“I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower…Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life." This sums up the very essence of Calendar Girls the Musical.

It deals with the everyday trials and tribulations of family life and getting older, from the politics of social groups and parenting teenagers to the unthinkable - the tragic, harsh reality of death and grief. But it is also a celebration of friendship and humour, and it always brings the focus back to the bright side of life. Much like the camera focused on the courageous WI ladies of Yorkshire when they posed naked for a charity calendar! Their goal was to raise money to buy a settee for their local hospital’s relatives' room in memory of one of their husbands – but they ended up with enough money to pay for a whole new wing. Which just goes to show what you can achieve when you look for the light.

Calendar Girls, based on the famous true story, started life as a movie before being adapted for the stage. Its third incarnation as a musical has been hailed the best adaptation yet – and you’d expect nothing less from the dream team of scriptwriter Tim Firth and songwriter Gary Barlow. The close collaboration of the supertalented childhood friends has resulted in a moving production, filled with beautifully timed music matched with highly observant lyrics that are both relatable and inspirational, raising this uplifting tale even higher.

Then there’s the Calendar Girls themselves. Their vocals are powerful in their delivery and in the sentiment behind the words, with stunning solos and lovely harmonies. They're playing "ordinary" women but they demonstrate there's nothing average about either them or the ladies who's story they tell. The show features some of our very best actresses, and whilst the cast members change during tours, based on the reviews, my own experience – and the standing ovation in Blackpool - every single one is a superb choice.

At the Opera House the audience said an especially delighted Hi-de-Hi! to Ruth Madoc in the role of retired teacher Jessie, underlining her well-earned status as a sitcom legend. Having been most familiar with Lisa Maxwell as tough cop Samantha Nixon in The Bill, her comic prowess as Celia, the buxom ex-air hostess with extra baggage allowance, i.e. she’s “had work done”, was particularly impressive. Sue Devaney added lots of oomph as single mum Cora, leaving just as lasting an impression as her recent short but sweet stint in Corrie. These three actresses were the icing on a cake made with the perfect ingredients, since each of the ladies excelled in bringing their individual character traits to life. In just two hours you felt like you knew them. The men and teenage children were equally well cast, stirring level-headed advice, rites of passage and a pinch of role reversal into the mix.

The Yorkshire country set with its bright skies and fluffy clouds is deftly transformed into a WI hall, then a hospital. Colourful props wheeled on and off include a maypole, a wheelbarrow packed with flowers and a trolley full of delicious-looking cakes. The opening scene showing the cast going about their daily business in ordinary clothes is comforting, yet brings the truth of the story close to home. It could be the village down the road, and you could be longing for the diversion of a routine trip to Tesco after a hospital visit, like Annie and her terminally ill husband (played with touching warmth and realism by Sarah Jane Buckley and Phil Corbitt). It’s these scenes and the accompanying songs that make you realise how special those everyday moments are, most poignantly when they’re gone.

Which takes us back to the plot, and the suggestion by Annie’s plucky friend Chris (portrayed with comic aplomb by Rebecca Storm) that they all strip off for a calendar. As expected, her proposal is initially met with disbelief, but once the seed of this seemingly outrageous idea has been planted it begins to take root, and Annie remembers something her late husband, the much-loved John "Clarkey” Clarke, said. That “the flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire. Every stage of their growth has its own beauty, but the last phase is always the most glorious.”

And glorious is the perfect word to describe this show and its hilarious final scene, where each lady dares to bare all, month by month, for a series of unlikely WI activity-inspired photographs. Glorious with a strategically-placed cherry on top.

If you’re able to catch it in Blackpool this weekend there are two more performances at the Opera House on Saturday 19th October, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Book tickets at https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/calendar-girls-the-musical

Further tour dates here: https://www.calendargirlsthemusical.com/tour/

Is life brighter six inches off the ground? You can bet your RRREEEDDD boots it is, and Blackpool has been on a high ever since the Kinky Boots tour hit the resort this week. The award-winning show creates a huge buzz of happiness wherever it goes, resulting in reviews packed full of superlatives such as glorious, dazzling, hilarious...and Digital Spy nailing the point as neatly as a newly-made stiletto heel by calling it "a hell of a lot of fun”.

The tour hashtag #raisingyouup captures its spirit well. Kinky Boots, based on real-life events, struts its way out of brogues and into thigh-high red boots, from the grit of a Northampton shoe factory to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price (Joel Harper-Jackson) rescues the family business with the help of a London drag queen, the sensational performer Lola (Kayi Ushe). They find acceptance, of themselves and each other, and this sentimentality catches on - even with he-man Don (brilliantly played by Demitri Lampra), the grumpy but eventually gentle giant who rounds up support to save the day.

Who would have thought an ordinary bloke called Charlie and his down-trodden group of factory workers would team up with Lola and her sparkling entourage of dancing Angels to make a high-fashion range of stiletto boots, in men's sizes. This is the most entertaining example of how teamwork really does make the dream work, and the excellent casting of Kinky Boots is a key factor in bringing the tale to life, with such likeable characters that you’re rooting for them all the way. Every single one stands out as an individual, coming together to form a fantastic ensemble operating an ingenious set. There’s so much going on but it’s executed so sleekly you can only marvel at the cast's expertise and Jerry Mitchell’s sophisticated direction and choreography. Watch out for the conveyor belt scene, one of the best routines I’ve ever seen.

Cyndi Lauper’s music & lyrics were as much of an “adventure and a privilege” to experience as the pop icon has described it was to write them. She has composed a heartwarming blend of 80s rock, pop, soul and power ballads, infused with fun and underlined by that decade’s signature feelgood factor.

Costumes are of course spectacular, and I am still stunned by the Angels’ ability to perform high-energy dance routines so perfectly in high heels.The show is must-see for their scenes alone.

There have been well-earned rave reviews for Kayi Ushe as Lola. Every aspect of his performance is both exceptional and believable, from his incredible vocals throughout (I couldn’t pick a favourite song) to his portrayals of the vulnerable Simon from Clacton and his equally lovable but larger-than-life alter ego Lola. Joel Harper-Jackson pulls off a different kind of challenge, making the ordinary character of Charlie extraordinary, especially when he reveals just how powerful his voice is in Soul of a Man. It’s great to see Paula Lane in a totally different role after playing Kylie Platt’s harrowing final scenes in Coronation Street. She shows a true talent for comedy and musical theatre, highlighted by a belting rendition of The History of Wrong Guys.

There is so much more to say about this fabulous production and its cast and crew but suffice to say it is not to be missed. I can’t imagine anyone leaving without a smile on their face and a firm belief in the Kinky Boots mantra: #youchangetheworldwhenyouchangeyourmind

On until Sat 12 Oct 2019. Book tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/venueartist/254002/5268628

Read more about the real-life events that inspired the story here: https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/stories/the-real-roots-of-kinky-boots

Further tour dates here: http://www.kinkybootsthemusical.co.uk/uk-tour/tour-dates-venues.php


Kinky Boots UK is produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig and Playful Productions, in association with Cameron Mackintosh.

The Winter Gardens is Ready to Razzle Dazzle

In the 1920s Chicago became infamous for a string of homicides committed by women - crimes of passion set against the backdrop of changing times and views of women in the Jazz age.

Journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins covered some of these crimes for the Chicago Tribune, and wrote a play based on real life events she reported on. Chicago was adapted as a musical in 1977, becoming a Broadway and West End smash hit and an Academy award-winner for the 2002 movie version. Velma Kelly, Billy Flynn and Roxie Hart have become instantly recognisable as the lead roles in Chicago, written by John Kander & Fred Ebb (The Prolific Broadway writers who wrote ‘Cabaret’) and the legendary Bob Fosse. Now Chicago is coming to the Winter Gardens Blackpool with the ENSEMBLE Theatre Company in April 2020.

Ever since Andy Vitolo, Ensemble Theatre's Artistic Director, can remember, he had a dream to have a theatre company based at the world famous Winter Gardens...and now that dream is a reality.

Andy has directed and performed in many musicals in the States and all over the UK. As part of a successful song-writing partnership he's had hits in Europe and been televised numerous times for Eurovision. His songs have received plaudits from industry greats including Dolly Parton’s management.

Within a year, ENSEMBLE Theatre has smashed box office records and been critically acclaimed (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Absolutely Brilliant “, “Sounded Spectacular”) with its hit productions of Broadway musicals including Oliver!, The Sound of Music and The Addams Family.


CHICAGO
Saturday 4 April 2020 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Opera House Blackpool
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/chicago

0844 856 1111

I'd heard about all about the Woman in Black. The Evening Standard warned it was “guaranteed to chill the blood.” The Daily Telegraph declared it “the most brilliantly effective spine-chiller you will ever encounter". Perhaps more impressively, a teenage rugby player my son knows recommended it as terrifying and full of jump scares.

I was therefore intrigued to find out what makes Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel such a scary success. Capturing the imagination of young theatregoers without special effects and gore is no mean feat.

I was also keen to see the ‘leading lady’ herself. Would she be an invisible presence that’s merely alluded to, or actually appear?

The play is set in an empty Victorian theatre, so the Blackpool Grand gives the production’s chill factor a head start. The Grade II listed building is 125 years old and there have been reports of resident spirits, including a Victorian man called Charlie who’s said to haunt the Upper Circle after throwing himself off it, heartbroken over his unrequited love for a ballerina.

Woman in Black is a production where suspension of disbelief is vital. If you’re prepared to let yourself become immersed in the tale, under Robin Herford’s clever direction and with captivating performances from a cast of just two, you will undoubtedly be drawn in and on to the edge of your seat.

For the stage version, the novel’s plot is retold as a play within a play. The elderly Arthur Kipps (Robert Goodale) believes he and his family were cursed by the spirit of The Woman in Black when he was a junior lawyer. He hopes to escape her deadly clutches by telling his story and asks a young actor (Daniel Easton) to help him. However the actor is extremely critical of Kipps’ performance as himself, and so takes over the role of young Kipps, with the real Kipps playing the other parts whilst also narrating.

The story begins slowly, with comedic stops and starts as Kipps begins to (badly) read his manuscript, his lack of projection making us sit further forward. After the young actor steps in, things trundle along more quickly as he jumps on a train to the North East Coast to attend the funeral of Alice Drablow, a reclusive widow. From the remote town of Crythin Gifford, Kipps must travel on to the desolate Eel Marsh House, whose location is only reachable when the tide is out, and then only by horse and carriage along a causeway through the marshes.

The set is bleak but as smoothly adaptable as Goodale is to the various characters he blends in and out of. A giant wicker box serves as a train seat, a table and a bed. We can just about see furniture draped in sheets through a gauze curtain at the back. The sound effects heighten tension – and at points scare us out of our wits – using all the hallmarks of a hair-raising ghost story…the eery tinkling of a musical box, the creaking of a rocking chair, a voice echoing out of nowhere… 

And of course a locked door that holds the key to the past. 

If you don’t know the story’s ending you’re in for a shock as well as few jolts out of your seat. Do we actually see the Woman in Black herself? Find out for yourself, if you dare… 

Now entering its 30th year on the West End, The Woman in Black has opened its 2019 UK Tour in Blackpool where it stays until Saturday: www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/event/the-woman-in-black

Further tour dates and locations are here: www.thewomaninblack.com/ticket-info/uk-tour 

Until Saturday 1st June

A crash of drums, a flash of light…and Union J band member Jaymi Hensley has become a musical theatre star. In his first ever major stage role he’s receiving well-deserved rave reviews for his sensational performance alongside the fabulous cast of Joseph.

With polished acting and superb vocals – Close Every Door is breath-taking – Jaymi is surely destined for the West End. In interviews before the show he talked about meeting Jimmy Osmond and Joe McElderry who've played Joseph before him, saying: “I’ve never felt I’m more in the right place at the right time than I do right now.” 

https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/stories/go-go-go-jaymi

From the audience reaction it would appear that thousands of fans agree, giving Jaymi and the cast a standing ovation at the opening night in Blackpool. 

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cult show never gets old, and Bill Kenwright’s production provides the anticipated kaleidoscope of bright colours shining, with a spectacular set and costumes, high energy choreography and an excellent Elvis/Pharaoh (Andrew Geator) who, like Jaymi, is wonderful and new.

The vast Opera House stage offers the space to create magnificent Canaan and Egyptian backdrops, complete with sheep – including an especially “sheepish” one that kept falling asleep on the job, much to the delight of the audience.

As the narrator, Tina Hill’s powerful singing carries us through the ups and down of this biblical tale, subtly highlighting the drama and punctuating the proceedings with favourite comedy moments: “don't give up Joseph, fight till you drop we've read the book and you come out on top.”

The brothers are full of character and energy, creating the perfect motley crew; and the children’s choir is lovely, with all singers sitting very still throughout.

One of my favourite scenes is between Jaymi and his stage father Henry Metcalfe who create a beautifully touching scene when Joseph and Jacob are reunited, before Joseph takes final command of the stage in all his technicolour glory.

I would highly recommend catching this feelgood roller-coaster show before it hurtles on to Leeds.

Tickets for Blackpool at:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk/venueartist/254002/1953746

Next dates: 4 – 15 Jun LEEDS Grand Theatre 18 – 22 Jun DERBY Theatre 25 – 29 Jun IPSWICH Regent 2 – 13 July BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome 16 – 20 July OXFORD New 

Photograph: Pamela-Raith-Photography

The shocking conclusion of Blood Brothers reminds me of another legendary production, Titanic. You know right from the start it will end in disaster, but you still will it not to happen - and even if you see it multiple times, the end feels equally unexpected and shocking.

This week Bill Kenwright’s UK tour is at the Winter Gardens Blackpool, and the staging of this final scene is even more tense than I remembered, with the audience on the edge of their seats.

Following in the footsteps of greats including Kiki Dee, Lyn Paul, Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Stephanie Lawrence and Nolan sisters Linda, Maureen, Denise and the late Bernie, Linzi Hateley steps expertly into the coveted shoes of Mrs Johnstone. She conveys the likeable, plucky, kind character with such skill and heartfelt singing you don’t condemn the desperate mother for giving one of her twins away. You just wish hard that she won't, and feel her pain at the consequences when she is terrified into letting him go.

Speaking about this iconic role Hateley said: “There are more these days than there used to be but there still are very few iconic female parts in musical theatre, where you think ‘I’d love to have a go at that at some point’. It’s got everything. It’s comedic, it’s incredibly tragic, she’s strong but she’s vulnerable - it has it all in one big package and it’s written so brilliantly by Willy Russell."

No wonder the award-winning Blood Brothers is known as the “standing ovation musical”. Since the show first opened at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983, its power and popularity have never waned. Partly because its debates on rich versus poor and nature versus nurture will always be relevant, but mostly because Willy Russell’s script and songs weave comedy, sadness and anger together so seamlessly you’re swept on a rollercoaster of emotions from the second the curtain rises on the dead bodies of Mrs Johnstone’s twins.

Amidst timeless numbers including Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe, Shoes Upon The Table and the heart-rending Tell Me It’s Not True - and a set that adeptly divides the social classes beneath the Liverpool skyline - Mickey (the one she keeps), Eddie (the one taken by her baron boss Mrs Lyons) and Linda (their childhood friend) form a love triangle. Equally convincing as mischievous kids, lovelorn teens and doomed adults by Alexander Patmore, Joel Benedict and Danielle Corlass, the trio depict the coming of age theme beautifully, from the fun days when their bond felt unbreakable, to the reality and inequality of adult life when their beliefs are shattered.

For this is when the themes of nature versus nurture and superstition come into play. Even though the twins are constantly drawn to each other, their very different backgrounds separate them; with their discovery of who they are, and what they might have been, resulting in a foretold tragedy.

Paula Tappenden is perfectly cast as Mrs Lyons, the polar opposite of Mrs Johnstone, and Robbie Scotcher is excellent as the imposing narrator whose watchful presence and menacing vocals warn us of the impending doom.

Blood Brothers is entertaining, emotional, educational - and this is an unforgettable and first class production. Catch it while you can at Blackpool Opera House.

www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/blood-brothers

I first experienced imitating the dog’s powerful and mesmerising story-telling skills when they staged A Farewell to Arms at the Dukes in 2014. In my review I described this as “a brilliant fusion of digital and theatrical techniques which does justice to Hemingway’s novel and pulls you urgently into its pages.” 

To discover the show was described as “Tosh, total tosh” in the Dukes’ visitor book made me wonder if the writer of this comment just didn’t get it. Didn’t look hard enough. Because to me that’s what imitating the dog’s productions do. They make you look hard, at history, at society and at ourselves.

A Farewell to Arms was like being physically immersed in the novel, with video projection and geographical mapping breathing life into the set. This production featured real WW1 footage, text from the novel and close-ups of the actors, combined with loud and violent sound effects. It was exciting, beautiful and brutal.

Heart of Darkness is like a cinematic Russian doll, where stories within stories are revealed, captured and projected on to the stage and the screens above. Chaotic switches between layers of the old and the new battle between clips based on Apocalypse Now (the legendary Vietnam War film also based on Conrad’s novel) and cold, hard facts.

The experience is just as immersive, but even more jolting, for it exposes the greed and horror of imperialism and the atrocities inflicted on the people of 19th century Congo during King Leopold’s colonization.

Conrad’s original story is told through the narration of white British sailor Marlow, whose pursuit of ivory trader Kurtz results in a shameful recognition that darkness exists everywhere and in us all. Even in “Great” Britain.
  
Just like the book, the show exposes a system that enslaved the Congolese, subjecting them to tortures that included severing hands, even those of children. And why did the system continue? Because it worked. Yet despite the stark revelation of this shameful truth, Conrad’s condemnation still does not include a single black character that speaks.

How can a story, reviled as being racist, despite the author’s evident repulsion at what he himself had seen in the Congo, be told today? Discussions surrounding imitating the dog’s reimagining of Heart of Darkness are cleverly injected through scenes depicting verbatim accounts of the show’s development; highlighting the actors’ surprise and objections when the directors, Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks, first announced this would be their next adaptation.

Morven Macbeth, a member of the company and cast, provided further insight when we chatted after the performance. “Attacks on Conrad’s novel include the opinion that a book which dehumanises a part of the human race cannot be considered a work of art, and that’s a valid argument, but does that mean it should be burnt and never read again?

“We wouldn’t dream of staging that story today where there is no black voice, only white male voices. But it’s a story that needs to be told, and not one we learn about in school. We looked at how we could retell the story, and the protagonist became a black female from Kinshasa, in 21st century, war-torn Europe. We made choices about what to tell and how to tell it.”

What was the thinking behind the content on multiple screens and cameras? “We based it on how young people take in information – multi-tasking between screens. We’re not expecting the audience to do all of that, we are reflecting the idea, where you might be watching something then look it up on Wikipedia. Yet our audience is broad, from teenagers to people in their 60s and 70s, and visually the cinematic approach works and is engaging for all.

When it comes to themes, we agree these are timeless. Morven confirms: “This is a story of capitalism and how its greed infects society. It talks about trading and it has notions of Brexit and all the rhetoric, and it questions the British perspective but it’s not a Brexit show.

“Our approach is didactic, not passive, but we are not telling the audience what to think, we are inviting them to think, and to leave with a mindset to enquire about what we haven’t been told and what we should be told.” 

This show has definitely had the desired effect on me and will remain as unforgettable as Morven’s most impactful words: “History is often written by the victor; theatre and the cinema are places for the real stories to be told and learned from. The heart of darkness is part of all of us whether we like it or not.”

Heart of Darkness continues its UK tour, this week at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake until Saturday 30th March. Tour dates are available here.

Meanwhile from May 1st-4th the Dukes will host a brand new play Lancastrians which is touring the country this spring. Featuring real words from people interviewed by Chorley-based Junction 8 Theatre, this production reveals stories and thoughts about everyday life in Lancashire.

Yes you heard that right.Get tickets to see Santa’s New Sleigh and you could become a certified Master Sleigh Builder Oh and you also get to meet the big man himself. I caught up with the producer Sam Bradshaw to find out about this magical offer.

Right up until Christmas Eve, two troubled elves, Sprocket and Dibs, are calling on families to help them solve the very serious problem of Santa’s missing sleigh.

In the end there’s nothing else for it but to build a new one, and that’s where you, the audience, can help out, with lots of singing and laughter along the way.

This festive treat comes from Sam Bradshaw Productions, who are on tour again after sell-out seasons in Lichfield, Peterborough and the West End’s Arts Theatre.

Santa’s New Sleigh was first created for The Curve in Leicester. Sam was playing Stinky Pete the Pirate in a production of Peter Pan in Shrewsbury when he was asked by the Dame, Brad Fitt he’d like to produce the children’s show with him. What first began as a 40-minute story featuring Jingle Bells has developed into an hour-long show with its own original songs.

With Sam directing, and the cast working collaboratively with writer Brad, the show has evolved naturally, resulting in what Sam describes as “a fast and funny, silly bit of business.”

He said; “It’s a family-friendly, full-on interactive story with a narrative that bridges the gap for little ones that aren’t quite old enough for the panto, and there’s some subtle adult humour in there too so it’s a lovely feel-good Christmas show for everyone.”

There’s plenty of audience participation, with children invited on to the stage to open the advent calendar doors and Dads plucked out to be reindeer pulling the sleigh. At the end there’s a meet and greet with Santa and every child gets a present.

Sam has plenty of experience knowing how to create engaging productions for kids as he first became a children’s entertainer at just 13. He can walk on stilts, ride a unicycle and juggle knives.

“My Dad asked me to do some tricks for my cousin’s party and after that I kept on performing magic shows,” he explained. “I have a good eye for what kids like, so it’s funny and not patronising. It’s what my passion is, it’s amazing to see their faces when they help build the sleigh.”

Sam loves his role of half-creative, half-businessman. In between productions he performs on cruise ships and runs a children’s entertainment business in London. Most exciting of all, though, is the news that he’s working on a David Walliams title. No wonder he’s good at juggling.

Santa’s New Sleigh is performed at the Winter Gardens’ recently refurbished Pavilion Theatre, which has been reopened after 20 years through a partnership between Selladoor Worldwide and Blackpool Entertainment Company. It’s the oldest venue
in the Winter Gardens complex and was part of the original 1878 build.

“It’s an honour to be the first show staged since the 70s at such a prestigious venue as the
Pavilion Theatre,” said Sam, “And Blackpool is such a fun place with lots going on. There’s a good offering here this Christmas and it’s fantastic to be part of it.”

Santa’s New Sleigh is ideal for kids of all ages, including their parents.

Book tickets here  https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/venueartist/256254/5277083

Photographs courtesy of Sam Bradshaw Productions

Blackpool Opera House until 30th December

Never mind the rainbow, if you’re off to see the Wizar of Oz at Blackpool Opera House this Christmas you’ll soon be over the moon.

Rave reviews have been pouring in for Selladoor Worldwide’s festive musical offering and I’d like to add mine to the collection because this is a show you must not miss.

Adapted from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage version, this magical show combines a superb cast with spectacular set design.
The costumes are so authentic the fantasy characters are just as real as the country bumpkins they’re based on, and the make-up brings to life the familiar faces we all know and love from the original movie perfectly.

With one of the largest stages in Europe, Blackpool Opera House offers a pretty decent plot for the Texas farmland where Dorothy and Toto’s story begins, and for the imaginary world the tornado transports them to.

X Factor’s Holly Tandy is around the same age Judy Garland was when she played Dorothy, and despite the American legend being a hard act to follow, Holly steps confidently into her ruby slippers.

Thoroughly believable as the naïve but feisty young girl who discovers that her heart really does belong in deep, not-as-dull-as-she-thought Texas, she joins a crew of equally fantastic actors and keeps us enthralled throughout. Anyone who saw her on X Factor will already know how well she can sing, but this performance shows she has acting skills to match, and her accent is so good there isn’t even the slightest trace of Yorkshire.

Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher is a surprise as the Tin Man. He starts off true to type as a farmhand, but his transformation into the awkward character with a rusty gait and heart is clever and endearing. Scott Gallagher bounces in with his usual larger than life presence but mixed with the required timidity to create the Cowardly Lion.

But the best act for me came from Kieran McGinn as Scarecrow. His movements are gawky yet fluid, and, just as he described prior to the show, reminiscent of a deer learning to walk. He spins and falls as if he really is made of straw with no joints. He’s so likeable as the simple Scarecrow who’s searching for a brain I actually felt a bit distressed when bits of him got scattered across the stage.

The Wizard himself and the witches are all strong in their roles, the crows and trees are spookily good, the munchkins delightful as intended, and Toto proves a scene stealer right from the start, with someone behind me exclaiming “Ah it’s actually a real dog!”

Last but not least, this show has some impressive sound and light effects. Flashing arcs of white herald the arrival of the tornado, beams of light
create the yellow brick road, and there are plenty of noises designed to make you jump out of your seat.

This is one show that’s worth travelling to see even if you're not a local - but if you do live in Blackpool get your tickets booked here and find out why there’s no place like home.

Photographs courtesy
of Mark Dawson

The Grand Theatre Blackpool, until 6th January 2019

The Blackpool Grand plus panto equals a double dose of glitz
and entertainment and this year’s show does not disappoint. Featuring a superb
cast of local celebrities, stage and soap stars, Beauty & The Beast is
clearly an absolute delight for all ages judging by the audience reaction.

All generations of "shark" willingly stand up to
play their part in the Baby Shark Dance at the request of Louis La Plonk, aka
radio presenter and comedian Steve Royle. Audience participation is always the
best bit and he orchestrates this brilliantly, whether it’s poking fun at the
adults with a French accent, or teasing the kids with a Chorley one.

UK Productions’ larger than life characters create an expert
blend of fun and drama. Nick Wilton is endearing as the Dame, Polly La Plonk;
radio presenter Hayley Kay shines as Fairy Bon Bon singing The Great Showman’s
This is Me; EastEnders star Danny Walters shows his sensitive side and
fantastic vocals as The Beast; and Amelia Adams-Pearce proves her musical
theatre prowess with a plucky manner and powerful voice as Belle. Taking full
advantage of the strong female role, she fobs off the foppish French Hugo
Pompidou (portrayed with ding-dong aplomb by Ben Harlow), takes care of her father
Clement (played by the highly likeable Marcus Knibbs), and swoons but keeps her
cool as The Beast woos her.

The set and costumes are just gorgeous, from the sparkling
purple drapes in the dramatic Beast scenes, to Belle’s famously exquisite
yellow ballgown. The talented dancers from the Barbara Jackson Theatre Arts
Centre do choreographer Katie Hill’s routines real justice, with ballerinas fluttering
daintily beneath towering forest backdrops.

This definitely rates as one of the best pantomimes I’ve
seen in a while. It strikes a lovely balance of hilarity that's not over the
top with tender moments that aren’t too deep. The Beast's transformation into
Belle's handsome Prince really does make you go "Ahhh" and the laughs
really do make your belly ache.

Beauty & The Beast brings five-star Christmas cheer to
Blackpool. Book your tickets here
www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/event/beauty-and-the-beast-pantomime.

And if you don’t know the Baby Shark dance already, make
sure you learn it before you go.

The magnificent Empress Ballroom was filled with a breathtaking explosion of classical music and spectacular 3D animations for the ambitious and gloriously successful Light Odyssey.

The historic room, with its newly restored ceilings, came alive with a kaleidoscope of visuals created by six world-leading animators as an interpretation of the stunning architecture and music of the BBC Philharmonic.

Wowing spectators with “an epic journey of light, space and sound” this magical production involved 90 musicians led by acclaimed Norwegian conductor Eivind Aadland, performing Copland, Britten and Saint-Saëns, and classical favourites such as Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

Blackpool was a fitting host for this incredible one-off event, the first of its kind in the UK. For it’s thought the resort was also home to the world’s first electric streetlights, with thousands travelling to see the moment “artificial sunshine” began to glow from arc lamps along the promenade in 1879.

Light Odyssey was the brainchild of Creative Director Alex Rinsler and Production Manager Phil Holmes. The ambitious duo were quite rightly excited about the significance of this remarkable event, as the performance was rewarded with a standing ovation.

A delighted Phil declared: “Light Odyssey was a world class, once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a unique creative collaboration of the BBC Philharmonic as their musicians performed classic favourites in the iconic and magnificent interior of the Empress Ballroom, surrounded by stunning light installations, extraordinary animations and 3D projections, imaginatively produced and specially created by the world’s best animators - right here in Blackpool - live on our own doorstep!”

The theme was “sea and a sense of place, experienced anew with light”. The journey began with scans taken of the Empress Ballroom to make a 3D model of the venue. This was used for six designers from the UK, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands - selected from around 50 international applicants - to create bespoke animations.

This phenomenal project also created a training opportunity for students of Video Design for Live Performance at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who worked with the show’s technical partners, QED Productions, pioneers of projection mapping technology.
Debussy’s Prélude de l’Après midi d’un faune was brought to life by Matt and Rob Vale of Illuminos, whose work has taken them from Les Troyens for Lyric Opera, Chicago, to the 2017 Capital of Culture closing ceremony in Cyprus.

“Working with the Empress Ballroom as a canvas has been a one of a kind experience”, said Rob. “The architecture and space is stunning. The chance to work with a live orchestra is very rare, and to respond to such a beautiful piece of music has been both a unique challenge and a privilege. It was also exciting to be working alongside other projection artists – we were as excited as everyone else to see all the hard work come to life in its full musical and visual scale on the night. We hope guests felt our crafted a piece brought beauty and wonder to Light Odyssey, as we spent time in the company of faeries.”

Alongside the Vales’ mythical creatures were themes of nature and sea mythology from award-winning multimedia designer Dan Shorten of Anomic Multimedia. Also a creative director at Guildhall School, his work includes large-scale projection artworks for a range of clients including the Tower of London, The British Museum, Glastonbury Festival and Blackpool Illuminations. Speaking ahead of the event, Dan predicted: “The audience can expect to be surprised, this will be a unique experience for them. The quality of all the elements is exceptionally high. It's been a great honour to be involved, inspiring and challenging in equal measure."

Phil said: “We hope this special event will go down in Blackpool’s entertainment history as one of the most ground-breaking and innovative melting pots of culture, art technology and live music experiences ever performed in the resort".

Light Odyssey is part of Blackpool’s award-winning Lightpool Festival, made possible with £85,000 of public funding through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants; other key partners include VisitBlackpool, LeftCoast and the BBC Philharmonic.

For more information visit: www.visitblackpool.com/things-to-do/festival/