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SPRINGER MUSICAL TOUR SAVED BY REGIONAL THEATRES
IN an
unprecedented move, 21 theatres from around the UK (Plymouth Theatre
Royal, Birmingham Hippodrome, York Grand Opera
House, Leicester De Montfort Hall, Glasgow King’s Theatre, Aberdeen
His Majesties, Manchester Opera House, Oxford New
Theatre, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Milton Keynes Theatre, Edinburgh
Festival Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Bristol, Hippodrome,
Bradford Alhambra, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Liverpool Empire,
Cardiff Millennium, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Croydon Fairfield
Halls, Brighton Dome) have united with the creative team and
producers Avalon, to save the tour of the multi-award winning smash
hit musical Jerry Springer, The Opera. The Olivier Award winning
will now open in Plymouth on the 23 January 2006.
This announcement follows The Arts Council England’s recent refusal
to fund the stricken tour, which had suffered the debilitating loss
of 30% of its venues following well-publicised pressure from
Christian Voice.
Co-writer and Director Stewart Lee, said:- “Jerry Springer –
The Opera was developed on public money in public spaces and belongs
to the nation, whether the nation wants it or not. It would be nice
if people outside the M25 could actually get to see it, despite
people's best efforts to prevent this.”
Composer and Co-writer Richard Thomas, said:- “I am overjoyed
Jerry Springer – The Opera is going on tour in spite of such extreme
protest. I am also buying a flak jacket. And sticking close to
shadows.”
Producer, Jon Thoday said:- “I’m delighted that the small
minority have not prevented the public from seeing this brilliant
show. Freedom of speech and artistic freedom have prevailed.”
The musical has already been seen by 425,000 people in the theatre
and was watched by 2.4 million viewers on BBC 2 on January 8 2005 -
a record TV viewing figure for a musical or opera. Jerry Springer,
The Opera made theatre history by receiving all possible theatre
awards for Best Musical. (The Olivier Awards, The Critics' Circle
Theatre Awards, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards and The What's
on Stage Awards).
“This is the most explosive theatrical event for years, and the
biggest thrill at the National for decades” Susannah Clapp,
The Observer
BIG
BAND IN TUNNELS & LIBRARY
FRAKTURE
Big Band will be playing overground in Liverpool's Central Library
and underground in the Williamson Tunnels. The 2 locations have been
chosen because they have unique acoustics: the library with its huge
dome and the tunnels because of their ghostly underground echoes.
The performances will take place at the library on Friday 30
September and in the tunnels on Wednesday 5 October.
Event organiser and band member Adam Webster said:- "Our music
is so unusual anyway with the improvisation, but we thought we'd add
another amazing dimension to it by going underground in one
performance and allowing the sound to soar way up high into the
library's domed roof in the other. The audience will move through
the spaces to experience the sound from different directions and to
capture the spirit of the moment."
Most of the instruments are classical orchestral equipment, but
there is also one band member who plays "junk", using
anything that makes a good sound.
Executive member for culture, Cllr Warren Bradley, said:-
"These 2 spectacular locations are special to Liverpool and the
city's history, so it'll be great to see them used in a way they
definitely wouldn't normally be!"
Frakture Big Band, set up in 1997, has up to 20 members at any one
time and they make up music as they go along. The project has been
made possible through funding from the Liverpool Culture Company's
Creative Communities initiative.
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Schwarzeneggers' junk food ban in schools applauded by dental
charity
THE
UK's leading oral health charity is urging education chiefs to
follow the lead of movie star turned Governor of California, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, by 'terminating junk food in schools'. The British
Dental Health Foundation, providers of free and impartial dental
advice to the public (0845 063 1188), made the comments after 'Arnie'
signed legislation to ban certain junk foods from California
schools.
The Foundation has long been calling for schools in the UK to adopt
similar policies arguing that unless the junk food problem is
addressed now, the UK will soon find itself in a similar situation
to America - where one in five children are classified as obese. Now
they are calling for MP's to support the second reading of the
Children's Food Bill on October 15, with members of the public being
asked to lobby their MP's to make sure they are behind it.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Foundation, commented:-
"This legislation is excellent news for children and parents in
California - but it needs to be introduced here too! Children go to
school to learn - not just academically but about general life
issues too. One of the most important things they can be taught is
the value of healthy eating. However, it is no good telling pupils
that healthy eating is very important while still allowing them to
have burger and chips for lunch, with the option of unhealthy snacks
in-between. Junk food should not be an option in our schools."
The Children's Food Bill aims to ban the advertising and promotion
of junk foods to children, with mandatory nutrient and quality
standards for school meals and a ban on unhealthy food vending
machines. Like the Californian ban it will also include a ban on
fizzy drinks.
Dr Carter continued:- "The banning of
fizzy drinks is massively important to the improvement of children's
oral health, as well as their general health. Fizzy drinks are very
harmful to our teeth, as they are both sugary and acidic. Over half
of 5 to 10 year olds in Britain have decayed teeth, and fizzy drinks
are a major factor in this. With sugar, how often you have it is
much more important than how much you have and, at school, children
have the opportunity to sip on these fizzy drinks at every break
time. This puts their teeth under regular acid attack. The
Foundation would welcome a move to ban outright junk food and fizzy
drinks from schools in the UK, and I am sure that many parents would
be in agreement. We sincerely hope that the government takes note of
Mr Schwarzenegger's actions, and that MP's will get behind the
Children's Food Bill."
WILKINSON
MAKES GENEROUS DONATION TO AIR AMBULANCE
WILKINSON, one of
the UK's fastest growing high street retailers, has generously
donated £1,000 to the North West Air Ambulance (NWAA), the region's
only medical air emergency service and registered charity.
The company, which has over 250 stores offering quality products for
the home and garden at value for money prices, is firmly rooted to
supporting the communities it serves. With 38 stores throughout the
north west, the retailer was only to happy to support the region's
fastest emergency service.
Lynda Brislin, NWAA charity chief executive said:- "The
charity receives no mainstream funding and relies solely on the
generosity of businesses and the people of the North West to keep
this vital service running seven days a week, 365 days a year. At a
cost of £1 million a year to keep the air ambulance flying, we are
extremely grateful for every donation received. Wilkinson's very
kind donation of £1,000 will go a long way, enabling the helicopter
to respond to between 5 to 6 life-saving incidents"
For the patient, the NWAA is the fastest emergency service. To
donate to the NWAA call the free donation hotline on 0800 587 4570.
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