Copacabana

Her name was Lola' the unforgettable opening lyric of Barry Manilow's Grammy award-winning hit Copacabana, is the inspiration for a musical tale of love and romance set at the 
heart of the swinging nightclub scene of the 1940s.





While hoping to pen the world's next big hit, Stephen, an aspiring songwriter, slips into a reverie that carries him back to an era when 'music and passion where always in fashion' at the famed and glamorous Copacabana nightclub.


In his dream, Lola La Mar, a hopeful showgirl, is launched on the path to stardom as a Copa Girl with the help of Tony Forte, a bartender with dreams of his own.


Enter Rico and Conchita - he, with a dubious reputation and the owner of the Tropicana Club in Havana; she, the Cuban star of the Tropicana. They are in NY visiting his 'Italian' family and drop in to the Copacabana.


He is not welcomed with open arms - Lola is soon in trouble ...


Manilow's Copacabana is the next Civic show for CAODS - it opens on Tuesday February 28, and tickets are available now at the Civic Box Office.

The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark

The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark
Civic Theatre

Friday 27 and Saturday 28 January
Friday: 4.30pm Saturday: 10.30am and 2.00pm



Blunderbus presents their lyrical new moonlit adventure for 3 - 7 year old’s The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark at Chelmsford Civic Theatre on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 January.
Based on the classic children’s book by Jill Tomlinson, this funny, gentle and reassuring tale helps children to discover that dark is fun, dark is exciting and dark is beautiful.
Plop was a baby Barn Owl. He lived at the top of a tall tree, in a field. He was fat and fluffy. He had big round eyes. He had very knackety knees. Plop was exactly the same as every barn owl that has ever been – except for one thing. He was afraid of the dark.
“I don’t like it” said Plop. “I do not like it at all!”
One day, Mrs Barn Owl suggested that Plop fly down into the world and find out about the dark for himself. So, Plop climbed out of his nest-hole, peeped over the edge, wobbled a bit, and fell off his branch. And so, Plop’s adventures began...
Join Plop, the baby barn owl, as he discovers the wonders of night-time; campfires, fireworks, starry skies and magical, moonlit adventures.
Featuring an irresistible mix of live music, puppetry and storytelling, this beautiful show introduces Plop, an old favourite, to a new generation of theatre-goers.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark has captivated children for many years, and this warm, funny adaptation promises to become a firm favourite with adults and children alike. It’s a hoot!
Adapted for the stage by Lynn Robertson Hay, with music and lyrics by Frank Goodhind. Directed and designed by Bill Davies.
Suitable for children aged 3 - 7 (and grown-up’s who still sleep with the big light on!)

LIttle Belter

One part pop diva one part little voice, Elouise is a vocal tour-de-force. Now with the best creative team around her, quite literally, and an ever-growing army of fans, this exciting new star embarks on her first national tour with her hit show Little Belter with its premier performance at Chelmsford Civic Theatre on Saturday 11 February.
Working alongside Steve Anderson (Kylie Minogue, Westlife) and Terry Ronald (Girls Aloud, Danni Minogue, Cheryl Cole), Elouise originally created the show for her residency at the iconic London venue Madame JoJo’s.
A celebration of the legendary artists that have inspired her to find her own voice, Little Belter is an unforgettable musical journey which sees the incredible Elouise take on show-stopping melodies and epic torch ballads made famous by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland, mixed with exhilarating arrangements of more contemporary songs. Proving that despite her tiny frame Elouise possesses the kind of singing voice which earned her the Little Belter nickname from childhood. The show is a funny, smart, sequin-spangled memoir, with Elouise recounting tales of growing up, her inspirations and why, ultimately, she could not do anything but sing.
Little Belter is written by novelist and record producer Terry Ronald, part of the creative team behind the West End Sensation The Hurly Burly Show alongside arranger Steve Anderson, who has been the musical director for the last eight Kylie Minogue tours and is responsible for Little Belter’s unique musical arrangements, ranging from Barbra Streisand’s Don’t Rain On My Parade to Lady Gaga’s
Born This Way. Little Belter will be joined on stage with dancers from Kylie Minogue’s latest tour, with stunning costumes and breath-taking routines.


Tickets are priced from £16.00 - £19.00 with a family ticket costing £58.00. To book tickets go to
www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or call 01245 606505.

Under Milk Wood

A spellbinding, mesmeric, enchanting one-man physical interpretation of Dylan Thomas' magical classic,
Under Milk Wood comes to the Civic Theatre. This legendary internationally acclaimed performance returns to Chelmsford on Friday 20 January at 7.45pm. It was last here in April 2009, when I gave it a 5* review.
‘One of the most inventive, remarkable performances of the decade.’ The Times


Under Milk Wood is Dylan Thomas' most famous and enduring work now translated into over 100 languages. A favourite since its first broadcast with Richard Burton in January 1954, it brilliantly conjures the intimate dreams and innermost desires of the inhabitants of Llareggub - a small fictional sea-town somewhere in Wales. Bawdy and beautiful, sad and sensual, through the music of language, it creates indelible, unforgettable images of humanity.
Using nothing but a wooden chair, dark glasses, apposite lighting and a beautifully haunting soundscape by Matt Clifford, Guy Masterson performs the entire work - all 69 characters; men, women, girls, boys, cows, pigs, a horse and a cat - himself! It is unbelievably recreated and entirely enchanting.
Tickets cost £15.00 (full-price) and £12.00 (concession). Registered unemployed and full-time (FE/HE) students pay just £7.00.
To book tickets go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk.theatres or call 01245 606505.

Swallows and Amazons

All aboard The Swallow! Follow Captain John and his able crew as they set sail to Wildcat Island on an exotic adventure to encounter savages, capture dastardly pirates and defeat mortal enemies.

An action-packed musical adventure for the whole family, Swallows and Amazons is a story of an idyllic era, of endless summer evenings and the beauty of youthful imagination.

This delightful and gloriously imaginative production is directed by Tom Morris who also directed the international smash hit War Horse, is written by Helen Edmundson, writer of the National Theatre’s astonishing Coram Boy, with music by Neil Hannon from the The Divine Comedy. Swallows and Amazons is presented by the Children’s Touring Partnership whose recent production of Goodnight Mister Tom starring Oliver Ford Davies received public and critical acclaim. [I caught it in Norwich.]

After its West End festive dry dock, the Swallow sets sail again; first port of call Chichester.

Swallows and Amazons forever !

Sweeney Todd transfers

The acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd enjoyed sell out audiences in Chichester’s Festival Theatre, where I finally caught up with it last October, [my blog piece here] and is heading to the Adelphi Theatre to thrill West End audiences.

Starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton Sweeney Todd the musical is laced with dark humour dazzling wit and an infectious score. After years of false imprisonment Sweeney Todd returns to London on a quest for justice and retribution. He is aided and abetted by pie-shop owner Mrs Lovett to avenge the wrongs done to him and his family many years before.

Sweeney Todd the Musical is directed by Jonathan Kent and is heading to London for a strictly limited run.

Civic and Cramphorn this spring

This spring at Chelmsford Theatres there is a huge range of fantastic shows to enjoy and a few famous faces to see too.

There is a stellar programme of great drama in the Civic theatre from highbrow to high-laughter. The magnificent Dylan Thomas play, Under Milk Wood (20 January) comes fabulously recreated in a stunning and hilariously funny one man adaptation. Bawdy and beautiful, the play follows the inhabitants of the fictional town of Llareggub.

Other highlights include I, Bertolt Brecht (20-21 March) which takes a look at the hugely influential playwright and theatre director’s plays, songs and poems. The performance is a thought-provoking, moving and laugh-out-loud funny drama documentary. For the ladies there’s All the Single Ladies (22-24 March) starring Men Behaving Badly famed Leslie Ash and recent MBE awarded Brooke Kinsella. Heartwarming and hilariously funny, this show will make for a great night out and a great opportunity to catch it locally before it goes to the West End. A true classic is brought to the stage in an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility on 18-20 April. Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel the play adaptation is brought to the stage with beautiful imagery, original music, humour and heartbreak. Joe Pasquale and Robert Powell will be doing their rounds in a fantastic stage show version of the classic sitcom Doctor in the House from 30 April – 5 May. This comedy farse will be just the cure if you need a prescription for laughter! Something wicked this way comes… The vicious, barbaric undercurrent in Shakespeare’s epic tragedy Macbeth surfaces in a kinetic bloody-thirsty production on 9 May.

A new comedy comes in the form of Raining Men (1-2 June), the story of Phil the bouncer, Doug the DJ and Colin the barman and a night where the Full Monty meets Priscilla, Queen of the Desert… featuring the music of Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland.

Music is well featured at the theatre, with lots of large and small scale shows in the Civic and Cramphorn Theatres. The biggest show in town comes in the form of American Anthems (10 February). Featuring as star guest is John Parr (St Elmo’s Fire) playing some absolute anthems along with a cast of sensational performers playing hits such as Born To Run, Livin On A Prayer and Bat Out Of Hell. The music continues in the show Unforgettable (1 April) featuring a world class cast of talented vocalists and musicians playing songs from some of the most loved musical icons of the 1950s and 60s.

There’s a musical journey in Little Belter (11 February) as songs from the likes of Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Dusty Springfield are performed. A fantastic tribute is brought to audiences as Real Diamond (9 March) takes to the stage singing all of Neil Diamond’s hits in a stunning performance. There’s opera from Opera della Luna in their production of the Lehár classic operetta The Merry Widow (10 March).

Iconic band The Strawbs are moving gracefully into their fifth decade of music making but their successful international progressive folk-rock is still as unique as ever. Devoted fans can find them at the Civic theatre on 14 April.

Upcoming comic Andrew Lawrence (9 March) takes a visit to the Cramphorn with his award-winning comedy. He has been featured on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy showcase and Ask Rhod Gilburt. Catch this funny man on his way up! And further comedy comes from the long-standing broadcaster Mike Harding (18 March) who returns to comedy with a couple of guitars and forty years of material to draw on.

Spring also has an abundance of brilliantly entertaining shows for youngsters. Kick off is George’s Marvellous Medicine (14 – 18 February) making a welcome return with this adaptation of the popular Roald Dahl classic.

Then a spectacular science show with dangerous demonstrations and extraordinary experiments is up with Science Museum Live (24 – 25 February). A breathtaking ride that will entertain, inform and inspire!

And for all the family, come and join in the celebration with Little Princess (29-31 March). The theatrical premiere of the hit children’s book and favourite TV character features action and songs as Little Princess discovers the best way to celebrate. Age suitability 2 – 5 years. Audiences will continue to be delighted to see a well loved nursery rhyme come to life. There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly (11-12 May) will relive the delights of this most charming tale with a feast of first class games, colourful animal characters and heart warming family fun. Age suitability: 4 years +.

For more information on all shows and to book tickets go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk.theatres

or call 01245 606505.

Shakespeare's Globe 2012 season

A celebration of the spirit that has brought together so many different people from so many different places in the new Globe’s amazing fifteen years, in 2012 'The Play's The Thing'.

The season begins with the unprecedented Globe to Globe. Over six weeks you can see all of Shakespeare’s plays performed by 37 international companies, each in a different language.

Following the festival, Jamie Parker, much loved in Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, returns to Hal’s journey in Shakespeare’s masterpiece Henry V.

That most outrageous of comedies The Taming of the Shrew will delight and shock audiences with its screwball double-act and controversial conclusion.

We are then delighted to welcome Mark Rylance back to the Globe stage to take on two of Shakespeare’s major characters – the title role in a new production of Richard III and a reprisal of his celebrated performance of Olivia in Twelfth Night, 10 years after its premiere.

Returning from last year, following their great success both here and on the road are the touring productions ofHamlet and As You Like It.

One Man, Two Guvnors

Following sell-out runs at the National Theatre and Adelphi Theatre, the smash-hit comedy transfers to Theatre Royal Haymarket from 2 March!

Richard Bean’s award-winning play is a glorious celebration of British comedy: a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and glittering one-liners. Owain Arthur plays the role of Francis Henshall.

Man and Boy CTW

Mike Nower sends word of his Man and Boy:

At the Old Court, Springfield Road, 

February 7 - 11, 7.45.

http://chelmsfordtheatreworkshop.wordpress.com/

"On a July night in 1934, Romanian-born financier, Gregor Antonescu, arrives unexpectedly at his estranged son’s basement apartment in New York .

Whilst apparently taking refuge after a disastrous day on the stock exchange for his  holding company. Gregor’s motives are clearly less straightforward. A callous, ruthless sociopathic businessman he will use anyone, even those who love him to secure his crumbling empire.

Man and Boy is a typically well-constructed Rattigan drama, presented in celebration of his centenary year."