After Dinner Speakers: Jane McDonald, Martine McCutcheon, Comedy Store Players

It is rare indeed that an entertainer comes along and captivates an audience in the spectacular fashion Jane McDonald has. Jane’s big break came in 1997 when she was asked to perform as top of the bill on the cruise ship The Galaxy. Ten months earlier, Jane had retired from her career as a singer to focus her energies on cookery lessons, learning to speak Danish and working out with a personal trainer as she prepared herself for life, as a wife, with her fiancé Henrik Brixen. However Jane realised she had to seize the opportunity to be top of the bill, just once, so took a deep breath and accepted.It just so happened that BBC Television was making a documentary onboard the Galaxy. Jane immediately came to their attention and became one of the main focal points of the BBC1 programme The Cruise, which transmitted in the early months of 1998. The series was so popular that it finished its twice weekly airing with an audience of 12 million viewers and Jane McDonald emerged as a star. Born in Wakefield, Jane had spent the previous twelve years honing her craft, travelling and performing around the northern clubs of England and performing as part of the chorus on various cruise ships, gaining along the way, a loyal fan base. Chris Terrill, The Cruise producer, was quick to pick upon Jane’s down to earth humour and huge personality, but few were prepared for the powerful singing voice that accompanied her.