'Art In Motion' at Darlington Hippodrome

You may remember a year ago I blogged about my great niece's debut on stage at Darlington Hippodrome performing with The Sandra Welsh School Of Dance located in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK

A year on and off we, my two friends and I, went to the theatre again to watch them perform Art In Motion. And what a grand entertaining night it was too. There was everything in this joyous show, tap dancing, ballet, disco and singing.  

                                        

                                        

What an amazing team. Everyone is committed to what they do from the performers to the back stage team. When I go along to a show I always look for the emotion behind the performance. The performers showed this in spades. You could tell in their eyes they had feeling and passion for what they were doing and they connected magnificently with the audience. Their energy was amazing. Well done to all who took part.

Photos taken by Ellie Anderson Photography ©

(used with permission)

 

     

                  

Recommended By Ellen Dean

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'In The Spotlight' at Darlington Hippodrome

On Saturday 6th October I went along with friends and family to Darlington Hippodrome to watch my three year old great-niece Isabelle perform with The Sandra Welsh School Of Dance in their show 'In The Spotlight'. This show was a real treat, and Isabelle's stage debut. I was so excited.

Every member of the cast from the youngest to the oldest (three to eighteen years respectively) gave outstanding performances. There was a full range of singing and dancing. The little ones came on, with chaperones, to a lots of oohs and aahs from the audience - including mine - then the chaperones disappeared into the wings. Did they get stage fright? Not a bit. They performed their routine like little troopers.

The whole show was very uplifting to say the least. One could be forgiven for thinking they were watching a professional West End Show. It was full of life, love and laughter, absolutely bursting with talent. A real tribute to The Sandra Welsh School Of Dance based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. 

Photos taken by Paul Anderson ©

(used with permission)

                             

   

                             

                                      
   

                                    

Footnote: Isabelle takes her singing and dancing very seriously. I was shopping in Ripon a few days before the show buying an item of clothing for Isabelle. I rang her mother, to ask which size I should buy. Isabelle then came on the phone and started to sing 'You Are My Sunshine' her show song 🎼  She wanted me to sing with her, so I did, much to the amusement of the other shoppers, and staff 😄

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Jane McDonald - 20 Year Anniversary Tour 2018

I've followed Jane McDonald since I saw her on the BBC documentary 'The Cruise' in 1998. Well, after all these years I finally got to see her live at Darlington Hippodrome last night which was her opener for The Anniversary Tour.

I hadn't been to the theatre for over four years due to having a vestibular disorder. Lights, loud audio and crowds set off my symptoms and my balance goes awry. Not to mention the drive up the motorway which is hugely problematic for me, so I wasn't at all sure I'd actually make it. But I did and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. I'm suffering today, but it was well worth it.

Jane is a truly gifted performer. You'll note I say 'performer' because that's exactly what this wonderful lady is. Not only is she an amazing singer (and songwriter) she exudes love into the audience and in turn they love her back. It's like sitting in your living room chatting to her, her audience interaction is amazing. This down to earth performer with her huge singing voice had the crowd on their feet all beautifully wrapped in a wonderful Jane McDonald bubble complete with her fab band and backing singers.

                   

The last song was very appropriate for me - 'Dance Yourself Dizzy' - oh I had to laugh! I have to say going to the theatre was a big deal for me as it is for many people suffering with a vestibular disorder. I did need to close my eyes when the lights flashed and wore my hat for extra protection. The audio was so loud the seats vibrated so next time I will make sure to sit in the stalls instead of the Dress Circle. I think it will make a difference. But this does not detract from the fantastic show and the fantastic renovations at Darlington Hippodrome.

If you are able to get tickets - grab them!


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Masham Players Spring Production 2012

I'm going to be Usherette on Thursday 12th April

for

Tickets now on sale for 'A Rise in the Market' by Edward Taylor To ensure you get a good seat book in advance at: - The Community Office Little Market Place Masham Tel: 01765 680200 Opening hours:- Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 15:00 Sunday Closed Or alternately contact us by using the 'Contact' button at the top of our home page and we will book seats for you. Masham Players

A Twist on the Scottish Play - Masham Players - Spring Production 2011

They say that when you're involved with the Scottish Play that things may go wrong. Well, Ron Smith decided to direct and act in Masham Players comedy version of The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of the scottish play written by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jnr.

Did I mention that this was his directing debut? Challenging is an understatement.

Now you're wondering what went wrong  - but where to start! Everything that could have gone wrong did but, Ron pulled it all together and the result was three brilliant performances.
Now he's sleeping at night again and has deleted his therapist from his speed dial :-)

I have to say that these photographs are from the brilliant dress rehearsal (I was unable to attend the public performances) and I laughed my socks off.  Brilliant comedy all round. Congratulations Ron and well done to everyone who took part.

 I know what it's like to direct and having to pull everything together especially after directing Ding Dong last November. But all good fun, eh!

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth (A Play)

Masham Players - Happy Families Autumn 2009

The cast line up for their third encore!

Masham Players Autumn Production of Happy Families by John Godber went down a storm last Thursday night. They played to a full house and had several well deserved curtain calls.

Happy Families follows the life of John, the son of Dot and Vic, from childhood to adulthood. John was brilliantly played by Richard Bailey, and the audience immediately warmed to him.

Other cast members were:
Jenny Bellamy
Jonathan Trenholme
Jill Davis
Brian Howard Gregg
Jacqui Hedley
Susan Smith
Kathryn Carter
Saffron-Skye Headley

Congratulations to the director Julie Prescott who, in my opinion, cast this play perfectly. And to the cast for their hilarious, and poignant performance. I am a big fan of 'The Royle Family' and this play was definitely on a par with them.

I shall never drink Earl Grey again without laughing, and you might guess that in our house it has now become Early Grey!
And, I can remember drinking Rington's Tea during my childhood.

Another great production, however, I was disappointed again that our National Anthem wasn't played prior to the performance. It used to be - why the change?

Masham Players present Darling Mr. London

I am not a particular fan of farces but when Masham Players played to an almost full house on Thursday 20th November 2008 with their autumn production Darling Mr. London - a farce by Anthony Marriott and Bob Grant - directed by Brian Howard Gregg, this one really gripped me.

The stage set was perfect. It had so many doors I was left wondering how on earth the cast managed to remember which way to turn!
This was a fast-paced play well acted that had the audience laughing long and loud.

It was set in the home of Edward Hawkins and was full of over-the-top characters, absurd situations and mistaken identities.



The situations in this case arrive at the home of Edward Hawkins in the form of Miss Europhone contestants looking for their darling Mr. London. Edward valiantly tries to hide them and the truth from his wife Rose. Throw in a curate who thinks the pompous brother-in-law is a secret drinker, who thinks the curate is a secret drinker. Lock mother-in-law in the loo. And there you are. A wonderfully funny situation.


I must congratulate the cast on their expertise in French, Italian and German.

The cast included some familiar faces: Kathy Boyer, Richard Bailey, Jonathan Trenholme, Kathryn Carter, Jackie Jones, Jill Davies, Ron Smith and two new players Sue Smith (wife of Ron) and Helen Kennedy.

It was a very enjoyable night and the evening was perfectly rounded off with a supper included in the ticket price.

Siegfried and Roy Tribute at the London Palladium 28th September 2008

Thanks to my lovely and talented friend Diana S. Zimmerman, Gloria and I were invited to the Siegfried & Roy Tribute Night at the London Palladium to launch MagiCares The Magic Charity.
Diana, the first MagiCare Trustee, is the author of Kandide www.kandide.com and the Secret of the Mists, and a highly respected magician.
The atmosphere in The Palladium was electric. During the show the legends, Siegfried & Roy, were formally introduced by Lynette Chappell, the original 'Evil Queen' and naturally received a standing ovation. www.siegfriedandroy.com
Siegfried and Roy are Honorary Trustees of MagiCares. www.magicares.com

It is impossible to pay tribute to our entertainers who were, without exception, absolutely fabulous. Our host and MC for the evening was the incomparable Jeff Hobson. We - and by we I mean the entire audience which included Dame Shirley Bassey, the Arsenal Football team, and Ali Bongo - were spell-bound as world-class entertainers from around the world took to the stage.

Our sensational performers were:
Kalin & Jinger - stars of the Magic Underground in Reno,
The Great Tomsoni & Co from Poland,
Luis De Matos, Portugal's TV Magic Star,
Vik & Fabrini direct from the 'Crazy Horse' in Paris,
Wally Eastwood 'The man with the fastest hands on earth'
The unique artistry of Norm Nielsen,
Ben Stone who wrote and sang 'When Magic Cares, Miracles Happen'
The Post Modern Magic of Jason Byrne,
Raymond Crowe Star of the Royal Variety Show,
From Australia - The Sensational Soul Mystique.

AND the brilliant musicians of The MagiCares Big Band and their Musical Director Ian MacGregor.

Video extracts, and messages from Sir Anthony Hopkins, Cher and Steve Wynn were shown on a huge screen between performances.

Congratulations to Paul Stone, Executive Producer for bringing this fabulous event to the stage, and to Director, Anthony Van Laast MBE.
Free programmes were placed on every seat. Each contained an envelope for donations. We thought this was a brilliant idea.
The charity DebRA was the main beneficiary of the event, but supporters, carers and patients from several charities were there. www.debra.org.uk
DebRA supports children with EB (epidermolysis bullosa) a dreadful genetic condition that means skin isn't properly attached.

Siegfried & Roy have, for more than 20 years, been committed to the conservation and care of the Royal White Tigers and White Lions bringing them back from the edge of extinction, ultimately saving the species. They have generously given their time and resources to help animals and children.

During an interesting conversation with Siegfried he told me about the orphanage in Romania he and Roy had set up. And he was interested to hear about the fund raising events Gloria and I do for BOS (the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation). These guys certainly have big hearts, and a true love for animals.

The VIP party after the show was fabulous. You could say full of magic - it was certainly full of magicians. We had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Ali Bongo, who is the President of the Magic Circle.

Ruth, my friend's daughter (whose wedding I blogged about recently, and who lives in London) called in to the hotel to see us on Tuesday morning for a coffee and a catch-up. Before we returned home to a wet and windy Yorkshire we enjoyed spending time with Ingrid, a long-time friend of Siegfried & Roy.

We made some new friends.
Cynthia - it was a pleasure to meet and spend time with you. Hope we're all able to meet up again soon. Maybe in New York.
Ingrid - can't wait to see some of your photos.
And Arlene, may the 'vibrations' be with you.
Paul - thanks for the invite to Vegas!

My biggest 'thank you' goes to my good friend Diana for including us in this memorable occasion :-)

Photographs.
Gloria, Diana and Ellen
Siegfried and Ellen
Ellen and Raymond Crowe

The Last Night of the Proms

Last night Sat Nav and I went to Darlington Civic Theatre www.darlingtonarts.co.uk to see The British Philharmonic Orchestra perform The Last Night of the Proms. Conducted by Alistair Lilley (now... I have something very important - and impressive - to share with you.... I am proud to tell you that my great-uncle used to conduct this very Orchestra - see, I knew you'd be impressed!) and lead by Alison White.
They were absolutely brilliant. Jeni Bern and Andrew Forbes Lane were the Soloists, and Mark Langley the Presenter. So with this line up you can guess that we were in for a special treat.

The theatre was full to the brim, but alas unlike some, we had forgotten to take our flags with us!
This meant that we couldn't join in :-(
But the clever theatre staff were prepared and during the interval Sat Nav discovered that suitable flags were on sale at the sweetie kiosk. Naturally she rushed off to buy a couple so we could join in and wave to our hearts content. Which we did, and Sat Nav usually very conservative waved her flag with the best of them!

Now, let me tell you about the fabulous music....well, where to start?.... we enjoyed selections from The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, and Grease - with the soloists dressed in 70's gear for Grease.
Sat Nav was in raptures with the medley from My Fair Lady - her absolute favourite film.

We were soothed with gentle tones, totally relaxed, but then they played the Dr Who theme with terrific verve and what came next was a bit of a shock.
We were sitting at the end of the front row of the dress circle next to the right hand box, (yes, you do need to know this) when I was deafened by a scary familiar voice booming out from said box...it was a dalek... and it was shouting as plain as day 'exterminate!!!....exterminate!!!'
I couldn't believe it, - what a ploy and what a shock. The entire audience re-acted....It was brilliant.
Recovered, I told myself - don't be silly there can't possibly be daleks in here - can there? lol!!!

We enjoyed the company of two lovely ladies throughout the concert, Mave and her friend Marjorie from Northallerton. Mave is something of a celebrity - although retired she taught theatrical makeup and her students have gone on to great things. Thanks Mave for giving me your programme :-)

And thanks to the British Philharmonic for giving us such a treat...I know that I've said this before, but I'm going to say this again, IF YOU GET THE CHANCE - GO AND SEE THEM!
Whoops! Nearly forgot...Sat Nav and I are now officailly Promenarders ;-)

'Oh What a Night' - Darlington Civic Theatre

Last night Sat Nav and I went to see Kid Creole (without his coconuts) at Darlington Civic Theatre in a show called 'Oh What A Night!'

We were to meet up with my sister and her friend. We were traveling to the theatre from different directions.... Sat Nav and I heading North while my sister and her friend headed South. We were to meet in the middle, at Darlington.
Sis and friend had decided to have a meal before the show, so when we arrived I phoned her. They were in the Indian restaurant beside the theatre and were told that if they presented their show tickets then they would receive a 10% discount!

I could see the Indian restaurant as we walked towards the ticket office. After collecting our tickets we came out of said Ticket Office and went into the restaurant. Or so we thought!

I looked around and couldn't see my sister anywhere.
A waitress said 'would you like to come this way' I said 'yes, but I'm looking for my sister'. By that time a waiter carrying pizza's walk past us - strange in an Indian restaurant - the penny should have dropped then really. By that time everyone had turned to look at us, probably wondering why we were looking so blank.

I said to the waitress 'is this the Indian restaurant' she said 'no this is the Italian....the Indian Restaurant is next door' lol!!!
How embarrassing is that?

In my defence even though they are next door to each other they do appear to merge into one.. lol!!! That's my excuse anyway...

So we eventually found my sister and her friend enjoying a curry next door in the Indian Restaurant, and they got their 10% off. And the very nice guy in the Indian restaurant brought Sat Nav and I a couple of After Eight mints. How sweet is that ?

On with the show.....The curtain went up at 8pm and the audience were on their feet and dancing in the aisles from then on.

Kid Creole (without his coconuts) but with some great dancers, absolutely rocked. I just love 70s disco music. Now...I know that some may call me sad, but I don't care....you can't beat it.

Here's a taste of the tunes, Celebration, We Are Family, Young Hearts Run Free, Oh What A Night, YMCA and I Will Survive, that we - the audience - took over......bloody marvelous.

The show had a fab finale with terrific audience participation. I doubt if Darlington Civic has rocked so enthusiastically before.....not since The Rocky Horror Show, at least!

That's two nights we've had out on the trot and we are 'in the doghouse' with our lovely dog for leaving him twice!!! Just to make us feel extra guilty he has refused to eat all of his breakfast this morning :-(
He'll have to have lots of special attention today to get us back into his good books. In true doggy fashion he is extremely good at making us feel guilty.....

Masham Players - The Bolt Hole

As you know I love my amateur dramatics. And last night I was usherette and ice cream seller for my local am. dram. society, Masham Players, in North Yorkshire.

The second the curtain went up on the brilliant set the audience knew they were in for a treat. And we were off on a journey of laughs.

The new director, Susan Rouse, did a cracking job with her casting and they did her proud.

Marjorie Tate, Julie Prescott and Gill Davies played the parts of the three elderly sisters (Joanna and Tessa Hamshaw and May Jones) who inherit an isolated property in the middle of Dartmoor (The Bolt Hole).
The chemistry between these three actors was a joy to watch, and they captivated the audience from the word go.
The sisters are looking forward to peace and quiet after living in London, but things don't turn out as they imagined when guests drop in and become almost part of the family. Complications arise when their niece visits, bringing her fiance, who just happens to be a Detective Inspector. You might guess that the 'guests' are not as innocent as they should be. There were lots of laughs in this comedy which was acted well with great timing (very important) and gusto. They deserve a pat on the back.

The cast and crew work long and hard to bring these productions to fruition. It takes hours to build the set, hours of rehearsals, hours on admin and advertising, and it's all voluntary. The Thursday night audience was treated to a supper courtesy of the Players and all of this puts demands on busy lifestyles.

The new cast members did a great job - I know from personal experience just how hard it is to learn lines and then deliver them convincingly. Well done!

However, I have to say that the entire cast were brilliant. In my opinion they were a credit to Susan's casting and direction. She is no stranger to treading the boards herself being an accomplished actress. She should be proud of her 'Director' debut.
I think she may have found it a bit weird though having to direct her mother (Marjorie Tate) who played the somewhat dizzy sister May :-)

I really enjoyed this play - it made me laugh. I think it was great choice.

The Electrical Wizard of the North

So we live in the country - out in the sticks actually - but on Tuesday night The North Country Theatre Company brought their traveling production of 'The Electrical Wizard of the North' devised and superbly directed by Nobby Dimon to our village hall.

We are heavily involved in this happening ;-) We are the box office and afternoon catering team for the company and we also look after them throughout the performance. We know from personal experience just how welcome that cup of tea or cold drink is at the interval. I think Sat Nav's warm mince pies will go down in history they even got a mention in the 'thank yous' at the end of the performance ;-)

We have seen three productions by North Country Theatre now, and had two of them actually performed in our village hall. We like having them here and they like coming. They are a great bunch of actors, terrifically talented and this times production had some brilliant tricks that had us all wondering 'how on earth did they do that?' Of course they weren't telling. But how did Mystic Marie levitate? We all want to know!

The Electrical Wizard of the North was billed as an hilarious ripping yarn from the heyday of the Edwardian Music Hall. It included Hypnotism - Telepathy - Electricity - Mental Suggestion - Magnetic Touch - Clairvoyance. Wow! It was brilliant. I even took part . . . whey! Simon Kirk, who played Dr. Walford Bodie, involved me in one of the telepathy tricks and how he did it I do not know!

They are still touring with this production until December 15th and if you go to their website North Country Theatre you will find out if they are performing near you.
In 2008 they will be presenting an adaptation of 'The Prisoner of Zenda'. I can't wait to see what Nobby will do with this!

Terms of Endearment

Went to see the matinée performance of 'Terms of Endearment' today at Darlington Civic Theatre. We had what we would consider to be the best seats - front row dress circle. I was surprised that it wasn't a full house, although I think the stalls were pretty full - I don't like to look over the edge due to my dislike of heights - but there were empty seats behind us. I asked one lady if she had any idea why it was so quite when there was such a brilliant star cast about to perform. She answered me in all seriousness saying, 'Why pet . . . they'll all be at the bingo . . . it's the Snowball (big money!) this afternoon.' There was no answer to that.

Then the announcement came just before curtain up requesting all members of the audience to switch off their mobile phones. We almost burst out laughing as nearly every elderly female reached into her hand bag, got out her mobile phone and switched it off ;-)
(We switched ours off before we went in, aren't we the little goody two shoes lol)

It was an amazing play with superb performances by Linda Gray as Aurora Greenway, Suranne Jones as her daughter Emma and John Bowe as Garret the astronaut and cad of a neighbour. They portrayed a perfect blend of humour that had us laughing out loud, and heartbreaking tragedy. Suranne's final scene had us weeping into our hankies en masse.

I have to mention how convincingly well John Bowe burst onto the stage portraying a drunk - he was hilarious and his infectious laugh instantly had the audience giggling along with him.

What can I say about Linda Gray? She's a very beautiful woman, and a fine actress. Understatement . . . It was a pleasure and a privilege to watch her performance today and I am so pleased that she has come to the UK. I know I speak for all of her fans here. And I am lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Linda again today.

I'm not going to tell you anymore about the play . . . except to say . . . GO AND SEE IT!