The Deadline

This new production from the Shifting Sands theatre company was an ironic tribute to film noir. There were lots of references (most of which I am sure I missed but for the record Rebecca, The Maltese Falcon, North by North-West, The Postman always rings twice … and stretching the genre a bit – The Seventh Seal?). There were flash backs and forwards, bits that didn’t make sense at the time, the glamorous flirtatious dame, the evil villains, the interior monologue about unexplained events and pending doom … This was combined with the promised clowning in the form of slapstick moving and collapsing doors and screens and mime in the form of the absence of props and effects for car chases, post office sorting office – and axe murders! The cast played multiple parts with enthusiasm and wit … including rounding up the audience from the cellar when they were ready to start the second half!!

Fair Trade

An extra event in our theatre programme brought to us as a result of Gerald Box’s generous sponsorship.  Mikron theatre (in their 37th season) performed their new play exploring the past and present of the Cooperative Movement, incorporating their usual mixture of humour and song.  This was a play within an (imaginary) film.  We saw the group discussing how to construct the film and then enacting scenes and commenting on them.  This encouraged the audience to reflect on what they were being told – and gave plenty of opportunities for comic moments as the cast commented on their performances and had fantasies about the exotic locations their story could take them to. 

We learnt about  the birth of the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844 when weavers opened a food shop at the end of the day with a focus on high quality, low priced goods.  It was interesting to learn that they banned credit, aware of the problems debt caused for workers, as well as the birth of the more familiar ‘divi’ whereby profits were shared in line with purchases.  The movement grew in part because of the hostility of other businesses.  They objected to their prices being undercut and refused to supply the coops – leading the business to expand into wholesale, shipping and agriculture.

The play also covered the birth of self-service supermarkets, the stagnation and later regeneration of coop stores, the recognition of the role of women members, the wider links to current interest in fair trade goods and Sean Connery’s first job!

Mambo Jambo

Pete and Frankie are Mambo Jambo and they provided great entertainment as part of the Live Friday programme. They played a range of Latin music from Cuba and Brazil as well as from the Southern USA and even nearer to home. So the style ranged from Samba, Bossa Nova, Bluegrass with singing in Spanish (and maybe even Portugese?). Pete played a range of string instruments including guitar, banjo and ukele. He also ‘played’ a suitcase which he admitted was better for carrying things than it was as a drum! Frankie was great on the saxophone – and also on the flute and a range of percussion instruments (my favourite was a plastic corn on the cob!). They had the audience clapping along, occasionally sing – and in one case dancing – to a range of familiar and new music.

Only one more Live Friday of the season: the Joni Mitchell Project on May 23rd – see you there!

Walk the Line

Walk the Line provided a great ending to this year’s film season. It was based on Johnny Cash’s authobiography and starred Jaoquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter. The film covered Cash’s life from childhood (with the tragic death of his brother and his fraught relationship with his father that was never resolved) but the core was his descent into drug addiction and the way he managed to rebuild his life through his relationship with June. The music was fantastic – and particularly impressive since it was performed by the actors.

The Film Club committee met a week later to consider suggestions for next year’s programme. Look out for the results of their deliberations on the events part of the main Sir John Moore website.

London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble

Well our first classical concert and someone commented that Sir John was smiling! The acoustics of the hall – which make speaking hard work – certainly seemed to favour this type of music. Centre Stage are supporting this tour of the London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble which features principal members of the London Mozart Players, the UK’s first chamber orchestra. They featured Maya Magub on violin, Tom Dunn on viola and Sarah Butcher, wonderfully expressive, on the cello. In the first half they played a Beethoven trio and, probably less familiar to most a trio for strings by Lennox Berkeley. The second half (following refreshments in the cellar!) they performed Mozart’s Divertimento K563. Sarah explained that while this term often signifies background music to be played in a social function this piece was definitely to be listened to.

It was great to see so many new people at this concert. We hope to see you again soon!