Spirit of 1940s England

It’s A Good Day Girl May is a collaboration between Sandy Ince, of Sticky Toffee Jazz, and Jacinta Landon, who runs Elevate Dance, accompanied by a troupe of vintage dancers.

The show is being performed at Dilton Marsh village hall which will be transformed to emulate a 1940s jazz club.

Ince, whose sultry jazz voice is in popular demand at Salisbury functions, will sing well known numbers from the period such as Blue Moon and Fever, while Landon and her dancers will capture the style and sense of fun that were so important in post-war Britain.

“It was a tough time for people, there wasn’t a lot to go round and Britain was reeling from the war,” said Ince.

“But there was also a great sense of community spirit, of people coming together and having a good time.

“It was a time of romance and celebration that the war was over, with new possibilities for the future.”

With their hair in victory rolls and vintage costumes reflecting new freedoms that some women in 1940s Britain enjoyed, Landon and her dancers will perform routines drawing on jive, swing and the Lindy Hop.

“I watched old movies to research the dance moves and that’s been fascinating,” said Landon, whose Fisherton Street-based Elevate vintage dance group is proving popular with adults and younger dancers alike.

“It was a great period for music and entertainment.

“People needed to get out and enjoy themselves.”

It’s a Good Day Girl May captures our ongoing fascination with all things vintage along with a respectful sense of nostalgia about the war years.

“Obviously with it being the centenary of the First World War and this year being the 70th anniversary of D-Day it is in people’s minds,” said Ince.

“But music and song was still important, along with a sense of sticking together come what may.”

Proceeds from the performance will be donated to the Royal British Legion and the pair hope they might be invited to take the show to other village halls and community venues in the future.

Dilton Marsh village hall dates back to 1921 and would have been regularly used for village dances and entertainments over the decades.

The seating will be arranged around tables with the audience invited to take drinks and refreshments, giving it a cabaret feel.

The show tells the stories of Girl May (Landon) and Dolly (Ince) and there’s a love interest and other drama, played out through dance and song.

Auditions were held to select the supporting cast with a team of vintage dancers aged 15 to 34 being given the chance to be part of this professional production.

The audience is being invited to dress up for the evening with vintage clothing shops in the area sure to have a choice of fashions from the era.

And, once they look the part, audience members might even be tempted to try some vintage moves after the performance.

“People are drawn to the sophistication and romance of this era,” said Ince.

“It was a time before everyone had a television and stayed in for their entertainment – you went out in your community to have fun and that’s what this show is all about.”

It’s A Good Day Girl May is on Saturday, September 20 at 7.30pm at Dilton Marsh Village Hall, near Westbury. Tickets priced at £9 can be booked by calling 01373 302538.