The Stage

Wallace to play music hall legend Lloyd

Published Wednesday 17 January 2007 at 13:10 by Liz Thomas

Jessie Wallace is to star in a new drama for BBC4 tackling the life and times of music hall favourite Marie Lloyd.

The actress, best known as Kat Slater in EastEnders, will appear in the one-off 80-minute production in the spring as part of the broadcaster’s Edwardian season.

BBC4 controller Janice Hadlow said: “It’s a real coup to have Jessie Wallace as [the] lead… She will bring something very special to the role as the greatest music hall star of all time.”

The piece has been written by Martyn Hesford and is being made by Hat Trick Productions. It will depict the star’s rise to fame set against her troubled private life. She courted controversy at the turn of the 20th century with her string of love affairs, which were covered in the tabloid papers.

Marie Lloyd - Queen of the Music Hall also features some of the performer’s most famous songs including My Old Man Said Follow The Van and her theme song A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good.

Executive producer Mark Redhead said: “Martyn Hesford has written a fantastic script exploring the private and public life of one of the first real stars. Marie Lloyd was funny, loveable, naughty and hugely charismatic, and Jessie Wallace was born to play her.”

Filming begins in February in London’s East End and in Bayswater.

Wallace also stars in new BBC1 Pygmalion-style drama A Class Apart, starring alongside George Cole.