Charlie Dore, Julian Littman and Gareth Huw Davies
15.00 - 16.00

Charlie Dore and Julian Littman met in the early 1970s while they were both attending the Arts Educational School in London where they would play music together during breaks from their drama training. They were both training as actors but bonded over music, playing in the theatre’s foyer. 

Julian is renowned for his role with folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span and has performed with them at our festival numerous times so we are delighted to welcome him back performing as a trio with Charlie Dore and Gareth Huw Davies who plays 5-string double bass & cello.

Charlie Dore is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Although best known as a singer-songwriter, she has a multi-faceted career that includes acting in film, TV and radio, comedy-improvisation, and composition for film and TV.

She studied drama at the Arts Educational School, Tring and London. Moving back to London, Charlie worked in fringe theatre, then joined Thames TV's long-running series Rainbow for 18 months, writing and performing songs with Julian Littman, whom she had met at drama school, and Karl Johnson, an actor-musician from the Tyneside Theatre Company before being replaced by the more familiar ensemble of Rod Burton, Matthew Corbett and Jane Tucker which evolved into Rod, Jane and Freddy. After this, Dore, Littman and Johnson composed and recorded the original theme from the BBC pre-school series You and Me.

A friend, blues guitarist Sam Mitchell, asked Dore to deputise for him at Obelisk, a Westbourne Grove pancake house where he played on Monday nights. Dore co-opted Julian Littman and Karl Johnson to help pad out the long sets required and the band grew, eventually including Karl's brother Stuart Johnson on banjo and dobro, and various guests on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. It was the basis of her first band, Hula Valley. The band played a selection of bluegrass, western swing, and hillbilly music, as Dore was yet to start her own songwriting.

As the band grew and changed shape and name, from Prairie Oyster to Fresh Oyster to Charlie Dore's Back Pocket,[2] original material started to flow and the band played the London pub and club circuit, regularly appearing at The Hope & Anchor, The Half Moon, Dingwalls, and the Rock Garden. During this period the band personnel was still changing and included, among others, Charlie Gaisford, Ian McCann, Keith Nelson, Gus York, Garrick Dewar, Paul Atkinson and Pick Withers on drums, who was also playing with the early Dire Straits.[3]

As an actress: In 1983, she starred opposite Jonathan Pryce and Tim Curry In Richard Eyre's film, The Ploughman's Lunch,[2] and during the 1980s more acting work followed, including leading roles in A Killing on the Exchange (1987) and Hard Cases (1989)[2] for ITV, South of the Border (1988)[2] for BBC, and two productions, Whistle Stop and The Big Sweep with People Show, the UK's longest running fringe theatre group.

Dore also appeared in Eric Idle's comedy for BBC radio, Behind the Crease, directed by Harry Thompson. It was a second collaboration, the first being a duet with Idle, "Harry," which Idle had written, composed, and performed with Dore as a jokey birthday present for his friend Harry Nilsson. However, Nilsson surprised Idle by including the original recording on his 1980 Flash Harry album.[3]

As a songwriter: During this time she started to have success as a writer for other artists, initially scoring a U.S. number 7 hit with "Strut", co-written and co-composed with Littman for Sheena Easton,[2] and going on to have her songs recorded by artists including Tina Turner, George Harrison, Celine Dion, Paul Carrack, Ricky Ross, Worlds Apart, and Jimmy Nail; for whom she co-wrote "Ain't No Doubt", a UK number 1.[2]

Charlie has notched up a UK no 1, a US no 4 and top 10 hits in Italy, Germany and France. She has also composed for three BBC drama series and two films. Her own hit, “Pilot of the Airwaves”, has been a favourite on the radio and on November 5th 1990, it was the final track played by Radio Caroline as an unlicensed offshore radio station which brings things full circle as Radio Caroline has promotes our folk festival and they have shared our merchandise tent.

In comedy: In 1990, she co-founded comedy-improvisation troupe, Dogs on Holiday, which hosted and performed at its own Soho venue, The Hurricane Club. The club, which ran for six years on Saturday nights with a mixture of improvisation and stand-up, played regular host to the emerging careers of comedians such as Mark Lamarr, Harry Hill, and Jo Brand, and also enjoyed a guest visit from Robin Williams, who joined the team onstage for an evening of improvisation.

Julian Littman
Originally trained as an actor from the age of 16, music was never far from his heart, indeed many is the time he’s called upon to play sing or compose within a dramatic context. In the early days he was part of the trio of musicians (Along with long time friend and partner in crime, Charlie Dore.) on the kids show “Rainbow.”
After two years they hung up their dungarees and went their own ways. The Sweeney, Bergerac, The Bill and BBC dramas such as “Baal” alongside David Bowie.

Later on Julian hooked up with Charlie again, this time with a serious goal of making music and were sent off to Nashville by Island Records to record at J. J. Cale’s studio with Cale’s producer Audie Ashworth.. At the same time Gerry Rafferty was riding high with “Baker Street.” and invited Julian to tour and record with him. Thus ensued Julian’s brief encounter with the full Rock ’n Roll excess all areas lifestyle, Concorde, Limos and, well…you can imagine the rest!

After that a big slice of his life was in music. Singing on “Sunnyvista” with Richard and Linda Thompson, more albums and touring with Gerry, Charlie, Cockney Rebel, Pete Townshend and playing mandolin on the Dexy’s Midnight Runners album, “Don’t Stand Me Down.” He appeared many times on the West End stage notably in “Pump Boys and Dinettes.” with Kiki Dee, Carlene Carter, Paul Jones, Brian Protheroe and the late Gary Holton. He also wrote songs for the likes of Sheena Easton, Philip Bailey ( Earth, Wind and Fire.) and Sister Sledge.

The nineties saw him again in the West End in the hit show, “Return To The Forbidden Planet.” which played in Osaka, Japan for a month.
After Musically directing a revival of “Hair” at the old Vic London, he toured extensively as a member of Barbara Dickson’s Band.

In 1996 he landed the role of Juan Duarte, the brother of Eva Peron (Played by Madonna) and directed by Alan Parker in the movie version of the Rice/Webber musical “Evita” shooting in Argentina, Hungary and London.

Still with music being a mainstay of his career (Constantly working with Charlie Dore.) he appeared in many more movies such as “The Life And Death of Peter Sellers” with Geoffrey Rush, “Al’s Lads” (playing Al Capone) “Running Scared” with Paul Walker and many more. He also renewed his friendship with Gerry Rafferty and wrote and recorded with him in his latter years.

He appeared yet again in the West End in the Queen musical “We Will Rock You.” having been a longtime friend of Brian May and his wife Anita Dobson.
Currently he is a member of Steeleye Span as instrumentalist, singer and composer and now is breaking out with his solo show “ FolkSoulBrother.”
He’s made two solo albums, “Life’s Rich Bloody Tapestry” and “ Trueville.”

As if that is not enough, Julian is also highly skilled at Horse-riding.

Charlie Website:  https://www.charliedore.com/

Facebook:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwF3DE0YWcxoDtYGKOycAg/featured

Julian Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/julianlittman/