Cabaret season at Lauderdale House got off to a swinging start on Sunday (February 3) with West End actors taking over the stage in Highgate to perform a collection of all-singing and all-dancing showstoppers.
The weekly shows take place every Sunday except Mother’s Day, until the end of March at the arts venue in Waterlow Park, Highgate.
This Sunday (February 10) Jane Milligan, 46, daughter of the famous comedian and poet Spike Milligan, will be singing some rarely heard songs written by her father.
Also performing are Rosemary Ashe, Valerie Cutko, Jeremy Legat, and Tim McArthur.
The former Channing School pupil, Ms Milligan, grew up in Barnet and still lives in the area.
Her mother died when she was 11 leaving Mr Milligan to care for her and her three half brothers and sisters.
Ms Milligan took an unusual route towards musical theatre, opting to skip drama school and instead started as a runner. “When you lose somebody like that when you’re young, you spend a lot of time trying to get over it,” said Ms Milligan. “When it was time to go to drama school I didn’t fancy what they probably would have done which is break you down and build you up again.”
When Ms Milligan was 24 she quit the technical side of theatre and got involved with singing in the West End.
She said that she was inspired by her mother, who was a musical theatre actress but also by the music played by her father.
“We were a sound board for a lot of his wonderful poems.
“He’d try them out on us as he was writing,” said Ms Milligan.
“He also played music everyday and we would often play together.”
At Sunday’s performance Ms Milligan will be singing Dreaming, which Mr Milligan wrote for a nativity play and a song he wrote called Alice in Wonderland about a boy who falls in love with the fictional character.
“What the theatres brings and gives is more beneficial than other forms of the art,” said Ms Milligan.
“I’m a big fan of the theatre.
“I think it can change the way kids are as humans.
“Singing, dancing and music makes a difference.”
The schedule of Sunday cabaret performances at Lauderdale House can be found on their website at http://www.lauderdalehouse.co.uk/page.asp?ID=10
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