Alice

The next production by the Oswaldtwistle Players looks right up my street. I look forward to watching this!

ReAct Academy's next production: High School Musical

I am really looking forward to my daughter, Cassandra's next production from ReAct Academy: High School Musical, at Oswaldtwistle's Civic Theatre on the 26th to the 28th June.

Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre April 30 - 3rd May

All the details needed are on the poster. This should be a great production. (I've yet to see anything the Players have put on that isn't!)

The Wyrd Sisters - Oswaldtwistle Players

I'm looking forward to watching the Oswaldtwistle Players' next production, Stephen Briggs' adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters.

This will be performed at the Civic Theatre, Union Road, Oswaldtwistle on April 30-3 May, 2014 at 7.30 p.m.

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

We've now got just two rehearsals left before he play opens on Wednesday night. Looking good. There's plenty of humour and action in it, and the audience will certainly have no time for dozing off with all the gunfire - not that I imagine any of them will be tempted anyway!

This is only the second play I have ever been involved with as one of the actors - and I am enjoying virtually every minute of it. We were at the theatre from ten o'clock yesterday morning till gone five at night. The stage, though sparse, looks very impressive. I'm especially pleased at the fourteen foot banners that Lin made for it. Not to mention all the armbands for the cast!

Paul McGowan plays the lead as Arturo Ui, whose rise to power as the leading gangster in 1920s Chicago mirrors the rise to power of Hitler. Paul is brilliant in the role. Chris Knight, as director, does seem to have a knack to get the best out of the cast too - which is quite large.Despite all the pressures he must be feeling he seems to have kept his good humour - not to mention his sense of humour too!

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

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

We had another good rehearsal last night. We have started to use some of the blank firing handguns that will be used in the production to get us used to the noise - they really do go off with a hell of a bang. And, even though you know they are only firing blanks, it's still a bit unnerving to have one pointed at you at close range, knowing it's going to be fired.

Lin was asked to make 26 Nazi-style armbands (with the letters UI instead of a swastika) and 4 fourteen-foot banners for the stage for a Nuremberg-like finale. The armbands are finished and three of the banners only need the large white circles with the letters UI sewing onto the red matrerial. I took one of the banners to the rehearsal. It looked pretty good when it was stretched out in the hall.

We had some photos taken last night. I had to sit in my gangster-bodyguard role with a fake machine gun resting on one knee, looking mean!

Virginia Monologues

Lin and I went to see the Virginia Monologies at the Civic Art Centre in Oswaldtwistle last night. Organised by Gayle Knight, this was a really entertaining night out, and Virginia Ironside was not only amusing but spot on with loads of her observations.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui - poster

I couldn't resist showing the poster that's been produced for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.

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.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

I went to an audition for this play by Bertolt Brecht on Monday night with the Oswaldtwistle Players at the Civic Theatre across the road in Oswaldtwistle. I was phoned tonight by the play's director, Chris Knight, who told me that I've got the part of Sheet, a shipyard owner - plus a number of small parts later in the play after my main character is bumped off. Rehearsals start in January.

This will be the second time I've had a part in an Ossy Players production. I had one several years ago in MacBeth Did It, when I played a millionaire drunk who ends up with the witches' couldron on his head, wandering about the stage (and sometimes nearly falling off it).

The play will run from April 6th to the 9th next year.

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 .

Alice the Musical - Lancashire Evening Telegraph article

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.

Alice the Musical - photos

Photos were taken of the cast for Alice the Musical, the first production of my daughter's new drama academy, ReAct, which will be held from the first till the third of December at the Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre, Union Road, Oswaldtwistle.

photos

My wife, Linden, has done the costumes - and I provided the teapot and cups.