Marti Webb facts for kids

Marti Webb (born in 1943) is a talented English actress and singer. She became well-known for her roles in famous musicals. One of her biggest hits was the song "Take That Look Off Your Face". This song reached the top three in the UK music charts. It was part of her popular one-woman show called Tell Me on a Sunday.

Early Life and Learning

Marti Webb was born in Cricklewood, London, in 1943. Her parents loved taking her to see live shows and pantomimes. Her dad played the violin, and her mum sang and played the piano. Marti started dance lessons when she was just three years old. She first performed in public at age seven at the Scala Theatre in London. At first, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina.

A school teacher noticed Marti's natural talent for singing and dancing. The teacher suggested to her parents that Marti should get special training. So, from age 12, Marti went to the Aida Foster stage school. She even became the Head Girl there. Her mother worked an extra job to pay for the school fees. While training, Marti appeared in BBC Schools TV programmes. She found it a bit strange to perform in front of her classmates, as she came from a regular school.

Marti saw her first musical, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be, because some of her school friends were in it. The school often sent students to auditions. Marti tried out for the London show of Bye Bye Birdie but didn't get a part. She also auditioned for The Sound of Music. However, she was very shy and spoke too quietly, so she wasn't chosen for that show either.

She was picked to be on a TV show called Carol Levis' Junior Discoveries. It was filmed at the Hackney Empire. On the show, she sang "Musetta's Waltz" from the opera La bohème.

Career Highlights

Musical Theatre Roles

First Big Stage Role

When Marti was 15, she appeared in a show called Listen to the Wind in Manchester. She was still a student then. After that, she left school to make her big debut in London's West End. This was in the show Stop the World – I Want to Get Off. This show starred Anthony Newley, who also wrote the songs. While practicing for this show, Marti discovered her powerful "belt voice."

For her audition, Marti sang "Almost Like Being in Love". Many famous people were there, including Anthony Newley. They joked during her audition, which made her lose focus. At the end, she tried to leave, but Newley stopped her to ask for another song. She was so embarrassed that she dropped her sheet music! Newley later said he liked her from that moment on.

Leading Roles and Friendships

Marti became well-known as Ann Pornick in the London production of Half a Sixpence. She starred opposite Tommy Steele. She said this first main role was a highlight of her career. She later sang the parts for Julia Foster in the film version of the musical.

She also played Nancy in the first UK tour of Oliver!. Here, she met and became friends with Cameron Mackintosh. He later became one of the most famous musical theatre producers in the world. Lionel Bart, who wrote Oliver!, watched the show many times. Later, Phil Collins, who became famous with the band Genesis, joined the show. He played Noah Claypole.

During the 1970s, Marti became a respected actress and singer in London's West End. In 1971, she was in the first London cast of Godspell. This musical was based on the Gospel of Matthew. She performed alongside David Essex and Jeremy Irons. The original London cast recording includes her singing "Bless the Lord".

She then played Nellie Cotterill in the 1973 London show The Card. This musical was about a character who rises from being a washerwoman's son to a mayor. After that, in 1974, she was in The Good Companions with John Mills and Judi Dench. She played Susie Dean, a member of a traveling performance group.

Evita and Tell Me on a Sunday

By 1978, Marti was feeling a bit down because she hadn't gotten any stage roles. She was working in a travel agency and had stopped auditioning. Then, a lyricist encouraged her to try again. Within three months, she was cast in Evita.

In 1979, Marti went to New York to audition for Harold Prince, the director of Evita. She was asked to be a stand-in for Elaine Paige, who was expected to move to Broadway. Marti performed two shows a week, preparing to take over the main role.

At her first audition, the show's composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, asked if she would be interested in anything he wrote for her voice. Marti thought it was a polite way of saying no. So, she was surprised when Lloyd Webber and lyricist Don Black invited her to dinner. They wanted to talk about a new show. It was a series of songs inspired by a friend who moved from London to the United States.

Marti helped create this new show, Tell Me on a Sunday. Only two songs were written at first. The rest were made just for her voice and character. Don Black, who became her manager, said she was "the girl" for the role. He even got ideas for the character's letters to her mum from Marti's everyday conversations.

Marti worked on the show every day with Lloyd Webber and Black. An album was recorded, and it was performed at a festival in 1979. A BBC Television producer decided to make a TV version with Marti. This special performance was recorded in January 1980. Don Black said it was amazing on TV because it focused on Marti's face, showing every expression.

The album of Tell Me on a Sunday was released in February 1980. The TV show aired at the same time Marti took over the main role in Evita. The album became a No. 2 hit in the UK, and Marti became a household name. The main song, "Take That Look Off Your Face", was also a big hit, reaching No. 3 in the UK.

Marti has a unique, natural singing voice. Lloyd Webber once told her, "You sing in my keys," and she replied, "You write in mine." She often performs at his festival. In January 2014, Marti performed Tell Me on a Sunday again in London. The show was very popular, leading to more performances.

Working with Don Black

Don Black became Marti's personal manager in 1979. He helped her career until the early 1990s. They remained close friends.

In 1985, Marti had another big hit with her cover of the song "Ben". This song was originally sung by Michael Jackson. Marti's version was recorded to honor Ben Hardwick, a young boy who died after a liver transplant. His story was shared on the TV show That's Life!. Andrew Lloyd Webber suggested the idea of a charity recording to Don Black, who then asked Marti. The song reached No. 5 in the UK charts.

In 1986, Don Black wrote lyrics for the theme song of the TV show Howards' Way. Marti sang it, and the song "Always There" became a UK top-20 hit. She also released an album of other TV themes.

Later Career

In 1982, Tell Me on a Sunday was combined with another of Lloyd Webber's works to create the show Song and Dance. Marti played "The Girl" again and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. She toured with this show for several years.

In the mid-1980s, she took over the role of Grizabella in the musical Cats. She performed in London's West End and on a UK tour.

In 1995, at age 50, Marti played Eva Perón again in a UK tour of Evita. Despite some comments about her age, the tour was very popular and continued into 1996.

In 2003, she joined the UK tour of The King and I, playing Anna Leonowens. Later that year, she appeared in the London show Thoroughly Modern Millie. She shared the role of Mrs. Meers with Maureen Lipman.

In 2007, Marti performed in Hot Flush, a new musical about the menopause. She played Helen, a middle-aged widow. From September to December 2008, she played Mrs. Johnstone in the UK tour of Blood Brothers. The show's producer had wanted her for the role for about 20 years.

Marti starred as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!, touring the UK in 2011. In 2012, she played Dorothy Brock in a UK tour of 42nd Street.

Recent Work

In 2017, she played Jacqueline in the first UK tour of La Cage Aux Folles. In 2018, Marti appeared with Tommy Steele in The Glenn Miller Story in London.

From January to August 2020, Marti was touring with the play The Cat and the Canary. This tour was stopped because of the Covid-19 pandemic but restarted in 2021. In 2022 and 2023, she performed in several semi-staged radio plays at the Theatre Royal, Windsor.

From August to December 2023, she appeared as Celia in a UK tour of Calendar Girls the Musical.

Pantomime Performances

Marti Webb has spent many Christmas seasons performing in pantomime shows across the UK. In 1987, she played the main male role, Robin Hood, in Babes in the Wood at the London Palladium. Later in her career, she often played the Fairy Godmother or the Wicked Queen. In 1997, she stepped in last minute to play the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella in Croydon. She also appeared in Cinderella in Bath in 2000 and Malvern in 2001. In 2006, she was the Fairy Godmother in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Theatre Royal, Windsor.

In 2018, Marti joined the cast of Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, as Fairy Bowbells. She returned to the Theatre Royal, Windsor, from November 2019 to January 2020, to perform in Aladdin.

Concert Appearances

After her time in Evita, Marti and Gary Bond performed concerts featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. She has often performed in concerts alongside her musical theatre work. She also had a solo concert at the Warrington Festival in 1985.

Marti helped create and starred in The Magic of the Musicals, a UK concert tour. It featured songs from musical theatre. The show toured several times in the early 1990s. A recording of the show became a gold-selling album. A performance at the Bristol Hippodrome was even filmed for BBC Television. This led to tours in North America and Canada, and many more UK versions.

A live recording of her cabaret shows in London was released in 1998. It was called Marti Webb Sings Gershwin: The Love Songs. She has also performed her cabaret show on P&O cruise ships.

In 2016, Marti gave a series of solo concerts. She also performed at a concert honoring Don Black. Since 2016, Marti has performed cabaret concerts in London. These shows include songs she is known for and songs from shows she didn't get to be in.

Television and Recordings

Since becoming famous with Tell Me on a Sunday, Marti has often appeared on British television. In the 1970s and 80s, she was on the BBC show The Good Old Days. She also appeared on Top of the Pops and other variety shows.

In 1982, Marti recorded a second TV special called Marti Webb: Together Again. It featured other performers like David Essex.

After Tell Me on a Sunday, she recorded several solo albums. Her album Limelight included a mix of her well-known songs and newer ones.

Besides the charity song "Ben" in 1985, Marti also sang on a recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in 1987. This was released to help those affected by the Hungerford massacre.

In 1990, Marti sang two songs on the album Freudiana: "Don't Let the Moment Pass" and "No One Can Love You Better Than Me".

Singing Technique

Marti Webb is unique among musical theatre performers because she never warms up her voice before a show. She says she wouldn't suggest this method to other singers. She tries to eat healthy and avoids air-conditioned places because they can dry out her throat. In Tell Me on a Sunday, there's a line about wanting a drink without ice. Don Black included this because Marti genuinely dislikes ice in her drinks.

Personal Life

Marti Webb has been married three times and does not have any children. She was married to actor Alexander Balfour in 1964, but they later divorced. She then married actor Tim Flavin in 1985, but they divorced in 1986. She later married sound engineer Tom Button in 1992. They separated some years later.

Marti loves gardening. In the 1980s, she had a house in London and a country home in Chichester. Since the early 1990s, she has lived in a cottage in Langport, Somerset. She shared this home with her mother, Selina, before her mother passed away.

In May 1982, Marti appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs. On the show, guests choose eight songs, a book, and a luxury item they would take if stranded on a desert island. Marti chose classical music, pop songs like "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos, and "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. Her favorite choice was a funny recording from The Goon Show. She also chose an illustrated dictionary and a piano to take with her.

In early 2014, Marti shared that she had been treated for an aggressive form of bowel cancer in 2006. This was just a month after her mother's death. Her illness was not made public at the time. Marti returned to the stage, even dancing in a pantomime, just two months after her major surgery.

In a 2016 interview, she mentioned that she was semi-retired.

Stage Appearances