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1960s
Petula on the British Stage:
Variety, in Concert and in Cabaret - The 1960s
Petula during
rehearsals for her season at the Savoy, London, 1966
The Fan Archive proudly presents a comprehensive and continually evolving record of Petula's variety,
concert and cabaret appearances starting in the 1940s to the
present day. Meticulously compiled from
our extensive collection of theatre programmes, flyers, press clippings, photographs, and promotional materials, this listing offers an unparalleled glimpse into
Petula's stage career in variety and in concert.
Presented
here are highlights from the Fan Archive's extensive trove of
vintage materials.
No other fan-led resource provides this level of detail, accuracy, and archival richness. Each entry reflects the dedication of archivists and enthusiasts who have pieced together Petula's performance history with care and precision. This living database serves as both a tribute and a research tool, an invaluable reference for fans, historians, and scholars alike.
Visit our companion entries for the
1940s and
1950s, documenting the earliest chapters of
Petula's live career which is presented with the same depth, accuracy, and
collection-based care.
If you have additional information, images, or memorabilia that could enrich
these page, we warmly invite you to contribute via our About page.
While Petula's live career flourished across Europe and the United States throughout the 1960s, her concert and cabaret appearances in the UK were comparatively rare, making each engagement a special occasion for British audiences. From one-night performances and gala appearances to select tours and residencies, Petula brought elegance, clarity, and international flair to stages across England.
Highlights included her 1962 national tour The Petula Clark Show, a triumphant return to the Royal Albert Hall in 1969, and a four-week cabaret run at The Savoy in 1966. Whether appearing at seaside theatres, royal galas, or newly opened cabaret venues, Petula's live performances were marked by artistry, warmth, and an unmistakable connection with her audiences.
This feature presents Petula's key UK engagements from the decade, accompanied by press commentary, programme scans, and promotional materials from the Fan Archive Collection.
1960s
Live Chronicle:
Room at the Top, Ilford - 19-24 June 1961
Petula joined Dickie Henderson for the all-star opening cabaret at Room at the Top, a newly launched restaurant and performance space perched above Harrison Gibsons in Ilford. Situated 110 feet above ground level, the venue offered panoramic views stretching 15 miles across London, adding a dramatic backdrop to its entertainment ambitions.
The Stage praised the launch as a "rousing send-off," noting Dickie Henderson's polished delivery and Petula's radiant presence. Her set featured a well-chosen selection of songs, including several recent hits, affirming her status as one of Britain's most versatile and engaging performers. The venue promised to host "some of the
world's finest entertainers," and Petula's appearance helped set that standard from the very start.
Event listing as featured
in the Evening News and Star
Winter Gardens, Margate
- 25 June 1961
For one night only, Petula headlined a variety programme at the Margate Winter Gardens, supported by a full bill of acts including Martin Lukin's Accordion Band. The venue, long known for attracting top names throughout the summer season, welcomed Petula for what would be her only theatre appearance in England that year.
The East Kent Times and Broadstairs Mail praised the event as a high point in the venue's entertainment history, noting that Petula's presence was
"a feather in the cap" for entertainments manager Jack Green. Performing to an almost full house, Petula delivered a selection of her past and present pop hits, weaving in a distinctive French flavour that reflected her growing international appeal.
Newspaper advert from the Thanet Times
The Petula Clark Show,
1962 Tour of England - 12-19 April 1962
Presented by Arthur Howes, The Petula Clark Show toured six venues across England in April 1962, with Petula headlining a bill that included Emile Ford, The Allisons, Susan Singer, The Kestrels, Joe Black (as compere), and The Trebletones.
Scheduled dates:
12 April – Granada, Maidstone
13 April – Granada, Bedford
15 April – Embassy, Peterborough
16 April – ABC, Chesterfield
17 April – City Hall, Newcastle
19 April – Town Hall, Birmingham (Cancelled – see newspaper announcement below)
Petula's set opened with Rodgers and
Hart's "Mountain Greenery" and continued with a blend of hits and continental favourites, including
"Sailor," "Romeo," "My Friend the
Sea," "Mademoiselle de Paris," and "Why Should
We?". She also previewed her forthcoming release, "Ya Ya
Twist," and closed with selections from My Fair Lady, delivered in a spirited and authentic Cockney voice.
Press coverage was enthusiastic. The Ampthill News praised her
"artistry" and described her act as "charming, sophisticated… with a mystical twinge of cabaret
aroma." The Peterborough Standard noted her "confident
style" and reported "thunderous applause" from the audience.
Visual materials
above from the Fan Archive Collection. Photo: Petula and Emile Ford examine a display of photographs showcasing past performers at the Embassy
Theatre (Peterborough), located in the gallery beneath the stage.
The Savoy, London – 6 June to 2 July 1966
In Cabaret for a Four-week Season
Petula headlined a four-week cabaret engagement at The Savoy, joined by Ian Stewart and His Orchestra, Francisco Cavez and his Latin American Rhythm, and the Savoy Dancers. The engagement was a success, and as was often the case, Petula received an enthusiastic invitation to return.
However, this occasion led to an unusual exchange. Shortly after the engagement, Savoy management contacted Claude Wolff to book Petula again, two years in advance. Claude agreed, assuming a summer 1968 return. But the reply was swift: "Oh no! Not in the summer, Petula Clark is a winter artist." The reasoning? During her 1966 run, warm weather had forced open windows, and with a full orchestra and Petula's powerful voice, neighbours had complained about the volume. A winter engagement, they explained, would allow the windows to remain closed.
Claude, ever diplomatic, declined the seasonal restriction. "So far," he later remarked with a smile, "we haven't managed to make it back there."
*Kon, Andrea (1983). This Is My Song, A Biography of Petula Clark.
London: WH Allen. p185-186
Petula
photographed during rehearsals and a newspaper advertisement from the
London Evening News.
London Palladium,
London - 3 March 1967
Stars in the Night Charity Gala
Held in the presence of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon, Stars in the Night was a Royal Gala Variety Performance in aid of the Invalid Children's Aid Association, organised by the Eltham Round Table. The evening brought together a diverse array of performers, including Larry Adler, Leslie Crowther, Julie Felix, The Fortunes, Helen Shapiro, and Petula, accompanied by Frank Owens.
Compered by Michael Aspel and supported by the London Palladium Orchestra under Billy Ternent's direction, the programme blended music, comedy, and dance. Petula's appearance added star power to a night of charitable celebration, reflecting her continued prominence on Britain's variety stage.
Visual materials presented here include: Newspaper advertisement from the Evening News, Original programme from the event.
London Palladium,
London - 18 November 1968
The Royal Variety Performance
Held in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen Mother, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, and the Earl of Snowdon, the 1968 Royal Variety Performance brought together a dazzling array of talent at the London Palladium. Hosted by Des O'Connor, the evening featured appearances by Diana Ross and The Supremes, Engelbert Humperdinck, Frankie Howerd, Val Doonican, and Petula, among many others.
Petula's performance stood out, not only for her musical selections but for the sheer weight of her costume. Wearing a white evening gown that reportedly weighed forty pounds, she carried the moment with characteristic poise. The dress earned the nickname "suit of armour," a nod to the physical challenge it posed on stage.
Petula opened her set with the Lennon-McCartney classic Yesterday and closed
with Downtown, reaffirming her place among Britain's most
loved entertainers. The entire performance was broadcast on BBC-1 on 24 November 1968, preserving a landmark evening in British variety history.
Above:
Princess
Margaret greets Petula and comedian Frankie Howerd in the foyer of
the London Palladium ahead of the Royal Variety Performance. The
evening, held in aid of the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund,
also welcomed the Queen Mother, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, and
Lord Snowdon. Howerd made an unexpected appearance, stepping in
for Eric Morecambe, who was recovering from a heart attack.
Royal Albert Hall,
London - 29 October 1969
Presented by Robert Paterson and Claude Wolff, An Evening with Petula Clark marked a major moment in Petula's live performance career. Held at London's Royal Albert Hall, the concert featured orchestral direction by Johnny Harris and piano accompaniment by Frank Owens. The event drew a capacity audience of 6,500 and spanned two hours of Petula's most
loved songs.
Petula during rehearsals for her 1969 Royal Albert Hall concert
The Daily Express hailed it as "a triumphant come-back for Petula," praising her confident delivery of favourites such as Downtown, Don't Sleep in the Subway, and This Is My Song. The review highlighted her rare ability to connect with fans, "One minute she suggests a star, and then she reminds us that she is really 'just our Pet'." Her sincerity and vocal clarity, matching the precision of her recordings, were noted as exceptional in the contemporary pop scene.
A 50-minute highlights recording of the concert was selected to launch BBC-1's colour television service, airing at midnight on 15 November 1969. When the BBC prepared to launch its new colour service in November 1969, the Corporation placed remarkable confidence in Petula, selecting her as the face of its inaugural midnight broadcast. Contemporary press coverage made clear the scale of the moment: Petula was presented not simply as a star, but as the "chosen one" to carry British television into its new era of colour. Her Royal Albert Hall performance was elevated to a "petticoat premiere," produced with exceptional care and positioned as a national showcase. The timing added an unexpected layer of symbolism, the broadcast fell on 15 November,
Petula's 37th birthday, turning the event into both a technological milestone and a personal celebration. At a time when she was already an international figure, singing in multiple languages, touring globally, and representing modern British sophistication, her selection signalled the BBC's belief that no artist better embodied the glamour, polish, and cultural reach required for such a historic transition.
The television master is presumed lost, almost certainly wiped
during the BBC's tape-reuse purge, a period that claimed countless
broadcasts now considered historically significant.
|
1972 U.K
album cover
|
1991 U.S. CD
release
|
2001 U.K. CD
release
|
Includes "Yesterday"
|
A highlights album followed in 1972 on Pye Records, with later CD releases in 1991 (GNP Crescendo, USA) and 2001 (Castle Music, UK). In 2011, the previously unreleased
live track "Yesterday" as performed at this concert was issued on the compilation Downtown: The Collection (Spectrum, UK). Notably, 15 additional tracks from this landmark performance remain unreleased.
Petula's set
list for this concert: titles marked *
remain unreleased, though the audio recording survives in its
entirety:
Act 1:
This Girl's In Love With You
I Know a Place*
Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In
Don't Sleep in the Subway
My Funny Valentine*
No One Better Than You*
How Are Things in Glocca Morra?*
Las Vegas*
Lazy Afternoon*
My Name Is Petula
Just Say Goodbye*
The Other Man's Grass (Is Always Greener)*
This Is My Song*
Act 2:
Without Him
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
Yesterday (remained unreleased until 2011)
Games People Play*
Medley from My Fair Lady
Un Enfant
The Beat Goes On Medley*
You and I*
My Love*
The Fool on the Hill*
Hey Jude
Downtown
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