THE city of Worcester will soon be celebrating the life of music hall legend Vesta Tilley.

An official launch of the Vesta Tilley Society will take place at the Swan Theatre, Worcester, on Sunday at 7pm.

Tilley, born Matilda Alice Powles, had a hugely-successful theatre career on both side of the Atlantic and is often considered this country’s greatest star of music hall theatre. She was born in Worcester in 1864. When she retired nearly two million people, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin, signed a ‘People’s Tribute to Vesta Tilley’.

The Vesta Tilley Society formed earlier this year to increase Tilley’s profile and celebrate her work.

The committee already has plans to help launch a one-woman Vesta Tilley show, to erect a statue in her honour and to found a national Music Hall weekend based around Worcester.

At Sunday's launch Ray Sturdy will give a talk, entitled The Extraordinary Vesta Tilley. Artefacts, including the People’s Tribute to Vesta Tilley, will be on show and Claire Worboys, who will star in the one-woman show, will perform some of Tilley’s songs.

For more information visit vestatilleysociety.net.

Tickets to the launch are free but should be booked in advance through the Worcester Live box office on 01905 611427.