We’re a Bristol-based company with many of the company in their 60s and 70s. And at that age, it’s important to seize every day!

Having concluded an amazing run of 8 full-house performances of Bluffing Your Way In Ballet at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe and sell-out dates at the Theatre Royal Bath studio in October 2025, we’re now running our latest show. Or premier run was at the Alma Theatre, Bristol in March 2026, with two sell-out nights and some great reviews (see below).

Wearing The Trousers…

‘Wearing The Trousers’ is a new play which plots the life of one of the most successful cross-dressing music hall stars and philanthopists that most of the world has never heard of. Spanning Vesta’s life from childhood to her mid-seventies, ‘Wearing The Trousers’ has been written for Seizing The Day Company by company member Dyanne White, bringing to life Vesta’s story in a series of flashbacks supported by a multi-role cast.

Reviews

Wearing the Trousers: the True Story of Vesta Tilley is a real gem of a show. Historically, it shows how theatre has always led the way in challenging social norms around gender identity. It revives the history of strong, iconic woman whose achievements have been lost to time.
We meet Vesta a year after her beloved husband has died. She takes her maid, Allegra – played by Kay Francksen – back through her career. At significant points, we meet the people she encountered throughout her life. To accompany this is a carefully constructed scrapbook of memories. The attention to detail on the pages makes it a rich stage prop. Dyanne White’s play is extremely well written. We get a strong sense of who Vesta was. Who the people in her life were, as well as the depth and successes of her impressive career. The many facts we learn as the show progresses are carefully blended into the narrative. And with big musical hall energy and lots of humour, Chris Harris-Beechy and Marie Clifford make up the rest of the characters.
Backstage, Bristol
Click here for the full review.

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Captivating from start to finish! Brilliant script, great acting and truly enlightening into the life of Vesta Tilley. Congratulations to all!
Sarah M, Cheltenham

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Enjoyed the show; funny, warm and interesting. Good performances all round. Dyanne White as Vesta Tilley was excellent. She gave a very poignant, detailed performance. Marie Clifford was very funny playing all the female parts. Marie helped the singing which was a clever trick. Chris Harris-Beechey was funny and good in all his roles and Kay Francksen as the Maid gave a solid understated performance.
Chris W, Bristol

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Wow, what a fantastic evening… you must be so proud of all the company.
Completly captivating funny, sensitive and beautifully paced.
I laughed and at times was deeply moved.
Thank you, dear Alex, for bringing Vesta Tilley once more to the stage!!
Much love and respect
Diana M, Bristol

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Dyanne’s ability to find, research and create a play on a person I’ve never heard of, and portray their life in such a way that I was borderline obsessed with towards the end, is remarkable. The storyline was gripping, fun and totally hilarious. She literally brought her story to life. A strong mention to all the cast who played their roles with such creativity. First class! Encore!
Ali O, Bristol

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If you have not heard of Vesta Tilley, the highest-paid female entertainer of her time, then the biopic drama Wearing the Trousers by Seizing the Day Company is a perfect introduction. Over two acts, the play charts the highs and lows of Vesta Tilley’s extraordinary career. Told in flashbacks, we encounter a ‘blighted’ yet powerful Vesta retelling her story to her maid Allegra. With pride and passion, she returns to the stage in brilliant flashes. She is ably assisted by her co-stars performing various cameo roles. Well done to the cast, director Craig Edward and writer Dyanne White for such a heart-warming show.
Dr Edson Burton, Bristol

Book your tickets here:

Only one venue left this year! More to come in 2027…

The Theatre Shop, Clevedon: 11 April 2026
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/theatreshop/wearing-the-trousers-the-true-story-of-vesta-tilley/e-ovjbok

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