Sheringham Savoyards

Life goes on even after the superb experience of TANTANTARA TZING BOOM - surely one of our best shows to date – congratulations to all concerned.
These long winter evenings, and “the confinement to barracks” imposed by the snow and ice of recent weeks, have been relieved for me by a spell of systematic viewing of past Savoyard shows on videotape beginning with one of our TRIAL BY JURY productions and continuing in due order, not of our presenting them, but that of the original London shows 1875-1896. It is interesting to watch Gilbert’s ideas and Sullivan’s interpretations developing, and even more diverting to observe what we and our producers and M.D.s made of the material. Not to mention the delights of spotting friends from years back- and observing how it all looked when we were “young and charming”.
One is getting accustomed to saying ”Twenty-Ten” – let’s hope that it turns out to be an especially memorable year for Sheringham Savoyards, with our first fullscale UTOPIA - (we’ve given two notable concert versions) and more joys to come in the autumn.

Best wishes to you all

Alan

NOVEMBER

Our team in this year’s Town Quiz – Jon, Karen & Malcolm - acquitted themselves well on Wed 18th, despite the weight of numbers in the claque being far less than usual. They won through to the Quarter Finals which was held on Feb 3rd when they faced the “Seaside Specials” - unfortunately Karen was unable to attend so David A was “Lord High Substitute” The team won through to the Semi Final on Wednesday 17th March when it is hoped that the “lack of a claque” will be rectified!! 8pm at the Morley Club, Sheringham - don’t forget!!

27th & 28th TAN-TAN-TARA TZING BOOM proved to be a most successful show being a 100% sell out on both nights, by being well received by the paying public and by refilling our coffers to a pleasing degree. It was especially notable for the return of various former Savoyards to perform alongside “the usual suspects”. Congratulations and thanks were expressed on the Society’s behalf to Pam, Sarah, Karen & Lester and Jason by Malcolm at the after show party. As a further reminder to our readers about the existence of our web-site - www.sheringhamsavoyards.co.uk - please note that a copy of the NODA critique of this show is available there for your perusal.

DECEMBER

Carol Singing - Savoyards once again entertained the Christmas shoppers in Sheringham on Saturday 12th. Whether it was the sweetness of their singing, the charm of the people actually collecting the donations or possibly the identity of the charity that benefited from them that so successfully loosened the public’s purse strings but a magnificent total of £448 was donated to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

JANUARY

The wintry weather put paid to the projected viewing of our DVD of UTOPIA LTD in concert on 8th so we pitched straight in to rehearsals on 15th under Elizabeth Rooke’s musical guidance.
Auditions for the show were held on Saturday afternoon on the 23rd with the following cast being selected by Andy, Julie and Elizabeth. Thanks again to Lester for playing at them and also for being available in the morning to allow people to run over their pieces in advance.

King Paramount, the First (King of Utopia)	Keith Swetman
Scaphio (Spin Doctor)	John Bill
Phantis (Life style consultant)	Duncan McLaughlin
Tarara (The Public Exploder)	TBA
Miss Calynx(The Utopian Royal Private Secretary)	Vivienne Plunkett
Mrs Dogsbody(Miss Calynx’s Secretary)	Angie Wilson
Lord Dramaleigh (A British Lord Chamberlain)	David Allison
Captain Fitzbattleaxe (A Military Officer)	Patrick Monk
Captain Sir Edward Corcoran K C B (of the Royal Navy)	Malcolm Poore
Mr Goldbury (a Company Promoter)	Mike Eldred
The Lady Barbara Bailey-Barre, Q. C.	Pam McLaughlin
Mrs Blushington(of the County Council)	Molly Percival
The Princess Zara (eldest daughter of King Paramount)	Beverley Baker
The Princess Nekaya (a younger daughter)	Gennie Plunkett
The Princess Kalyba (another younger daughter)	Hazel Randall
The Lady Sophy (their English Supernanny)	Pam Warren
Salata (a Utopian Maiden)	Kath Whiting
Phylla (another Utopian Maiden)	Gillian Gibbs
Major Domo	Mike Emery
Narrator	Angie Wilson

FEBRUARY

Ten Pin Bowling. On Wed 24th at 7.00pm Members and Friends are invited to an evening of 2 games for £7.50 each person. A buffet supper is also available. This is to be held at Strikers Bowling Club, North Walsham.
Contact our Social Secretary Pam McLaughlin to register your interest or for more details.

MAY

A further event arranged by Pam is our Annual Dinner, which this year will be a Greek Evening at the Wyndham Arms, Sheringham on Sat 15th. There will be a three course meal and a quiz (with prizes!) as well as dancing to music from various past decades – whether the dancing will be Greek as well is open to discussion on the night. Cost will be £12.50 pp. Buy your own drinks!!

JUNE

The main event being our production of UTOPIA LTD from 16th to19th at 7.30pm with a Matinee at 2.00pm on 19th. There will be a technical rehearsal on Mon 14th with Dress rehearsal on Tues 15th. Guest and Friends night will be Weds 16th.
Note to our Friends and other potential audience -this will NOT be a traditional Victorian production!! Andy & Julie have devised one that is set more or less in the present with changes to the libretto reflecting contemporary trends and mores.
You have been warned! - but expect you to be delighted!

SEPTEMBER

Patrick Monk is producing our Autumn Show, with Karen Smith as MD. As you will probably remember this will be THE ZOO & TRIAL BY JURY .
Rehearsals will start on Friday 3rd with Auditions being held on 4th –the pieces for those having been announced in June. To help you prepare:
D’Oyly Carte recordings of both operas are available on Decca. Also TRIAL is
on Chandos –conducted by Richard Hickox.
Rehearsal CDs with individual parts for both soloists and chorus are available
from G&S Notebashers: Tel 01706 219586 or go to www.notebashers.com
It is hoped to have a separate cast for each show, with soloists in one singing chorus in the other. As a further acknowledgement of the presence of so many lady lawyers in our courts these days “Counsel for the Plaintiff” will be a female part. Subject to confirmation it is planned to have a social evening affording an introduction to THE ZOO - more details as they become available.

We congratulate David Wakeley and Alice on their marriage last October 30th (just too late to get into the last NL)
We were sorry to learn of the death in early November of one our Friends –a
supporter over many years – John Peacock.

We are all sad to have had to say farewell to Mike & Chris Press who moved just before Christmas to be near their daughter in Preston. Mike has been a member of Sheringham Savoyards since 1985 and has served our Society well during that time both on stage and off as Vice Chairman 1987-1990 and as Secretary 2000-2004, remaining on the Committee until 2006 before retiring from “active service” and becoming a Friend. No doubt he will find other G&S devotees in deepest Lancashire but we hope he remembers his time with us with affection as we salute his friendship, in both senses, and his work for us.

I have it on good authority that a Savoyard is to appear on BBC National radio in the Spring. “Counterpoint” is a quiz on all things musical aired on Radio 4 at 1.30pm Mondays, with a repeat at 11pm Saturdays. I am told that recordings will take place late February for transmission of the series starting on March 22nd. Listen out to see if triumph or humiliation follows for this brave, if necessarily slightly deranged, person!

CONCERT/RECITAL

Patrick Monk and Karen Smith will be giving a recital of songs by Beethoven, Schumann, R.Strauss, R.Quilter and R.Vaughan Williams as well as some Britten Folk Song arrangements on Saturday April 24th at 7.30pm at The King of Hearts in Magdalen Street, Norwich. Tickets are £7 (Students and young people £5) available from the King of Hearts Box Office.

The Society has donated £50 to the “Help for Heroes “ fund and has received an acknowledgement and thanks from the fund.

HOLIDAY COTTAGE TO LET - SOUTH OF FRANCE

Our cottage, in a village 5 miles from the Mediterranean Sea is available for
holiday lets between May & September. Sleeps 4 Very reasonable rates.
Contact either Kath or Maurice Whiting for further details.
Tel: 01263 821185 or e-mail: kandm.whiting@virgin.net
We are still awaiting our first Savoyards hirers!

WEB SITE

www.sheringhamsavoyards.co.uk

In the near future it is hoped to be able to provide a facility to provide members with a password protected individual log-in to the web-site giving them exclusive access to information not for general public circulation i.e. social events or rehearsal venue changes or cancellations. More info. as & when.