SHE was known as the Queen of the Music Hall, although the Queen of Innuendo would have worked just as well. Marie Lloyd’s career spanned 40 eventful years. In one famous incident she was summoned before the committee responsible for cleaning up the stage and asked to sing her songs. She sang Oh Mr Porter and A Little Bit of What you Fancy in such a sweet innocent way that the committee had no reason to find anything amiss. But indignant that she had had to go through such a charade, the contrary performer then sang some very innocent songs in an obscene obscene, shocking the committee into silence and doing herself no favours.

Her feisty nature and indomitable temperament have gone down in history and will be duly celebrated in The Little Bit The Boys Admire – The Mary Lloyd Story at the Arts Centre tonight.

Marie Lloyd’s reputation came partly from her stage act but also from her private life. She had three unsuccessful and very public marriages. In 1913 she was refused entry into the USA because she had shared a cabin with her new boyfriend on the voyage, despite still being married to her first husband. She continued to perfrom until a few days before she died at the early age of 52.

The Little Bit The Boys Admire – The Mary Lloyd Story starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £ £14 and are available at swindontheatres.co.uk or on 01793 524 481.