The National:

MAUREEN Lipman earned her guest musicians a rousing cheer of their own at her Edinburgh Festival show when she revealed that they had moved to the city.

Lipman’s show at the Assembly in George Square Theatre features Jacqui Dankworth – the daughter of jazz legends Cleo Laine and the late John Dankworth – and pianist vocalist Charlie Wood appearing as guest performers

In the intro to their spot, Lipman introduces the husband and wife team and says they have moved to Edinburgh, asking them “you now live here, what’s that about?”

Dankworth’s reply went down a storm with the audience the other night when a source for The National was present.

The source said: “She replied ‘Well it’s a beautiful, historic, cosmopolitan city and its twinned with Florence, and so on.

“Then she added: ‘It’s relaxed and inclusive and I wanted to get away from all that Brexit nonsense and live in an inclusive welcoming place so here I am.’

“I would say more than half of the audience gave her a huge cheer, including me.”

After the Maureen Lipman show – her first on the Fringe for 50 years – finishes tonight, Dankworth and Wood will be appearing in their own one-off Fringe show at Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh on August 25.

The evening will feature classic compositions from landmark recordings by legendary duos like Ray Charles and Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, George and Ira Gershwin, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, James Taylor and Carole King, and many more.