Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram round-up
Celebrating 50 years of an Am Dram society is quite an achievement. To keep your group fresh and interesting, to recruit a stream of new members and to continually organise show after show takes huge dedication and hard work.
I can fully understand the situation because as many of you know, together with my committee, I run South Staffs Musical Theatre Company, my home group.
One company who are celebrating their half century this year is Startime Variety, who perform at the Cornbow Hall in Halesowen.
Started by Christine Herman in 1967, the group was originally called Tenterfields Ladies Club and held their very first concert in the March of that year at Halesowen Grammar School. The group has changed its name a couple of times, but finally settled on Startime Variety.
They have chosen a show called Viva Las Vegas, which features a host of songs by music legends including The Rat Pack, Cher, Tina Turner, Celine Dion and Elton John, to celebrate their half centenary.
A girl enters a radio competition, wins two tickets to Las Vegas and decides to take her best friend with her. The audience follows their adventures amid casinos, singers and show girls. There is, of course, a Vegas wedding too. How could there not be?
Catch Viva Las Vegas from June 28-July 1 at the Cornbow Hall, with evening performances at 7.15pm and a 2.15pm Saturday matinee.
l For tickets call 07901 055685 or visit www.startimevariety.co.uk
The students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy will be presenting their showcases at the Old Rep theatre in the city over the coming weeks.
On June 28 and 29, you can catch Rags to Riches. There is a community showcase on July 12 and 13 and a production called Xpose on July 18 and 19.
l For full details and to book tickets, visit http://www.boa-academy.co.uk/ or http://www.oldreptheatre.co.uk/
Music lovers will be pleased to hear the Chase Harmony, a four-piece harmony choir, who have been performing in the Cannock area for around 10 years now, is presenting a concert called A Musical Affair, on June 30 and July 1st at the Aquarius Ballroom in Hednesford.
The concert will be cabaret style and will include an interesting mixture of music from many genres; from tunes from the musical Cabaret, to California Dreamin’, from Old Man River to Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers. There are solos, duets and choral numbers.
Spokesperson for the choir, Doreen Yates says: “It’s a really lovely choir to be part of.”
She continues: “We perform two main concerts a year; one summer one and then one at Christmas and we often get invited to perform at other venues as and when we are needed. We are members of the Cannock Chase Arts Council too.”
So, if you love the sound of a choir, what better than an evening with Chase Harmony?
l For tickets priced at just £10 each, call 07850039829 or visit www. http://chaseharmony.weebly.com/
I have featured this next play many times; Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn; but it remains as popular as ever amongst amateur drama groups.
The latest group to present the play is Shropshire Drama Company, who will perform it at the Walker Theatre within Theatre Severn later this year in November. However, they are holding auditions on June 22 at Martin Wilson School to cast the show.
Set in the mid to late 1970’s, the play is set in three bedrooms in three different houses, following the antics of three difference couples. It’s a complex but amusing plot and typical farce. If you would like to take part, this is your audition call.
l For further information, visit www.shropshiredramacompany.co.uk or the group’s Facebook Page.
On July 8, Willenhall Singers will be presenting their latest concert, Summer Rhapsody at Portobello Methodist Church, starting at 7.30pm.
Formed in 1944 by employees of the Yale & Towne Manufacturing company as a mixed choir, it was initially called the Yale & Towne Choir, before the title was changed to Willenhall Musical Society in 1945. The choir has performed regularly at concerts in the local area and, from time to time, further afield.
l For more information or to book tickets, contact Pat on 01902 634522 or email willenhallsingers@virginmedia.com
Here in the city centre, the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is presenting their first professional show with community involvement, the hit comedy drama Brassed Off, from August 23- September 2. This is a great news for amateur performers as it offers them the opportunity to work with a professional cast.
Four prolific amateur actors, Tim Jones and Greg Yates, who will be taking part as Harry and Jim respectively, together with Susie Wilcox as Vera and Donna Heaslip as Rita, have been lucky enough to be chosen to join the professional cast.
Add to this a community ensemble of around 30 people, who will perform as a variety of characters including miners, wives, and nurses and six children who will be alternating as brother and sister characters at each performance, plus the incredible City of Wolverhampton Brass Band, with 25 players and we can be extremely proud of amateur performers in our area.
l For tickets visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01902 421292.
