WC NOVEMBER 18.
It’s been such a busy week I couldn’t even find the time to update this blog. For several days it was an all out slog to prepare for the IW Amateur Theatre Awards which were on Tuesday night at Shanklin Theatre. It all seemed to go off well and many rated it the best one so far. I never really enjoy them as I should, due to the pressure of trying to make it a successful evening. As yet, I have never looked back on my own performance, as the adjudicator and host, with any real satisfaction during the entire 15 years. There were outstanding successes, partiularly from from the live performers and our top notch cabaret artist Crisco. Shanlin Theatre, once again, did us proud.
The County Press and IW Radio also gave us great support. The new trophies from Diamond Isle Sculptured Glass at Arreton Old Village were also a real hit.
The next day I had an interview with top saxophonist Steve Grainger, who was once a member of Culture Club. He’s also made records with Deniece Williams and the Beach Boys. He was in The Mix, who were Craig Douglas’s backing band in his last-ever concert at Newport’s Medina Theatre. I was thrilled to introduce Craig at the start of each half. Many rate this show the best he had done at the Medina for several years. The Merseybeats also went down well.
The shows for next year’s IW Theatre Awards have also begun and I have seen twelve already. Two of these were also this week. On Thursday night I went to the coldest church I have been in for some time, the Newport Minster – in St Thomas’ Square – to see On the Bridge. It was probably colder than standing on a real bridge! Some good acting in a play that left the audience to decide what it was really all about. Rumour has it the actors were not quite sure – or were not told what is was really all about.
The next night I went to Bembridge to see The Inacurate Conception from the Bembridge Little Theatre Club. It was a comedy set in a primary school and depicted seven year olds performing the Nativity. It was such fun and the actors loved losing their inhibitions to go back to seven year olds. A full house and a wonderful response from the audience. I think Joe Plumb actually stole the show – and him a school teacher.