"SHE'S SINGING at me! She's always singing at me!" the beleaguered and long suffering divorcee Emmet would utter in panic stricken moments whenever Hyacinth Bucket ("it's pronounced 'Bouquet!" ) crossed his path in the classic sit-com Keeping Up Appearances.
Hyacinth, despite her delusions of grandeur and desire to sing with the local musical society, never could carry a tune. How ironic then, that the woman who played that role to perfection - Patricia Routledge - earning a deserved place in the hall of legendary British comedy, is in fact a very good, indeed hugely respected singer, with a long career in musicals.
It is an often overlooked part of her career, despite her winning a Tony for her Broadway performance in the Styne-Harburg musical Darling of the Day; a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide; and the Gold Badge of Merit by the Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1998. Yet, her achievements, experiences, and memories of music and the musicals will be discussed in Facing the Music - A Life in Musical Theatre, where Patricia will be interviewed by Edward Seckerson, at the Town Hall Theatre on Monday September 14 at 8pm. Some rare recordings will also be played as part of the show.
Writer, broadcaster and podcaster Edward Seckerson is a founder member of desk.com He wrote and presented the long-running BBC Radio3 show Stage and Screen, where he interviewed Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Liza Minnelli, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He has written for many major music publications, and is on the review panel of Gramophone magazine.
Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 or www.tht.ie
