To mark the 155th birthday of legendary Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder, tenor and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall is reviving our much-loved show Lauder for four performances this summer, in London, Derbyshire and Edinburgh.
Jamie, who has starred in many of our productions including Il trittico, Marx in London! and the double-bill of Trial by Jury & A Matter of Misconduct!, takes the one-man show to Hoxton Music Hall on 22 June, Buxton International Festival on 17 July, and the Town Hall in Portobello (where Sir Harry was born) on August 4 and 5.
Ticket sales from the London and Edinburgh performances will go to the charity Erskine Veterans Charity, for which Jamie is an ambassador. It provides support to Veterans in Scotland, through care homes and a Veterans Village. Sir Harry, who was an international music star and at one point the highest-paid performer in the world, was greatly affected by his son John’s death at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He raised huge sums of money for injured serviceman, donating his music royalties to veterans supported by Erskine Veterans Charity.
An exploration into the public and private personas of Sir Harry, Lauder was originally presented by us in 2017 as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of Theatre Royal Glasgow.
This production of the musical play has been adapted by director Kally Lloyd-Jones and Jamie from the original script by comedian, actor and impresario Jimmy Logan.
In London, Tom Carradine is Music Director and Pianist, and in Buxton and Edinburgh it is our former Head of Music, Derek Clark who also curated the featured Harry Lauder songs.
Sir Harry premiered his classic song ‘I Love a Lassie’ onstage at Theatre Royal in 1905 when he appeared in his first pantomime, Aladdin, and in Red Riding Hood in 1910 he performed 'Roamin’ in the gloamin'. Featuring these well-known songs as well as ‘Keep Right on to the End of the Road’ and other familiar favourites, Lauder includes news footage of Sir Harry’s funeral and film reel from the trenches.
Jamie MacDougall said: ‘I am thrilled to be bringing this tribute to Sir Harry Lauder to audiences in London, Buxton International Festival and Edinburgh for the first time. I was 10 when I was taken twice to see Jimmy Logan in Lauder at the King’s Theatre Glasgow. That was the start of my life-long association with these wonderful songs and Sir Harry, an entertainer who was the first truly global star. I am honoured to be an Ambassador for Erskine, and hope audiences can come along to see this special show and raise money for an incredible charity.’
Tickets are available now from the venue websites.