FORCES Sweethearts, a popular singalong show celebrating the great singers of the 1940s, will be performing in Tewkesbury.
Beryl Korman first conceived the singalong programme as part of the 50th anniversary VE day celebrations, but it proved such a success that it has been running for the last 11 years. Now the matinee show will perform at The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury on Saturday at 7.30pm.
The 56-year-old singer from Surrey said: "I wasn't born during the war but as television had just been invented then, all I saw on television were films, shows and heard music from the 1940s. So, although I wasn't born in that period, I feel very much a part of it."
The Forces Sweethearts show shares memories with the audience of the war with the comical scenes and songs which were made famous by artists such as Anne Shelton, Gracie Fields, Jessie Matthews and Vera Lynn.
"Everyone has their own memories of the war. When I speak to my mother she always says how she felt so alive during the war," said Beryl.
"It was a time of uncertainly but it bought many good times as well as bad with the threat of death around the corner."
The Forces Sweetheart, with Beryl joined by Janice Hooper-Roe and pianist and singer Jennifier Partridge, perform scenes that were typical of the 1940s, with a factory scene where actresses talk about the current situation while joking with one another.
The scenery and beautifully tailored costumes create a nostalgic show with audiences singing along to great favourites in the Flanagan and Allen selection performed by the group.
"Everyone finds themselves singing to the songs, from grandparents to the grandchildren that attend," said Beryl.
"Although the songs are from a different era, for some audience members the divine lyrics bring a deeper understanding of war-time life for the people that lived through it."
For more information about Forces Sweethearts, call The Roses Theatre on 01684 295074.
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