Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall

Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall
Written by:	Martyn Hesford
Directed by:	James Hawes
Aired:	9 May 2007 on BBC4
Duration:	80 minutes
Produced by:	Hat Trick Productions
Distributor:	BBC
Cast:	Marie Lloyd - JESSIE WALLACE Percy Courtenay - RICHARD ARMITAGE The Showman - SHAWN PARKES Freddie - LEE WILLIAMS Bernard Dillon - TOM PAYNE Mr Belafonte - ANGUS BARNETT Mrs Chant - AMANDA ROOT Alec Hurley - MATTHEW MARSH

This costume drama shown on BBC4 during their Edwardian season was inspired by the life and loves of London's East End music hall legend, Marie Lloyd.

Marie's energy, wit, bawdiness and vivacity shone through her performance in the Edwardian music halls, soon thrusting her into the limelight and making her a legend in her own lifetime. She sang of a life of lewd behaviour and illicit assignations, her most famous songs including My Old Man Said Follow The Van and her theme song A Little Of What You Fancy Does You Good.

Spotted by Percy Courtney, her true love and first husband, Marie is soon topping the bill. However, we soon discover that Marie's fame and career success contrasts greatly with her unhappy private life. Fame takes its toll on her marriage to Percy and it ends bitterly. Famed for her generosity and good humour, she scandalised respectable society with her rebellious attitude and with a string of love affairs, which were salaciously covered in the tabloid papers.

Later, Marie leads a music hall strike and triumphs, but when she chases the champagne lifestyle and takes up with a toy-boy, respectable society is scandalised and Marie is dropped from the Royal Command Performance.