Curtain Up at the Vera Fletcher Hall
Now in its 16th year, our Autumn programme includes the best of the country's performers including Rodney Bewes and Donald Maxwell and Linda Ormiston in a splendid mix of drama, music and children's entertainment. One of the highlights is the one-man show on September 29th by Rodney Bewes "On the Stage and Off - the brief career of a Would-be Actor". Those of you who saw his "Diary of a Nobody" last year will know what a treat we will have with this true story of Jerome K Jerome's brief and inglorious career as an actor before he made his name with "Three Men in a Boat". Jerome thought that "all acting was making love in tights to pretty women" but soon found that it wasn't! Premiered at the Edinburgh Festival and also showing at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, this will be another sell-out at the Hall, so book early.
Love and Madness Productions, who gave us their memorable "Othello", "Henry V" and "Playboy of the Western World", return to the Hall on Friday and Saturday November 23 and 24 with their new productions of "The Tempest" and "Frankenstein" on successive nights These exciting modern full-scale production are touring nationally including the Sheffield Crucible Theatre. Their previous productions have received national acclaim: "One of the most moving, invigorating and entertaining productions you'll ever experience".
As always we have treats for music lovers. After last year's highly successful performances, cellist Sagi Hartov and pianist Benjamin Frith return to the Hall on Saturday November 17th for a concert including Beethoven's Sonata No. 4, Shostakovich's Sonata for cello and piano and piano solos by Liszt and Chopin. Sagi is well-known as a prize-winning cellist and Benjamin is an international pianist who won first prize at the Rubenstein Masters Competition.
Following our tradition of concerts by young musicians from the Royal Academy of Music - and we will all remember the Tanya Ursova concerts- we are delighted to welcome Amy Tress (violin), Charles Andrew (piano) and Ben Stephens (cello), all young prize-winning musicians for a concert on Friday November 9th including works by Beethoven, Debussy and Rebecca Clarke. Also following the tradition of the Tanya concerts, children under 16 are free.
Not many venues can boast of having Donald Maxwell as a regular visitor - the same team that brought you the sing-a-long "Pirates of Penzance" returns on Friday September 28 with an evening of musical and legal intrigue, courtesy of Gilbert and Sullivan. The centrepiece of the evening is a costumed performance of "Trial by Jury" and, yes, the audience are again encouraged, - even implored- to join in a few numbers! The story of how the beautiful Angelina wins the heart of judge and jury in her breach of promise case is complemented with other G&S numbers on a legal theme. International opera star Donald Maxwell again leads this production by Tiramisu Opera, together with mezzo-soprano Linda Ormiston and soprano Rebecca Rudge, both well-known on the opera stage and concert hall. Donald hardly needs any introduction as he has appeared at the Hall several times in between his performances as Falstaff at the Royal Opera House and in "The Gondoliers" at the English National Opera and at Coverwood.
There is further joy for G&S fans when Charles Court Opera presents The Mikado", the perfect Christmas show, on Friday 30 November set in the town of Titipu with "A Wandering Minstrel", "Three Little Maids from School" and the Lord High Executioner. The performance will include a cast of eight singers and be accompanied by the Eaton-Young piano duo, one of the country's leading piano partnerships.
For lovers of musicals we have on Friday 12 October the first visit by the Showcase Company with "London Pride". Join the pearly Kings and Queens in favourites such as "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" and classic musicals including "Oliver", "My Fair Lady" and "Me and my Girl".Molesey Musical Theatre return with "Old Time Music Hall" on Thursday-Saturday November 1st- 3rd after their sell-out success in "Anything Goes" in March. In a momentous musical extravaganza, the Master of Ceremonies will offer you entertainment and edification with numbers such as "Burlington Bertie" and "Joshua" and many more.Dickens is synonymous with Christmas and who better to talk about Christmas in the novelist's home than his direct descendant Lucinda Dickens Hawkesley, drawing upon the recollections of his children and friends and looking at how he depicted Christmas in his writings. The talk, on Tuesday December 11, is part of the Royston Pike lecture series.
Children of a criminal bent, if there be such, will enjoy Pandora's Box Company's presentation on Saturday 20th October of Burglar Bill", a musical version of Janet and Allan Ahlberg's modern classic, with Tom the cat, WPC Goody and of course Burglar Bill himself. On Saturday 1 December Support Act Productions present "Rumpelstiltskin", a delightful musical adaptation with life size puppets, songs and magic of the Grimm's fairy tale of the miller's daughter who was forced to weave gold out of straw.Tickets for these shows can be obtained from the Box Office numbers shown on the Noticeboard, page 39. You can keep in touch with all events at The Vera Fletcher Hall through the Hall's website at:www.verafletcherhall.co.uk.