GERTRUDE Lawrence, best known for her dazzling partnership with Noel Coward, is brought to the stage in a solo cabaret show at Langton Matravers on Thursday 19th October and Nether Compton on Friday 20th with Artsreach. Performer Lucy Stevens tells Gertie’s story in her own words.

A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening, described as “a wonderful show, utterly brilliant. Fabulous singing – ‘lovely’ is actually a massive understatement,” by Nigel Foster, director of the London Song Festival, shows this talented and feisty woman from Clapham broke through the class ceiling, forging a stage and screen career that lasted until she was well into her 50s.

Bursting with songs and hits by Coward, Kurt Weill, Rodgers and Hammerstein and more, this show celebrates Gertie’s brilliance on and off stage, with pacy dialogue which is both funny and revealing.

Lucy Stevens has crafted a clever script using Gertrude Lawrence’s own words from her autobiography, A Star Danced. Accompanied by pianist Elizabeth Marcus, Lucy’s performance embodies the spirit of Gertie, transporting the audience through songs and storytelling from her childhood in Clapham to London’s swanky night clubs and the bright lights of Broadway.

The performances, in the village halls, both begin at 7.30pm.