Category: entertainment and leisure news

BREAKING NEWS – There’s been a Murder at The Players Theatre !!! WHODUNNIT ?

During an unscheduled rehearsal of a play at the Trinity Arts Centre the body of a young actress has been discovered. The body is that of rising star Carina Harris, and now the play’s director must turn detective to find out which of his temperamental cast members is the killer.

The Empty Stage is an innovative murder mystery from the pen of award winning and critically acclaimed playwright, Tobias Nicholls, uniquely set on the stage of the Players Theatre, and promises to be a real treat for theatre goers looking for something different. The play follows the play’s director as he tries to find the murderer, and is packed with enough twist and turns in the plot to keep the audience guessing as they witness the most deadly rehearsal Oxfordshire has ever seen.

This new play, which is already being well received by audiences as it tours the country, is expertly scripted and is one that is sure to get you guessing WHODUNNIT?

To find out, book tickets now, for Saturday, April 1st, at 7.45pm. Tickets £10, concessions £9 , available from Spears Travels, Greyhound Walk Thame, Tel 01844 217228 or online at www.thameplayers.co.uk

Purple Dreams Productions are a completely self-funded group formed in 2012, and have been touring theatres for the past four years with original plays written exclusively for them by their founder and creative director, Tobias Nicholls. The plays range from dramas to comedies and have had audiences gasping and laughing from Brentwood to Bridlington, Cumbria to Cornwall and many places in between.

IT’S time to book your float or stall for Thame Carnival 2017. This year, the theme will be the 1940s.

The money raised from the event on Saturday, June 10, will benefit two charities, the Fire Fighters Charity and Sobell House Hospice. So, go over to the LINK, and book a stall that either provides an activity for visitors to take part in, is entertaining or will provide food or drink. No purely information stall this year please.

Online bookings will be possible in around 10 days time, but in the meantime you can BACS and send your applications by email as per previous years.

PREVIOUSLY on Thame.Net –   www.thame.net/archives/26648

KT Tunstall, Newton Faulkner and The Blockheads are among the headline acts announced today, for Towersey Festival 2017.

And what an amazing programme they’ve come up for us this year! Here’s a list of the artists signed up to appear over 12 stages, throughout the three days:

Show of Hands – Jon Boden – The Blockheads – Foy Vance – Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band – Lindisfarne – The Demon Barbers XL – Flook – Mawkin – Gary Stewart’s ‘Graceland’ – Coope Boyes & Simpson – Andy Cutting – Blackbeard’s Tea Party – Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman – Gilmore & Roberts – Merry Hell – The Eskies – Megson – Jim Causley Trio – Roy Bailey.

To book tickets, and for more information, visit the website: http://www.towerseyfestival.com/

THIS Saturday, February 11, 8pm – QUEEN OF KATWE, PG certificate – Starring Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Madina Nalwanga.

Director Mira Nair presents the true story of Ugandan teen chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi. Phiona lives in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, with her mother, sister and brothers. Her father is dead, and her young mother (Nyongo) struggles to keep the family safe and fed; life is perilous and the family live hand to mouth selling shards of corn on the street, never far from becoming homeless.

One day, Phiona follows her brother to a chess club run by a would-be engineer cum youth worker (David Oyelowo). It turns out that Phiona has a rare skill for the game, with a capacity to see eight moves ahead. Before long, she and her club are competing in a prestigious schools competition, and soon after she gets to represent her country in an Africa wide tournament. Her ultimate goal is a grandmaster competition in Russia. Along the way, she must negotiate multiple formidable obstacles: how to afford competition prices and the costs of travel; how to overcome her mother’s fierce protective resistance; how to walk away from the responsibilities of making money for the family and looking after her little brother; how to deal with the prospect of failure.

This is a classic tale of the underdog striving for success. But it feels rare and fresh not least because it is a true story and because its heroine is an adolescent woman, but also because it depicts at least some of the reality of lives and places that are seldom seen in Western narrative cinema. Told with great exuberance, humour, and brilliant performances Queen of Katwe will have you cheering as the credits roll. “A set of solid performances power this underdog flick to victory.” (Little White Lies.) “Could be the new Slumdog” (The Guardian.) Watch the trailer HERE

This Saturday 11th February 8pm – Thame Players Theatre – Film tickets are available on the door or online- Click HERE

BUCKS Open Studios, the largest visual arts event in Buckinghamshire, has chosen a former West End musical actor, to take charge of its annual artistic extravaganza, which takes place next year from June 10-25, 2017.

Susannah Fellows, who runs a gallery in Thame, and who has appeared in many plays and musicals, including Mama Mia in the West End, will oversee the 2017 event which showcases over 500 artists and makers opening up their studios to the public for two weeks, with an impressive line-up of free demonstrations, hands-on workshops and exhibitions in over 200 venues across Buckinghamshire.

As well as her acting career in professional theatre, film, television, radio and on the concert stage, Susannah also has impressive art world credentials having owned and run a Craft’s Council selected gallery in London for several years alongside her theatre work. She now runs fitch & fellows gallery in Thame, featuring her own handmade leatherwork as well as ceramics, glass, jewellery and contemporary art and craftwork by celebrated craftsmen and women.

Commenting on her new role, Susannah said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been chosen as the new Chairperson for Bucks Open Studios. I really look forward to introducing new visitors to this great event. The wealth of artists and makers in our county, responsible for the vast array of work which is shown and sold to the public each year, is astonishing. We have so much talent here and, quite simply, I would like to see Bucks Open Studios become the best known and most successful of all the countrywide art and craft events.”

Susannah continued: “I have enormous energy and limitless enthusiasm for contemporary creative artwork and I’d like to make Bucks Open Studios a really memorable experience for visitors. My upbringing and professional life has always been in the Arts. I’ve grown up producing as well as appreciating and interpreting the diversity of creative endeavour – acting, singing, dance as well as painting, sculpture, carving, silversmithing, ceramics – I love the challenge of trying to help newcomers to understanding how and why artists and makers do what they do, what’s involved in their techniques and, perhaps, explaining the intention of their work to the public. I don’t think there is a mystique to these things. Creativity is about communication and artwork can and must be presented in a commercial fashion without detracting from the integrity of the piece.”

A THAME Town Music Festival, a long-held dream of musician and Thame First Thursday Music Club (FTMC) Founder, Jon Littler, was officially launched last night (03/02/17) by Jon, at the club’s seventh birthday party.

Jon told an enthusiastic audience of musicians and music lovers at the regular FTMC open mic night at the James Figg pub,  that the festival would be a free, multi-venue, multi musical genre, town centre based festival of live music on Saturday, July 8, 2017, with a main stage in the High Street, in the centre of Thame.

A range of music across all genres including Classical in St Mary’Church, Jazz in another town centre venue as well as Blues, Americana, Rockabilly, Folk, Comedy, Songwriter and more in at least five other venues, will be there to be relished from midday to 10.30pm.

You choose what you want to see!

The headline band for the first Thame Town Musical Festival has already been confirmed – its Rusty Shackle. The band, which describes itself as ‘Folk Roots and Roll’, has already made a very strong impression locally having appeared at both Beacon and Towersey Festivals. But Jon and his team want to hear which musicians YOU want to see at YOUR festival, and you can go to the website www.ThameTownMusicFestival.org, propose an act YOU would like to see, fill in their details and then the team will ask them if they would like to appear. Then anyone can endorse or vote for they acts they want. Or, just have some fun looking at the proposed acts on the website, explore their website and videos and endorse the ones you like.

Also confirmed are Van Susans who have been described by the BBC’s Chris Hawkins as “The Levellers” for a new generation. They too drew big crowds at Beacon Festival last summer.

YOUR festival needs you!

Although the festival is being supported by Thame Town Council with £5,000 worth of seed funding, and stall holders and venues will be contributing, more money is needed and the website has a section for volunteers, Sponsorship and a crowd-funding opportunity for anyone to contribute whatever they can afford, to help pay for thing such as toilets, insurance, risk assessment etc.

As per the official leaflet released today, Jon concludes: “It’s about original and authentic music – there are great covers bands around but we want to give a chance to original music.”

So, visit the website and get involved and follow the facebook page (LINK HERE) for regular updates as more acts are confirmed  You can also follow the festival on twitter at @TTMFest

ONE very talented actor, Giles Shenton, keeps us engrossed, entertained, amused and emotionally engaged for an hour and a half as a gardener in a potting shed… who knew that would work?

A wonderful production: funny, emotional, touching, instructive: as it’s been dubbed: ‘Downton Abbey with gardening tips’ (and some cookery ones too!)…and an acute and sometimes hilarious observation of relationships between the classes in a gentler, simpler age. As the song goes, ‘Sometimes life can taste so sweet, when you slow it down.’ Herbert Pinnegar ( “Old Herbaceous”) reminisces & tells us his life story, man and foundling boy; from his transformation, as a “ no-hoper” school boy with a gammy leg, to Head Gardener and on to the dizzy heights of officiating for the RHS! All this under the tender, but ever class-conscious protection and encouragement of his employer, his “dear lady”, Mrs Charteris forever remembered, cherished and, though never actually said, loved from his boyhood as, “ the laughing lady in white, who gave me my first chance”.

Herbert recounts his transformations and epiphany moments through his times as a lowly gardener’s boy, to under gardener and then to the responsibilities of managing people as Head Gardener; all of these he treats with a gentle good humour and plenty of endearing country common sense. The piece is sprinkled with witticisms and epithets, a gentle humour, all much in the traditionally understated English style of the early 20th century. Yet many of these are timeless: “A garden is like life itself: full of good and evil”. ; “ You can’t be angry for long… not in a garden.”

The tender care of plants is almost a euphemism for the nourishing of our relationships. A simple, but most effective and accurate set transforms the piece, with sensitive and expressive lighting. I could almost smell the compost and twine. Giles Shenton truly lives the part and really does make us all feel it’s a private chat from a bygone and comforting age and that we leave all the better for having listened to his shared experiences, with a feeling that all’s right with the world. This wonderful production deserves a much wider audience and a long run! The end of the piece, where. though never spoken aloud, his true feelings are revealed, is one of the most moving I have seen in a long time… take your hanky!”

Saturday, February 4, at 7.45pm – Tickets £12 – Spear Travels. 01844217228 or online from www.thameplayers.co.uk

SOURCE – Contributed

YOUNG people from Thame’s Barley Hill School, have celebrated the union of children through music, by taking part in a special concert at the 02 Arena, on Monday, January 16.

Over 7000 children from schools all over the country gathered to form one of the largest choirs in the world for this spectacular event, called Young Voices. The 26 Thame singers joined the other children to perform musical numbers, including many familiar pop, rock, folk and world songs too.

“We all felt very lucky to be given the opportunity to perform in such a prestigious venue alongside professional musicians and a live band too,” said Headteacher, Mrs Anne Stopforth. “It was an amazing day and the children thoroughly enjoyed this unforgettable experience.”

FOLLOWING the tragic death of four year-old Barnaby Cork in December, a JustGiving fund set up by his father Stefan, in support of the air ambulance, has raised over £27,000.

To support this fundraising effort, Thame resident, Max Davie, supported by Cornerstone Baptist Church, is holding a Pop Up Board Game Café, on Sunday, February 5, at John Hampden School, Thame, in the Vernon Hall, between 3 – 6pm.

“It costs £10,000 every time the air ambulance takes off in an emergency,” said Max, “and this is all funded by charitable giving and fundraisers. We want to support this wonderful cause to ensure that the Air Ambulance can continue to provide emergency help whenever needed.”

Thames Valley Air Ambulance operates 365 days a year saving lives but doesn’t receive any Government or lottery funding. It costs £2.2 million pounds a year to keep in the air and this is only possible through charitable giving, pubic sponsorship and fund raising events.

The Pop up Board Game Café is suitable for all ages, and will offer a perfect opportunity for friends and family to crowd around a table in a battle of wits, or simply to have some fun. In recent years board games have seen a renaissance, with thousands of titles released each year. There will be plenty of choice of games to play from the more traditional like Jenga and Buckaroo, to the less well known such as Ticket to Ride, Small World and Settlers of Catan. Game Waiters will be on hand to help with setting up and playing less familiar games.

Refreshments and a sandwich tea will be available and there will be a raffle for some great board games.

“It’s amazing how the community has come together to support this fantastic cause”, said Max. “John Hampden school has allowed us the use of their hall without charge, and raffle prizes have been donated by Thirsty Meeples Board game café, Osprey Games and Oxford Games Company, which means that every penny given can be donated to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.”

Four-year-old Barnaby Cork was fatally injured in a collision with a car in Thame on Saturday, December 10, outside Thame Leisure Centre.

THAME Cinema 4 All, have received approval to show the Beatles documentary, Eight Days a Week, on February 5 (subject to very strict Copyright constraints to the publicity images used and the film’s synopsis. So, here goes:

“In 1962 four young men – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – came together to form the 20th century musical phenomenon known as ‘The Beatles’. The band stormed Europe in 1963 and, in 1964, they conquered America.

“Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However, the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame (which in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil) led to the decision to stop touring.

“In the ensuing years, The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music. Master storyteller and Oscar winner, Ron Howard, explores this incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular music?

“With original interviews, footage, staggering live performances, and the intimate study of character that Ron Howard is known for, he puts us right inside this extraordinary adventure, answering the question everyone always wants to know: What was it like to be there?”

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