WRITER and director Chris Jaeger assured us that it was pure coincidence that his tribute to Worcester’s very own Vesta Tilley was premiering on her birthday and we’re naturally more than happy to take his word for it.

But what an omen, eh? For if ever a show deserved to go on national tour, maybe around the world for all I know, have a film made of it… then this is most surely the one.

For years, this city has bathed complacently in the undoubted glories of Edward Elgar, yet never once cast more than a sideways glance at the woman born into a family of 13 children in a street off Wyld’s Lane who would become the biggest act of her day.

Look at it another way. Madonna is brought up in Dines Green and no one in Worcester takes a blind bit of notice. It must be that old high culture/low culture syndrome kicking in.

Jaeger has created a masterpiece with his homage to the Sidbury titwillow and his great work is frighteningly brought to life by Claire Worboys, a fabulously talented young woman who oozes talent from every pore.

She has a voice to die for and therefore has much in common with her character, who undoubtedly did as much for recruiting men into the army during the First World War as Lord Kitchener.

Ms Worboys deftly moves through costume changes which are effortlessly achieved, while simultaneously giving a scripted commentary for a capacity audience that can only wonder how it’s done.

Then there are the cheeky asides, the winks and nudges, the cross-dressing gender-bending cheek of it all… and all executed without what would have been known in those music hall days as ‘smut’.

Jaeger now needs to stop and contemplate what he will do with his incredible show. Grateful we may be, but this is plainly too big a story for it just to be Worcester’s alone.