I was thrilled when very loyal HerStory member Janet excitedly contacted me with news that Barnes Theatre on the Pond was putting on a production about Nancy Wake. Janet had once sang at the Star and Garter home in Richmond and met the lady in question but until doing my tour had no idea who she was!
You may also being asking who Nancy Wake is. Well take a look below, there she is with all the film star glamour of the 1930s.
Not only was she beautiful but she extraordinarily brave and she could swear and drink with the best of them.
On my St James's tour we go and see the hotel she moved into at the age of 88! Yes that is right, she moved from Australia to London at 88 years old. That might give you some sense of what she was like.
The Nazis had a bounty on her head during WWII. Five million francs for anyone to provide information to capture her. Boy was she a thorn in their sides. But they never managed it and she quickly gained the name The White Mouse. When she got home she was met with a hero's welcome. Decorated in five countries: The George Medal from the Uk, the Legion d'honour from France, The Companion of the Order of Australia, the Badge in gold from New Zealand and the medal of freedom from the USA and that is just for starters, there were many more. Captain Nancy Wake was one of the most decorated War heroes of WWII
So now you know who she is perhaps you will be as excited as me to go and watch a production where she is the star (not literally obs as Nancy died back in 2011)! Barnes Theatre on The Pond have very kindly offered members of my group to go for the price of £16.20 to see the production. All you need to do is put HerStory code in at check out.
I shall be there on Tuesday 4th June and it would be my great pleasure to have a natter in the bar should you decide to come on that day too. But if you cannot make that day it's on for three days in total and the theatre is happy for you to use that code another day.
Check out Barnes Theatre on the Pond website www.osoarts.org.uk for all the details of how to get your ticket. See you there!
