After last year’s sell-out performances, Terry Sanderson reprises his affectionate tribute to the great gay icon Marlene Dietrich for LGBT History Month.

by Newsdesk | 2nd January 2013

Terry says: “Marlene Dietrich fascinated several generations of gay people – both men and women – and her appeal continues today. She is regularly channelled by people like Madonna and Lady Gaga who try to capture her enduring allure. But there was only one Marlene and her story is much more interesting than simply being that of a camp and glamorous movie star.”

In the show, Terry will not only explore Dietrich’s legendary Hollywood career, he will also examine – using moving archive footage – her work as an anti-Nazi during the Second World War. “Marlene was German, of course, but she renounced her nationality as Hitler rose to power and joined the allied forces to fight the Nazi regime. She won medals from the Americans, French and Belgians for her heroic efforts.”

The show culminates with a showing on a big screen of Marlene’s famous one-woman show which she toured around the world with Burt Bacharach and his orchestra. “This is Dietrich at her peak,” says Terry, “Glamour and sex all rolled into a grand evening of easy-listening music.”

During the show Terry will also explore Dietrich’s ambiguous sexuality. Equally at home with male and female lovers, she was generous with her favours.

“Marlene is a worthy icon for the gay community – heroic and honest at the same time. She never made a secret of her attraction to other women and yet she made her name as a sex symbol for straight men. Or was she just a sex symbol for the whole world, men and women alike?”

Marlene Dietrich – an affectionate tribute. Thursday 27 February 2014 at 7.30pm. Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. www.mdtribute.com £12.