From the Roaring 20's to Outer Space!

Today we continue the tour of my scrapbooks and the plays I was in that have led me gently to the Dolman and Newport Playgoers.

So there were 2 more shows before I ran off to drama school in Hertfordshire.

 In Alan Parker's Bugsy Malone I ended up playing 2 parts - both men due to the shortage of male actors, this was fins by me as I got to shoot myself in the face with custard as one of the hoodlums in Fat Sam's gang and got to sing So you want to be a boxer as Cagey Joe - I still have my copy of the script signed by the case and crew.

In one of the more embarrassing of my theatrical exploits I wore a bin bag and a scull cap painted yellow in Big Zoo, one of those shows devised by the cast - In this story the Dozers blast their way across the universe laying waste to every planet in their wake. On their way they meet the peaceful Trashers and a revolution led by yours truly takes place.

An actors life for me!

Ever since I was little I have loved performing and as you know I have recently become a member of Newport Playgoers.

 I was lucky enough to be included in Love Story the musical earlier this year and next week we begin rehearsing the first of three plays intended to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War - those plays being The Accrington Pals, Blackadder Goes Forth and the play I am in For Services Rendered by W Somerset Maugham.

So before I bore you with posts about the rehearsals, I thought I'd bore you with a series of posts about the plays and musicals I have been in so far.

My first performance was in around 1976 when I was 2 and a 1/2 years old, it was with the baby class of Abbotswood Dance School, Bristol that myself and the rest of the class performed Wee Willy Winkie - I was very proud of my little lantern which my Grandfather had made for me, mine was the only 3D lantern - my Grandfather was a precision engineer and believe it or not I actually remember fragments of the performance.

After this there were other school productions and I vaguely rmember playing the star on a Christmas Tree in one.

 This play was called something along the lines of The Animals Christmas, I played a sheep that's me in the white coat, I had to sing with a boy named Mark except it turned out that he didn't want to sing and I ended up singing on my own.

After this there were performances in A Christmas Carol and Carousel and then I went to Crosskeys College - now Coleg Gwent Crsskeys Campus.

 This show was devised  by us students in the first week of term the title was 'Night' and we had to use 2 songs Night and Day and A Hard Days Night, from what I remember we played toys in a playroom which came alive at night.

 Action by Derek Boswell

Rites by Maureen Duffy

Newport Playgoers present Peter Quilters 'Duets'

If you are in the mood for a few laughs, like going to the theatre and are in Newport, South Wales this week, I can highly recommend this production of Duets.

Funny, heartwarming, touching and full of human hopes, fears and desires, Duets will make you laugh even at the sadder moments.

A great cast of of player perform these 4 one act plays

 Claudia Barnes and Dave Livingstone have a Blind Date with a difference

 Claire Jacob and  Chris Bissex-Williams celebrate a birthday with a wedding cake!

 Nicky Davies and Graeme Johnson finalise their divorce in Torremolinos

Jerry Gummit and Claire Drewett discuss commitment and the hideousness of the wedding dress

Duets runs from Wednesday 14th May until Sat 17th May

Tickets can be purchase from the Dolman Theatre website by clicking HERE