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London Life Troupers

London Life organized "The London Life Troupers Variety Show" in September 1940 to help provide entertainment for men in the Armed Forces. Troupers would travel to one of the many training camps of Western Ontario to present their show to young service men, many of them from the United Kingdom as members of the Commonwealth training plan, and the others Canadians who might also be far from home.

London Life paid all expenses. The format chosen was that of a concert party. There were vocalists - girl soloists, trios and quartets and male soloists and quartets. There were also three dance lines of 12 girls each, notable for their beautiful costumes and precise performances. An 11 piece orchestra led by Don Wright provided all the music accompaniment and solo performances for the show. Altogether 154 London Lifers were enrolled. Don Wright talks about his experiences during these years in the following video clip ( courtesy Rogers TV).