Lanah P facts for kids

Lanah P (born 1959) is an English entertainer. She is known for her acting, comedy, and singing.

She has used several names during her career, including Alan Pellay, Al Pillay, Al-ana Pellay, and Lana Pellay. Lanah P appeared in the TV show The Comic Strip Presents and played Alex in the 1987 movie Eat the Rich.

Early Life and Beginnings

Lanah P was born in Grimsby, England, in 1959. She was the youngest of six children. Her mother was a cleaner from Barbados, and her father was an engineer on fishing trawlers, with Indian heritage.

Lanah P left school when she was 15 years old. She moved to Manchester and became friends with famous performers like Bunny Lewis and Frank "Foo Foo" Lammar.

Early Performances

Lanah P started her career by impersonating famous singers. She would dress up in full drag (dressing as a woman for entertainment). She performed as Shirley Bassey, Eartha Kitt, Lena Horne, Cleo Laine, and Dorothy Squires. She performed in many working men's clubs across the North of England. These clubs were places where people went for live entertainment. She also performed on the cabaret circuit, which features music and comedy shows.

Music Career

After a break from her drag performances, Lanah P managed a café. During this time, she met Kay Carroll and Mark E Smith from the band The Fall. This led her to form her own band, the I Scream Pleasures. They even opened for The Fall at some of their concerts.

Lanah P also worked with Adrian Sherwood and his dub record label, On-U Sound. She recorded a song called "Parasitic Machine" for one of their early music collections.

Becoming a Disco Diva

Later, Lanah P transformed her stage persona into a "disco diva" named Lana Pellay. She wore amazing costumes designed by her friend Leigh Bowery. As Lana Pellay, she had a popular song called "Pistol in My Pocket." This song reached the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. She also sang on Gary Clail's 1991 hit song "Human Nature."

TV and Film Career

While living in London, Lanah P met actor Keith Allen. He invited her to appear on a new TV show for young people on Channel 4. There, she met Peter Richardson, who became a big supporter of her talent.

Peter Richardson was an actor, comedian, writer, and director for The Comic Strip Presents. He wrote special parts for Lanah P in several episodes, including "Susie," "Gino," and "The Bullshitters." She also appeared in the feature-length film The Supergrass.

Lead Roles

Peter Richardson also wrote the main role for Lanah P in the 1987 movie Eat the Rich. After her work on The Comic Strip, Lanah P became a film critic. She reviewed movies on the ITV late-night talk show Funky Bunker, alongside Craig Charles.

Theatre and Cabaret

As Al Pillay, Lanah P starred in a one-person play called Glitter & Twisted. This play was based on her own life story and was written by Tim Fountain. It first opened in New York City.

She also performed her own cabaret show, A Life in Song, in London. Her cabaret performances have even been released as a double CD album. In 2012, she played the famous Welsh singer Dorothy Squires in a stage play called Mrs Roger Moore.

Discography

Singles

• "Pistol in My Pocket" (1986) – This song reached No. 96 in the UK, No. 17 in Australia, and No. 40 in New Zealand.
• "I Can Make a Man Out of You" (1986)
• "Pistol In My Pocket (Vince Clarke Erasure Mix)" (2018)
• "Winter of Love" (2019)
• "Human Race" (2020)
• "Ghosts of Christmas Past" (2020)