Brixton’s rich music hall heritage is in the spotlight again with a feisty new family show at London Bridge’s Unicorn Theatre. Brixton Blog readers get 40% off tickets to Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant throughout half term just by quoting BRIXTONBLOG when booking tickets – see full details at the bottom.
Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant is a family musical all about the life of music hall star Vesta Tilley, who had many local connections and played a significant role in recruiting soldiers at the outbreak of the First World War. The show runs at the Unicorn Theatre until 15 March.
The musical follows a young Tilley as she takes her first steps onto the Music Hall stage with her father, hones her own act and then goes it alone in order to become Vesta Tilley – Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant; a famous figure of the Music Hall era whose act as a male impersonator made her famous.
Vesta was well known for her act which involved dressing up as a male sergeant and singing recruitment songs at Music Hall shows across the country. She was married to Music Hall manager Walter de Frece at the former Brixton Registry Office on 16 August 1890.
The couple obviously had a strong attachment to South London; while neither of them were born here, they chose to get married in Brixton and Vesta also laid the foundation stone of the now-demolished Camberwell Empire music hall in 1894, which was managed by Walter.
Save 40% on all half term tickets by quoting BRIXTONBLOG when booking online, by phone (Box Office 020 7645 0560) or in person at the Unicorn Theatre Box Office. Offer valid on all performances between 14 – 22 Feb (excluding 17 Feb, 7pm). Subject to availability.
