Art imitates life in Pick Me Up Theatre's WWI Show - 60th Anniversary production - 31st March to 8th April Theatre@41

Art is imitating life for singer Marlena Kellie who has joined Pick Me Up Theatre’s production of Oh What a Lovely War – recreating the shows her grandfather would have performed in WWI.

Art is imitating life for singer Marlena Kellie who has joined Pick Me Up Theatre’s production of Oh What a Lovely War – recreating the shows her grandfather would have performed in WWI.

While rehearsing, Jazz-singer and actor Marlena realised the costumes and songs from the production were all reminiscent of her own family’s acting career.

“My grandfather, his first wife and my grandmother were all in entertainment troupes during the First World War,” she said.  “I found some wonderful old photos of them all – and they are the real-life versions of what we are doing on stage.”

Marlena’s grandfather Richard Palmer was Romany, with an act he would perform at travelling fairs and later in the Music Hall.  He was also part of Fred Karno’s circus and her parents Eddie Palmer and Shirley Kellie travelled the country with their own club act, settling down when Marlena was three-years-old.

Carrying on the Romany tradition, Marlena can sometimes be found telling fortunes, but concentrates on club singing and acting.  She was one of the trifle-bearing women seen charging joyfully along in last year’s Argos Christmas advert!

“I used to be embarrassed by my “otherness” in school, but now I embrace it,” Marlena said.  “I live with two fabulous Drag Queens and a lovely little dog called Whoopie.

“I can’t quite believe how life has led me to Oh What a Lovely War but it feels like it was meant to be.  My parents are sadly no longer with me but I very much feel I am carrying on the family tradition.”

Pick Me Up’s  60^th Anniversary production of Oh What a Lovely War is on at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from March 31-April 8 2023.  Tickets from: Theatre@41 Monkgate | Public