Black Country Touring Brochure Front Cover
The launch of our new brochure for Autumn/Winter 2010 is very close now. It will be out amongst you w/c 5th September, full as usual with a fantastic mix of shows around The Black Country.
Don’t forget you can also look at all the shows online too – we hope to see you at one or more of the shows.
Natalie
What a nice young man
I might not have been able to manage any dancing at Al Bowlly, being sadly deficient in the knowledge of any kind of waltz, foxtrot or rumba but I loved the spirit of participation that overtook everyone involved in organising the event at the Town Hall and resulted in Deb, Trudy, Frances, Natalie and myself donning floral housecoats, red lipstick, scarves and hairnets in our charwoman ‘organiser’ roles.
Is it Sharon or is it her nan?
It was our attempt to add to the 1930s-1940s period feel for our audience and meant we too were a part of the action. I’d like to thank Trudy for her idea for us to dress up and for sourcing the costumes. It created a lot of giggles and laughter and added to what was a great event, I felt privileged to be part of it and an unexpected bonus of being part of Al Bowlly was that it gave me the opportunity to dress up like my Nan!
Sharon Baker
STAA
Busy Lizzie chats to Mrs Bowen from West Bromwich
On Friday 23rd July, the last day but two for Sandwell Arts Festival, we were back in Queen’s Square with Busy Lizzie from Curious Cargo, a charming human sized puppet aged 293 (I think that’s how old she was, she was very ancient) who journeys through the garden of life. Lizzie walked very slowly round the square with a huge basket of flowers on her back, chatting to the shoppers old and young alike about life, flowers and what is real and what is not real and how heavy was her basket on her back and whether it would better to have a trolley.
Busy Lizzie chatting in Queens Square
‘Lift your gloom with a bloom, calm your hysteria with wisteria, snore no more with herbivore’ Lizzie was fond of saying as she handed out small packets of wild flower seeds and rose petal leaves to the very young and the very old.
It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon and Lizzie cheered up all she spoke with, and the shoppers in the Queens Square were very intrigued by the performance. Many people were taking her photo on their phones and wanted their photos taken with her, so if you were one of the shoppers who took a photo of Lizzie on Friday please send it to us and we will put it on our website or facebook page. Our email address is us@bctouring.co.uk
The Arts Festival in Sandwell has been progressing well, with thousands of people seeing what has been on offer so far.
Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto had another successful run out on Friday. The dancers from Sandwell’s Perrforming Arts were magnificent, their timing and dancing was superb, showing how much they were enjoying being part of this thoroughly professional show.
As on Thursday the show ended with a tea dance. There is something quite wonderful in the way the show moved from being a spectacle which people watched into the band playing for the tea dance with “Al Bowlly” singing, which the same people then became part of, it is like entering the era.
On Saturday there were two other BCT programmed events that people were treated to – with performances at The Windmill Centre in Smethwick and at the market in West Bromwich.
The people of Smethwick were treated to Eternal Taal, with their unique blend of the traditional and modern Bhangra. Even if their was not a soul in sight as their show began, as soon as the dhol drums sounded out across the space, people began to assemble. There was great moment as the Bhangra remix of Michael Jackson’s Thriller began to play and the dancers took of again.
Meanwhile in West Brom, BCT regulars, Circus Berzercus were entertaining shoppers there. Their “short” sets got longer and longer as the audience wouldn’t let them go – well watching some one juggle with your shopping, has got to be more interesting than just buying it – as long as they don’t drop it….
The Sandwell Arts festival has got underway with vibrant performances on the streets of West Bromwich by the Bombay Baja Band and with Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto’s first performance at West Bromwich Town Hall.
On Wednesday, the Brass Band attracted a large and appreciative crowd, inspiring people to join in the dancing whilst the drums and brass of the musicians resounded of the walls.
Meanwhile down the road in the Town Hall, Untied Artists were setting up for their performance on Thursday. As usual it was everyone mucking in, getting the set up and preparing the hall. As well as the company and BCT, Trudy from Sandwell Social Services’ creative arts team and Sharon from Sandwell Third Age Arts were down there, adding to the atmosphere with bunting and table cloths.
The first performance on Thursday was a joyous event. Dawn Parker and the company had been working with dancers from the Performance Arts group so they could perform in the show – and some of their group also provided additional stewards.
The show eventually got underway as the mellifluous tones of Jake and the band ran through the show and the major hits of Al Bowlly himself, including a lovely version of Buddy Can You Spare a Dime – a tune that may come back into fashion with all the cuts that are happening today.
In the audience were people who had been brought up with Al’s tunes and even a woman whose mother and aunty had known Al.
It finished off with a tea dance where the band played on and the audience took to the floor – even Natalie from BCT got involved.
It was a lovely afternoon, whose setting really matched the period feel. It felt like the Town Hall knew what was going on and what it’s role in the whole thing was – and it did it beautifully, the show perfectly suiting its location. We were all like ghosts from another era floating through the space.
Steve Johnstone
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