Popular Sixties show returns

Now in its fifth year, the concert is back for a new UK tour with new songs and new routines from Dave Dee, Susan Maughan, Dave Berry, Barry Ryan and Chip Hawkes alongside the Big Beat Band and Singers.

The show has toured Australia four times and been the star attraction on the QEII three times, along with numerous trips into Europe, in particular Scandinavia, where it has proved an enormous success.

Dave Berry's debut single was a revival of Chuck Berry's Memphis Tennessee and Dave used his considerable TV exposure to fashion the image he wanted, that of a black-clad, slinky and often mysterious performer. His career has seen him enjoy huge success both here and abroad with a string of top ten hits including The Crying Game and Mama.

Any chance for a bit of stage drama and Dave Dee will be up front, cracking his whip wherever possible! Will anyone of "the right age" ever forget the flamboyance and excitement of his delivery of The Legend of Xanadu? OK, slapping two bits of plywood together made the whip noise but people didn't know it at the time, and Dave and his bullwhip looked convincing enough!

Their first couple of singles didn't make any impression, but You Make It Move reached the Top 30. The thumping rouser Hold Tight heralded the true arrival of the band, peaking at number four he UK charts. As the success grew, so the stage clothes became more outrageous and the act became more dramatic.

Top 10 hit Hideaway was followed by the controversial Bend It with wringing every ounce of double entendre out of the words. It was initially banned in the US but reached number two the UK. Save Me, Touch Me and Okay were also big hits as was Zabadak. Did anybody ever find out what the words meant?

Barry Ryan along with his brother, Paul, who were both identical twin sons of Marion Ryan, a fifties pop singer, were signed by Decca in 1965. With neat long hair and carefully selected fashionable clothes Decca skilfully marketed them. In 1968, Barry Ryan went solo and Paul took to songwriting. An early result of this new partnership was Eloise, a stunning single with its melodramatic vocal style and heavily orchestrated backing.

Promoted with one of the first full videos, this dramatic, powerful song was an instant smash, selling three million copies and reaching number one in six countries.

This unusual arrangement of one brother writing for another certainly worked and with further hits Love Is Love, The Hunt and Kitsch. Barry ended the '60s as one of the top pop performers in Europe, despite never playing a solo concert outside the UK. Paul was also having huge success as a writer, having written I Will Drink The Wine for Frank Sinatra. Sadly, Paul died of cancer in 1992, aged just 44.

Born in Consett, Co Durham, Susan Maughan began her professional career singing with the Ronnie Hancox Big Band before joining the famous Ray Ellington Quartet. While with the group she began recording in her own right on the Philips label and in 1962 her single Bobby's Girl remained in the charts for a record-breaking 19 weeks.

Susan co-starred with Joe Brown, Harry H Corbett and Marty Wilde in the musical feature film What A Crazy World while appearing at the world famous London Palladium Theatre with Arthur Haynes, Frank Ifield and Nicholas Parsons in an eight-month summer show Things Are Swingin'.

Chip Hawkes started his career with The Tremeloes as lead singer/songwriter and bass guitarist. The group became very successful worldwide with a string of hits such as Here Comes My Baby, Silence is Golden, Suddenly You Love Me and Even The Bad Times Are Good. Chip fronted them until he left in 1988 to concentrate on managing his son Chesney. It turned out to be a good decision because the boy had a worldwide number one hit in 1992 with The One and Only.

The show starts at 8pm on Wednesday, March 7, and tickets are £19 and £17 from the Box Office on 01872 262466. There is a 75p Theatre Fund payment on each ticket sold.