Polly Perkins, 25 years on - ‘Brechtian’ musical role for former Windmill Girl Gillian Arnold

Published: 01 April 2011
by JOSH LOEB

A FORMER Windmill Girl will perform her first West End show in 

25 years next month at what has been described as the “trial run” of songs from a racy new musical about Soho. 

Polly Perkins (the stage name of Gillian Arnold) is the mother of Frith Street resident Tim Arnold, who was a member of Britpop band Jocasta in the mid-1990s and recently finished writing the musical, Secrets of Soho, with actress Lisa Dillon, who is currently starring in The Knot of the Heart at the Almeida Theatre in Islington. 

Mr Arnold, 35, has described the show as “my life’s work. There is humour in it but it’s fairly tragic and Brechtian.” 

Gillian, who is now 68 and lives in Spain, is flying over especially to make her return to the West End stage. 

After her career at The Windmill she went on to star in the television, 

Costa del Sol-based, soap opera Eldorado as well as achieving success as a singer and releasing three albums. 

The event will feature songs from the show – described as “a bit like Oliver! set in the sex industry” – and will take place on April 21 at The Phoenix Artist Club in Phoenix Street, WC2, at 11pm. 

Entrance is free but anyone wishing to attend has been asked to email nim@secretsofsoho.com