JIMI HENDRIX, ERIC CLAPTON & CREAM – Paying tribute to these legends of rock are VOODOO ROOM. A stunning power trio featuring some of the UK’s finest musicians who perform an incredible show in the true spirit of these legendary superstars.
No wigs, no gimmicks – simply great music played by great musicians! Featuring classics such as: Hey Joe, Sunshine Of Your Love, Purple Haze, Layla etc. Members of Voodoo Room have recorded and toured with Stevie Winwood, Massive Attack, Arthur Brown, Fish, Thunder and many other high-profile artists.
With standing ovations the norm, the word on the street is Voodoo Room are – NOT TO BE MISSED! Saturday, March 30, at 7.45pm
Tickets £15 available online from www.thameplayers.co.uk orfrom Spear Travels on 01844 217228
A World Village Market is returning to Thame on Friday, April 5 to 7, 2019, for the third year, showcasing products from around the world including pottery from Portugal, baskets and tableware from Madagascar, wool products from Ecuador and Peru, jewellery from Rajasthan and much more!
There’ll also be plenty of international hot food and beverages stalls to tantalise your taste buds. For the children, there’ll be face painting and an ice-cream van!
The World Village Market is hosted by the Market Square Group – LINK HERE . The market is open 11am-5pm on Friday, April 5, 9am-6pm on Saturday, April 6, and 10am-5pm on Sunday, April 7, and will take place around the Town Hall (the same location as the French Market in October).
HIROKAZU Kore-eda’s Oscar nominated, Palme d’Or winning drama, SHOPLIFTERS will be shown by Thame Cinima 4 All, this Friday, March 29, in Thame.
Shoplifters is a mesmerising portrait of marginal lives in contemporary urban Japan and a heartbreakingly moving story about the nuances and complexity of family life.
Osamu is a drifter and shoplifter, combing the streets and the supermarkets of the outskirts of Tokyo, stealing food for his family. He is teaching his boy, Shota, the tricks of the trade. Noboyu steals from the laundry where she works, and Aki contributes to the household through her work in a very dodgy soft porn peep-show catering to those with a penchant for teen girls.
They all live in a couple of impossibly crowded rooms shared with Hatsue, the grandmother of the family, rooms so stuffed with packaging and detritus, random items and accumulated pilfered goods, yet with a kind of ramshackle order and a regular daily routine. It is a life lived in fear of the authorities, an existence scratched out on the margins, the constant theft a kind of ironic mirror image of the materialist consumerism of the Japanese mainstream.
One evening, Osamu sees a small child apparently neglected and abused by her mother; he and Noboyu take her in, name her Juri, and make a home for her. She too happily blends into the small band of thieves – so close to her family yet rendered invisible, in spite of news coverage of her disappearance. As we follow the lives of the family over a couple of seasons, their stories unfold, and the past reveals itself. This is a wise and melancholy but uplifting drama: it questions what a family is, what constitutes ‘dysfunctional’, and what makes for a good enough parent. Ultimately, it examines how a flawed and troubled group of people – grappling with the shadows of the past – break the law, make questionable moral choices but still rub along together, look out for each other, and cultivate healing and compassionate familial love. One of the films of 2018 this will stay with you – don’t miss it.
Japan 2018, 120 minutes, 15 certificate – Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, starring Kriin Kiki, Lily Franky, Sosuke Ikematsu, Sakura Ando, Moemi Katayama, Mayu Matsuoka
View the trailer HERE. Shoplifters -Friday, March 29 – 8pm – Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame
Film tickets are available on the door or online- Click here
THE Players Theatre in Thame welcomed the town’s Mayor and local councillors to a reception on Wednesday, March 13, to celebrate the completion of two grant-funded projects at the theatre.
L to R – Cllr David Dodds (SODC), Pat Shepherd, Chairman of Thame Players, Mayor of Thame, Cllr Ann Midwinter
Thame Town Council awarded £1400 towards an upgrade of WiFi equipment at the theatre, including network switches and professional wiring for 11 ports with interconnects. As a popular community venue, improved technology is essential to the running of the theatre and its efficient and effective operation. The significant WiFi upgrade means that internet access is available throughout the building, enhancing in-house and visiting performances and support functions such as sound and lighting.
The Mayor of Thame, Cllr Ann Midwinter, said: “We are delighted to be helping the Players Theatre to maintain and improve its facilities so that audiences can continue to enjoy performances delivered with the best technical support. This WiFi upgrade resonates with the Council’s desire to improve WiFi availability in Thame and we wish the theatre continuing success now that it has greater access to WiFi.”
Thame Town Council’s grants scheme aims to fund projects addressing the needs of people in the community, supporting initiatives that develop skills, improve health, and revitalise the local environment, enabling people to become more active.
South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) awarded £4000 from its Councillor Grant Scheme towards the installation of a specialist acoustic door at the theatre. The new acoustic door greatly improves access to the stage and backstage areas for two groups. Disabled performers, such as wheelchair users can become fully involved in productions at the theatre, whether as performers or as stage hands. The door also enables the movement of large stage equipment on to the stage which means that the theatre is better equipped to put on more ambitious productions, including those from visiting companies and musicians, increasing the variety of entertainment available in Thame.
The Councillor Grants Scheme enables each South Oxfordshire district councillor to award up to £5,000 to projects or services offering community benefits in their ward area.
Players Theatre award was made within Cllr David Dodds’ grant allowance. Speaking at the celebration, Cllr Dodds said: “SODC’s grants scheme seeks to fund projects which benefit the community and enhance the facilities available. The acoustic door project was technically challenging, involving complex electrical adjustments, but now it has been completed, the benefits, enabling access for disabled performers and improving access for equipment, will enhance the theatre as a valuable entertainment resource in the town.”
ONE hundred swimmers, in 18 teams, took part in the seventh Thame Swimathon at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, March 3, made possible by generous local sponsors – Thame Leisure Centre, Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust and Aston Hearing ,who covered the costs to hire the swimming pool. Most of the costs of the medals awarded to the participants were covered by Ignite Sport.
The teams swam 2,311 swimming pool lengths, which is the equivalent of almost 36 miles.
The fun and fundraising event was organised by the Rotary Club of Thame & District, and was supported by Thame Lions and Thame Inner Wheel, as well as family members and friends of Thame Rotarians.
At the end of each hourly swimming session, the Mayor of Thame Ann Midwinter, presented medals to all the swimmers. Ann said: “I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Thame & District for organising such a brilliant event. It was such a pleasure to see young and old having such a healthy and enjoyable time with the support of the families who came along to the swimathon to cheer, and help raise money for charity too.”
Thame Swimming Club entered seven teams – a great opportunity to raise funds for their own club. One of their teams swam the biggest number of lengths of all 18 teams, 218.
Barley Hill School participated with five teams this year. Jo Sackett, Barley PTFA Trustee, said: “Yet another fantastic event organised and run by the Rotary. The five teams from Barley Hill School thoroughly enjoyed themselves, raised a phenomenal amount of money and can’t wait for next year!”
All teams and the charities supported:
Thame Swimming Club 7 teams
Dippers and Divers 2 teams
Barley Hill School 5 teams
Team Ice Cream
Team Rapid 6
Team 50
Wheatley Park School Interact Club
Graham Colverson, President of the Rotary Club of Thame & District, swam with his son and four grandchildren. Graham said: “Now in its seventh year, Thame Swimathon has become a major annual event for our Rotary Club. It provides an opportunity for many youngsters and adults to have fun and raise money, which is divided between local charities supported by our club, and the participants own preferred charities. I would like to thank everyone who has taken part this year, including the sponsors – not only those that help teams raise money but also those that support the cost of running the event – without them, we would be unable to run this popular activity.”
The total amount raised so far by the teams exceeds £4,000. The public can still donate online towards their favourite teams by March 17. The links to the teams’ fundraising pages can be found at www.thame.rotary1090.org at the Thame Swimathon section. More photos capturing the event can be found on www.facebook.com/thamerotary
COMEDY night at the Thame Players theatre on Friday, April 5, will feature George Egg the DIY Chef and there’s a special offer for Thame Food Festival newsletter subscribers!
Headline act for the night, George Egg – Anarchist Cook – will be presenting his sell-out Edinburgh show ‘DIY Chef’ – a totally unique combination of stand-up comedy with real food, cooked live on stage using power tools, and then the audience eats it at the end! Here’s a video trailer: https://youtu.be/AJobIxdi68w
Jay Rayner, Food Critic of The Observer, described the show as “Brilliantly funny” and The Independent said: “The wonderfully talented George Egg is genuinely unique.” As well as the comedy, there’ll be doing a spot of fundraising for Comic Relief.
Tickets are normally priced at £12 and available from 01844 217228 or www.thameplayers.co.uk. However if you use the code ‘APRIL’ at checkout on the web site you’ll get tickets for only £10!
Double the fun!
Also appearing on this comedy double-bill, will be Tom Neenan: ‘It’s Always Infinity’. Tom’s fourth sell-out Edinburgh show fuses slick presentation with an engaging story and plenty of solid laughs!
THE young people of Thame and the surrounding area have, yet again, stepped up to the challenge to offer visitors to Music in the Park a packed programme of talent.
Anoushka Bhattacharya
Music in the Park is committed to providing a platform for young talent in the area and more youngsters than ever will be performing at this year’s event.
The time set aside for the Youth Programme, which takes place on the Acoustic Stage, has been extended this year. The first session starts at 11.40 and runs through to 13:00 and features a guitar ensemble as well as a range of solo performers. Then at 15:00, ‘Youth Rocks’, a rock band made up of 10 and 11 year-olds olds will perform Sweet Child Of Mine. This will be followed by more soloists, including Isaac Forward, aged 10, who is currently starring on stage at The Playhouse Theatre, London.
Local guitar, ukulele and drum teacher John Reid-Hansen, who is coordinating the programme, said: “These children, aged 10 to 16, aren’t just our future, they are already an integral part of our current music scene and are having a tremendous impact on live music in Thame. So do come along and check out the youth of Thame on the Acoustic Stage.”
USA 2018, 100 minutes, 15 certificate Directed by Bjorn Runge, starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons
IN her acceptance speech for her Best Actress Oscar last weekend, Olivia Colman expressed regret that she was in competition against Glenn Close, one of her screen idols, who was up for her seventh Best Actress nomination for her role in The Wife. And it is one of the most exceptional performances of Close’s long and exceptional career.
In the film, she plays Joan Castleman, wife of celebrated man of letters, Joseph (Pryce). As the film opens, we learn that Joseph has been awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. The couple travel to Stockholm for the award ceremony, but what should be a celebration is instead a crisis point for Joan: Joseph is vain, preening, needy, repeatedly rejoicing to others that he couldn’t have done it without her; that fortunately for him she has no interest in writing.
He flagrantly chases after younger women (infidelity is evidently a recurring feature of the marriage) and tortures their beloved son, Max, (Irons) with faint praise for his own writing efforts. And yet Joan is perennially and stoicly on hand, ensuring that he has taken his pills, that he has eaten, that everything is in its place. But she is also evidently suppressing considerable rage and frustration. As events unfold, Joan is forced to reappraise her life and her marriage, her own thwarted literary ambitions, and the legacies of her decades-long selfless dedication to her husband’s work and career – a process perhaps catalysed by the insistent enquiries of Slater’s Nathaniel, a creepy journo and wannabe biographer of Joseph, who has joined the Nobel bandwagon.
The story moves between past and present, going back to their meeting at college in the 1950s, when Joan was also a conspicuously gifted aspiring writer. Close is outstanding as a complex and dignified woman grappling with long suppressed emotions, with regret and anguish, with love and loathing. Pryce, too, is reliably excellent as the insufferable narcissist Joseph. View the trailer HERE.
TOWERSEY Festival has announced that Steve Heap and Lioux Heap are to retire after the 2019 festival.
Steve first attended Towersey in 1966 (the second festival) as a performer, before going on to be a MC, PA engineer, steward’s coordinator, campsite manager, publicity and marketing assistant, and just about every other job involved in running a successful greenfield site festival.
In 1975, the year after co-founder Denis Manners retired, Steve became the director of Towersey, leading the festival through a period of unprecedented growth as the event grew from attracting 1,000 visitors to 8,000, firmly establishing it as one of the largest and most successful annual events in the area, as well as major event in the UK’s festival calendar.
With 23 years as part of the Towersey team, Lioux initially joined the festival in 1996 as the Office Manager. She later covered several other roles including Box Office Manager, Artists’ Liaison, and Accreditation Manager. In 2016, Lioux created and produced the All About Children strand to great acclaim.
Their decision to step down follows several year’s internal preparation, which includes Joe Heap (Steve’s son) stepping into the role of Director.
Actively involved in the festival for over a decade, Joe has been officially helming Towersey since 2013 alongside Steve and Lioux. Leading a strong and dedicated team, he’s overseen both the hugely successful 50th anniversary celebrations as well as a site move.
Joe said: “During Steve’s 45 years with Towersey the festival has grown tenfold and launched numerous careers. His commitment and dedication to Towersey, as well as his skill and knowledge, has driven huge changes and helped establish Towersey as a 21st century festival with exceptionally strong roots.
“On a personal note, he’s been my mentor and taught me so much about live events and the music industry as a whole.
“Lioux too has had an indelible role within the festival, particularly in shaping the administration structure and Box Office service, but more recently with our family-focused activities.
“I’d like to extend my, heartfelt thanks for all their years of work – often above and beyond the call of duty, and always with the love of Towersey at the centre of everything they do. They’ll be hugely missed, but will always be part of Towersey and its history.”
Eestablished in 1965, Towersey is one of the UK’s longest running independent music festivals. Boasting nine venues, alongside an extensive music programme the festival also features over 30 hours of ceilidh, daily workshops, well-stocked bars, street food, spoken word, film screenings, roaming performers, an acclaimed programme of activities for children and younger festival-goers, and more.
The next festival runs from Friday, August 23 to Monday, August 26, 2019, and features performances by The Selecter, Hothouse Flowers, The Unthanks, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Fisherman’s Friends, Oysterband and a tribute to singer and activist Roy Bailey.
For further information about the festival, its rich heritage, and the latest edition, see: www.towerseyfestival.com
THE March edition of The First Thursday Music Club takes place at The Stables (behind the James Figg pub in Cornmarket, Thame) on the evening of Thursday March 7.
A fantastic, eclectic, array of music and musicians will be appearing – culminating with a set from The 2 Strokes! This exciting band are a three-piece British rock band from Oxford, and have unique style of music, mostly original, with the occasional cover from one of their influencers such as The Jam, The Lambrettas and Ocean Colour Scene to name but a few.
Prior to The 2 Strokes, Raji, The Blue Jays and Waterfahl are all booked to play – as well as JAE who is signed to BFS Records in Thame, and will be playing his own broad range of music from evocative folk to acoustic punk.
The First Thursday Music Club still offers the opportunity for artists to play live in front of a warm and appreciative audience. The club maintains the Open Mic section of the evening where slots will always be available in the first hour on a “first come, first served” basis with player sign-up by 7.30. The club has a full house PA system with keyboard, bass amp, guitar amp and jazz drum kit (bring breakables!) all set up on stage and ready to go.
Another eclectic evening is guaranteed and, don’t forget, it’s FREE entry!
