ReAct Academy of Theatre Arts - end of first year

My daughter's academy of theatre arts came to the end of its first year last week, with awards and an end of year show. It was a great success, as shown in this report in tonight's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Click the image twice to increase its size to read.

Will You Still Love Me In The Morning - Oswaldtwistle Players

The next production for the Ossy Players will be Will you still love me in the morning, which will run from October 12 - 15th at the Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle. The farce is by Brian Clemens and Dennis Spooner.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Last night was the final night for this production at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre. Everyone enjoyed it, and I was pleased that my wife, Linden was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers afterwards and a box of chocolates for all the work she put in to create the four fourteen foot banners used in the play's finale and 29 armbands for the cast.

It's been a great production and I have enjoyed virtually every minute of it, from the twice weekly rehearsals to the final week, when we performed the play every night for seven consecutive nights, including the final four before an audience. Tired now, but I would certainly do something like this again. Oswaldtwistle Players are a great group to work with, with some outstandingly talented members who it's been a real pleasure and privilege to have worked with on this production.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

A photo of some of the cast in the Oswaldtwistle Players production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, which starts this coming Wednesday for four nights at the Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle.

Front left is Paul McGowan who plays Ui. Next to him, with the machine gun, is Chris Knight, our producer. I'm stood just behind him at the edge of the photo, arms folded and looking as grim as I can manage as a gangster bodyguard. Our first dress rehearsal is Sunday at the theatre.

MURDER! MAYHEM! HIGH DRAMA AND LAUGHS!

Popular award winning local actor Paul McGowan takes the title role of Chicago mob leader Arturo Ui in this blackly comic satire set in the late 1920’s. Arturo runs his protection racket with a Hitler-like ruthlessness. With his murderous gang he takes control of the greengrocery wholesale business in Chicago using extortion and intimidation .

First Chicago, then Cicero and then...? Nothing less than world domination in the cauliflower trade.

 OSWALDTWISTLE PLAYERS present this classic and chillingly funny play

 at the newly re-furbished Civic Theatre (it’s very nice now),

Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle BB5 3HZ

The Resistible Rise of ARTURO UI

by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Chris Knight

April 6^th to 9^th 2011 at 7.30pm

Tickets:-   Adult £8, concessions, £7. with a special first night price of £6 all seats

Discounts available for block bookings.

Available from:-

The Tourist Office, Accrington Town Hall,

The Civic Arts Centre, Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle,

Edmundson’s Sweet Shop, 172 Union Rd, Oswaldtwistle

On-line at www.ticketsource.co.uk/oswplayers

Or ring 01254 236057

Zombies in New York

It's nice to see Sam Stone, who once taught at a school in Accrington before she was virtually hounded out by several local politicans, etc., who took exception to her vampire-filled website, has turned her hand to something even darker now: zombies.

Her new collection, Zombies in New York has just been published and is available via Telos publishing. It has a fabulous Vincent Chong cover - what more can I say?

Animated Accrington

This is a film about some of the artistic activities that have been taking place in the Accrington area this year, including my daughter, Cassandra's involvement organising the Flash Mob.

Riley Books

I have just made some long overdue alterations to our bookshop website, which was looking decidedly untidy. Hope it looks a lot better now.

Riley Books

Alice - The Musical

Last night's performance was the best yet, with an enthusiastic audience and some brilliant performances from the young cast.

There are some new photos here.

Alice - The Musical - Opening Night

Last night, despite the ice and snow, was opening night for Alice - The Musical and, thankfully, it went well. All the cast turned up and, though the previous night's dress rehearsal had its occasional problems, opening night went as smooth as it could have been, with an appreciative audience.

Then back home to catch up on the latest Dexter and The Walking Dead!

Alice - The Musical

It's the dress rehearsal tonight. The show starts tomorrow, running through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, with a matinee on Saturday.

I've been "volunteered" to act as promp, which is something I've done once before and swore never to do again. So much for never. Ha ha.

Linden will be in one of the dressing rooms, helping the girls into their costumes. there are some quick changes during the performance.

Linden and I were both up till three in the morning Saturday night. I was making a three and a half foot tall mushroom while Linden was doing a caterpillar costume. Then Sunday afternoon till early evening we were both across the road at the Civic Arts Centre for the technical rehearsal.

Anyway, fingers crossed but everything seems to be going okay so far.

Cassie's husband, Allan, is a professional light and sound engineer and is in charge of those aspects of it. So there are no worries there. Luckily he will be available throughout the show - he travels all over the place with his job. Not long ago he was in Albania!

One of our other daughters, Christy, is involved too as assistant director. As a schoolteacher by profession she's great at helping with discipline - and has a great sense of humour. Our son, Dharamn, has helped out too, providing various things, and his girlfriend Leesa has volunteered to help backstage in the dressing rooms too. Lots of family support!

If anyone would like to order tickets and access a map of where the Arts Centre is, they should use this link .

Youtube video of Cassandra dancing at the ReAct studio

You wouldn't think she was six months pregnant (baby due in February)! This was a practice run for the Flash Mob event held in Accrington town centre on Saturday.





This was her comment for this practice video: "Hi... this is me, (pregnant dancing girl on vid)... if you are interested in learning the routines for the Flash Mob event please use these to learn from. I am performing them the correct way, (not a mirror image) so you will have to think and not just copy. I punch my left arm first for instance.

If you have any questions post them on here.

Cassandra"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZWkilPyKJo

Flash Dance - Accrington

My daughter, Cassandra Webster, is at it again. This is from tonight's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Click on the picture to enlarge it.