Nothing Like a Dame Day is more likely to bring sunshine and glimmer into someone’s life.

This celebration of big, brash, smiling-through-the-pain ladies of the theatre, gives even those of a straight-laced nature the opportunity to grab a boa, glue on some spidery lashes, and sashay like Carol Channing, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, or Ethel Merman.

Those who don’t like dressing up might celebrate Nothing Like a Dame Day privately by pulling out Rogers and Hammersteins brashest work and singing along to the big numbers from South Pacific. This gave rise to the unexpected joys of There Is Nothing a Dame.

There is less theatre tradition in Great Britain of brassy, ballsy dames. Instead, Nothing Like Dame Day celebrates their pantomime dame. These men are dressed in the same way as women but they make a funny part of Christmas family shows.