Your Midland and Shropshire Am Dram round-up

To honour this anniversary, a group of local amateur and professional performers, with producer and director, Jerry Hobbs at the helm, have got together to present Ethos, a concert to raise funds for the hospice which they will present at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on July 15.

Jerry has made amateur theatre his secondary occupation in life, ever since he arrived in Wolverhampton in 1968 and joined Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company for a production of Hello Dolly at the Grand Theatre. He has continued a very special relationship with the theatre for almost 50 years and has the good fortune to play many leading roles there.

In addition to performing, Jerry has also directed many local companies and is a patron of some exceptionally talented young performers who aspire to a career in music and the theatre.

In fact, Jerry has many passions in life and supporting Compton Hospice is another important one.

In this concert, he’s brought together performers who are sympathetic to the cause and happy to give their time and effort to assist in raising funds.

The evening will be a blend of beautiful music, song and dance, highlighting the importance of Compton Hall from its early beginnings to its place of major importance as a hospice today.

West End performers Aimee Fisher and Lauren Soley will be performing I Dreamed a Dream and On My Own from the hit musical Les Miserables, accompanied by concert pianist Luke Faulkner, while Tony O’Rourke will relive his performance as Albin in La Cage Aux Folles, reprising the show stopper, I Am What I Am.

There is a wonderful version of Time Heals Everything from Alison Room from Brownhills Musical Theatre Company and a chance to see the exciting talents of Annabel Rockett, a youngster who has reached the finals of the Rotary International Young Musician of the Year.

From Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company, Colette Forsythe and Holly-Ann White will be performing with the dancers from the Denise Robinson School of Dance and Nick Sullivan will present Pure Imagination from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the children from Newbridge Preparatory School.

All in all a wonderful, unmissable evening of entertainment.

There are a variety of sponsorship and corporate packages available for the evening, which includes private hire of booths, Champagne on arrival and interval drinks plus a host of other temptations.

l For more information and to purchase tickets, call 01902 375020 or 01902 379900, email Jeremy.hobbs22@btinternet.com or r.bourne@piawm.net or of course the Grand Theatre box office on 01902 429212.

The Kings C of E School in Tettenhall has an excellent reputation for encouraging young people into the arts. I was talking to Nick Hart, a professional actor and puppeteer just a couple of weeks ago, who was born and raised in Rakegate near Wolverhampton and attended the school. He told me how much he owed to his teachers at Kings in helping him with his career choice.

That was nine years ago, but it seems that the school is still producing young performers, as they are presenting a production called Things That Go Bump in The Night at the Arena Theatre in the city on July 11-13.

Written by teacher, Chris Rowley, Things that Go Bump in the Night is made up of several short stories which are interwoven with dance and music, influenced by the mid 1960’s Hammer Horror films. Although the tales are dark, they are also amusing.

The year 7, 8 and 9 students have undergone training in direction by their teachers and also in lighting and sound by the Arena Theatre staff. This has meant that the students can completely take control of the show themselves and have choreographed, directed and are running backstage. It is their production completely.

Head of Drama, Chris Rowley told me, “We are really excited about performing at the Arena. This is a unique learning experience and all the students are aged just 13 and under and they are running the show. We are very proud.”

And so you should be Chris. It sounds amazing.

l For tickets, priced at just £5 each, contact the Arena Theatre box office on 01902 321321 or visit www.wlv.ticketsolve.com

l There are also morning performances for school groups on 12 and 13 July. Schools should contact Phil Sutton on 01902 558333.

Bugsy Malone is probably the best show for young performers. I mean, which youngsters don’t like fighting with splurge guns and whipped cream?

CLOC Youth will be performing Bugsy at the Highbury Theatre in Sutton Coldfield from July 12-15 and have been working extremely hard to make sure the adults have a great time!

The score of the show is refreshingly uplifting and energetic and includes My Name Is Tallulah, So You Wanna Be a Boxer? You Give a Little Love and Fat Sam’s Grand Slam.

Two rival gangs are fighting for their place in the city and Dandy Dan’s gang has gotten the upper hand since acquiring the ‘splurge’ gun, a lethal weapon that shoots whip cream. Bugsy, a one-time boxer, is thrust into the limelight when he becomes the last chance Fat Sam’s gang has of surviving. But all Bugsy really wants to do is spend time with his new love, Blousey, but that just isn’t in the cards for the hero.

l It’s fun, feisty and fabulous and the perfect vehicle for young stars. For tickets, call 0121 311 0339 or 07763 642734 or visit www.highburytheatre.co.uk

l Well that’s all for this week. Please keep your emails coming to a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk and remember to include good quality colour photos to accompany your news. Alternatively, you can call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton