Ballet Central

Thursday 18 April 7.45pm

Ballet Central

Civic and Cramphorn Theatres

The renowned graduate performing company from the Central School of Ballet, Ballet Central, will reach Chelmsford’s Civic Theatre on Thursday 18 April on their forthcoming tour. 

Performing in their home county at Chelmsford’s Civic Theatre is particularly exciting for four dance students from Essex: Thomas Broderick from Leigh-on-Sea aged 19, Joshua Earl from Epping also aged 19, Abigail Stopher who is 18 years old from Stamford-le-Hope and Bethany Pike from Colchester aged 20 who used to belong to local Ballet school The Chelmsford Ballet Company.  All four students are in their final year of training to be professional dancers at Central School of Ballet (CSB) in London which is this year celebrating its 30 year anniversary.   Ballet Central is the touring company of CSB, the prestigious centre for professional dance training and education.  Students on the final year of their three year BA (Hons) degree course join Ballet Central to gain invaluable touring experience before graduation.  Ballet Central’s dancers not only perform but also help with all aspects of staging, from technical lighting to wardrobe. 

The annual Ballet Central tour offers a chance to see some of the most highly skilled new dance talent perform newly commissioned works and much-loved revivals by the dance industry’s top choreographers. 

The highlights of this year’s Ballet Central repertoire include a dynamic range of new pieces; an elegant neo-classical piece by Kenneth Tindall entitled Signature 31/30 to a new score by Ballet Central’s Musical Director Philip Feeney, a thrilling new contemporary work Mapping #3 by Darshan Singh Bhuller, a vibrant jazz piece Love on Top by Stacey Haynes and an enthralling narrative dance called anon. by Christopher Marney.

William Glassman, Artistic Director of Ballet Central, explains why the Ballet Central tour is so well received across the UK: “Each year we bring dance pieces by some of the UK’s most highly acclaimed choreographers to local theatres. It’s a chance to see the most electrifying dance of today performed regionally.  Classical ballet fans will relish the Florestan Pas De Trois from The Sleeping Beauty and a revival of Christopher Gable’s Fireside pas de Deux from his 1993 production of Cinderella and if it’s contemporary dance that excites, a new work Insinuare by Sara Matthews and Leanne King will certainly deliver.”

Audiences for the much-anticipated Ballet Central tour are increasing each year attracting dance lovers and those new to live dance performance.  The varied repertoire features a programme of ballet, contemporary, jazz and narrative dance suitable for families and all age groups.  Ticket prices are deliberately low to make the tour widely accessible. Another highlight of Ballet Central is the music, much of which has been created by CSB’s Composer-in-Residence Philip Feeney who also performs live on the tour.

Sara Matthews, CSB’s Director, comments: “We are the only vocational ballet school to offer an Honours Degree and pre-professional touring experience on such a scale.  Ballet Central continues to be a springboard for hundreds of dancers into the top international dance companies. Dancers live to perform so touring is a much anticipated part of our three year curriculum.  And we hope that the Ballet Central tour will provide inspiration to young dancers who may be thinking about professional dance as a career.”

Graduates from CSB go on to join the world’s premier dance companies. Recent CSB students are currently employed with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet, National Ballet of Estonia, Ballet Black, Northern Ballet, K Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Slovakia Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, and many more.


Tickets are £14.50, concessions £11.50 and a family ticket £47.00. To book tickets visit www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or call the Box Office on 01245 606505.

The Long Life and Great Good Fortune of John Clare

Friday 12 April 8.00pm

The Long Life and Great Good Fortune of John Clare

Cramphorn Theatre

I saw this Eastern Angles show in Sudbury - certainly worth a look when it comes to Essex. 

It explores the facts and myths about the life and health of England’s famous 19th century ‘peasant poet. The Long Life & Great Good Fortune of John Clare comes to the Chelmsford Cramphorn Theatre on Friday 12 April.

The play focuses on a man who believes he is John Clare. His psychiatrist, Melody, is busy swotting up on the poet trying to fathom the reasons behind her patient's delusion. Meanwhile, Melody's partner, writer and literature graduate Rafe, is fixated on his own version of the Clare legend. In their search for the real story all three characters reveal some startling truths about themselves

We think we know all about John Clare - 'innocent poet’ sent to the asylum by the ‘evil Dr Skrimshire'.  On one hand he was our most loved chronicler of nature, an eco-warrior for his time. But he is also seen as a man robbed of his birthright and unfairly locked up for his visions.

John Clare is remembered for his life more than his poetry – lime-burner, labourer, womaniser, walker, visionary, lunatic. But, in Tony Ramsay’s play, a new John Clare emerges.

Eastern Angles are known for their extensive Spring Tours designed to bring professional theatre productions to audiences in rural locations across the Eastern region. As part of the company’s commitment to bringing high-quality theatre work to audiences on their own doorstep, The Long Life & Great Good Fortune of John Clare will be performed 52 times visiting a total of 42 venues across East Anglia during March, April and May 2013.

Book tickets whilst they are still available. Tickets are priced £15.00 and can be booked online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or via the Box Office on 01245 606505.

Tickets cost £13.00, concessions £11.50 and can be booked online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or via the Box Office on 01245 606505.

The Song of Angels

THE SONG OF ANGELS

A concert by OPUS ANGLICANUM

Five men singing unaccompanied and a narrator

Saturday 18th May at 6.00pm

All Saints Church, Writtle

Enjoy a magical summer’s evening of music and words performed by the pure voices of Opus Anglicanum

The programme celebrates angels as invisible companions and guardians, as spiritual warriors, muses of creativity, as messengers, heralds and healers.

With music specially composed for Opus Anglicanum by Howard Skempton and Patrick Larley, with the chant of the night office for St Michael and All Angels together with Russian Orthodox chant and works by Palestrina, Byrd and Victoria along with readings from Spencer, Suso, Eliot, Traherne and Alcuin.

Founded in 1988, Opus Anglicanum have performed for BBC Radio 3 and Three Choirs Festivals in Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester. In Essex they have sung at the Thaxted Festival and the Chelmsford Cathedral Festival. And I recall one magical event in St Peter's Chapel at Bradwell.

Their speciality is in presenting themed programmes combining the spoken and the sung word from a very wide variety of sources.

Saturday 18th May at 6.00pm

All Saints Church, Writtle

Tickets: £12 (inc light refreshments)

from Alison Woollard 01245 421729

a.woollard@virgin.net

56 Mayfield Road, Writtle, Essex, CM1 3EL

(cheques A Woollard)

Run For Your Wife

A classic British farce

The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch continues its 60th anniversary year with Ray Cooney’s classic British farce, Run for Your Wife, from 19 April – 18 May.

London cabby John Smith has two homes, two lives and two wives!

He’s been juggling Mary and Barbara for years, arousing EVERYTHING but suspicion.  But how long can he keep it up?

When a bump on the head lands John in casualty, his two addresses get mixed  up and he has a lot of explaining to do.

Crazy situations spiral out of control as John dodges prying police officers and members of the press whilst avoiding a head-on collision between two increasingly frustrated women.

This riotous romp of double lives and double entendres, belly laughs and bigamy was first performed in 1983 and starred Bernard Cribbins, it is still one of the most popular works by one of the finest writers of fast-paced farce Ray Cooney whose other West End hits include Funny Money and Caught in  the Net. 

This production stars the Queen’s professional resident company cut to the chase..., 
Sean Needham plays John Smith, Barbara Hockaday his wife Barbara,
Sarah Mahony as his erm.. wife Barbara, Dan de Cruz as DS Troughton, James Earl Adair as DS Porterhouse, Simon Jessop as Stanley Gardner, Eliot Harper as Bobby Franklin and Niall Costigan as the newspaper reporter.

Run for Your Wife is directed by Bob Eaton with design by Mark Walters.

Run for Your Wife runs at the Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, from
19 April – 18 May. Tickets cost £16 - £24.50. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 
or book online at www.queens-theatre.co.uk  

The Irish House Party

The Irish House Party

Civic Theatre

The Irish House Party is a show packed full of traditional Irish music and dancing including a very special local guest and featuring the All Ireland Champion musicians at Chelmsford Civic Theatre on Sunday 31 March.

Cool and modern, The Irish House Party reflects traditional Irish music the way it is today.

Irish music and dance shows often conjure up images of flat caps, waist coats and comely maidens at the cross-roads. The Irish House Party is a welcome antidote to the often cheesy portrayals of Irish music and culture. It is a stage show like no other, hosted by All-Ireland Champion musicians, dancers and entertaining presenters who not only perform soul stirring music but also combine a unique blend of light hearted audience interaction and fascinating stories about the history of the music and the instruments. This creates a unique Irish experience resulting in an exciting new theatre going experience.

From their humble beginnings as one of the countless musicians performing on the streets and in the venues of Dublin the raw talent and uniqueness of The Irish House Party soon caught the attention of the city. As word spread, the show evolved and it wasn’t long before The Irish House Party were themselves a key attraction. The show has been receiving outstanding reviews and is a huge hit with visitors from around the world to locals and fellow musicians alike. The cross section of famous guests from the world of politics, literature sport and showbiz are too numerous to mention.

The Irish House Party could be described as a contradiction in terms because it is traditional yet contemporary at the same time. This has led to some surprising collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop music including a performance with UK boy band The Wanted on their no.1 hit single ‘Glad You Came’. The Irish House Party band were also asked by BBC DJ Chris Moyle’s to perform at the rap party for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar when it came to Dublin recently. After seeing the guys perform in Dublin the executive writer of CSI Miami flew them over to LA to play for the cast and crew of CSI in Hollywood. As well as pop collaborations, The Irish House Party band also perform pure traditional Irish music including songs in the native Irish language.

Joining the talented group of dancers and musicians will be local traditional Irish dancer, Laura Baylis who dances with the National and Folk Dance Centre in Writtle. 16 year old Laura who is studying her A-levels at Hylands School will be joining The Irish House Party troop on one of their dances in a wonderful collaboration between the touring professional company and local dance school. The National and Folk Dance Centre aim to bring the joy of European folk dance to all age groups developing a sense of community and awareness of other cultures. Dancers have the opportunity to study traditional dances, costumes, music and customs. Annette Clark who runs the dance school is thrilled to be teaming up with the production and giving Laura, who is currently working at Advanced 2 Level of National dance, the opportunity to work with a professional company.

The concept of the show is to create a house party environment where the audience feels they are at an actual party in someone's living room which is not only family friendly but truly engages audiences of all ages!

Tickets are £20.50 and concessions £19.00 with group discounts available. For tickets and inquiries call the Civic Theatre Box Office on 01245 606505 or book online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Chelmsford Young Generation invites all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve to come with them through the wardrobe to visit the magical land of Narnia. Follow Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy to a land where it is always winter but never Christmas, where animals can talk, mythical beasts invite you to tea, and where Turkish Delight from a White Witch is best avoided…and then of course there is Aslan the Great Lion!

Beloved of young readers the world over for more than 60 years, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis is the best known book of The Chronicles of Narnia. Disney recently brought the books to life for the silver screen, but now through the magic of theatre this fantasy tale comes to life on the stage in this charming musical version by Irita Kutchmy. Young Gen will weave their own special brand of magic to delight audiences young and old in this beautiful adaptation.

From the award winning Director Ray Jeffery and Musical Director Bryan Cass, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe will be staged at the Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford from Monday 15^th April to Saturday 20^th April, 2013. 

Friday night, Saturday Matinee and Saturday evening performances are already sold out, with only a few left for the Thursday.

Tickets are from £10 for opening night to £15.50 on Saturday evening*.

Book online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or telephone the Box Office on 01245 606505.

A Soldier’s Song

A Soldier’s Song comes to the Cramphorn

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War and one of the hits of the 2012 Edinbrugh Festival, A Soldier's Song is a true story of conflict told by a guy who was there, bringing the battlefield to the stage in an extraordinary work of theatre. It comes to Chelmsford Civic Theatre on Friday 8 March.

The Falklands Conflict happened 30 years ago. It was dubbed "Britain's last colonial war". Maggie Thatcher, mired in political turmoil at home, sent 5000 troops 8000 miles down to the bottom of the world to reclaim a tiny pair of islands at the southern tip of South America colonised by less than 1000 British Subjects which had been 'illegally' invaded by Argentina.

The conflict lasted only two months, but encapsulated everything that war is; the failed politics, the military build up, the epic voyage, the beach landings, sinking of ships, artillery strewn battlefields, grenades and bayonets, the heroism, the horror and the tragedy. Britain's victory saved Thatcher's premiership and secured Conservative supremacy for 15 more years, but left hundreds of soldiers with the deep scars of war, the loss of comrades, and a lifetime of Post Traumatic Stress. But, the Falklands victory also epitomized the fortitude of the Great British Tommy, and remains a potent source of national pride.

Ken Lukowiak was there - a lowly infantryman in 2 Para - at the beach landings at San Carlos, the famous pitched battle at Goose Green, the death of Colonel H Jones, the sinking of the Galahad in Fitzroy, and at the liberation of Port Stanley. He saw it all. A decade, suffering from post traumatic stress, he penned his memoirs as an act of catharsis. They were snapped up and published in acclaimed article for the Guardian Weekend Magazine in 1992 from which he was commissioned to write his book - A Soldier's Song. It was a best seller and Ken then started a new career as a renowned war correspondent.

In 1998, Guy Masterson adapted the book for the stage and toured the show globally over three years to widespread acclaim. Now, 12 years on, commemorating the 30th anniversary, Lukowiak himself will now take on the role of his life and tell his own story' and say it like it was.

This is the theatre of War in its facets, invoking the horror, terror, shame, black humour, futility and tedium of a soldier's life on the front line and the lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress. Deeply disturbing and frightening at times, it utilises a pounding, totally authentic multi-directional soundscape. It is also extremely funny, the dark "squaddie" humour offsetting the darkness. The brutal demotic language and reality of the battlefield is brought to vividly to life.

An ex-Paratrooper stands in a spotlight and transports the audience back to the Falklands War. Surrounded by pounding sound effects (using authentic ordnance) from four sources all around the theatre, the audience are in the middle of the action. Ken Lukowiak leads us from the landing, through the pitched artillery battles, surviving friendly fire, rescuing enemy soldiers, freezing to death in ice filled trenches to the raising of the Union Jack in Port Stanley.

Incredibly powerful language, often poetic and heightened, spoken by the very soldier that wrote the words. The issues of war and what it is like to be there are brought to the fore. This piece of heart-felt theatre also touches on the politics of war, death, dealing with fear and terror.

There will be a post show discussion with Ken Lukowiak after the production

Tickets are £13.00 and concessions £11.00. Tickets can be booked online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres or call the Box Office on 01245 606505.