A prolific songwriter, composer and lyricist, Leslie Bricusse broke into showbiz right out of Cambridge when Beatrice Lillie chose him to appear with her in her revue "An Evening with Beatrice Lillie" (1954). The London native had begun to write sketches and songs for Cambridge's famed Footlight Revues, eventually serving as the group's president in 1954.

In his four-decade career, Bricusse has collaborated with several prominent figures and has written or co-written many songs that have entered the popular consciousness. His first major partnership was with Anthony Newley. The pair created two