During the 1950s and 1960s, Perrie performed her variety act in clubs across the country, and also toured in France, Germany, South Africa and the United States, appearing on the same bill as Sacha Distel, The Rolling Stones, and, for fifteen concerts, The Beatles, who called her “girlie”. In 1969 she moved into the acting field after Ken Loach cast her as the feisty, neglectful mother in his award-winning film Kes.