father’s Day. Several trips to the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond went ahead, along with a boat trip along the River Wey and a highlight of the Summer was a coach trip to Bournemouth, to enjoy the Air Show.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
BRINSWORTH HOUSE PERFORMERS 2023
We would like to thank all of the Artistes who have entertained our elderly Residents at Brinsworth House during 2023 (in order of appearance) THE MAZAIKA DUO:(SARAH AND IGOR) TOM CARRADINE JASON ALLEN LADY RATLINGS: (SHANI CANTOR, JENNY BALLARD, MIRANDA RICHARDS, NINA HEWLETT & CAROL ANNE WELLS) WATER RATS: (DAVIDCAPRI, JOHN MAXIM & STEVE HEWLETT, KAPLANKAYE & BILL DARE) HARRY KERSLEY JAMES HODGSON EMMA JAMES KATIE MILTON THOM STANBURY JON COURTENAY BUS PASS TO BROADWAY: (SEAN WHITTLE, VIVIENNE MCMASTER, JACQUIE STREET & PETER)
LINDA WATTS MAURICE KACHUK THE PALM COURT STRING TRIO BEN STOCK THE RAT PACK: (DAVID ALACEY, PAUL DRAKELEY, DES COLEMAN, MAC SHONE & STEVE KING) JAMES HAY MARTIN CLEAVES THE CHELSEA BALLET GROUP KATE GARNER KATIE LEWIS THE RAH RAH THEATRE COMPANY LLOYD ELLERY SAM JEWISON SIMEON WOOD HENRY PATTERSON ELSPETH WILKES PAUL WOOD
BRUCE GRAHAM EMMA ODELL ROBERT HAZEL JOHANNA MAKI & DAVID FIONA PAIGE MARK PORTER DEL BEARFOOT THE EEL PIE TWO! RICHMOND ACTORS CENTRE GROUP ANDY EASTWOOD GWALIA MALE CHOIR PATRICIA HAMMOND NINA KRISTOFFERSON KAY CARMAN DAVE FOSTER SOUPARNIKA NAIR STEVE BARCLAY
Thank you so much for your support!
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
LIFTED ENTERTAINMENT (PART OF ITV STUDIOS) Lifted Entertainment is proud to produce The ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 and continue ITV Studio’s long association with this prestigious event. Lifted Entertainment is the largest Producer of entertainment programmes in the UK, making popular shows such as:
FIONA CLARK Executive Producer RICHARD VALENTINE Director HELEN RIDDELL Series Producer AMANDA GEORGE Line Producer
AN AUDIENCE WITH KYLIE (ITV) ANT & DEC’S SATURDAY NIGHT TAKEAWAY (ITV) BRITAIN GET SINGING (ITV) COUNTDOWN (C4) DANCING ON ICE (ITV) DRESS TO IMPRESS (ITV) I’M A CELEBRITY... GET ME OUT OF HERE! (ITV) I’M A CELEBRITY... SOUTH AFRICA (ITV) IN FOR A PENNY (ITV) IT’LL BE ALRIGHT ON THE NIGHT (ITV) LOVE ISLAND (ITV2) MY MUM YOUR DAD (ITV) OLIVIA MARRIES HER MATCH (ITVBE) THE BIG QUIZ (ITV) THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS (ITV) THE OLIVIER AWARDS (ITV) THE VOICE (ITV) UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (BBC) 8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN (C4)
MARK WAGMAN Talent Executive
THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE WILL TRANSMIT ON ITV IN MID DECEMBER.
NICHOLA BELLAMY Make-Up Supervisor
AMANDA CHIDDLE Producer MARTHA TURNER-SMITH Assistant Producer PATY SANCHEZ Researcher PETER BINGEMANN Production Designer ANTHONY VAN LAAST CBE Stage Director DAVID ARCH Musical Director DAVE DAVEY Lighting Director KEVIN DUFF Sound Supervisor MIKE CALLAN Camera Supervisor GRAEME ROBSON OB Unit Manager JUSTINE WESTWOOD Costume Designer
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
ITV PRODUCTION FIONA CLARK
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Fiona has worked on a range of entertainment shows for ITV, BBC, Channel 4 & Channel 5 including ‘Live Aid’, ‘Whistle Test’, ‘Wogan’, ‘The Full Wax’, ‘The Word’, ‘The Big Breakfast’, ‘Children in Need’ and ‘Elton John at The Royal Opera House’. As Executive Producer at ITV, she worked on ‘Michael Bublé Home For Christmas’, ‘Gary Barlow Journey to Afghanistan’, ‘Tonight at the London Palladium’, the BAFTA award-winning ‘The Sound of Music Live’ and ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’. As Creative Director at Lifted Entertainment, her rosta has included ‘The Voice’, ‘The Voice Kids’, ‘The Prince’s Trust Awards’, ‘Dancing On Ice’, ‘The Olivier Awards’, & the upcoming ‘An Audience with ....Kylie Minogue’. Fiona is honoured to once again Executive Produce this very special show.
AMANDA GEORGE LINE PRODUCER
Amanda George started her television career working for ‘TV-am’ and then went on to work for Sir David Frost and his production company, David Paradine Productions. She joined London Weekend Television in 1996 working as a Production Secretary/Coordinator on a variety of programmes. Amanda then moved into Production Management and has worked on many of LWT, Granada and ITV Studios’ high profile entertainment shows such as ‘Blind Date’, ‘Brainiac’, ‘Nelson Mandela: Happy 90th Birthday’, ‘The Kylie Show’, ‘Michael Bublé: Home for Christmas’, ‘The One and Only Cilla Black’, ‘The British Soap Awards’, ‘The Olivier Awards’, ‘The Prince’s Trust Awards’ plus numerous music specials. Amanda is delighted to be Line Producer on her fifteenth Royal Variety Performance.
RICHARD VALENTINE DIRECTOR
Richard is a BAFTA and RTS awardwinning Multi-Camera Director who has directed some of the biggest live TV events/shows - The Eurovision Song Contest 2023, The Concert For Ukraine, Global Citizen Live, EURO’s Closing Ceremony, One Love Manchester, Sound of Music Live, Olivier Awards, Ireland’s Dancing with the Stars, Strictly Come Dancing and music specials with U2, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Duran Duran, Tom Jones, Tim Minchin, Take That and Westlife. Richard is delighted to be directing the Royal Variety again.
DAVE DAVEY
LIGHTING DIRECTOR Dave specialises in large, ambitious entertainment shows and live music events and his lighting can be seen on some of Britain’s biggest and best television series, most recently ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘The Voice UK’, ‘Dancing On Ice’, and ‘The National Television Awards. Dave has been awarded a BAFTA Craft Award and three RTS Craft Awards. This is Dave’s eleventh year on the Royal Variety Performance and he is thrilled to be taking part once again.
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HELEN RIDDELL SERIES PRODUCER
Helen was lucky enough to start her television career in Children’s BBC working on much loved shows such as Blue Peter, TOTP Saturday and TMi. She moved to the BBC Entertainment & Events Department in 2012 and enjoyed working on a variety of special flagship programmes such as Children in Need, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, Eurovision, The BBC Music Awards, Strictly: It Takes Two, D-Day 70 and One Love Manchester. In recent years Helen has continued her love of entertainment at ITV, series producing The Voice and The British Soap Awards. Helen is proud to be returning for her second year as Series Producer on The Royal Variety Performance at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall.
MARK WAGMAN
TALENT EXECUTIVE Mark started his television career in BBC News and current affairs, before working on daily live shows including ‘The Big Breakfast’ and ‘Richard and Judy’. He joined ITV in 2004 where he oversaw and developed talent relations across a range of shows, including numerous ‘An Audience with’ specials featuring Take That, Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue and Joan Rivers. Mark has consulted across a wide range of programmes including being a key part of the BAFTA winning team behind ‘Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration’. Recently Mark has been part of the team behind, The BRITS, The Concert for Ukraine, The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations for Her Late Majesty and both The BAFTA Film and Television Awards.
PETER BINGEMANN
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Peter has been the Production Designer of many high profile shows including the ‘Live 8’ concerts and the ‘Concert for Diana’ at Wembley Stadium. He designed ‘The Children’s Party’ at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday, and ‘We Are Most Amused’, created for King Charles’ 60th birthday. Other designs include ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘The British Soap Awards’, ‘Bublé at The BBC’, ‘The VE Day 70 Concert’, ‘Let’s Sing & Dance for Comic Relief’, ‘The Nobel Peace Prize Concert’ in Oslo, ‘The Brit Awards’, ‘Popstar to Operastar’, ‘Take That Come to Town’, ‘The Kylie Show’, ‘Neil Diamond: One Night Only’, ‘The BAFTA Film Awards’. Peter is proud to be taking part in his sixteenth Royal Variety Performance.
KEVIN DUFF
SOUND SUPERVISOR Kev started his career in 1987 joining the London Weekend Television sound department as a trainee audio engineer, and he cut his teeth on the many music and variety shows they produced. Following that, a busy freelance career took him all over the world. He now jointly runs his own company, Zen Broadcast, who look after the sound on many high profile events and shows. A five-time BAFTA Award winner and also RTS Craft Award Winner, Kev is thrilled to once again be looking after the audio aspects of The Royal Variety Performance for ITV.
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
DAVID ARCH
MUSICAL DIRECTOR David Arch is best known as the Musical Director for ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ which he has worked on with his band and singers since 2006. His extensive recording credits include Joni Mitchell, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Elton John and Robbie Williams. David has worked on several hundred feature films including Oscar winners ‘The Shape of Water’, ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’, ‘Gravity’, ‘Pinocchio’, ‘Interstellar’, as well as several from the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Star Wars’ series. He also played the Piano Solos for ‘The King’s Speech’. In May 2023 he was the music consultant for King Charles’ Coronation. David is honoured to be the Musical Director for this, his thirteenth Royal Variety Performance.
CAROLINE CALEY STAGE MANAGER
Caroline trained at LAMDA and worked in theatre before joining the BBC where she was lucky to work on a wide variety of programmes from ‘Top of The Pops’ to ‘Jonathan Creek’ and two happy years on ‘Blue Peter’. As a freelancer, she’s worked in both scripted comedy/drama and live entertainment and events, including ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, ‘Miranda’, ‘The IT Crowd’, ‘The Jury’, ‘Benidorm’, ‘Horrible Histories the Movie’, ‘The Outlaws’ and ‘Call The Midwife’. Live TV includes ‘Live 8’, ‘The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert’, ‘Comic Relief’, ‘The Magicians’, ‘The Sound of Music Live’, ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’, ‘Dancing On Ice’, ‘The Voice UK’ and ‘Friday Night Live’. Caroline is very happy to be joining the team again for her fourteenth Royal Variety Performance.
AMANDA CHIDDLE PRODUCER
Amanda began her television career at BBC Entertainment as a Production Secretary on Song For Europe and Eurovision. She soon moved into an editorial role as a Researcher and subsequently Assistant Producer on a number of prime time Saturday night entertainment shows including Auntie’s Bloomers, Dog Eat Dog, The National Lottery Jet Set, Strictly Dance Fever, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Weakest Link. More recently Amanda has had the pleasure of working several high profile ITV programmes including The Voice UK and The British Soap Awards. Having watched The Royal Variety Performance since childhood, Amanda is excited and honoured to be part of the talented team to produce this year’s show at the iconic Royal Albert Hall.
ANTHONY VAN LAAST CBE STAGE DIRECTOR
Anthony is thrilled to be working on his 17th RVP, his favourite job of the year. His theatre credits include, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Mamma Mia! and Sister Act. His film credits include Beauty and The Beast, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, Mamma Mia 1 and 2.
KEREN ELIOT
STAGE MANAGER Keren attended the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before working in theatre. She then started her TV career as an ASM on Canned Laughter, the forerunner to Mr Bean. She worked on Saturday Live and Friday Night Live in the mid 80s for C4 as Stage Manager, together with Absolutely, The Lily Savage Show, the Comedy Awards and the BAFTA Television Awards and many dramas, comedy and sketch shows. Most recently she has Stage Managed Portrait Artist and Landscape Artist of the Year, The British Soap Awards, and been Senior Event Manager on the National Television Awards for many years. Keren has stage managed the Royal Variety Performance a number of times and is proud to do so once again.
MARTHA TURNER-SMITH ASSISTANT PRODUCER
Martha graduated as a Musical Theatre student from The BRIT School in 2012, before completing a BA Hons Acting Degree at the Arts University Bournemouth. Here she enjoyed many new skills on stage and behind the scenes. She started as a runner for ‘Matilda the Musical’ auditions, and as a production assistant on music videos. Since then, Martha has pursued a successful career in Television, working on entertainment shows including The Voice UK, Starstruck and Britain’s Got Talent. Her love and passion of theatre and performance is a huge part of her life, and it is a dream come true to be working on The Royal Variety Performance at The Royal Albert Hall. She knows her parents, three sisters and extended family are extremely proud.
PATY SANCHEZ RESEARCHER
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Paty moved to London for a gap year in 2014, and almost 10 years later she’s still here. She studied TV Production at the University of Westminster, graduating in 2018. She started her television career working as a runner at Sky, as well as doing some weekend running on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. Since then, she has had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of entertainment shows, including Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, Paramount +’s Queen of the Universe, and most recently, the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Paty is really excited to be working in her favourite venue, the Royal Albert Hall, for her first ever Royal Variety Performance. ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 55
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT T he hugely successful, annual ITV television show, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, generously donates a proportion of the money raised from viewers’ telephone votes to the Royal Variety Charity each year.
The Royal Variety Charity, in return, arranges for the series winner of the show to appear at the annual Royal Variety Performance, which is held in the presence of a senior member of the British Royal Family and watched by many millions of TV viewers worldwide. The Royal Variety Charity is extremely proud to be associated with ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, and gratefully acknowledges the continued help and support of Simon Cowell and all at Syco Entertainment and Thames TV. Congratulations to all contestants and to all at Syco Entertainment and Thames TV for producing another amazing series of ‘Britain’s Got Talent!
HISTORY OF BGT WINNERS
ADVERT PAUL POTTS
GEORGE SAMPSON
DIVERSITY
SPELBOUND
JULES & MATISSE
RICHARD JONES
TOKIO MYERS
LOST VOICE GUY
2007 Series 1 The ex-Carphone Warehouse salesman from Port Talbot in South Wales, secured his place on the Royal Variety Performance at the Liverpool Empire Theatre on the 3rd December 2007, held in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
2015 Series 9 Jules, Matisse and friends won the 9th series of Britian’s Got Talent and won their spot on the Royal Variety Performance, which was held at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 13th November 2015 in the presence of HRH Prince Harry.
2008 Series 2 The incredible 14 year old street dancer from Warrington in Cheshire, won his place on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on 11th December 2008, held in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.
2016 Series 10 Lance Corporal Richard Jones became the first ever magician to win and won his spot on the Royal Variety Performance, which was staged on 6th December 2016 at the Hammersmith Apollo, in the presence of TRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
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2009 Series 3 The boys, aged between 12 and 25, from Dagenham & Leytonstone in East London won their spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the Blackpool Opera House on the 7th December 2009 - held in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
2017 Series 11 The talented pianist & producer was awarded a place on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on 24th November 2017 in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
2010 Series 4 The 13 amazing gymnasts, originally from Spelthorne in Surrey, won their spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on the 9th December 2010, held in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.
2018 Series 12 Lee Ridley, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne was the first comedian to win and won his spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on 19th November 2018 in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
C
ongratulations to Viggo Venn, who won Britain’s Got Talent 2023! The 34-year-old clown from Norway beat off very talented competition from the outstanding and hugely talented 13-yearold dancer, Lillianna Clifton and from the stunning magician, 14-year-old, Cillian O’Connor. It was one of the most thrilling finals seen for many years. Asked how he felt in the moments before winning, Viggo admitted: “I was kind of hoping that I wouldn’t win, because it’d be so embarrassing. But, I was really happy when they said it. I was like, ‘what?’ The British public, they have such a sense of ridiculous humour.” Comments on social media praised the unusual winner:
“Viggo Venn is brilliant - the funniest guy. Just what we need at the moment”
“Yes! Just what we need right now with the world in the state it is!! Viggo made me laugh like I haven’t in a long time!
“It makes a change for BGT to have a totally unpredictable winner”
“Just love that Viggo, he’s batshit crazy and that’s what we need right now!”
VIGGO VENN
As this year’s winner, Viggo was awarded his prize of a spot on tonight’s Royal Variety Performance.
JAI MCDOWALL
ASHLEIGH & PUDSEY
2011 Series 5 The 24 year old, from Ayrshire in Scotland performed at the Royal Variety Performance at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester on 5th December 2011, which was held in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
2012 Series 6 Ashleigh Butler, aged 17, from Wellingborough and her performing dog, Pudsey, won their spot on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Variety Performance, at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, on 19th November, 2012.
COLIN THACKERY
JON COURTENAY
2019 Series 13 Chelsea Pensioner, Colin Thackery, won his spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on 18th November 2019 in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
WINNER: 2023
2020 Series 14 The 46-year-old musical comedian from Mosley in Birmingham won BGT in 2020, securing his spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the Blackpool Opera House on 29th November, which was staged virtually due to the Covid pandemic.
ATTRACTION
COLLABRO
AXEL BLAKE
VIGGO VENN
2013 Series 7 The Hungarian shadow dance troupe, Attraction, won their slot on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on the 25th November 2013, held in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.
2022 Series 15 The 34 year old comedian from West London won Britain’s Got Talent in June, winning his spot on this evening’s Royal Variety Performance!
2014 Series 8 Five-piece vocal group, Collabro, won Britain’s Got Talent 2014 and secured their spot on the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on the 13th November 2014, held in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
2023 Series 16 34-year-old Norwegian clown Viggo Venn won Britain’s Got Talent 2023 securing his spot at the Royal Variety Performance staged at the Royal Albert Hall on 30th November 2023 in the presence of TRH The Prince & Princess of Wales
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
T
he Royal Variety Performance was first staged in 1912, when His Majesty King George V and Her Majesty Queen Mary agreed to attend a ‘Royal Command Performance’ at London’s Palace Theatre in support of the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund (now the Royal Variety Charity) and its proposal to build an extension to its Home for elderly entertainers, Brinsworth House, in Twickenham. No expense was spared at this first Performance with 3 million roses strewn around the auditorium and the Royal Box. The show opened and closed, as would become traditional, with ‘God Save the King’, and performers included the legendary Scottish singer Harry Lauder and male impersonator Vesta Tilley – the Queen reportedly covered her eyes with her programme at the sight of a woman in trousers. Ballerina Anna Pavlova was also in the line-up, having two years earlier caused a sensation in the Palace Theatre by slapping her male dance partner for dropping her by mistake. The controversial dancehall star of the day, Marie Lloyd, was not invited to perform as she was embroiled in a professional dispute and was in any case deemed ‘too risqué’ for royal eyes; she defiantly staged a rival performance at a nearby theatre instead, billing it as ‘By command of the British Public’, but it was not a success. This original show has grown from comparatively humble beginnings into a spectacle watched by a TV audience of over 150 million worldwide in 65 different countries. In Norway, for example, it has even become a New Year’s tradition to watch the Royal Variety Performance, which is broadcast at midnight on January 1st! The second Royal show in 1919 was the first to be given the current billing of ‘Royal Variety Performance’; held at the London Coliseum a year after the end of the first World War, it was declared ‘a celebration of peace’ and featured performers from allied countries including Australia and France. In 1921, His Majesty King George V agreed to become Life Patron of the Royal Variety Charity – the start of an unbroken line of Royal patronage from the reigning Monarch, which continues to the present day. The show subsequently became an annual event when the King decreed after the Performance that ‘the Monarch, or a senior member of the Royal Family would attend a performance in aid of Brinsworth House and the Royal Variety Charity once a year thereafter’. By 1923 the show had become such an established and popular event that tickets would sell out as soon as they were issued. It was therefore decided in 1926 that that year’s Performance should be broadcast on BBC radio, for enjoyment by a wider audience. In the early 1930s the Royal Variety Performance moved to the London Palladium, which was to become its spiritual home for many years. Many stars still
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His Majesty King George V
recognised today as timeless variety names performed in this period, including Max Miller and Gracie Fields; the 1932 show also saw debut performances by six comedians who went on to form the Crazy Gang, one of the most successful comedy troupes in British history. 1935 saw the Silver Jubilee of an ailing King George V and Queen Mary, and that year’s spectacular sell-out show proved sadly to be a fittingly grand end to the great support these Royals had shown the Variety Performance. The Jubilee drew huge crowds to the show, with people from all over the world desperate to get their hands on a ticket; one American millionaire offered a staggering £500 (around £36,000 in today’s money) for a pair. That year’s line-up included Stanley Holloway, Jessie Matthews and the Harry Roy Band, and was an enormous success; but the King who had paved the way for a century of Royal patronage and dedication to the Entertainment’s Industry’s own Charity unfortunately died a few months later, in January 1936. A one-year interlude followed, during which King Edward VIII’s crown had barely touched his head before British rule and the reins of Variety Performance patronage were taken up once more by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother). The 1937 event was held again at the London Palladium, and it was widely agreed that controversial comedian Max Miller stole the show.
HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
Although no-one could have foreseen it, 1938 turned out to be the final show before World War II stopped play for the next seven years. As if anticipating the dark days ahead, seminal performances were given by an incredible 250 artistes, making it the biggest night in RVP history. Riding high on Hitler’s defeat, Britain channeled the spirit of victory into 1945’s event, billing it ‘The Victory Royal Variety Performance’ and turning it into a national celebration.
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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Tommy Trinder played host to a cast of acts that included Sid Field and Vic Oliver, and Robert Nesbitt made his debut as director for what was to be an impressive 25 further shows. Queen Elizabeth II attended as Princess, aged 19, accompanied by the King and Queen and her younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose. Presenter of the 1947 Performance, Val Parnell, caused controversy by choosing several high-ranking international names at the expense of some rather less familiar, home-grown acts; he defended himself by pointing out that the purpose of the event was to showcase the Variety business to its best possible advantage for their Majesties’ enjoyment, adding as an aside that ‘We cannot afford, when people are paying ten guineas a seat, to experiment too much’. The Royal Variety Performance continued to reach new heights in the ’40s and ’50s, the precocious star of the 1948 show being an enchanting 13 year-old Julie Andrews, who followed up her solo spot by leading the cast in a verse of the National Anthem in the finale. The original TV recording can be seen on our website and Facebook pages. In 1951 Michael Bentine, future Goon, pulled together an eccentric and hugely popular comedy troupe from six acts who had been regulars on the Royal Variety circuit since 1932; The Crazy Gang was born, and raised the rafters. This was also the year in which surprise appearances were made in the Royal Box by an absent King George VI’s two private nurses; Queen Elizabeth reported to his well-wishers that the King was, regrettably, too ill to attend, ’but he is listening in’. Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne sang His Majesty’s health. There was much excitement around 1952’s Variety Performance, being as it was the first in the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. No doubt to everyone’s relief, upon seeing the programme the Queen declared it ’the best show of all’ – one which featured the Beverley Sisters, Ian Wallace and Norman Wisdom. The Duke of Edinburgh took a particular shine to comedian Tony Hancock and his impersonation of a French Royal Navy commander. The decision of the Crazy Gang in 1951 to do away with the audience’s long-running fear of becoming too raucous in the presence of royalty proved such a success that in 1954 they took the idea to the next level; before the Royal family arrived, the Gang gave the audience a thorough warm-up by strolling in and out of their Box dressed as cleaners, and selling icecreams in the auditorium. By a stroke of good fortune, two Royal Variety Performances were arranged in 1955; this meant that the country was perhaps not as disappointed as it could have been when 1956’s show was cancelled due to brewing unrest surrounding the Suez Canal. The performers themselves were distinctly piqued, however, and a disgruntled Jimmy Wheeler launched into his act upon hearing the news, announcing ’I’ve rehearsed this bloody act for a fortnight so somebody’s gonna hear it’. Fortunately not the Royals, however, as his impromptu act was somewhat more risqué than the prepared version. The first 1955 show was held at the Opera House in
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HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
the Sunday rehearsals the noise of the throng could be heard by the artistes on stage. It was necessary to construct a screened passageway between the theatre and the hotel next door, where the Beatles were staying, in order to get them in and out of the theatre without being seen. The effect of the crowds obviously affected the other artistes on the bill and Marlene Dietrich made a point of always being in evidence when the photographers were around!
Blackpool, with predominantly regional talent such as Tower organist Reginald Dixon, comic doubleact Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss, and a couple of young comedians by the name of Morecambe and Wise. The London line-up was more traditionally diverse, and included Benny Hill and the Chinese Classical Theatre Company. Independent Television’s bid to broadcast the show that year was swiftly quashed, on the grounds that TV would threaten the variety format. The format began to undergo some changes in 1958 at the hands of Bernard Delfont and Robert Nesbitt, not all of them well received. Delfont decided to cut back on long-established British acts in favour of the big American artistes of the day, Pat Boone and Eartha Kitt, as well as fresh local talent like Roy Castle, Max Bygraves and magician David Nixon. The omission of the adored Crazy Gang from the bill caused minor uproar. Further change was afoot in 1959 when the Performance was held, for the first time, in Manchester Palace Theatre. As well as the traditional comic element in the form of Al Read, an 18-year-old Cliff Richard made an angelic and well-scrubbed appearance. The organisers finally gave in to the lure of televisation in 1960, a year in which the show was utterly eclipsed by Sammy Davis Junior. “In eight electrifying minutes,” the Daily Sketch excitedly reported, “this entertainer made the word ‘star’ seem inadequate”. The year 1963 was the year Beatlemania hit the Royal Variety Performance. The Beatles attracted ecstatic fans outside the Prince of Wales theatre and through
During rehearsal Paul McCartney managed to get his guitar caught in the curtains, but on the night itself the Beatles took the show by storm and John Lennon passed into Royal Variety history when he made his celebrated suggestion that those in the cheap seats should clap their hands; the rest could just rattle their jewellery. The original TV recording of the Beatles’ performance of three songs can be seen on our website and Facebook pages. A gifted comedy quartet comprising Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers were a massive hit at the 1965 Royal Variety Performance, which returned to the London Palladium. Dusty Springfield and Shirley Bassey were also on hand to provide a quintessentially 60s musical element. The entire English football team took bashfully to the stage after their World Cup triumph in 1966, while the French singer Gilbert Becaud was forced to watch silently from the stalls after having lost his voice. Girl Power made its first appearance in the 1967 show, which was crammed to bursting with female entertainers after their absence had led to complaints the previous year – a modest Sandie Shaw was seen to have changed out of her revealing stage outfit to meet the Queen, commenting that ‘I am told it would be more elegant to be presented to the Queen in something a little more special!’ Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, a seasoned music hall and variety afficionado, announced that the 1968 Performance was one of the best ever. Des O’Connor, Englebert Humperdinck and Petula Clark all played their part, and former CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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Supreme Diana Ross used the occasion to make a moving tribute to Martin Luther King, whose tragic assassination had rocked the world earlier that year. By the 1970s the RVP had really got into its stride, pulling the crowds in with line-ups that positively glittered with stardom; national treasures like Ronnie Corbett and Elton John rubbed shoulders with international sensations including the Jackson Five, Carol Channing and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. A rather risque sketch from the popular BBC TV comedy ‘Till Death Us Do Part’ found its way onto the 1972 bill, much to the consternation of a public keen to protect their delicate Royals. In the event, all went smoothly on the night and a rather harried Bernard Delfont reported afterwards that the Queen Mother had said ‘Well, that wasn’t too bad, was it?’ with evident relief. 1974 was the year in which the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund became the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund (EABF), allowing a wider cross-section of showbusiness to fall under the charity’s protective net. The use of ’Crossroads’ star Noele Gordon as the show’s first ever female host was an additional landmark for that year. In 1976, after 16 years of pre-recorded broadcasts, the Royal Variety Performance took a nervewracking leap into the world of live television. The long-suffering Bernard Delfont wearily recalls the poltergeist-level disruptions that beset that year’s show, including falling microphones, power outages and a persistent sound fault that rendered poor Mike Yarwood’s voice practically inaudible over a deafening orchestra. After two years in which to retreat and lick their wounds, the organisers braved the live format once again in 1978. Although
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all went well, the experience and the potential for embarrassment and disaster were deemed overall too stressful to make it worthwhile, and the show has wisely been pre-recorded ever since. In 1979, a no doubt grey-haired Lord Delfont passed the organisational baton to Louis Benjamin, highly qualified by dint of his position as managing director of Associated Television, chairman of Stoll Moss Theatres and life governor of the EABF. The show was held at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane for the first time. The 1980 Performance marked Her Majesty the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday, and as such was a nod to all the variety show greats of the last 50 years who had kept the Queen entertained throughout her reign.
HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
1981 saw another innovation, stimulated by the need to counter the mounting costs of staging the show. For the first time, sponsorship was introduced to offset the unavoidable production costs and as a less contentious alternative to raising seat prices. Louis Benjamin also alleviated the financial problem by selling advertising spots in the Performance programme, and re-negotiated screening fees in the UK and abroad. In 1983 the Royal Variety Show was delighted to have the legendary American dancer and actor, Gene Kelly as its host at the Theatre Royal in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The spectacular show included legendary ballet dancer Wayne Sleep, Laurence Olivier, Michael Barrymore and Les Dawson. 1986 was the BBC’s 50th anniversary, so in a fitting tribute this was the year the company produced and presented the show. From then until 2010, broadcasting and production alternated each year between the BBC and ITV. ITV contractor London Weekend Television staged the Performance in 1987 and a galactic cast included Stephen Fry, Sarah Brightman and Tom Jones. Two breaks from tradition followed a few years later. The 1990 Royal Variety Performance, staged by the BBC, was billed as Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Royal Birthday Gala’ and took place in July in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. Roger Moore, Sir John Gielgud and the Band of the Grenadier Guards all made an appearance. The following year, a performance of the musical ‘Miss Saigon’ was put on for the show at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. After this, the Royal Variety Performance was held in London’s Dominion theatre for the next five years with a roster of household favourites such as Lulu, Cilla Black and Tom Jones. American rabbi-turned-comedian Jackie Mason vastly outstayed his allotted stage time, the adulation he was receiving seeming to blind him to the TV monitor mounted on the theatre’s circle flashing ‘GET. OFF. NOW!’ at him in large red letters. Since 2008, Simon Cowell’s hugely successful ITV show, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ has generously donated a proportion of the money raised from viewers’ telephone votes to the Royal Variety Charity. In return, the Royal Variety Charity arranges for the series winner of the talent show to be awarded with the much-coveted prize of a spot on that year’s Royal Variety Performance. The first winner to perform was opera singer Paul Potts, followed by the incredible 14-year-old street dancer George Sampson, then the ten-strong dance troupe, Diversity. Gymnastic group Spelbound wowed the audience the following year, followed by Scottish singer Jai McDowall in 2011, Ashleigh and Pudsey in 2012, Hungarian shadow dancers Attraction in 2013, Collabro in 2014 and Jules, Matisse & Friends in 2015. In February 2011, the Royal Variety Charity awarded exclusive broadcasting and production rights of the show to ITV1 for the next ten years, securing the CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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future of this great entertainment institution and further strengthening the Charity’s links with the country’s most prominent commercial broadcaster. The year 2012, saw a very special production of the Royal Variety Performance to mark its centenary year. The event was staged at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time, iin the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. A spectacular international line-up was presented that included, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Placido Domingo, Bill Bailey, One Direction, Girls Aloud, David Walliams, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli and Neil Diamond, The 100th anniversary evening was celebrated in style with a further fund raising event at a lavish aftershow banquet at the Hilton Hotel on London’s Park Lane. This one evening of entertainment raised over £700,000 for the charity. The Royal Variety Performance has been hosted by many cities outside London, in its lifetime, including Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Blackpool and Manchester. 2014 was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for the first time and was held at the London Palladium. It included a glittering cast including host Michael McIntyre, Bette Midler, Shirley Bassey, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Golding and One Direction. On 26th June 2015, the Executive Committee of the EABF met for an historic Annual General Meeting. Chairman Giles Cooper had previously gained approval from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to change the name of the charity from the EABF to the Royal Variety Charity and Buckingham Palace and the Cabinet Office followed by awarding the charity the honour of official use of the title ‘Royal’ within the charity’s name. The Executive Committee subsequently voted on that day to change the name of the charity with immediate effect. The 2015 Royal Variety Performance was staged for only the second time at the Royal Albert Hall and
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HISTORY OF THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE marked another first, with the attendance of HRH Prince Harry for his first time. Security was tight for the ever-popular Prince and it got even tighter as the night progressed and news of the numerous terrorist bombs in Paris spread amongst the security services. The show was led by its youngest ever host at 29 years old, Jack Whitehall, who introduced acts including the debut return of Jeff Lynne’s ELO, together with Little Mix, Brandon Flowers from the Killers, Ricky Martin and Sir Elton John. A highlight included a magical show stopping moment from the cast of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi-award winning musical Mary Poppins, when Mary flew to the stage suspended by a zip-wire stretching the entire length of the Albert Hall! However, a surprise addition from the relatively unknown cast of the Play That Goes Wrong, for many stole the show, and included some surprise star cameos including participation from Kylie Minogue, Josh Groban and Jack Whitehall! The 2016 show returned to London’s Hammersmith Apollo for only the second time in its history and was attended by TRH, Charles The Prince of Wales and Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall. Hosted by David Walliams, highlights included Lady GaGa, Sting, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Barry Gibb. The Royal Variety Charity then staged its official aftershow party and banquet at Grosvenor House on Park Lane for the first time. In 2017, the show returned to the London Palladium and welcomed back the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge for a night of spectacular entertainment hosted by Miranda Hart. The Royal Variety Performance 2018 was ‘a first’ on many fronts. The show was staged at the London Palladium exactly six months (to the day) following the marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended their first Royal Variety Performance together on 19th November 2018. Her Royal Highness was pregnant with the Royal couple’s first child and huge crowds gathered outside the Palladium, on a wet and windy November night to
catch a glimpse of the Royal arrival. The show included the Invictus Games Choir singing the national anthem, the original West-End cast of Hamilton, where the original stage set had been flown in from New York’s Broadway the previous week and the cellist from the Royal Wedding Sheku Kanneh-Mason. 2019 continued the run of spectacular shows, this time with the hugely supportive Duke and Duchess of Cambridge back in attendance. Emile Sande & the Bee Vocal Choir provided a very emotional rendition of ‘You Are Not Alone’, to highlight the plight of mental health and the new Mary Poppins musical made the Duchess remark that the young Prince George and Princess Charlotte had wished they could attend the performance, but alas, it was way past their bedtime! Robbie Williams performed twice, the second time replacing Sir Rod Stewart who had unfortunately fallen ill with a throat infection on the morning of the show. 2020 brought with it the onslaught of the Covid pandemic and therefore proved one of the most challenging in Royal Variety history. The show was staged at the spectacular Royal Opera House Winter Gardens in Blackpool with host Jason Manford. However, lockdown restrictions meant that the show had to be without a physical audience in the theatre. Instead, it was streamed virtually to an invited audience of charity supporters and Blackpool’s NHS and keyworkers. LED TV screens were placed in each of the stalls seats, so the performers could see the faces and reactions of their virtual audience! HRH Charles, The Prince of Wales made an impassioned video message in support of the Royal Variety Charity and thanked all of the performers for taking part in the fundraising extravaganza during such an awful year for the entertainment industry. A particular highlight was the inclusion of Captain Sir Tom Moore who performed his No 1 Hit, with Michael Ball OBE and the NHS Choir. As always, the show was broadcast on television throughout the world over the Christmas and New Year holidays. In 2021, the Royal Variety returned to the Royal Albert Hall for a stunning show hosted by Alan Carr. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a diverse variety bill, opened by Baz Luhrmann’s spectacular Moulin Rouge and ending with Ed Sheeran performing two songs exclusively for the Royal Variety. The 2022 show was attended by TRH The Earl & Countess of Wessex for the first time and was staged as Tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen, Patron of the Royal Variety Charity for 70 years.
OVER 100 YEARS OF HISTORY For more information on the history of the Royal Variety Performance, please visit: www.RoyalVarietyPerformance.org/history
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
BGT 2023 WINNER VIGGO VENN VISITS BRINSWORTH HOUSE
W
e were delighted to welcome to Brinsworth House, the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2023, Viggo Venn, together with BGT Judge, Amanda Holden! A great day – with much chat and laughter - was had by all! Entertainment was provided by the wonderful Jon Courtenay, winner of Britain’s Got Talent in 2020!
Tony Peers Ltd wishes the cast and production team of the Royal Variety Performance a wonderful performance this year. We are proud to be working with Daniel Dean, Royal Variety Charity Committee Member in our production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Spa Theatre, Scarborough from 7th December – 1st January. Tony Peers Ltd is pleased to also present the following pantomimes this year
Beauty and the Beast The Baths Hall, Scunthorpe 7th – 31st December Peter Pan Blackfriars Theatre, Boston 9th – 31st December Jack and the Beanstalk Pyramid & Parr Hall, Warrington 5th – 14th January
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
PREVIOUS ROYAL PERFORMANCES RVP 95 2022 LONDON, ROYAL ALBERT HALL Held in the presence of THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF WESSEX AND FORFAR Included: Lee Mack, Cabaret, Sam Ryder, Cirque Du Soleil, Al Murray, Rita Wilson, Gregory Porter, Becky Hill, Maisie Adam, David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, Lightning Seeds, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Axel Blake, Ehrlich Brothers, Omid Djalili, George Ezra, Newsies, Fatma Said, Giffords Ciircus, Ellie Goulding, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gary Barlow, Gareth Malone.
RVP 94 2021 LONDON, ROYAL ALBERT HALL Held in the presence of THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE Included: Alan Carr, Moulin Rouge - The Musical, Sir Rod Stewart CBE, Judi Love, Cirque Du Soleil:Luzia, Anne -Marie, Years & Years, Bill Bailey, James Blunt, Keala Settle, Matilda - The Musical, Josh Widdicombe, The Messoudi Brothers, Chris McCausland, Elvis Costello OBE, Jane McDonald, Carly Paoli, Gregory Porter, Ed Sheeran.
RVP 93 2020 BLACKPOOL, OPERA HOUSE Streamed virtually with the support of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Jason Manford, Gary Barlow OBE, Frozen - The Musical, Stephen Mulhern, Celeste, Jo Caulfield, Cilla - The Musical, Black Blues Brothers, Melanie C, Jon Courtenay, Marisha Wallace, Daliso Chaponda, Steps. Michale Ball OBE, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
RVP 92 2019 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE Included: Rob Beckett & Romesh Ranganathan, Mary Poppins - Cast Of The West-End Musical, Robbie Williams, Frank Skinner, Colin Thackery, Cirque De Soleil - ‘Luzia’, Mabel, Zurcaroh, Flo And Joan, Emeli Sandé & The Bee Vocal Choir, Kerry Godliman, Luke Evans, Groan Ups, Harry Connick JR, Come From Away - Cast Of The West-End Musical, Lewis Capaldi, The Kanneh-Masons, Robbie Williams & Jamie Cullum.
RVP 91 2018 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF SUSSEX & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX Included: Greg Davies, Hamilton - Original Cast Of West-End Musical, Alex Horne & The Horne Section, Rhod Gilbert, Cirque Du Soleil - Totem, Clean Bandit, The Imitation Game, George Ezra, Ed Gamble, Tina - Cast Of The Tina Turner Musical, Circus 1903, Lost Voice Guy, Sigrid, Rod Woodward, Sheku KannehMason, Rose Matafeo, Rick Astley, Andrea Bocelli & Matteo Bocelli, Take That.
RVP 90 2017 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE Included: Miranda Hart, 42nd Street, Circus Abyssinia, Tom Allen, Louis Tomlinson, The Script, Colin Cloud, Paloma Faith, Tokio Myers, Cirque Du Soleil - Ovo, Big Fish, Jason Manford, Annie, Leading Ladies, Seal, The Killers, Ball and Boe.
RVP 89 2016 LONDON, HAMMERSMITH EVENTIM APOLLO Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Included: David Walliams, Robbie Williams, Diversity, Rob Beckett, DNCE, The Beatles Love by Cirque Du Soleil,
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OneRepublic, Joe Lycett, Tom Fletcher’s The Christmasaurus, ABC, Lady Gaga, An American in Paris, Alan Davies, Gary Barlow, Lance Corporal Richard Jones, Emeli Sandé, Sting, Amber Riley, Barry Gibb.
RVP 88 2015 LONDON, ROYAL ALBERT HALL Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE HENRY OF WALES Included: Jack Whitehall, One Direction, Ricky Martin, Chris Ramsey, Kacey Musgraves, Cirque du Soleil, Josh Groban, Little Mix, Matt Forde, Kylie Minogue, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Mary Poppins, Romesh Ranganathan, Jules, Matisse and Friends, Brandon Flowers, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Corrs, Beverley Knight, Elton John.
RVP 87 2014 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE Included: Michael McIntyre, Bette Midler, English Gents, Simply Red, Jack Whitehall, Demi Lovato, McBusted, Stephen Mulhern, Pumeza, Sarah Millican, Ed Sheeran, Dame Shirley Bassey, Miss Saigon, Trevor Noah, Ellie Goulding, Collabro, Hamish McCann, Rod Woodward, Inala, Russell Kane, Alfie Boe, One Direction.
RVP 86 2013 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Included: John Bishop, Gary Barlow, Torvill & Dean, Rizzel Kicks, I Can’t Sing X-Factor musical introduced by Harry Hill, Jessie J, Jason Byrne, Mary J Blige, Flavia Cacace & Dance ‘Til Dawn, Olly Murs, Robbie Williams, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jimmy Carr, Attraction, Seann Walsh, Gareth Malone & Voices, Hal Cruttenden, John Newman, Bryn Terfel, Dame Edna Everage, Stephen Ward musical, Caro Emerald, Chas & Dave.
RVP 85 2012 LONDON, ROYAL ALBERT HALL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: David Walliams, Circus Space, Girls Aloud, Jimmy Tarbuck, Amanda Holden, Britain’s Got Talent Celebration Diversity, Spelbound, Paul Potts & Stavros Flatley, Bradley Walsh, One Direction, Des O’Connor, Rhod Gilbert, Ronnie Corbett, Alicia Keys, Katherine Jenkins & Placido Domingo, The Bodyguard - Heather Headley, Robbie Williams, Alan Carr, Matilda, Bill Bailey, Ashleigh & Pudsey, Rod Stewart, Ballet Revolución, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Andrea Boocelli, Kylie Minogue, China’s Three Tenors, Neil Diamond.
RVP 84 2011 MANCHESTER, LOWRY Held in the presence of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ROYAL & VICE-ADMIRAL SIR TIMOTHY LAURENCE Included: Leona Lewis, Nicole Scherzinger, Tony Bennett, Cee Lo Green, Barry Manilow, Jason Manford, Pixie Lott, Jai McDowall, Penn & Teller, Peter Kay, Greg Davies, Jimeoin, Tim Minchin, David Garrett, Omid Djalili, The Boy With Tape on his Face, Il Divo, Phantom of The Opera, Hayley Westenra, Rolland Villazon, Base Berlin, 3run, The Dhol Foundation, Stomp, Royal Marines, Kodo.
RVP 83 2010 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Included: Adele, John Bishop, Susan Boyle, Chelsea Pensioners, Cheryl Cole, Jamie Cullum & Rumer, Ray Davies & Paloma Faith, Micky Flanagan, Sarah Millican, Kylie Minogue, N-Dubz, Spelbound, Michael McIntyre, Take That, Russell Watson
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
& The Royal Ballet, Daniel Whiston, Jack Whitehall, The Cast of Les Misérables, Band of Blues and Royals, The Cast of The Wizard of Oz.
RVP 82 2009 BLACKPOOL, OPERA HOUSE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Michael Bublé, Alexandra Burke, Hal Cruttenden, Miley Cyrus, Peter Kay, Diversity, Adam Hills, Lady Gaga, Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Katherine Jenkins, Paddy McGuinness, Jason Manford, Pilobolus, Mika, Bette Midler, André Rieu, Faryl Smith and The Soldiers, Paul Zerdin, The Heavy Cavalry & Cambrai Band, The Cast of Sister Act the Musical, The Cast of Here Come the Girls.
RVP 81 2008 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Included: Jimmy Carr, Brian May & Kerry Ellis, John Barrowman, Josh Groban, Leona Lewis, Rhod Gilbert, Rihanna, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Armstrong & Miller, The Pussycat Dolls, Naturally 7, Duffy, Take That, Only Men Aloud!, Peter Kay, George Sampson, Michael McIntyre, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, La Cage Aux Folles, The Lion King, Zorro.
RVP 80 2007 LIVERPOOL, EMPIRE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: The Heavy Cavalry & Cambrai Band, Seal, Viva la Diva, Al Murray - The Pub Landlord, Enrique Iglesias, Big Howard, Little Howard, The Cast of Hairspray, James Blunt, Russell Brand, Simon Cowell, Philip Schofield, Kate Thornton, English National Ballet, Raymond Crowe, David Jordan, MOMIX - The White Widow, Paul Potts, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Bon Jovi, Lang Lang, Kanye West, Joan Rivers, Dany Daniel & Edina, Teatro, Stephen K. Amos, Philip Achille.
RVP 79 2006 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Included: John Barrowman with The Puppini Sisters & Capital Voices, The Cast of Spamalot, Omid Djalili, The Cast of The Sound of Music, Sugababes, Meat Loaf, Jamelia, David & Dania, Jason Byrne, Take That, The Cast of Wicked, Barry Manilow, The Cast of Avenue Q, James Morrison, Jump, Ken Dodd, Rod Stewart, Michael McIntyre.
RVP 78 2005 CARDIFF, MILLENNIUM CENTRE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Seventy-six Trombones led by Bradley Walsh, Blue Man Group, Katherine Jenkins, Catherine Tate, Charlotte Church, Joe Pasquale, Guys & Dolls, The Skating Willers, Il Divo, Alan Carr, Will Young, Funny Girls, Andre Portasio, Cliff Richard, Michael Parkinson, Sharon Osbourne,Ozzy Osbourne, Nicola Benedetti, Tomasz Reichelt, Caesar Twins, Dave Spikey, McFly, Andrea Bocelli & Bryn Terfel, Dame Shirley Bassey.
RVP 77 2004 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Shane Richie, Natasha Kaplinsky, Funny Girls, Jamelia, Jimmy Carr, Brian McFadden & Delta Goodrem, Round The Horne Revisited, Girls Aloud, The Producers, Josh Groban, Ennio Marchetto, Michael Bublé, Lemar, Sir Elton John, Billy Elliot the Musical, Dara Ó Briain, Royal Variety Dancers and Capital Voices, Denise van Outen, David Omer & Yamil Borges, Will Smith, Shane Richie, Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Gwen Stefani, Liza Minnelli, English National Opera, Cliff Richard.
RVP 76 2003 EDINBURGH, FESTIVAL THEATRE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, Scottish Power Pipe Band, The Drambuie Kirklston Pipe Band, Laine Theatre Arts Dancers, Flur na H-alba, Rachel Stevens, Ronnie Corbett, Cat Deeley, Daniel Bedingfield, The Oriental Swan (Hua Wong, Chen Wen and Wen Xiaoyan), Busted, Danny Bhoy, Hayley Westenra, Donny Osmond, Gloria Estefan, Al Murray - The Pub Landlord, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Cirque du Soleil, Westlife, Luciano Pavarotti.
RVP 75 2002 LONDON, APOLLO Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Bond the Legend, Will Young, Liberty X, Paul Zerdin, Shania Twain, Stomp, Men In Coats, Diana Krall & Natalie Cole, Bombay Dreams, Jimmy Carr, Kylie Minogue, Our House, Lee Mack, Elaine Stritch, Contact, Omid Djalili, Enrique Iglesias, Bob Monkhouse, Gareth Gates, Ronan Keating, Anastacia.
RVP 74 2001 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Julian Clary, Hear’Say, Jethro, Cher, Anatoliy Zalevsky, Adam Watkiss, Samantha Mumba, Vinnie Jones, Charlotte Church and Robert Meadmore, Alessandro Safina, Denise van Outen, Donny Osmond, Jon Culshaw, Craig David, The Full Monty, Cirque du Soleil, Al Murray - The Pub Landlord, The Corrs, Russell Watson, Jennifer Lopez, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, Jackie Mason, Elton John.
RVP 73 2000 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Hey Pachuco - Martin Crewes and the RVP Dancers, Jane McDonald, Ben Elton, Kylie Minogue, Blast!, Jane Horrocks, Martin Clunes, Mark Williams, Cirque du Soleil, Tim Vine, Ronan Keating, The King and I, Elaine Paige, Notre Dame de Paris, Ronnie Corbett, Dame Shirley Bassey, African Footprint, Richard Stilgoe & Peter Skellern, Star for a Night - Celestine WalcottGordon, Bryn Terfel, Dominic Holland, Lionel Richie, The Beautiful Game, Westlife.
RVP 72 1999 BIRMINGHAM, HIPPODROME Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: The Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Jean Butler & Colin Dunne, Brian Conley, Steps, Bradley Walsh, Billy Geraghty, Paul Zerdin, Charlotte Church, Ed Byrne, Westlife, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ken Dodd, The Shaolin Monks, Terry Alderton, Andrea Bocelli, LeAnn Rimes, Joe Pasquale, Barry Manilow.
RVP 71 1998 LONDON, LYCEUM Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Paulette Ivory, Laine Theatre Arts Dancers, Lily Savage, B*Witched, Peter Kay, Ulrika Jonsson, Eclipse, Oklahoma!, Jim Tavaré, Martine McCutcheon, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Barry Manilow, Annie - the Musical, Phil Cool, Boyzone, Rambert Dance Company, Ennio Marchetto, Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu, Stomp, Spice Girls.
RVP 70 1997 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Chicago featuring Ruthie Henshall, Henry Goodman, Ute Lemper & Nigel Planer, Joe Pasquale, Enya, Barbara Cook & Michael Ball, Jonathan Ross, Des O’Connor Andy Leach, Stephen Mulhern, Andy Ford, Lydia Griffiths, Vladimir, Fame – The Musical, Dr Trevor James, Andi Peters, Spice Girls, Aleggria House Troupe, Harry Hill, Michael Bolton, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake featuring Adam Cooper and Scott Ambler, Jim Davidson, Celine Dion.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
RVP 69 1996 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Bob Monkhouse, Moscow State Circus, David Strassman, Eternal, Pauline Quirke & Linda Robson, Robson & Jerome, Steve Coogan, Victor Borge, Joaquín Cortés, Des O’Connor, Brian Conley, Jim Davidson, Vik & Fabrini, Darcey Bussell & Jonathon Cope, Joan Rivers, Martin Guerre, Jackie Mason, Tom Jones.
RVP 68 1995 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Carol Kenyon, Des O’Connor, Allan Stewart, Robson & Jerome, The Pendragons, Mack & Mabel, Alistair McGowan, Marvin Hamlisch, Bob Downe, Elaine Paige, Cirque du Soleil, Hale and Pace, The Cast of Riverdance, Joe Pasquale, Jolson - Brian Conley, Des O’Connor, Cliff Richard.
RVP 67 1994 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES Included: Brian Conley, Ria Jones, Laine Theatre Arts Dancers, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Choir, Ronnie Corbett, The Passing Zone, Lulu, Billy Pearce, The Cast of Oliver!, Dame Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Gary Wilmot, Jim Tavare, Gareth Rowan, Clive Anderson, Angela Gheorghiu, Viviana Durante & Zoltan Solymosi, Frank Skinner, Tony Bennett, Terry Wogan, The Cast of Riverdance, Take That.
RVP 66 1993 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Grease with Craig McLachlan and Debbie Gibson, Cilla Black, Frank Carson, Jim Henson’s Muppets, Right Said Fred, Lesley Garrett, Brian Conley, Simon Drake, Grigorovich Balletof the Bolshoi Theatre, Bee Gees, Forever Plaid, Bradley Walsh, Darren Day, Joe Pasquale, Lulu, Pickwick with Sir Harry Secombe & Roy Castle, Michael Barrymore, London Community Gospel Choir.
RVP 65 1992 LONDON, DOMINION Held in the presence of THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE & PRINCESS OF WALES Included: The Cast of Cats, Kiki Dee with Ria Jones, Jacqui Scott, Philip Gould, Paul Gyngell, Brian Conley, Phillip Schofield and the children of Ocklynge Junior School & Kentwood Junior School Choirs, Reva Rice & Lon Satton, Jimmy Tarbuck, Chinese State Circus, Chris Tarrant, Gloria Estefan, Steve Coogan, Jim Bailey, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, Barry Manilow, Michael Ball, London Community Gospel Choir, Jim Tavaré, The Nigel Kennedy Ensemble, Sharon Gless, Mike Michaels, Leslie Caron, Tim Rice, Montserrat Caballé, Rita Rudner, Tom Conti, Bolshoi Ballet with Yuri Klevtsov & Nadezhda Gracheva, Gloria Hunniford, Michael Crawford with the London Choral Society.
RVP 64 1991 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Sir David Frost – Host, Diana Ross, Kenny Andrews, Michael Ball, Simon Bowman, Linda Mae Brewer, Beverly Craven, Jim Dale, Les Dawson, Clinton Derricks Carroll, John Diedrich, Mike Doyle, Chip Esten, Rosemarie Ford, Ann Howard, Roy Hudd, Lisa Hull, Gloria Hunniford, Eric Idle, Barry James, Peter Land, Cherida Langford, Patti Lupone, Jillie Mack, Gareth Marks, Jackie Mason, Paul J Medford, Claire Moore, Julia Mckenzie, Omar Okai, Elaine Paige, Billy Pearce, The Roly Polys, Frances Ruffelle, Lea Salonga, Ned Sherrin, Scott Sherrin, Wayne Sleep, Dig Wayne, Marti Webb, Colm Wilkinson, Sandy Strallen, SusanJane Tanner, The Cast Of Buddy, The Dagenham Girl Pipers, The London Community Gospel Choir, The Sixties Tiller Girls, The Stephen Hill Singers, The Sylvia Young Theatre School, The Young Voronezh Balalaikas, Cast Of Les Miserables, Cast Of Cats, Cast Of Phantom Of The Opera, Cast Of Miss Saigon, Cast Of Evita, Tribute To Cameron Mackintosh : “ Hey Mr Producer”
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RVP 63 1990 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER, HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS MARGARET & THE COUNTESS OF SNOWDON Included: Sir John Mills, Wayne Dobson, Janet Jackson, Sir John Gielgud, Lisa Maxwell, Hayley Mills, Lionel Blair, Jeffrey Holland, Angharad Rees, Christopher Cazenove, Robert Meadmore, Bonnie Langford, Anneka Rice, Mark Curry, Jonathon Morris, Anita Harris, Jill Gascoine, Band of the Grenadier Guards, Geraldine McEwan, Wayne Sleep, Stephen Fry, Michael Denison & Dulcie Gray, Marilyn Hill-Smith, Arthur Davies, James Galway, Bernie Winters, Leslie Crowther, Simon Cadell, Patricia Hodge, Robert Hardy, Dame Vera Lynn, Howard Keel, Willard White, Roger Moore, Michael Caine, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Rowan Atkinson, Cliff Richard, Sir Richard Attenborough, Darcey Bussell, Irek Mukhamedov, Elaine Paige, Plácido Domingo, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sarah Brightman.
RVP 62 1989 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Michael Ball, David Essex, Rosemarie Ford, Paul Nicholas, Lisa Waddingham, George Marshall, The Cast of Coronation Street, Chris de Burgh, Nigel Kennedy, Freddie Starr, Melvyn Bragg, Frank Bruno, Harry Carpenter, David Frost, Hinge and Bracket, Diana Rigg, Selina Scott, Kenny Seagrove, Edward Woodward, Tina Turner, Northern Ballet Theatre, Elayne Boosler, Joe Longthorne, Julian Lloyd Webber, The Cast of Folies Bergère, The Argentine Gauchos, Lance Burton, Jerry Lewis, Sir John Mills.
RVP 61 1988 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Ronnie Corbett, Bruce Forsyth, Mickey Rooney & Ann Miller, The Chongqing Troupe, Brian Conley, Kylie Minogue, The Cast of Neighbours, Mel Smith & Griff Rhys Jones, Cliff Richard, The Cast of Bread, Jackie Mason, Julio Iglesias, Bananarama, A-ha, The Golden Girls, Bob Monkhouse, Russ Abbot, Bella Emberg, Paul Daniels & Debbie McGee, Rick Astley, Michael Feinstein.
RVP 60 1987 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Anthony Newley, The Alan Harding Dancers, Jessica Martin, Gary Wilmot, Peter Goodwright, Hilary O’Neil, Allan Stewart, Bernie Winters, Leslie Crowther, George Carl, Bobby Davro, Johnny Logan, Les Dawson, Dolores Gray, Cannon & Ball, Eartha Kitt, Hale & Pace, James Galway, Jimmy Tarbuck, Shirley Bassey, Five Star, Ronn Lucas, Les Misérables, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Mel Tormé, George Shearing, Michael Barrymore, Sarah Brightman, Mike Yarwood, Johnnie Ray, Rosemary Clooney, Harry Secombe, Tom Jones, Vladimir Orchinikov, Evelyn Glennie, Michael Mcguire, Alan Brind.
RVP 59 1986 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Alan Randall, Su Pollard & Ruth Madoc, Kit & The Widow, Marti Webb, Bob Monkhouse, Marti Caine, Angela Rippon, Petula Clark, Rory Bremner, Peking Opera, Victoria Wood, The Bluebells, Carolyn Pickles, Stéphane Grappelli, Nana Mouskouri, Victor Borge, Frank Carson, Valerie Masterson, Max Bygraves, Lulu, Michael Davis, Ronnie Corbett, Peter Ustinov, Paul Nicholas, Lesley Collier, Stephen Jefferies, Peggy Spencer, Latin American Formation Team, Cyd Charisse, Simon Howe, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Ken Dodd, Huddersfield Choral Society, Val Doonican, Gloria Hunniford, Aled Jones, Paul McCartney, Nicholas Parsons, Paul Daniels.
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
RVP 58 1985 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Babes on Broadway, Show Boat, Gary Wilmot, The Screen Goddesses, Rolf Harris, Jean Simmons, Guys and Dolls, On the Town, Triplets, 42nd Street, Doreen Wells & Tudor Davies, Ron Moody, Sarah Brightman, Norman Wisdom, Su Pollard, Joan Collins, Roni Page, Steve Devereaux, Celeste Holm & Paul Nicholas, Frankie Vaughan & Barbara King, Martin Shaw & Simon Bowman, Liz Robertson, Gigi, Dennis Waterman & Maureen Lipman, José Carreras, Elisabeth Welch.
RVP 57 1984 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER & THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES Included: Leslie Crowther, Billy Dainty, Paul Nicholas, Bernie Winters, Jimmy Cricket, The Dancers, Mr Magoo, Brian Andro, Stuart Fell, The Acrobats, Anthony Gatto, Keith Harris, Denis Norden, The Bell Ringers, Les Dennis & Dustin Gee, Angharad Rees, Matthew Kelly, Charlie Drake, Russell Grant, Frank Finlay, Simon Callow, Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh, Harvey and the Wallbangers, Paul Eddington, The Tillers, Ronnie Corbett, On Your Toes, Roy Hudd, Terry Wogan, James Galway, Henry Mancini, Bill Owen, Peter Sallis, Brian Wilde, David Jacobs, Howard Keel, Paul Daniels, The Cast of Me and My Girl.
RVP 56 1983 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Scott Sherrin, Gillian Gregory, Gene Kelly, Royal Ballet School, Bonnie Langford, The Frank & Kay Mercer Latin American Formation Team, The Jukebox Company, Steve Merritt, Michael Barrymore, Wayne Sleep, Graham Fletcher, Fred Evans, Tony Kemp, Sarah Kennedy, Billy Dainty, Monica Mason, Merle Park and David Wall, Kelly Monteith, Sheila White, Grace Kennedy, Clarke Peters, Finola Hughes, The Roly Polys, Claude Paul Henry, Sheila O’Neill, Gemma Craven, James Smillie, Julia McKenzie, Twiggy, Tommy Tune, Diana Moran, The British Amateur Gymnastics Team, Rock Steady Crew, George Carl, The Dancin’ Company, Natalia Makarova, Anthony Dowell, Les Dawson.
RVP 55 1982 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Richard Harris, Chris Power & Howard Keel, Helen Gelzer, Anna Dawson, Tony Adams, The Pirates of Penzance, The Pirate King, Roy Hudd, Christopher Timothy, Joe Black, Peter Glaze, Tommy Godfrey, Billy Gray, Lesley Collier, David Wall, Richard Stilgoe, Don Smoothey, Ami McDonald, Ruth Madoc, Isla St Clair, Kenneth Connor, Leslie Crowther, Billy Dainty, John Inman, Pete Murray, Bernie Winters, Karen Kay, Suzanne Danielle, Joyce Blair, John Hanson, Gloria Hunniford, Jan Leeming, Esther Rantzen, Vince Hill, Diane Langton, Lorna Dallas, Dennis Waterman, Liz Robertson, Topol, Wall Street Crash, Anton Rodgers, Bonnie Langford, Sylvester McCoy, Michael Praed, Chris Langham, Peter Skellern, Jim Casey, Roy Castle, Ele Woods, George Cole, Pamela Stephenson, Tim Curry, Sheena Easton, Moira Anderson, Bucks Fizz, Victor Spinetti, Amanda Redman, Robert Longden, Jack Jones, Angela Rippon, Millicent Martin, Ethel Merman.
RVP 54 1981 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Thais Clark, Vernel Bagneris, Ylvia Williams, Topsy Chapman, Patti Boulaye, Pearly Gates, Precious Wilson, The Clark Brothers, Kenny Lynch, Jim Davidson, Lenny Henry, Itzhak Perlman, John Inman, Tim Rice, Lonnie Donegan, Marty Wilde, Acker Bilk, The Searchers, Dickie Henderson, Donovan, Lulu, Suzanne Danielle, Alvin Stardust, Adam & The Ants, The Shadows, Cliff Richard, Cambridge Buskers, Anita Harris, Jimmy Tarbuck, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephanie Lawrence, Julian Lloyd Webber, Elaine Paige, Mireille Mathieu.
RVP 53 1980 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: The Joe Loss Orchestra, Una Stubbs and Lionel Blair, Roy Hudd, Arthur Askey, Chesney Allen & Billy Dainty, Charlie Chester, Charlie Drake, Arthur English, Cyril Fletcher, Richard Murdoch, Sandy Powell, Tommy Trinder, Ben Warriss, Paul Squires, Bruce Forsyth, Grace Kennedy, Sheena Easton, Rowan Atkinson, Wall Street Crash, Harry Worth, Cleo Laine, Harry Mancini, Peggy Lee, Victor Borge, Sammy Davis, Jr., Larry Hagman, Danny Kaye, Aretha Franklin.
RVP 52 1979 LONDON, THEATRE ROYAL Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: Elaine Stritch, Jim Davidson, James Galway, Red Buttons, Ned Sherrin, Millicent Martin, David Kernan, Julia McKenzie, Marti Caine, Elisabeth Welch, Dr Evadne Hinge & Dame Hilda Bracket, Noel Edmonds, Amii Stewart, Boney M., Bill Haley & His Comets, Bernie Clifton, Vladimir Vasiliev & Ekaterina Maximova, Pas de deux, Les Dawson, Yul Brynner and Virginia McKenna, Maize Williams, Lis Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Bobby Farrell.
RVP 51 1978 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Arthur Askey, Lionel Blair, Leslie Crowther, Bobby Crush, Charlie Drake, Cyril Fletcher, Rolf Harris, John Inman, David Nixon, Beverley Sisters, Marti Caine, Wendy Craig, Sandra Dickinson, Esther Rantzen, Dilys Watling, June Whitfield, Pepe and his friends, Paul Daniels, Harry Secombe, The King Sisters, Mary O’Hara, Showaddywaddy, Danny La Rue, The Krankies, Andy Stewart, Moira Anderson, Scottish Ballet, National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Max Bygraves, The Kaye Sisters, The Nolan Sisters, Anne Shelton, Wayne Sleep, Lesley Collier, Diane Langton, Max Boyce.
RVP 50 1977 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Bob Hope, Julie Andrews, Paul Anka, Pam Ayres, Harry Belafonte, Brotherhood of Man, Tommy Cooper, Alan King, Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth, John Williams, Little and Large, Shirley MacLaine, Jim Henson’s Muppets, Rudolf Nureyev, Jack Parnell.
RVP 49 1976 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Max Bygraves, Lionel Blair, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Los Reales Del Paraguay, Roger De Courcey, Lena Zavaroni, Arthur Mitchell, Gilbert Bécaud, Tom O’Connor, Dawson Chance, Wayne King, Mike Yarwood, Shirley Bassey.
RVP 48 1975 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Bruce Forsyth, KwaZulu, Kris Kemo, Dad’s Army, Count Basie Orchestra, Larry Parker, Michael Crawford and the cast of Billy, Dukes & Lee, Ruth Welting, Telly Savalas, Charles Aznavour, Rhos Male Voice Choir, Harry Secombe, Vera Lynn.
RVP 47 1974 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Noele Gordon, A Salute to Vaudeville, Ted Rogers, The Hungarian State Dance Company, Billy Dainty, Josephine Baker, Paul Melba, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Paper Lace, George Carl, Roy Castle, Perry Como, Jack Parnell & His Orchestra.
RVP 46 1973 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
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Included: Dougie Squires’ Second Generation, Dick Emery, Francis Van Dyke, Cliff Richard, Phillipe Genty & Company, Les Dawson, Rudolf Nureyev, Lynn Seymour, José Luis Moreno, Peters & Lee, Ronnie Corbett, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, Nana Mouskouri.
RVP 45 1972 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Los Diablos Del Bombo, Dickie Hend https://open. spotify.com/artist/4w3QqrcmBv8dasemwBXmxf erson, Mike Yarwood, Elton John, Danny La Rue, Trio Hoganas, Rod Hull & Emu, The Jackson 5, Jack Jones, Ken Dodd, Warren Mitchell, Tony Booth, Una Stubbs, Dandy Nichols, Carol Channing, Liberace.
RVP 44 1971 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: The Young Generation, The Villams, Bruce Forsyth, Dailey and Wayne, The Stupids, Lovelace Watkins, Norman Collier, Hughie Green, The Little Angels of Korea, Jack Parnell & His Orchestra, The New Seekers, The New Dollys, Ken Goodwin, Sacha Distel, Stéphane Grappelli, Tommy Cooper, Shirley Bassey.
RVP 43 1970 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: The Pamela Devis Dancers, Max Bygraves, Peter Noone & Herman’s Hermits, Freddie Starr, Rostal and Schaefer, Sandy Powell, Kay White, Max Again, Bob Dixon, Dionne Warwick, The Doriss Girls, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Des O’Connor, Leslie Crowther, The Black light theatre of Prague, Caterina Valente, Marty Feldman, Andy Williams.
RVP 42 1969 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Des O’Connor, The Veterans, Roy Castle, Cilla Black, Danny La Rue, Shari Lewis, Harry Secombe, Ginger Rogers, Buddy Rich, Moira Anderson, Scènes de ballet, Ronnie Corbett, Mireille Mathieu, Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass, Frankie Howerd, Johnnie Spence and his Orchestra, The Mike Sammes Singers, Tom Jones.
RVP 41 1968 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER, PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCESS MARGARET & THE EARL OF SNOWDON Included: Aimi MacDonald & Lionel Blair, Arthur Askey, Valente Valente, Morecambe & Wise, Sacha Distel, Czechoslavakian State Song & Dance Ensemble, Ted Rogers, Manitas de Plata & Company, Engelbert Humperdinck, Des O’Connor, Agnes O’Connell’s London Irish Girl Pipers, Val Doonican, Petula Clark, Ron Moody, Andre Tahon & Company, Diana Ross & The Supremes.
RVP 40 1967 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: The Bluebell Girls, Tanya, Rolf Harris, Lulu, Sandie Shaw, Val Doonican, Tommy Cooper, Romanian National Dance Company & Orchestra, The Rockin’ Berries, Ken Dodd, Vikki Carr, Mireille Mathieu, Dickie Henderson, Tom Jones, Bob Hope.
RVP 39 1966 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: The Bachelors, Bal Caron Trio, Gilbert Bécaud, The World Cup winning England football team, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jack Douglas, Hugh Forgie, Christopher Gable, Nadia Nerina, Juliette Gréco, Des O’Connor, Frankie Howerd, Jerry Lewis,
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Kenneth McKellar, Henry Mancini, Marvo & Dolores, Matt Monro, Wayne Newton, The Pietro Brothers, Gene Pitney, The Seekers, Tommy Steele.
RVP 38 1965 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Jack Benny, Max Bygraves, The Carmenas, The Dave Clark Five, Peter Cook, Ken Dodd, Johnny Hallyday, Arthur Haynes, Hope and Keen, Frank Ifield, The Kaye Sisters, Neville King, Spike Milligan, Dudley Moore, Peter, Paul & Mary, Peter Sellers, Dusty Springfield, Sylvie Vartan.
RVP 37 1964 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II Included: The John Tiller Girls, Tommy Cooper, The Bachelors, Gil Dova, Cilla Black, Millicent Martin, Kathy Kirby, Brenda Lee, Dennis Spicer, Morecambe & Wise, Gracie Fields, The Moiseyev Dance Company, David Jacobs, Ralph Reader’s Gang Show, Jimmy Tarbuck, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Bob Newhart, Lena Horne with the Chico Hamilton Quartette.
RVP 36 1963 LONDON, PRINCE OF WALES Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER & HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARGARET Included: The Clark Brothers, The Beatles, Luis Alberto del Paraná, Los Paraguayos, Charlie Drake, Tessa Davees & The Eight Charlies, Susan Maughan, Dickie Henderson, Francis Brunn, Buddy Greco, Nadia Nerina, Dickie Henderson, The Sleeping Beauty Cast, Joe Loss & His Orchestra, Larry Gretton, Ross MacManus, Rose Brennan, The Billy Petch Dancers, Wilfrid Brambell, Harry H. Corbett, Pinky & Perky, Jan & Vlasta Dalibor, Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques, Michael Flanders, Donald Swann, Marlene Dietrich, Tommy Steele & West End Half a Sixpence Cast, Harry Secombe & Pickwick Cast, Marlene Dietrich with Burt Bacharach.
RVP 35 1962 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: The Black and White Minstrels, Norman Vaughan, Rudy Cardenas, Rosemary Clooney, Dickie Henderson, Frank Ifield, Eartha Kitt, Cleo Laine, Johnny Dankworth, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Harry Secombe, Andy Stewart, Sophie Tucker, Mike & Bernie Winters Bob Hope with Edie Adams.
RVP 34 1961 LONDON, PRINCE OF WALES Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball & The Temperance Seven, Shirley Bassey, Jack Benny, George Burns, Lionel Blair, Max Bygraves, Maurice Chevalier, The Crazy Gang, Sammy Davis, Jr., Arthur Haynes, Bruce Forsyth, The McGuire Sisters, Morecambe and Wise, Nina & Frederik, Andy Stewart, Frankie Vaughan.
RVP 33 1960 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Max Bygraves, Nat King Cole, Russ Conway, Billy Cotton & His Band, The Crazy Gang, Sonia Rees, Lonnie Donegan, Diana Dors, Jimmy Edwards, Adam Faith, Bruce Forsyth, Bud Flanagan, Benny Hill, Robert Horton, Frankie Howerd, Hattie Jacques, Liberace, Vera Lynn, Bob Monkhouse, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Tiller Girls, Norman Wisdom, Harry Worth, Sammy Davis, Jr.
RVP 32 1959 MANCHESTER, PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Included: Paddy Glyn, The Eight Mitchell Singers, The 20 John
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Tiller Girls, The Pietro Brothers, Marty Wilde, Cliff Richard, Harry Robinson, Lord Rockingham’s XI, Cherry Wainer, Benny Hill, Al Read with Jimmy Clitheroe, Tommy Trinder, Jean Louis Bert and Ilonka, The Dior Dancers, Belinda Wright, Jelke Yuresha, Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss, Roy Castle, BBC Northern Dance Orchestra with Sheila Buxton, Russ Conway, Ronnie Hilton, Jill Day, Marion Ryan, Dickie Henderson, Dora Bryan, Aileen Cochrane, Anne Shelton, Terry Wilson, Blackpool Tower Ballroom Children’s Ballet, Michael Medwin, Alfie Bass, Bill Fraser, Ted Lune, Norman Rossington, Liberace, Arthur Askey, The Hallé Orchestra, Tommy Trindor.
RVP 31 1958 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Talk of the Town Girls and Boys, The Stargazers, Yana and Max Bygraves, Shirley Ambrose, Margo Mitchell, Dawn Hughes, Terry James, Mary Mitchell, Gloria Kaye, Judith Harvey, Fay Laurie, Jane Burton, Christine Pocket, Jacqueline Warrell, Helen Wright, Gloria Davidson, Doreen Hermitage, Joan Jemison, Paddy James, Joyce White, Ruth Lawson, Roy Genson, Robert Lamont, Ray Tanva, Ian Kaye, Bill Harvey, Willie Martin, Karl Morley, Boyd MacKenzie, Peter Elliott, Paul Christian, The King Brothers, The Mudlarks, Beverley Sisters, The Charlivels, Tony Hancock, Cyril Stapleton & His Show Band, Frankie Vaughan, Bruce Forsyth, Bernard Bresslaw, Antonio and his Spanish Ballet Company, Roy Castle, Harry Secombe, Mantovani, Harry Worth, Lynette Ray, Hattie Jacques, Max Russell, G. H. Elliott, Hetty King, The George Carden Dancers,The George Mitchell Singers, The Ford Motor Works Military Band, The Dior Dancers, Victor Silvester and his Ballroom Orchestra, The Mecca Formation Dancers, David Nixon, Charlie Drake, Pat Boone, Mantovani, Adele Leigh, Eartha Kitt, Kenneth More, Norman Wisdom, Jerry Desmonde, Pip Hinton, Marion Grimaldi, Pamela Gale, Felix Felton, Terence Cooper, June Bronhill, Thomas Round, Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews, Stanley Holloway.
RVP 30 1957 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: The Kaye Sisters, Bob Monkhouse, Max Bygraves, The George Carden Dancers, The George Mitchell Singers, The Goofers, Jimmy Logan, Harry Secombe with the Morriston Orpheus Choir, The Crazy Gang, Leo De Lyon, Gracie Fields, Dickie Henderson, Count Basie & His Orchestra, Ralph Reader & his Gang Show, Judy Garland, Jimmy Brooks, Bud Flanagan, Ben Lyon, Jerry Desmonde, Alfred Marks, Brian Reece, Mario Lanza, Norrie Paramor’s Big Ben Banjo Band, Ronnie Hilton, Dickie Valentine, Malcolm Vaughan, Teddy Johnson, Dennis Lotis, Frankie Vaughan, David Whitfield, Herschel Henlere, Arthur Askey & Vera Lynn, Alicia Markova, Alma Cogan, The John Tiller Girls, Tommy Cooper, Winifred Atwell, Tommy Steele & His Steelmen.
RVP 29 1956 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Tommy Trinder, Latona, Graham and Chandel, The Victoria Palace Boys and Girls, Dave King and Julia Channing, The Crazy Gang, Ruby Murray, Benny Hill with Olivia Dale, Jeremy Hawk and Ronnie Brody, Patricia Kirkwood with Robert Beatty, Douglas Byng, George Carden, Walter Crisham, John Gregson, Bobby Howes, Hugh McDermott, Terence Morgan and Brian Reece, Cyril Stapleton with the BBC Show Band and The Stargazers, Lena Horne, John Warner, Eleanor Drew, Dorothy Reynolds, Newton Blick, Yvonne Coulette, James Cairncross, Michael Meacham, Christine Finn, Michael Aldridge, Pat Heywood, Joe Greig, Bob Harris, Johnnie Ray, Robert Dhery, Colette Brosset, Jacques Legras, Christian Duvalein, Pierre Olaf and Company, Alfred Drake, George Jessel, Doretta Morrow and Company, Leslie Henson, Jimmy Edwards, Richard Attenborough, Diana Dors, Edmund Willard, Bruce Selton,
Emrys Jones, Lauri Lupino Lane, The Chinese Classical Theatre Company, Moscow State Folk Dance Company, Brian Reece.
RVP 28 1955 BLACKPOOL, OPERA HOUSE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Reginald Dixon, Lupino Lane, George Truzzi, Peter Glaze, Kenneth Sandford, Pamela Bromley, Vera Day, The John Tiller Girls, The Victoria Palace Girls & Boys, Kathryn Moore, The Flying De Pauls, The Barbour Brothers & Jean, The Amandis, The Crazy Gang, Morecambe and Wise, Bill Waddington, Josephine Anne, The Showgirls, Arthur Askey, Geraldo and his Orchestra, Jewel and Warriss, Littlewoods Girls Choir, Joan Regan, Alma Cogan, Five Smith Brothers, George Formby, 1st Battalion The Liverpool Scottish, Beryl Grey with John Field, Jack Tripp with the John Tiller Girls, children from the Blackpool Tower Ballet, Charlie Cairoli with Paul, Wilfred & Mabel (Pickles), Albert Modley, Flanagan and Allen, Eddie Fisher with the BBC Northern Orchestra, Al Read.
RVP 27 1954 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: Fay Lenore and the Palladium Boys & Girls, Schaller Brothers, George Mitchell Choir, Jimmy Wheeler, Eric Robinson Orchestra & Singers, Eddie Calvert, Joan Turner, Richard Hearne, Howard Keel, Chesney Allen, Arthur Askey, Max Bygraves, Bud Flanagan, Billy Russell, Donald B. Stewart, Brian Reece, Harry Green, Katie Boyle, Jack Hylton, Al Read, Norman Wisdom, Gillian Moran, Herbert Hare, Florence & Frederic, The Crazy Gang with Paul Cutts & Shirley Eaton, David Whitfield, Frankie Laine, Jack Parnell & His Orchestra, Ted Heath and his music, Dawn White and her Glamazons, John Tiller Girls, Rudy Horn, Noël Coward, Diana Churchill, Jack Buchanan, Joan Sims, Frankie Howerd, Gladys Cooper, Binnie Hale, Peter Sellers, Donald Wolfit, Hastings Girls Choir, Elsie Randolph, Thora Hird, Leslie Henson, Dick Bentley, Michael Denison, Nigel Patrick, Thorley Walters, Anthony Steel, Brian Reece, Walter Crisham, Bruce Trent, Peggy Cummins, Shirley Eaton, Dulcie Gray, Shani Wallis, Bob Hope with Moira Lister, Jerry Desmonde & the Hope Repertory Company.
RVP 26 1953 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH & PRINCESS MARGARET Included: Peter Knight’s Merry Makers, Harry Dawson, Jean Campbell, Pearl Carr, Dick James, Mackenzie Reid and Dorothy Elizabeth Webb, Alfred Marks, Edmund Hockridge, Tommy Cooper, Eve Boswell, Jack Warner, Stubby Kaye with members of The Cast of Guys and Dolls, Jo, Jac & Joni, Anne Shelton, Max Bygraves, Sheila O’Neill & Veit Bethke, Danya and Alvarez, Gloria Nord, Len Liggett and Pam Murray with members from the Corps de Ballet and the Empire Pool Festival Choir, John Tiller Girls, Ethel Revnell, Henry Cotton, Jimmy James, Ronnie Ronalde, Vivian Blaine, Jimmy Edwards, Eamonn Andrews.
RVP 25 1952 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Included: The Victoria Palace Tiller Girls, The Three Barbour Brothers, Medlock and Marlowe, Crompton, Three Monarchs, Billy Cotton and his Band, Norman Wisdom, Winifred Atwell, Vic Oliver, Beverley Sisters, Deep River Boys, Billie Worth, Jeff Warren, Donald Burr, The Crazy Gang, Gracie Fields with the Ilford Girls Choir and the George Carden Ensemble, Warren, Latona and Sparks, Rob Murray, Terry-Thomas, Gerry Brereton, John Ellison, George Cameron, Ted Ray, Beniamino Gigli, Arthur Askey, Max Bygraves, Zoe Gail, Reginald Dixon, Patricia Kirkwood, Jimmy Edwards, Jack Jackson, Vera Lynn, Jewel & Warriss, Josef Locke, Joy Nichols, Fred Russell, Maurice Chevalier, Ian Wallace, The Band of the Coldstream Guards, Tony Hancock.
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RVP 24 1951 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II & PRINCESS MARGARET Included: The Gang and ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Gray, The Cavendish Singers, The John Tiller Girls, Erica Yorke, The Victoria Palace Girls, The Marie De Vere Dancers, Vera Lynn, Harry Secombe, The Wiere Brothers, Stanley Black and the Dance Orchestra, Tony Fayne, David Evans, Richard Murdoch, Kenneth Horne, Arthur English, Sally Ann Howes, Jimmy Edwards, Florence Desmond, Norman Evans, Alan and Blanche Lund, Pearl Primus and her Company, Hoops The Boys, Joaquin Pérez Fernandes and his Latin American Company, The Mary De Vere Dancers, Johnny Hutch and the Seven Volants, Sam Browne and his Singers, The Keyboard Quintette, Carroll Gibbons, Billy Thorburn, Ivor Moreton & Davy Kaye, Charlie Kunz, Patricia Morison, Barbara Bruce, Nervo and Knox, Naughton and Gold, Bud Flanagan, Miklos Gafni, Vera Lynn and Michael Dalton, Frances Day, Florence Desmond, Sally Ann Howes, Adelaide Hall, Sylvia Peters, Carole Lynne, Valerie Tandy, Anona Winn, Chesney Allen, Jimmy Gold, Gracie Fields, George Mitchell Choir, Jack Radcliffe, Cicely Courtneidge, Flanagan & Allen.
RVP 23 1950 LONDON, VICTORIA PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH Included: Tommy Trinder, Sheila Matthews, The 20 John Tiller Girls, The Three Bentley Sisters, The Debonairs, Terrys Juveniles, Norman & Ladd, Max Bygraves, Billy Cotton & His Band, Frankie Howerd, The Five Smith Brothers, Kaye Ballard, Helen Gallagher, Carole Lynne, Allan Jones, The Merry Macs, Gracie Fields, The George Mitchell Glee Club, Jonathan Lucas, David Lober, Donald Peers, Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, Binnie Hale, Nat Jackley, Naughton & Gold, Max Wall, Nervo & Knox, Max Miller, Flanagan and Allen, The Band that Jack Built, Bud Flanagan.
RVP 22 1949 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH, PRINCESS ELIZABETH & PRINCESS MARGARET Included: John Sanger, Arthur Bell, Eric Coates, Phil Parke, Johnny Lockwood, Les Charlivels, Joy Nichols, Michael Bentine, Bill Johnson, Peter Cavanagh, Marilyn Hightower, Elsa & Waldo, Peggy Ryan and Ray McDonald, The Tiller Girls, Reginald Dixon, Band of the Royal Marines, Harvey, The Seven Ashtons, Wilfred Pickles, Dolores Gray, Borrah Minnevitch’s Harmonica Rascals featuring Johnny Puleo, Maurice Chevalier, Noele Gordon, Ted Ray.
RVP 21 1948 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH Included: The Blackpool Tower Circusettes, The Cromwells, Kirsta and Kristel, The Myrons, Warren Latona and Sparks, Charlie Chester and his Radio Gang, Daphne Kiernander, Sky High Corps De Ballet, Jayne and Adam Di Gatano, The Colstons, Nicholas Brothers, The 24 John Tiller Girls, Ted Ray, George and Bert Bernard, Stewart McPherson, Randolph Sutton, Nellie Wallace, Billy Danvers, Ella Shields, Talbot O’Farrell, Gertie Gitana, G. H. Elliott, Ted Heath and his Band, Derek Roy, The Radio Revellers, The Melachrino Strings, Julie Andrews, The Luton Choir Girls, The Great Alexander Troupe, Arthur Askey, Buster Shaver and his trio of Lilliputians, The Crazy Gang, Danny Kaye, The Skyrockets Orchestra.
RVP 20 1947 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH, PRINCESS ELIZABETH & PRINCESS MARGARET Included: Hy Hazell, The Alec Thomas Quartet, Marilyn Hightower, Three Shades, Valerie Tandy, Bobbie Tranter, Tony Hulley, The Three Astaires, Hortobagyi Troupe, Billy Russell,
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Wilson, Keppel and Betty, Norman Evans, Borrah Minnevitch’s Harmonica Rascals, Mervyn Saunders, Mona & Oliver & The Girls, Wally Boag, Bud Flanagan, Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox, Charlie Naughton, Jimmy Gold, Frank Holloway, Willie Carlisle, Freddie Malcom, Jack Durrant, Robert Wilson, The Dagenham Piper Girls, Vic & Joe Crastonian, James Currie’s Water Spectacle, Alan Bailey, Terri Carol, Cynthia & Gladys, The Three Garcias, Levanda, Marie Louise, Mariora, Olga Varona, Eva May Wong, Bobbie Kimber, Dolores Gray & Bill Johnson, The Zoris, Tommy Trinder, Gracie Fields, Laurel & Hardy.
RVP 19 1946 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI, HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH Included: From High Time - The Girls, Tony Hulley, Barbara Bentham, Brent Fields, Billy Castle, Bobby Tranter and Mary Naylor, The Cairoli Brothers, Nat Jackley with Harry Moreny, Dick Beamish, Arthur Vollum, Sammy Curtis, Bob Bromley and his puppets, Terry-Thomas Dance Ensemble with Alan & Blanche Lund, Gil Johnson, The Three Ross Sisters, Halama and Konarski, The Cabana Accordion Six, Nat Mills & Bobby, Robert Lamouret, Arthur Askey, Harry Lester & His Hayseeds, Tessie O’Shea, Charlie Chester, Dick Henderson, Jimmy Jewel, Charlie Naughton, Jimmy Gold, Eddie Gray, El Grenadas and Peter, Jack Jackie, Koba and Kalee, Reggie Redcliffe, Rene Strange, Henri Vadden, Sid Field with Jerry Desmonde, Alfie Dean, The Wallabies and the Palladium Boys & Girls, Ben Warriss, Marianne Lincoln, Oscar Natzka, Band of the Training Ship.
RVP 18 1945 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH & PRINCESS ELIZABETH Included: Roy Mitchell, Jill Manners, The Nine Avalons, Jules Adrian, Grace Spero, Beryl Kaye, Vic Oliver, Maurice Colleano, George Doonan, Will Hay, Douglas Wakefield, Chuck O’Neil, Billy Nicholls, Peter Byrne, Michael Hunt, Billy Nelson, Roy Jeffries, Delya, Sid Field, Jerry Desmonde, Stella Moya, Denise Clifford, Wilson, Keppel & Betty, Webster Booth & Anne Ziegler, Tommy Trinder, Chappie D’Amato, Van Phillips, Reginald Burston.
RVP 17 1938 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH Included: The Crastonians, The Two Leslies, Murray and Mooney, Evelyn Laye, Renée Houston and Donald Stewart, Ken Davidson and Hugh Forgie, From Running Riot - Richard Hearne & Rosalind Atkinson, The Stuart Morgan Dancers with Lita D’Oray, Harold Hart, William Kat, Jack Payne’s Orchestra, Peggy Cochrane, Mary Lee, Betty Kent, Biddy Barton, Teddy Foster, Ronnie Grearder, Rob Ashley, The Dagenham Girl Pipers, Three Aberdonians, Les Allen, Laurie Day, Roy Willis, Will Hatton, Ethel Manners, Elsie and Doris Waters, The John Tiller Girls, the cast of Me and My Girl (Lupino Lane, George Graves, Betty Frankiss and Teddy St. Denis), Jack Barty, George Carney, Claphan and Dwyer, Harry Champion, Kate Carney, Will Fyffe, Florrie Forde, Gaston and Andree, Tommy Handley, G. S. Melvin, Talbot O’Farrell, Gillie Porter, Harry Tate, Vesta Victoria, Bransby Williams, Anona Winn.
RVP 16 1937 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI & HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH Included: From London Rhapsody, Len Lewis, George Lane, Raymond Newell, Henry Carlisle, Serge Ganjou, Henry Carlisle, Mary Young, Rosarito, George Ganjou, The Gypsy Boys Band, Norman Evans, Florence Desmond, Señor Wences, George Formby, Cicely Courtneidge with the Harry Dennis Dance Sexette and the Sherman Fisher Girls, Max Miller, Jack La Vier, Ethel Revnell & Gracie West, Ralph Reader’s Gang Show, The London Palladium Gang Show, Gracie Fields, Will Fyffe.
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
RVP 15 1935 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Hannah Wyatt, Jeanne Devereaux, Nervo & Knox, Naughton & Gold, Flanagan and Allen, Ernie Gerrard, The Six Lias from round about Regent Street, The Diamond Brothers, Joe Jackson, Stanley Holloway, Anton Dolin, Jessie Matthews, J. Sherman Fisher’s Palladium Girls, The Western Brothers, Harrison & Fisher, Myles Williams, The Harmony Revellers, Bea Hutten, Syd Railton, Del Foss, Boy Foy, Sandy Powell with Jimmy Fletcher & Joy Jeffries, Three Cossacks, Elsie Carlisle & Sam Browne, Will Mahoney, Arthur Reece, Kate Carney, Gus Elen, Florrie Forde, Harry Champion, Harry Roy & His Band.
RVP 14 1934 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Kafka, Stanley and Mae Quartette, The Three Bonos, Frank Boston, J. Sherman Fisher’s Palladium Girls, The Three Sailors, Arthur Lucan & Kitty McShane, Elsie & Doris Waters, Cedric Hardwicke, Osmund Wilson, Cicely Oates, George Robey, Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra, Jack Holland & June Hart, Murray & Mooney, George Clarke, Bert Platt, Alec Dane, Norah Dwyer, Billy Bennett, Jack Hylton & His band.
RVP 13 1933 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: The London Palladium Crazy Gang, J. Sherman Fisher’s Palladium Girls, Omar, Billy Russell, Geraldo & His Tango Orchestra, Gaston & Andree, The Ganjou Brothers & Juanita Richards with Billy Hendrix, Aline Fournier and Vittorio Togo, Cardini, The Company, The Carlo Medini Six, Wilson, Keppel & Betty, William & Joe Mendel, Billy Bennett, Evelyn Laye, Jack Hobbs, Roy Fox & His band.
RVP 12 1932 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Stetson, Christoper & Columbus, The Bells, Levanda and the Nine Diamonds, Billy Danvers, George Clarke with Madge Aubrey, Flanagan & Allen, Eugene’s Magyar band, Jack Buchanan, Will Fyffe, Errol Addison, Iris Kirkwhite, Nervo & Knox, Naughton & Gold, J. Sherman Fisher’s Palladium Girls, Lawrence Tiller Girls, G. S. Melvin, Jasper Maskelyne, Cicely Courtneidge, Jack Hylton & His band, Little Doreen, Harry Champion, Vesta Victoria, Fred Russell, Marie Kendall.
RVP 11 1931 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: P.L. Clark, Mona Grey, Norman Long, The Victoria Girls, Jack Edge, Debroy Somers & His band, Albert Whelan, Lily Morris, Georgie Wood, Dolly Harmer, Tom Blacklock, Mr. Flotsam and Mr. Jetsam, The Three Huxster Brothers.
RVP 10 1930 LONDON, PALLADIUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Sixteen Palladium Girls, Harry Prescott & His seven Hindustans, Tom Payne and Vera Hilliard, George Clarke, Julian Rose, De Groot with David Bor, Reginald Kilbey & Gillie Potter, Max Wall, Chilton & Thomas, Howell Harger, Naldi, Nervo & Knox, Coram, Odali Careno, Totò, Will Hay with Will Hay Jnr & H. Gordon Saunders, Gaston Palmer, Jack Payne & His BBC band.
RVP 09 1928 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Larry Kemble, Stanelli & Douglas, The Victoria Girls, A.C. Astor, Lillian Burgess, Noni & Horace, Victor Andre, Clarkson Rose, Anton Dolin, Gracie Fields, Will Hay, Jack Hylton & His band.
RVP 08 1927 LONDON, VICTORIA PALACE Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: P.L. Clark, Mona Grey, Norman Long, The Victoria Girls, Jack Edge, Debroy Somers & His band, Albert Whelan, Lily Morris, Georgie Wood, Dolly Harmer, Tom Blacklock, Mr. Flotsam & Mr. Jetsam, The Three Huxster Brothers.
RVP 07 1926 LONDON, ALHAMBRA PALACE Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: The Twelve Famous Tiller Girls, Dick Henderson, Robb Wilton, Lillian Burgess, Jack Hylton & His famous band, Conn Kenna, Carr & Parr, Bransby Williams, The Houston Sisters, Billy Bennett, Rick Hayes.
RVP 06 1925 LONDON, ALHAMBRA PALACE Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: George Hurd, Mr & Mrs Tree, Will Hay, Ethel Hook, J. Milton Hayes, J.W. Jackson’s Twelve English Dancers, G. H. Elliott, Will Fyffe, Nervo and Knox, Talbot O’Farrell, Harry Tate & Company.
RVP 05 1923 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Bobbie Hind & His all-British Sonara Band, Rupert Hazell, Katrina & Joan, The Griffith Brothers, The Samurai with Lola Karsavina, Sessue Hayakawa, Lewis Gilbert, Ann Trevor and Dora de Winton, Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, Brighter London with Billy Merson, Reg Sharland, Eddie Jaye, Bernard Dudley, Laddie Cliff & Rena Hall, Russian Blue Bird Players, Alfred Lester, Loie Fuller Band, Marimba Band, The Disorderly Room with Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn, Tommy Handley, Jamieson Dodd, Cecil Bainbridge & Fred Kemp, Louis Parker, Barclay Gammon.
RVP 04 1922 LONDON, HIPPODROME Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V, HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY & HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF NORWAY Included: The Flemings, Will Fyffe, Kharum, Du Calion, Lorna & Toots Pound, P. T. Selbit, Muriel George & Earnest Butcher, Tom Webster, Arthur Prince, Harry Weldon, Trix Sisters, The Mirthful Jovers.
RVP 03 1921 LONDON, HIPPODROME Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Frederick Sylvester & Co, Norah Blaney & Gwen Farrar, G. S. Melvin, Renee and Godfrey, Malcolm McEachern, Rebla, The Peep Show with Annie Croft, Reginald Sharland, Fred Allandale, Albert Darnley & Mary Gibbs, J. Milton Hayes, Billy Merson, The Five Petleys.
RVP 02 1919 LONDON, COLISEUM Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: Sir Edward Elgar & His Orchestra, The Flying Banvards, Ernest Hastings, George Robey and Violet Loraine, Sam Barton, Arthur Prince, Harry Tate, Clarice Mayne, Grock, Du Calion, Ethel Hook.
RVP 01 1912 LONDON, PALACE THEATRE Held in the presence of HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V & HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY Included: George Robey, Arthur Prince, Pipifax and Penlo, Barclay Gammon, The Palace Girls, George H. Chirgwin, The Bogannys, Fanny Fields, Paul Cinquevalli, Harry Tate, Ida Crispi &Fred Farrn Vesta Tilley, La Pia, Little Tich, Alfred Lester, Clarice Mayne, Charles Aldrich, David Devant, Wilkie Bard, Harry Lauder, Cecilia Loftus.
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ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
THANK YOU
THE ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND CONTRIBUTION TO THIS EVENING’S SHOW: ROYAL HOUSEHOLD
Sankalpa Guniyangodage, Laura Baker, Robert Dixon, Steven Eichler, Rhea Vernon, Rachel Finnigan, Sophie Chauvin
ADVERTISING
Handshake, HTP Architecture, Jackson Coles, Mikhail Pietranek, Nick & Sandra Thomas, QDOS Entertainment, Shanly Homes, Fawn James & Soho Estates, Sytner Land Rover, Tony Peers Productions, Michael Harrison Entertainment
AGENTS / MANAGEMENT / PR
Sarah Adams - Sassy Media, Theo Adams - Theo Adams Company, Jo Allan - Jo Allan PR, Debi Allen Curtis Brown, Roger Ames, Mark Anyan - National Youth Choir, Rob Aslett - Avalon Management, Laura Bangay, Lene Bausager, Dave Bianchi - Various Artists Management, Matthew Bledsoe - IMG Artists, David Bloom - Storyhouse PR, Matthew Brind, Thom Brunner - Sassy Media, Lee Campion - Jamie Wilson Productions, Sophie Chapman - Sophie Chapman Talent, Kalli Clark Sternberg, Flo Collins - Off The Kerb, Georgia Cooke - Public Eye Communications, Freya Cowdry - Jo Allan PR, Tim Croall - National Youth Choir, Mark Cumberland, Roger Davies - Roger Davies Music, Rachel Drake, David Dyer - ENO and London Coliseum, Julian Edwards - Michael Harrison Entertainment, ENO Chorus, Ruth Evans - National Youth Choir, Pippa Evers - Dawbell PR, Innis Ferguson - Lateral Management, Lauren Fitzgerald - Sony Music, Nick Fiveash - Nick Fiveash PR, Simon Forbes - Sony Music, Liv Grodd - Lateral Management, Amy Hetherington - Jamie Wilson Productions, Kizzi Howard - Off The Kerb, Johns’ Boys Male Chorus, Daniel Kumar - Soulful Communication, Molly Ladbrook-Hutt, Susan Leon - Warner Records, Tom Lewis - Decca Records, Alastair Lindsey-Renton - Curtis Brown, Ben Lockwood - Jamie Wilson Productions, Holly Marshall - Warner Records, Kirsty McDonagh - Various Artists Management, Clare McGowan - Avalon Management, Richard Meads - ENO and London Coliseum, Lily Morris - Off The Kerb, Ruth Morrison - Curtis Brown, National Youth Choir, Andy Nyman, Andrew O’Connor, Laura Ohnona - Laura Ohnona PR, Fiona Pearce - Disney Theatrical Group, Aled Phillips, Olga-Marie Pratt - Disney Theatrical Group, Simon Raw - Raw PR, Kim Robinson - Sophie Chapman Talent, Adrian Sarple - Disney Theatrical Group, Alexandra Scanlan - Creative Artists Management, Duncan Scott - Sony Blackbutter, Dion Singer - Warner Records, Nick Todisco - Atlas Artists, Jose Vargas, Kenny Wax, Pandora Weldon - Public Eye Communications, Daniel Whitby, Alan Williams, Jamie Wilson - Jamie Wilson Productions
MARKETING / PHOTOGRAPHY / CREATIVE / SECURITY / EXTERNAL SUPPLIERS
GCEMedia - Patrick McNamee, Rupert Frere – Schmooly, Robert Weideman, David Kitchen – D&A Films, Creative Technology, DLM Events, Plus 4 Audio, Potion Pictures, PRG, Scena, Prompt Screen, EMG Live, Dynamite FX, Picture Shop, Zen Broadcast and Bobby Warans. BCQ Group, Ally.
VENUES AND SPONSORS
The Royal Albert Hall: James Ainscough, Dan Freeman, Matt Todd, Ian McCulloch, Dave Gamble, Robin Dennis, Kinney Bailes, Ingrid van Boheemen, Natural History Museum: Azmat Suleman and Katie Littlewort, Caitlin Connors, Holly Dodgson from foodbydish, Doug Wintle from Wise Productions, I-Pop, Briadee Thornton and Jay Bullock from Anubis Security
BROCHURE
Graphic design by Patrick McNamee Printing by Stephen Kirkham at Principal Colour This brochure is printed on ‘Heaven 42’ & ‘Arcoprint 1 EW’ and certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
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THANK YOU
LIFTED ENTERTAINMENT (PART OF ITV STUDIOS)
Executive Producer - Fiona Clark, Series Producer - Helen Riddell, Director - Richard Valentine, Line Producer - Amanda George, Head of Production - Jeanette Moffat, Talent Executive - Mark Wagman, Producer - Amanda Chiddle, Assistant Producer - Martha Turner-Smith, Researcher - Paty Sanchez, Producer/Director - Ryan Saunders, Production Manager - Sophia Jarvis, Script Supervisor - Michelle Arnold, Production Coordinator - Joelle Wallbank, Production Secretary - Sade Clarkson, Production Accountant - Harjeet Ghataora, Production Runner - James Stonehouse, Production Designer - Peter Bingemann, Associate Designer - Emily Fain, Technical Stage Director - Simon Bourne, Stage Director Anthony Van Laast CBE, Choreographer - Nichola Treherne, Stage Managers - Caroline Caley and Keren Eliot, Assistant Stage Manager - Corinna Ryder, Lighting Director - Dave Davey, Costume Designer - Justine Westwood, Make-Up Supervisor - Nichola Bellamy, Host Wardrobe - Sheena Gunn, Host Make-Up - Lesley Hamon, Production Buyer - Bobby Warans, Camera Supervisor - Mike Callan, Sound Supervisors - Kevin Duff and Andy Wernham, Music Associate - Andy Deacon, Plus 4 Audio - Mark Ballard, Vision Mixer - Hilary Briegel, Video Editors - Mark Wybourn and Mark Goodwin, Musical Director - David Arch, The Royal Variety Orchestra and ITV Music Team.
ROYAL VARIETY CHARITY
Elected Members: Chairman: Giles Cooper, Vice-Chairman: Phil Dale, Treasurer: Ian Freeman, The Executive Committee (elected): Kay Carman, Pat Church, Daniel Dean, Paul Ganjou, Cheryl Garland, Fawn James, Martin Jones, John Logan, Vicki Michelle MBE, Spencer Phillips, Babs Powell, Robert Powell, Keith Simmons, Dowager Lady Westbury Honorary Members: Life-President: Laurie Mansfield, Vice-Presidents: Roger De Courcey, Robert Earl Jnr, Bradley Walsh, Stuart Littlewood, Joe Pasquale, Nick Thomas MBE, Life Governors: Lord Michael Grade CBE, The Dowager Lady Westbury CBE. JP, Cdre. RNR, Hon. Chaplain: Rev Simon Grigg. Management employed by the Royal Variety Charity: Finance Director: Martin Dalby, Matron of Brinsworth House: Tatree Preece RN, ONC, BA (Hons) MA, Administrator: Kirsty Bristow, Head of PR: David Pogson LVO, Operations Manager: Peter Hinton, Grants Officer: Kaushika Amin, Events Officer: Victoria Bond, Events Assistant: Fiona Burke, Finance Officer: Myra Harte, Brinsworth House Staff: Clinical Lead: Suhasini Raja, Catering Manager: Henry Sheerin, Head Chef: Stuart Jones, Maintenance Manager: Joe Williams, Activities Co-Ordinator: Angelica Lundekesi, Sue Amory, Mohammed Atia, Dorothy Atkins, Pedro Barretto, Gemma Bishop, Flona Brown, Emilinda Canlas, Caroliesa Clarke, Carolyn Cole, Michele Dasseville, Dudi Dollani, Florica Monica Dogaru, Ecaterina Duda, Winnie Ellis, Caesalia Fernandes, Sheila Ford, Anita Gasu, Kate Geoffrey, Annie George, Alina Gurung, Hawabai Hashim, Marie Helene, Kathleen Howden, Khamar Hussein, Esther Idahosa, Remelda James, Sruthi John, Golda John, Karuna Kandel, Malar Kavya, Mark Lester, Ariel Madronio, Cecilia Marston, Geena Martin, Luisa Moreno, Millicent Mc Lead, KellyMcCarthy Gale, Stephen Moriarty, Mohinder Panesar, Patricia Smith, Mary Walsh. Copyright © Royal Variety Charity 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Registered Trademarks ® The Royal Variety Performance, The Royal Variety Show and the Royal Variety Charity are Registered Trademarks throughout the world, owned by the Royal Variety Charity.
ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023 | 77
• COST CONSULTANCY • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • CDM & PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
• BUILDING SURVEYING • PROJECT MONITORING • PARTY WALL SURVEYING
We’re proud to be working with the Royal Variety Charity on the regeneration of Brinsworth House Private Residences
Dartmouth Park House
Health & Care
Brinsworth House
Arts
Aviva Studios, Manchester
Education
ArtsEd School
Culture + Heritage
Brighton Dome
Commercial Offices
80 Grosvenor Street
Consultancy + Collaboration Speak to the professionals
78 | ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE 2023
www.jacksoncoles.co.uk
Giles Cooper & Laurie Mansfield would especially like to thank Fiona Clark, Amanda George, Helen Riddell, Richard Valentine and Mark Wagman from Lifted Entertainment/ ITV and all the staff at the Royal Albert Hall for making this such a special night for the Royal Variety Charity
Royal Variety Charity Founded 1908, Registered Charity No. 206451 www.royalvarietycharity.org