Roy Hudd taking Market Drayton back to the good old days
He may be 79 and in his 56th year in the entertainment industry, but there's no danger of Roy Hudd running out of enthusiasm.
Starting as a Butlin redcoat he has tackled everything from stand up comedy and theatre to pantomime and prime time TV through Coronation Street.
And now he has embarked on a 12-date tour around the country, with a visit to Shropshire next month.
Roy Hudd's Very Own Music Hall is the latest rebirth of the one-man show Roy first toured in the 1990s.
It is a format he is comfortable with. Roy was a familiar face in BBC's The Good Old Days, which celebrated a type of British theatrical variety entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era.
In Roy's latest solo performance, which will take to the stage in Market Drayton, he will tell stories, jokes, monologues and sing songs to bedazzle audiences with the secrets and scandals of the great stars of the music hall. He covers the period 1750 up to the 1960s and all stops between.
Many of the stories he tells are direct from the mouths of music hall stars he worked with in his early days such as Max Miller, Hetty King, Randolph Sutton and many others.
Having toured with the one-man show almost 10 years ago, he decided to revive it due to popular demand.
He said: "People just kept asking me. And doing one night at each venue means it's like having an opening night every night. I love that. This is the best I've ever had. I get to show off, which I love, too."
"I have never been to Market Drayton before and I am really looking forward to my visit.
"I have been to a few places in Shropshire which are lovely but never Market Drayton.
"I am honoured that I was asked to perform here and can't wait.
"I am taking the show all over the country to places I have not been before – and some which I have.
"The stage is my favourite place to be as you get an instant reaction from audiences.
"It is a joy to perform as I have always been interested in music hall."
Brought up by his grandmother, he visited music halls and variety shows as a child and started collecting old music hall sheet music from second-hand shops.
He added: "It is important to keep the songs alive and teach them to children so they can keep them going."
Roy will be performing at the Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton on Saturday, May 7 starting at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £21. For more information, go to www.festivaldraytoncentre.com
