North Manchester AODS – The Black and White Mikado

It’s the time of year for welcoming guests and offering hospitality. Last week North Manchester Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society took to the stage at NWTAC’s theatre on Lightbowne Road, Moston, taking advantage of an excellent facility and support team.

The Black and White Mikado ran for four nights and I joined a packed audience for the opening show on Wednesday 8th December. I use the term ‘show’ loosely. The Mikado is an ‘operetta’ (part opera, part dialogue) and, typical of a Gilbert and Sullivan composition, has a light-hearted, comedic storyline.

Originally set in Japan and lavishly colourful this version is very ‘1920’s British’ with art deco scenery and matching black and white costumes. The effect is striking and works well, along with adaptations to the original script.

Even if you think you don’t know ‘The Mikado’ you will almost certainly be familiar with several of its musical numbers: A Wandering Minstrel, The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring, Three Little Maids From School Are We… and more. If you don’t recognise them, I can only assume that you played truant from school.

Charlotte Crossley took the lead female role, Yum-Yum. She has a delightful voice, clear as a bell. She reminded me of a fresh faced Julie Andrews and I’d be delighted to see her take on a part like Mary Poppins or Maria Von Trapp. I’m certain she could rival Julie any day.

Seb Lassandro, aka Ko-Ko (the Lord High Executioner), was perfectly cast. He entered the stage with his ‘little list’ speech which, in keeping with tradition, included current famous and infamous miscreants who deserve his ‘executioning‘ talents. The audience nodded their approval several times and one or two suggested victims even got cheers. I may have heard a certain Boris mentioned.

Seb’s lively portrayal of Ko-Ko was animated and thoroughly entertaining. He charmed the audience and gained much sympathy for inadvertently losing his young charge, love and future bride Yum-Yum to the Wandering Minstrel Nanki-Poo, played by Lawrence Shoebridge.

I was genuinely impressed by the repertoire and wealth of experience that the leads and supporting cast brought to this production; Jill Ratcliffe, Dave Seager, Mike Nash, Jack Brierley, Rebecca Tonge and Steph Eckhardt played their characters convincingly.

The producer, Paul Allcock did a superb job of pulling everything together to make The Black and White Mikado a successful stage production; opera singers, actors and wider cast, dancers and musicians included. The latter earned applause for their impeccable timing, so too the dancers from the Anita Tymcyshyn School of Dancing for bringing grace and elegance into the mix. Well done all!

The programme included an introduction from the Society’s Honorary President David Gordon and a thank you to the audience “without whom there would be no shows and no society”. How true.

North Manchester AODS have existed for decades. They haven’t performed a show this extravagant for some time, notwithstanding the interruption presented by Covid.

A few weeks ago Nick Lowe, Secretary, Gentleman of Japan, Assistant Producer, Projectionist and professional multi tasker loaned me a book on the history of the Society ‘celebrating a hundred years of amateur theatre’. It is AWESOME. Contact Nick if you want a copy because I’m keeping mine.

There is a quote in it by the Blackley Guardian about the first show that took place in 1920.

“The Simpson Memorial Amateur Dramatic Society, Moston, has scored a great success in the presentation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera THE MIKADO….The Society is to be congratulated firstly on it’s selection and secondly on the manner in which it was performed.”

A century on and I couldn’t sum it up better.

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North West Theatre Arts Company – Christmas is Coming

Is it me or are we heading for Christmas like a steam train? There’s so much going on. What a contrast compared to last year.

I’m a devoted Christmas ‘last minuter’ but got a ticket for NWTAC’s Winter Wonderland Concert back in November and, well, haven’t looked back. The curtains opened and the first line of the first song put a smile on our faces…”Sleigh bells, ring are you listening?”. We were treated then on to a fabulous mix of Christmas musical numbers and great dance routines: Let It Snow, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, White Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride and Merry Christmas Everybody, This show had them all and comedy sketches too.

Brumbly the Elf, Inspector Brumbly that is, aka Anthony Horricks, went through some new ‘rules’ about Christmas and we had a peep inside the elves workshop.

‘The Nativity’ scene was just brilliant. A nativity in reverse, if that makes sense. The usual characters were played by grown-ups pretending to be children rather than the other way around and it had the audience in stitches.

The enthusiasm and love of performing shone through as it always does. The audience joined in with the cast to close the show with ‘I wish it could be Christmas Every Day’. Honestly, Brumbly the Elf wouldn’t have it any other way. It made me want to go home and put my Christmas tree up straight away. Me, with my ‘last minute’ reputation!

Next up for NWTAC is Aladdin. So, if you weren’t able to get to Winter Wonderland, get a shift on and book your tickets. Your kids will love it. YOU will love it.

Aladdin runs from 22 – 31 December 2021. Contact NWTAC for tickets or book through Groupon.

Here’s what’s in store…

A young dreamer, a beautiful princess, an evil magician, and a self-proclaimed beautiful Dame will keep you entertained in this spectacular Christmas show.

Next week the theatre is hosting The Black and White Mikado, a comic Gilbert and Sullivan opera performed by NMAODS (North Manchester Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society). The costumes look AMAZING! It runs for 4 nights starting on Wednesday 8th so you’ll have to be quick.

There’s plenty more going on in and around Moston in the run up to Christmas and beyond into 2022. If you’re uneasy with indoor events then go outdoors… and that’s not a plug for an outdoor retailer, by the way.

  • North Manchester Fitness and Morisso Health recently led an Elf walk in Boggart Hole Clough. A great turn out. Keep an eye out as they both run regular outdoor activities and there’s something to suit everyone
  • Simply Cycling are at Boggart Hole Clough Mondays and Saturdays
  • Michael Green from Broadhurst Community Centre leads well-being walks throughout the week
  • If you like gardening there are clubs at No 93 Church Lane, Moston as well as Failsworth Growing Hub next to Failsworth Library
  • Join Russell Hedley from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust on Thursdays and give the local wildlife a hand by volunteering – it’s a great project to be part of
The Elf Walk at Boggart Hole Clough 2021

Finally, today Saturday 4th December, Moston switches its Christmas lights on at Moston Green festivities commence at 3pm and NWTAC will be there! Forget your tree for now, you can put it up tomorrow.

The cast for Rent – coming to you in February 2022

For information about NWTAC and this seasons shows, how to book tickets etc just click here or follow them on Facebook.

For NMAODS website, including booking tickets just click here or follow them on Facebook.

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North West Theatre Arts Company – Phantom Memories

The new season at North West Theatre Arts Company, Lightbowne Rd, Moston is under way and what a great start!

Phantom Memories is set in a disused theatre that four youngsters find their way into. Dusty props, odd items of costume and pieces of faded scenery present a creepy, haunted atmosphere. They’re caught red handed by the ageing caretaker, Bud Berger, superbly played by the young Harry Gardner. They run off leaving one young lady behind.

Finding herself alone she curiously starts to sort through the dusty objects. Each one she touches conjures us up ghostly images taking her, and the audience, back in time as they perform their memories from past musicals.

NWTAC’s theatre school term started just 4 weeks ago and the cast represents the full range of students including the newest members and the most experienced. A month is not a lot of rehearsal time so it was ‘in at the deep end’ for the newbies. They did so well. Early nerves soon dissipated and everyone grew in confidence as the show unfolded.

The musical numbers showcased a variety of West End productions, big box office films and the best of Hollywood hits such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Evita, South Pacific, The Wizard of Oz, Half a Sixpence and more. Something to suit everyone.

The full company kicked off with The Phantom of the Opera, closing the show two hours later with Born to Hand Jive and You’ll Never Walk Alone. In between we had solos, duets, comedy pieces and one or two cheeky numbers too.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow is one of my all-time favourites. It’s just ‘up there’ and Amelia Zatorska sang it so sweetly that I and the rest of the audience melted. Gareth Maudsley’s rendition of Flash! Bang! Wallop! was brilliantly energetic and I’m convinced he’s related to Tommy Steele. If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It by Maria Collins was soooo tongue in cheek it made us blush. James Llewellyn Burke nailed all of his numbers including Gethsemene and Madame Guillotine with real passion, matched by Solomon Asante-Owusu and Lois Ormerod’s ‘crime of passion’ with We Both Reached For the Gun.

All these numbers would have fallen flat without the brilliant staging and direction of the production team. It’s easy to overlook the skills involved. Some of dance routines were complex yet executed with precision and that’s a tricky challenge for such a large cast, so, well done to Choreographer Katie Gough. A total of 39 musical numbers must have left Bethany Singh, Musical Director, feeling very proud and rightly so.

This was the first of a season of 8 shows that NWTAC will perform over the coming months and the script was inspired: A lovely trip down memory lane. What can beat a live performance, close to home and it doesn’t break the bank to go and watch?

If you have never been to NWTAC’s theatre and don’t know what to expect this is a view of the interior with the show’s Director, Prab Singh in the foreground…

NWTAC are truly a talented group of people but don’t take my word for it. Go and see for yourself. Winter Wonderland, a variety concert to get you in the mood for Christmas, comes up next from the 18th to 20th November. See you there.

Details of all forthcoming shows, how to join the mailing list and book tickets etc., can be found on NWTAC’s website here, along with details of the North West Stage School.

You can also follow them on Facebook, just click here.

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