Elizabeth Mansfield has performed in a one-woman show already at York Theatre Royal this year, playing French chanteuse Edith Piaf in Damian Cruden’s production of Hymn To Love – Homage To Piaf in the Studio for five days in April.
She returns on Wednesday, but this time to play the main house in Marie, The Story Of Marie Lloyd, another of her long-running solo shows at which she excels. Whereas Hymn To Love was presented by the Theatre Royal in tandem with the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Marie is staged by Mansfield and writer Steve Trafford’s own company, Ensemble.
Elizabeth Mansfield as Edith Piaf in Hymn To Love - Homage To Piaf at the York Theatre Royal Studio in April. Picture: Hugo Glendinning
Poet T S Eliot described Marie Lloyd as “the greatest music hall artist of all time”. Now she lives again in Mansfield’s show, wherein she performs all Londoner Lloyd’s famous songs, such as Don’t Dilly Dally On The Way; Oh! Mr Porter; A Little Of What You Fancy Does You Good and The Boy I Love Is Up In The Gallery.
Trafford’s script captures the riotous fun and irrepressible talent, as well as the pain and anguish, of a remarkable woman; Mansfield received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance when the show ran at the Fortune Theatre in London’s West End.
Elizabeth Mansfield was nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Marie Lloyd
As well as Hymn To Love, Mansfield has taken to the Theatre Royal stage previously in The Restoration Of Nell Gwyn in October 2014 and A Cloud In Trousers in October 2004.
All proceeds from ticket sales for Marie will go towards York Theatre Royal’s on-going work with people in the York community. Tickets for Wednesday's 7.30pm show are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
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