Thursday, May 10, 2007

Eurovision and Marie Lloyd's music halls

(c) BBC

In the week running up to the Eurovision, how appropriate for BBC4 to air Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen of the Music Hall. I caught the show last night. Jessie Ward (used to play Kat Slater on Eastenders) gets to show off her considerable vocal talents she plays Marie Lloyd (pronounced “Marry”).

An unusually tuneful drama following the rise and fall of “Britain’s first pop diva”, singing her way through London’s East End music halls at the turn of the 20th century. With on-stage success and off-stage relationship woes, there is a bit overlap with Jessie Wallace’s own life and times. (Incidentally like Marie, Jessie changed her name, being born Karen Wallace.)

It hardly feels like a year since the UK’s Daz Simpson roared in 19th of the 24 acts participating in the final, and Brian Kennedy brought Ireland home in 10th place.

I wonder how many of Saturday night’s acts would be labelled as “moral turpitude” if they were playing in Eurovision 1910! And if you’re keen to catch it, Marie Lloyd is repeated a couple more times this week.

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