Entertainment for Spring at the Vera Fletcher Hall
There is a feast of entertainment at the Hall this Spring, with our very first Welsh male voice choir, concerts, comedy, a return visit by international opera star Donald Maxwell and, of course the programme for children, whose shows usually sell out.
For all Celts - not just Welsh ones! - and for everyone who enjoys good choirs there is, on Friday March 16th, a real treat when Cor Meibion Bro Dysynni Male Voice Choir sings at the St David's Day dinner in aid of the Thames Ditton Hospital Appeal, kindly sponsored by Dairy Crest. The choir comes all the way from the valleys, not of South Wales but of Snowdonia in North Wales, and the next day they appear with other choirs at the Royal Albert Hall so this should be a great occasion.
The Hall is making a name for itself with its programme of chamber music and on Friday 17th April we welcome the Vilensky String Quartet -two violins, viola and cello, which was formed in 2002 and now performs regularly in concert halls across Europe. They will perform Haydn's Quartet in D Minor "The Fifths", Mendelssohn's Quartet in E Minor and Dvorak's Quartet in F Major "The American".
Fans of Gilbert and Sullivan will welcome the return to the Hall on Friday 4th May of Donald Maxwell in Tiramisu Opera's production of "The Pirates of Penzance" with Linda Ormiston and Rebecca Rudge. Donald and Linda will teach you the chorus music (eye patches and music provided) followed by a performance of patter songs, bloodthirsty pirates, unhappy policemen, a model major-general and beautiful maidens. International opera star Donald Maxwell has sung major roles at opera houses such as La Scala and Welsh National Opera, including the title role of Falstaff at the Royal Opera House. He is currently appearing at English National Opera starring in "The Gondoliers", (where to hear him would set you back £60). To persuade him to come to the Hall again is a real coup. Soprano Rebecca Rudge, who sang with him last year in their delightful performance of "Pimpinone" at the Hall and sings at the Buxton Festival and other major venues is joined by mezzo soprano Linda Ormiston, who sings with Donald at Coverwood Concerts, at the ENO and internationally.
Michael Friend Productions have brought many plays to the Hall, including Shaw's Pygmalion, Mrs Warren's Profession and Major Barbara as well as Feydeau farces. This year they go back in time with Oliver Goldsmith's immortal 18th century comedy "She Stoops to Conquer", a story of love, marriage and mistaken identities when young Marlow mistakes a country house for an inn and his prospective bride for a barmaid. This classic play has been performed many times in the West End and we look forward to seeing it in Thames Ditton.
For children, on Saturday 31st March, Image Musical Theatre presents the ever popular "The Jungle Book", as a family musical where all can participate, based on Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of Mowgli the man-cub brought up by his adopted wolf family and his adventures in the vibrant tropical Indian jungle. With spectacular costumes, wonderful music and the opportunity for some children to take part as actors, this is family theatre at its very best. On Saturday May 5th Support Act Productions present "The Elves and the Shoemaker", a delightful musical adaptation, with life sized puppets, songs and magic, of the Grimm's fairytale of the shoemaker saved from eviction by tiny elves who work through the night to help make his shop a success. This story of love, honour and friendship, mixed with puppetry and song will appeal to all our young audiences.
The Hall provides high quality professional performances at a reasonable price, on your doorstep, without congestion or parking charges, where you will meet your friends and enjoy a splendid evening's entertainment. Performers recently and in the past include Rodney Bewes, Virginia McKenna, Susannah York, Dorothy Tutin, poet Wendy Cope, Petula Clark, Janet Suzman, Denis Quilley, Amanda Waring, John Julius Norwich, the Shakespeare Revue Company, Louis de Bernieres and many others. Come and join us and bring a friend.
Tickets for these shows can be obtained from the Box Office numbers shown on the Hall's web site.