News & Events – Theatre

(If interested in any of the following shows or need more information then please contact Theatre Group Contact via this link.)  For previous trips/reviews please scroll down.

May 2020 – & Juliet
We are aiming to get a group to see this musical – date to be confirmed depending on popularity – the show is a modern take on Juliet’s life as she re writes the famous story , after Romeo takes his life and Juliet moves on . Some great reviews on BBC Radio 4.  If interested or need more information please contact Trevor; also tell your friends in your other u3a groups and we can do our best to fill a coach and get the best prices – we can do it. Ticket expected to be £39, coach will depend on numbers we can get.

 

 

 

 

Revolving around the music of British band, Madness, Our House follows the story of London lad Joe Casey.

On the night of his sixteenth birthday, an over-excited Joe takes Sarah, the girl of his dreams, out for a romantic evening. On a whim, he breaks into a new building development near his house to show Sarah the view over North London. When the police come, Joe faces a tough decision: to run, or give himself up. It is at this point that the story splits in two as we follow the fortunes, and misfortunes, of Good Joe and Bad Joe.

Featuring:
“Our House”
“It Must Be Love”
“Baggy Trousers”
“Driving in My Car”
and LOADS more MADNESS Hits!

It is planned that we will see The matinee performance on Thursday 12th May, ticket price will depend on whether group booking rates can be obtained, but expected to be less than £20.  Contact Trevor if interested so he has a feel for the numbers needed.  Please note this is an amateur production but LODS are usually of a very high standard.

 

Past Shows:

 

19th January 2020 – The Red Shoes

A recent Sunday saw members of the theatre visiting group joining together for another visit to Sadlers Wells for a performance of The Red Shoes.  Once again we did this in style,  our comfortable mini coach collecting from various points and driving us to the door of the theatre.   No hassle with trains and tubes so a good start.

The area around the theatre offers many opportunities for food and drink and we took full advantage of this. Matthew Bourne is an icon to those who enjoy dance always guaranteeing something out of the ordinary in fact extraordinary.  To a packed theatre the curtain opened and we were immediately transported into another world.  Our excellent seats allowed full view of the complete stage so we could also appreciate the very clever set changes as well as all the dance.

Based loosely on the Hans Christian Anderson story and the later film starring Moira Shearer, this was a fast moving ballet with many changes in the tempo of music and styles of dance.  As we moved through settings from early London to the 1940’s French Riviera, we experienced beautiful classic ballet with wonderful pas de deux swiftly changing through a series of different beautifully executed dance routines culminating in a lively dance routine owing more to hip hop than what we might consider ballet. Truly wonderful dancing.  Costumes were colourful and the whole atmosphere was lively with a love story at the heart of it, then all change!

A setting depicting run down digs and a fourth rate music hall with acts as far removed from what our main characters, Victoria and Harrison had so far experienced, brought real pathos to this wonderful ballet.  True to form Matthew Bourne delivered the unexpected in the grand finale in such spectacular fashion that our breath was taken away and no I won’t tell you what happened instead join our Theatre group and experience it for yourself.

As always with this lovely friendly group our journey home was full of discussion about the performance and suggestions for our next one!  Why not join us!

Regards

Victoria

WHITE CHRISTMAS
On a dank grey November morning 24 gallant theatre lovers stood in the cold at their respective bus stops , out of the mist came their white bus, once on board the party begun, for we were off to see Dan Burton, Danny Mac & Brenda Edwards in White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre. A classic film now put on the stage by Curve Productions who brought us Sunset Boulevard on tour to the Cliffs Pavilion.  The inspiring music of Irvine Berlin with such memorable tunes like ”When your Dancing“, “Sisters” and the famous “Blue Skies” with an amazing tap routine for the whole cast – the choreography by Stephen Mears just fantastic and a very joyous, toe tapping number.  In Irvine’s own words “I’ve just wrote the best song I’ve ever written, no the best song anybody’s ever written”. Having never seen the film at Christmas time, I found the plot unusual with no snow in a ski resort in Vermont but a well executed production.
White Christmas is a story of soldiers returning from war to the rapidly changing society in 1950’s America, and how the Ant & Dec of their time on the Ed Sullivan show come together to revive the spirit & fortune of their ageing army General. It’s a story of women forgoing their own path in the post war booming America. Comradeship, collaboration & the unique power of live theatre.  First class.

 

TOAST – 6th September 2019

Photo credit – Piers Foley

A group of 21 theatre lovers went along to our local Palace Theatre to see “Toast“.

As we entered the auditorium we were greeted by the smell of burning toast, all very different, with more  surprises and delights to follow.
The play was about the young life experiences, tastes and memories of Nigel Slater, now a famous chief. Exploring his love for food ingredients, growing food in what must have been a difficult time for him growing up.  During the first act, while reminiscing about sweets, members of the cast came into the audience handing out sweets typical of the 1960s such as tropical fruits, sherbets and the like.
The play was well executed with some amazing fast moving plates and cakes that never fell to the floor.  It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall during the early rehearsals of this section.  A top cast.
In the interval we were all treated to  a walnut whip,  I would have preferred some Angel Delight but just not practical; you can’t please everyone!
The second act, though sad, moved along with the young Nigel exploring more recipes and new ingredients, ending when he arrived at the Savoy Hotel London, from where he has never looked back and all thanks to his dear mum.
TOAST – A fun night out.
Trevor

ROMEO & JULIET BALLET – 29th August 2019

A group of us left Leigh at 10:00am to see Matthew Bourne’s ballet version of Romeo & Juliet at Saddlers Wells London.  If you have ever seen anything by Matthew, you will know to expect the unexpected and in this regard we were not disappointed.  We were treated to his version of Shakespeare’s story all taking place within an asylum (but at least the asylum was in Verona).  It was beautifully performed by some wonderfully talented young dancers to the live Prokofiev music.  The story no longer involves warring families but brutal guards, oppressive rules and a system that is just bad.  The two lead dancers manage to perform several minutes of ballet with lips locked in a lengthy snog whilst twisting, turning and rolling around the stage – incredible skill and agility.  And again a Matthew Bourne twist in as much as it finishes exactly as it starts.