Fenton Gray, and guests Emma Odell and Robert Metson, took his audience on a nostalgic journey to celebrate the two worlds of sophisticated revue and knockabout music hall as well as paying respects to Gilbert & Sullivan and Irving Berlin. And what a marvellous journey it was.

Noël Coward’s wicked wit and wonderful wordplay proved still as amusing and, among the more familiar pieces, a lesser known gem emerged “That Is the End of the News”. Ivor Novello proved to be no slouch when it came to comedy as his “And Her Mother Came Too” showed.

The second half, a selection of popular music hall songs in which Odell stole the show with her hammed up version of “Oh, Oh, Antonio”, had Gray paying tribute to his great-grandfather, variety artist and pantomime dame, Dan Crawley with a couple of his routines.

World War One was remembered in a selection of songs that had the audience joining in, as well as a selection from The Return of the Soldier, a new musical composed by Charles Miller, the show’s accompanying pianist.

A master of comedy, Gray generously allowed his guests to share the spotlight, but at the balance the evening was hilariously his.