Behind the Nightlight: Rediscovering an Edwardian Arts Phenomenon
A remarkable Edwardian book and its musical legacy are being brought back to life in a new show by award-winning cabaret performer Ada Campe.
Behind the Nightlight, first published in 1912, was a collection of short stories describing the imaginary creatures seen by a three-year-old girl named Joan in her nursery. Her mother, actress Nancy Price, transcribed Joan’s stories verbatim and the book was an immediate success, running to four editions in just two years. Contemporary reviewers were captivated by the rare insight into a child’s imagination, with Joan’s fantastical creations being frequently compared to the characters of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
In 1913, the stories took on a new life when Joan’s godmother, acclaimed composer Liza Lehmann, set fourteen of them to music. Lehmann was one of the most prolific and respected composers of her time, with more than 300 published works, an international performing career, and a long-standing presence at the Proms from the late 19th century into the 1930s.
Both Nancy Price and Liza Lehmann were members of the Actresses’ Franchise League, a group of theatre and entertainment professionals campaigning for women’s suffrage. Together, they toured the musical settings of Behind the Nightlight across the UK in 1913, celebrating creativity, performance, and the imaginative world of a young child through live music and storytelling.
More than a century later, Ada Campe brings these extraordinary creatures back to the stage in a new show that revives Lehmann’s original settings, features additional songs by the composer, and tells the remarkable story of the Behind the Nightlight phenomenon. The production weaves together history, music, and performance to rediscover a largely forgotten cultural moment at the intersection of childhood imagination, women’s creativity, and early 20th-century theatre.
Ada weaves biographical information about Liza, Nancy, and Joan into the show,
and also sings some of Liza Lehmann's other work, including If No One Ever Marries Me (1900), "My Lady Busy" from Sergeant Brue (1904), and two songs from her Nonsense Songs for Alice in Wonderland cycle (1908).
A remarkable Edwardian book and its musical legacy are being brought back to life in a new show by award-winning cabaret performer Ada Campe.
Behind the Nightlight, first published in 1912, was a collection of short stories describing the imaginary creatures seen by a three-year-old girl named Joan in her nursery. Her mother, actress Nancy Price, transcribed Joan’s stories verbatim and the book was an immediate success, running to four editions in just two years. Contemporary reviewers were captivated by the rare insight into a child’s imagination, with Joan’s fantastical creations being frequently compared to the characters of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
In 1913, the stories took on a new life when Joan’s godmother, acclaimed composer Liza Lehmann, set fourteen of them to music. Lehmann was one of the most prolific and respected composers of her time, with more than 300 published works, an international performing career, and a long-standing presence at the Proms from the late 19th century into the 1930s.
Both Nancy Price and Liza Lehmann were members of the Actresses’ Franchise League, a group of theatre and entertainment professionals campaigning for women’s suffrage. Together, they toured the musical settings of Behind the Nightlight across the UK in 1913, celebrating creativity, performance, and the imaginative world of a young child through live music and storytelling.
More than a century later, Ada Campe brings these extraordinary creatures back to the stage in a new show that revives Lehmann’s original settings, features additional songs by the composer, and tells the remarkable story of the Behind the Nightlight phenomenon. The production weaves together history, music, and performance to rediscover a largely forgotten cultural moment at the intersection of childhood imagination, women’s creativity, and early 20th-century theatre.
Ada weaves biographical information about Liza, Nancy, and Joan into the show,
and also sings some of Liza Lehmann's other work, including If No One Ever Marries Me (1900), "My Lady Busy" from Sergeant Brue (1904), and two songs from her Nonsense Songs for Alice in Wonderland cycle (1908).
Performed by Ada Campe with accompaniment from Sarah Rose on piano.
Directed by Janie Dee
Produced by Dr Naomi Paxton – historian of suffrage theatre and alter ego of Ada Campe
Directed by Janie Dee
Produced by Dr Naomi Paxton – historian of suffrage theatre and alter ego of Ada Campe
"BEHIND THE NIGHTLIGHT"
Naomi discovered Behind the Nightlight whilst researching composer Liza Lehmann's work for a BBC Radio 3 Sunday Feature in June 2025. The piece is a setting by Lehmann of fourteen short stories about imaginary creatures as seen and described by three year old Joan Maude, daughter of actress Nancy Price, in her nursery. The original book was published in 1912, and Lehmann’s settings were published in 1913 by Boosey & Co. The book was widely covered in the press, and in 1913 Lehmann and Price performed the musical settings on theatre and concert hall stages across the UK.
Both Lehmann and Price were members of the Actresses' Franchise League, and in 1911 Lehmann also became the first President of the Society of Women Musicians (you can read more in the blog post here). Nancy Price would go on to be part of the cast for the AFL's inaugural Woman's Theatre week in 1913, and to found the People's National Theatre in 1930 with fellow suffragist J.T. Grein.
When first published the fantastical creatures in the Behind the Nightlight stories were compared to the characters in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland books but with one crucial difference - they really were the imaginative creation of a young girl rather than a man in his thirties. The pieces - steeped in suffrage history and theatrical fantasy - seemed ripe for a revival... and Naomi's cabaret alter ego Ada Campe seemed the perfect interpreter to revive them in the twenty-first century.
So it is happening!
Naomi has been working with pianist Sarah Rose and actress Janie Dee to bring the pieces to life, and is delighted to announce that there are not only upcoming performances, but also a very special event for the 2025 Being Human Festival which will involve a live sketching session led by Dusty Limits.
More about that below!
Both Lehmann and Price were members of the Actresses' Franchise League, and in 1911 Lehmann also became the first President of the Society of Women Musicians (you can read more in the blog post here). Nancy Price would go on to be part of the cast for the AFL's inaugural Woman's Theatre week in 1913, and to found the People's National Theatre in 1930 with fellow suffragist J.T. Grein.
When first published the fantastical creatures in the Behind the Nightlight stories were compared to the characters in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland books but with one crucial difference - they really were the imaginative creation of a young girl rather than a man in his thirties. The pieces - steeped in suffrage history and theatrical fantasy - seemed ripe for a revival... and Naomi's cabaret alter ego Ada Campe seemed the perfect interpreter to revive them in the twenty-first century.
So it is happening!
Naomi has been working with pianist Sarah Rose and actress Janie Dee to bring the pieces to life, and is delighted to announce that there are not only upcoming performances, but also a very special event for the 2025 Being Human Festival which will involve a live sketching session led by Dusty Limits.
More about that below!
Award-winning cabaret performer and variety artiste Ada Campe revives a literary curiosity from 1912, created by a little girl and set to music by her godmother Liza Lehmann, one of the most prolific female composers of the Edwardian age. Come and meet the fantastical creatures that emerge
Behind the Nightlight.
Behind the Nightlight.
PERFORMANCES
2025
29th October
Brydges Place, Charing Cross
2nd November
Chelsea Arts Club
Member event
12th November
Being Human Festival event, Club for Acts and Actors, Covent Garden
7th December
Museum of Comedy, Bloomsbury
2026
28th January
Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly Circus
29th October
Brydges Place, Charing Cross
2nd November
Chelsea Arts Club
Member event
12th November
Being Human Festival event, Club for Acts and Actors, Covent Garden
7th December
Museum of Comedy, Bloomsbury
2026
28th January
Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly Circus
Being Human Festival 2025
Join variety artiste Ada Campe, pianist Sarah Rose, and cabaret legend Dusty Limits for a very special revival of a 1912 viral literary sensation - the whimsical imagination of a three year old called Joan - set to music by Liza Lehmann, one of the most prolific Edwardian female composers. Ada will recite, Sarah will play, and Dusty will lead a sketching workshop in which you can explore your own interpretations of the fantastical creatures that emerge Behind the Nightlight.
If you like art, storytelling, history, music, and cabaret – this is the event for you!
The event is supported by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the Francis Routh Trust, and the Muriel Matters Society, and will take place at the Club for Acts and Actors in Covent Garden.
It starts at 8.45pm, and all tickets are free. Sketching materials will be provided, although you are also welcome to bring you own.
This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.
Tickets are free but must be reserved due to the size of the venue
About the performers:
Ada Campe – performer:
Ada Campe is a variety artiste, cabaret performer, comedian and magician with an eclectic portfolio. A member of The Magic Circle, her interactive, playful style appeals to audiences of all ages, and as well as late night cabaret shows in London’s West End, she regularly hosts and performs for Comedy Club 4 Kids and at corporate events, Museum Lates, Pride celebrations, and festivals across the UK.
‘Genius’ Sandi Toksvig
‘Flamboyant and quite possibly bonkers’ Chortle
‘Magnetic presence and a ticklish way with words’ The Scotsman
'A mix of Tommy Cooper, Ethel Merman and one of Bertie Wooster's aunts' The Telegraph
'Mixes music-hall-esque eccentricity with 21st century queer feminist sensibilities' Bechdel Theatre
Dusty Limits - art facilitator:
Dusty Limits is a singer, comic, actor, writer, director and all-round cabaret legend. They were Director of the Black Cat Cabaret at the Café de Paris, and have had residencies at the Savoy Hotel, Café Royal, and Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Originally from Australia but now based in Lonon, Dusty has performed all over the world. They won the London Cabaret Award for Best Host/Compere in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and have recorded two albums of original songs Grin (2015) and Life & I (2018).
Dusty has been the Evil Headmaster of Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School in London since 2007. Founded in 2005 in a dive bar in Brooklyn, Dr. Sketchy's is the world's premier alt. drawing movement and has now spread to over 100 cities around the world. It combines cabaret and performance with life-drawing, and is a fun, non-judgmental environment in which all are welcome.
Sarah Rose - pianist
Sarah Rose is a classically trained musician with a vibrant and diverse career spanning musical theatre, pop, classical, cabaret, and live improvisation. She is a regular member of RADA’s singing team, supporting student training as an accompanist and coach. MD/pianist credits include RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Ginger Johnson’s Ginger All The Way at Soho Theatre, and How To Catch A Krampus at London’s Pleasance (nominated for an Offie Award for Best Musical Director). Alongside her theatre and cabaret work, Sarah Rose’s original music as a singer-songwriter includes EPs Beautiful Ruins and Set The World Alight. She is passionate about projects and collaborations that defy genre boundaries, and is particularly drawn to work that celebrates musical craft, theatricality, and live performance in all its immediacy, vibrancy, and emotional impact.
Ada Campe – performer:
Ada Campe is a variety artiste, cabaret performer, comedian and magician with an eclectic portfolio. A member of The Magic Circle, her interactive, playful style appeals to audiences of all ages, and as well as late night cabaret shows in London’s West End, she regularly hosts and performs for Comedy Club 4 Kids and at corporate events, Museum Lates, Pride celebrations, and festivals across the UK.
‘Genius’ Sandi Toksvig
‘Flamboyant and quite possibly bonkers’ Chortle
‘Magnetic presence and a ticklish way with words’ The Scotsman
'A mix of Tommy Cooper, Ethel Merman and one of Bertie Wooster's aunts' The Telegraph
'Mixes music-hall-esque eccentricity with 21st century queer feminist sensibilities' Bechdel Theatre
Dusty Limits - art facilitator:
Dusty Limits is a singer, comic, actor, writer, director and all-round cabaret legend. They were Director of the Black Cat Cabaret at the Café de Paris, and have had residencies at the Savoy Hotel, Café Royal, and Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Originally from Australia but now based in Lonon, Dusty has performed all over the world. They won the London Cabaret Award for Best Host/Compere in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and have recorded two albums of original songs Grin (2015) and Life & I (2018).
Dusty has been the Evil Headmaster of Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School in London since 2007. Founded in 2005 in a dive bar in Brooklyn, Dr. Sketchy's is the world's premier alt. drawing movement and has now spread to over 100 cities around the world. It combines cabaret and performance with life-drawing, and is a fun, non-judgmental environment in which all are welcome.
Sarah Rose - pianist
Sarah Rose is a classically trained musician with a vibrant and diverse career spanning musical theatre, pop, classical, cabaret, and live improvisation. She is a regular member of RADA’s singing team, supporting student training as an accompanist and coach. MD/pianist credits include RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Ginger Johnson’s Ginger All The Way at Soho Theatre, and How To Catch A Krampus at London’s Pleasance (nominated for an Offie Award for Best Musical Director). Alongside her theatre and cabaret work, Sarah Rose’s original music as a singer-songwriter includes EPs Beautiful Ruins and Set The World Alight. She is passionate about projects and collaborations that defy genre boundaries, and is particularly drawn to work that celebrates musical craft, theatricality, and live performance in all its immediacy, vibrancy, and emotional impact.