And so we face the final curtain, until September

Thursday 19^th May. Wyllyots Centre, Potters Bar.

And so we face the final curtain. Well, at least until September when it all starts again.

Too long a journey to do this one all in one day and so we all travel the day before, except for Siobhan who lives quite close to the Theatre and will just get there for the show.

This venue is another one of our success stories as it sells out every single time. We find that a little strange as it is the only venue in the country where we must be finished around 4.00pm and therefore we only have time to do around 40 minutes of our normal second half. From a performance point of view this makes for a very easy show, and as long as everyone is happy….so be it.

Show over. The cast get Marie’s instructions as to what to do with costumes. We have a showcase for a cruise contract in 3 weeks time and so some of the costumes will be used for this, while others get sorted and packaged away until their next outing.

This season seems to have gone so quickly. We have had an excellent cast. Thanks to Pen, Steve Paul, Fay, Helene, Siobhan and Nina. Not forgetting Bill Bill of course.

Our audiences have been amazing. Our average ticket sales have increased in general, the feedback has been superb, and we look forward to starting rehearsals in August for the next tour of ‘A Timeless Collection’. Dates for this can be found at http://timelesstheatre.co.uk/theatre-shows-and-tour-itinerary.html

Our audiences have been so generous too in their support of our charity fund raising programme to the point that we have now presented a cheque to Sunderland Hospitals for £3,700.00. We made a rough calculation that over the past 4 years we have raised over £15,000 thanks to the generosity of everyone. We also thank everyone who bought our CD’s and hope that you are all enjoying them.

What will next season bring we wonder? In this business we never know who the cast members will be and so we look forward to keeping you posted on this as we get any news.

We look forward to seeing all of our audiences again next season. In the meantime, god bless you all, and here is a final word from Maisy.

20^th May 2011

Hello everyone, this is Maisy the Greyhound and today something very strange happened.  Colin and Marie unpacked their cases and stored them up in the loft! Now in my book (and I’m a dog so I may see things from a slightly different angle to you) that can only mean one thing ……. No More trips to the Kennels for me – YIPPEE.

If I am totally honest with you, I quite like the kennels I go to – they are run by a lady called Carole who is generally very very nice to me (she says I’m her favourite and sometimes she gives me extra attention and treats when the other dogs aren’t looking).  She did once tell me off for chewing up my duvet cover (I didn’t like the colour you see) but she doesn’t seem to hold grudges and I promised  I won’t chew up the new  one (well I like the colour of this new one so there is no need to chew it up really is there?)

So asides from the human’s cases going up in to the loft because they are not touring for a couple of months, a couple of other things have been going on.  Colin (the man human) went out and got some new glasses (hardly recognised him) and he has been spending a lot of time in the office doing important office things. (Apparently planning the next tour, though Jo-Jo told me in confidence that he just gets in the way and messes up the office that stays nice and tidy when he is on tour).  Marie has been organising new posters and sorting costume repairs and getting things ready for another set of rehearsals starting in a couple of months, there is a lot to organise in advance you know  – I’m quite looking forward to rehearsals again, that dancer girl ‘Helene’ promised to bring more beef flavour crisps with her (hopefully she hasn’t found out they are not for Dogs yet)

I know my Humans will be going on tour again in September but for now at least, it is quite nice to have them home for a bit, I especially like sitting on the sofa next to Marie watching CSI , on one of those rare occasions where they are not as ‘they’ say, running around like headless chickens.  Speaking of which, humans have no brains if they actually believe that a headless chicken can still run around !!!!!!

Anyway – have a good summer, I will let you know when rehearsals start again. For now though – time for a nap, I’ve been awake typing this for nearly 15 minutes so I’m exhausted.

Woof woof xx

Memory Lane Tour. Almost over

Tuesday 3^rd, Wednesday 4^th May, Solihull Arts Complex.

Today is the start of our final run of the season, although not quite the last show, and we leave our comfy beds at 7.00am to start the journey to the Midlands. Pen makes her way to the A64 in Leeds to her pick up point. Nina has an even earlier start to get to Colin and Marie’s house for the 7.00am departure. Siobhan, Fay and Helene make their way to Wooley Edge services on the A1 ready to be collected by Bill. Steve and Colin are together discussing the final days of Sunderland’s football season and whether manager Steve Bruce should be sacked or not.

Today is quite an exciting day for Marie and Colin as John and Judith from the Retired Greyhound Trust (http://www.rgtmidlands.co.uk/) where Maisy the Greyhound was rescued from. Since getting Maisy they have formed a great friendship and this is the first time they have managed to come to see one of the shows. Naturally a meal is planned afterwards.

The shows go according to plan, John and Judith are suitably impressed and a nice meal is had.

This is another venue where we have the luxury of two days, and therefore on the second day we have no load in task, no ironing, and a lie in bed before we arrive at the theatre around 1.00pm

No sooner does it seem we arrive there, we are loading the van at 11.00pm and looking forward to a drive to 

Ipswich, some 3 hours away in preparation for a matinee show in Felixstowe.

Thursday 5^th May. Spa Pavilion Felixstowe.

Record ticket sales for us at this venue and we are so grateful to all of the people who come to see our shows on a regular basis. There is a major recession out there, and there are so many companies in our position who have already bitten the dust.

By now everyone is on automatic pilot at every show. Set up, costumes, sound, light, preparation and performance. After 32 dates, that is pretty normal.

A normal day at the office is followed by a 4 hour journey up to Barnsley in Yorkshire, ready for 2 shows at Penistone Paramount tomorrow.

Steve and Colin take the monumental decision to purchase KFC on the journey, and the cast have a 

respectable arrival time at the Travelodge to have some chill time.

Friday 6^th May. Penistone Paramount.

Our penultimate show. Two weeks off after today, then just one matinee at Potters Bar and that is the tour over.

Many of the cast have quite a few family members coming to see the show today. Jen has her Gran, Auntie and a few others coming, while Fay has half the population of Penistone coming, as it is her home village.

As always at Penistone we have Jen’s dad, Jim, as a backstage helper. It is always great pleasure to have him with us, and I’m sure he enjoys his ‘work’ days with us.

Job done, and here we go with a two week break before our last show of the season.