Liza Pulman tribute to Barbara Streisand at Artsdepot

One of the few artists who can take on Streisand's vocal range, Liza brings a personal slant to her music in her show at the Artsdepot centre in North Finchley on October 23.

It mirrors much of her own life growing up in Hampstead, the daughter of a famous screenwriter father and TV actress mother. She was raised in the Jewish community — like Streisand.

It has been an eventful life, having come close to tragedy at 36, surviving the 7/7 London terrorist bombings in 2005 on board the Piccadilly line train in which 26 people were killed.

Yet her warm humour and compelling storytelling has kept her going, adding Streisand classics like The Way We Were and Second Hand Rose.

Liza’s 30-year solo career has taken on music, theatre and comedy, from Glyndebourne Opera to West End musical, with a talent for reinventing timeless classics. Her early career was at Glyndebourne, then 14 years in the Fascinating Aida comedy trio.

But now it’s her new show Liza Pulman Sings Streisand, showcasing her skills as a gifted singer and entertainer.

“I formed a band and hit the road with our first Songs of Hollywood show,” she explains. “Many people told me I sound like Streisand and I realised she has been a huge influence on my approach to music, so I wanted to celebrate that somehow.”

She pays tribute to Streisand — but it’s not a tribute show, she insists. There’s no impersonation or curly wig.

Picking the songs, however, was harder than she had thought.

“It was a real ‘Sophie’s Choice’ — there's just not time to sing everything in a 90-minute show,” she points out. “But I hope it’s a balance between the hits and her back catalogue, through which I weave a narrative. I would be lynched if I didn’t include The Way We Were or People.”

Liza scripts her shows, but says: "The best bits are always the moments when something goes wrong or when someone in the audience does something unexpected."

The 56-year-old sang as a child growing up in Hampstead. Her mum and sister would sing in harmony with her on long car journeys.

She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before joining Glyndebourne as a junior principal.

But it wasn’t always an easy ride for Liza, caught up in the 7/7 bombings in 2005.

“That was a life-changing experience,” she remembers. “I was on the train in which 26 people lost their lives.

“It’s hard to fathom how you can have been so close to death and yet walk away unharmed.

“We were down there for about 20 minutes. I took a few photos on my new phone as we were finally led to safety.

“The tunnel was dark and filled with smoke and my photos weren’t coming out. So I tried the video, holding it above my head. It was difficult walking along the track so I had to stop and focus on my feet.”

That short video footage ended up on Channel 4 News and went all over the world.

“Nowadays people don’t think twice about using their phones to video what they’re seeing,” Liza added. “But back then it was a new thing.

“Being on the Piccadilly line that day changed everything for me. I realize all these years later quite how long it has taken me to deal with it. I still jump when I hear a bang or the pop of a champagne cork.”

Liza is from a distinguished showbiz family, growing up in Hampstead. Her mother was the actress Barbara Young from Coronation Street and Last of the Summer Wine, also known as Emperor Nero’s mother in the 1976 BBC serial I Claudius. She died two years ago aged 87.

Liza’s father was screenwriter Jack Pulman who actually wrote I, Claudius as well as TV’s War & Peace. He sadly died when Liza was just 10.

“I was surrounded by writers, actors and directors from a very early age,” Liza tells you. “There was a brief period where I fancied being a vet, not long after my goldfish Felicity Fruitcake died from unnatural causes! But the performing gene was always going to get me in the end.”

Liza Pulman Sings Streisand is at Artsdepot centre’s Pentland Theatre in Nether Street, North Finchley, on Thursday October 23, at 7.30pm.