We’re at Tolethorpe Hall for Stamford Shakespeare Company’s production of ‘The Recruiting Officer‘. Those with an HR background (and like me, unfamiliar with this title) will be disappointed to learn that it’s nothing to do with employment best practice! 🙄 According to Tolethorpe’s website, it’s a tale of… “plot twists, cross-dressing, forged letters, mistaken identities, …
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Category:Theatre
Theatre: Fawlty Towers
For me, the most eagerly anticipated theatre trip in a long, long time – “Fawlty Towers – The Play”. The ‘Famous Five’ aka Jo, Janet, Carol, Ann and yours truly jumped on board the 10.28 out of Kettering, heading for the capital. The train was busy, and I think we got the last seats. Noisy …
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Theatre: “Legally Blonde”
We headed off in the direction of Kettering’s Lighthouse Theatre this afternoon to see ‘Legally Blonde’ (based on the 2001 film of the same name, that starred Reese Witherspoon). It wouldn’t be my first choice of theatre entertainment, but with six women – Ann, Jo, Janet, Carol, Helen and Chris and just me along for …
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Pantomime (Adults Only!)
Off to the local Lighthouse Theatre to see the ‘adult’ Panto: Jack and the Beanstalk! We’ve not been to an ‘adult’ Panto before, and this one promised that it was ‘very rude’, ‘full of innuendo’ and with ‘plenty of audience participation’! 🤔. With the ‘audience participation’ part ringing VERY uncomfortably in our ears, we realised …
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Pantomime 2024 (Cinderella)
Off to Milton Keynes Theatre to see their Panto performance – Cinderella! Sadly, Carol was not feeling 100% and couldn’t join us. Janet took on taxi duties, picked us up just before 4.30 and we were soon on our way in the cold and wet weather heading for MK `and the 6pm performance. They’re always …
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Theatre: Hairspray (2023)
Off to our favourite West-End-Theatre-that’s-not in-the-West-End… Kilworth House Theatre! Well, it is west of Kettering! 😉 Kilworth House Theatre? I must admit, I’d never heard of Kilworth Theatre before we moved to Northamptonshire. Since our discovery, we’ve been coming here pretty much every year to see their latest production. The Theatre is unique in that …
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“Oh No, We’re Not..!”
Oh yes, we are! — we’re at the Panto! 👍 Milton Keynes was our destination today, together with Jo, Janet & Carol for this year’s offering – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The last time we were in ‘Panto Mode’ was (also) in MK last January to see Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, …
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The Goring (not boring!)
Here we are at the rather flashy ‘The Goring Hotel‘ in fashionable Belgravia, London (albeit belatedly) courtesy of a rather generous birthday gift for Ann back in 2021 from Roger, Jane & Oliver. Thanks everyone! 😍😍 Friday, 5th Yes, this is possibly the most sumptuous Hotel we’ve ever stayed in – and we’re here until …
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Tolethorpe Hall: Spider’s Web
We headed for Tolethorpe Hall today to catch the matinee performance of their latest production: Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web. Where’s Tolethorpe Hall? Just like our other fave outdoor space at Kilworth Theatre, there’s the tradition of bringing a pre-performance picnic – and with the weather heading into serioius scorchio territory this week, it would have …
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“We’re at the Theatre Dahling!” – Carousel
Here we are at Kilworth House Theatre with Jo, Janet & Carol for the theatre’s latest production – Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Carousel! (the pair’s second collaboration from 1945). For those that haven’t heard of this Theatre, it’s local (ish), located in the grounds of next-door Kilworth House Hotel in leafy Leicestershire. Over the years, we’ve …
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London-bound: Doctor Who Immersive Experience
We haven’t been to London for nearly three years (because of you-know-what) and it felt slightly weird boarding the train. Some things don’t change though, and because of engineering works, we had to skip Kettering station and drive to Huntingdon to get to the capital on time. Again, ‘normaility’ meant the train was PACKED! The …
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“He’s behind you..!”
With 2021 behind us “(Oh no it isn’t!”)… it’s Panto time! 😉 Janet and Jo picked us up and after a late breakfast at The Old Forge, and we headed for Milton Keynes Theatre. We haven’t been to a Pantomime, we think, for about 15 years. Back then, the cast would likely to have been …
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Theatre: “Memories of the Musicals”
It’s theatre time again for us! Today, we headed to Kilworth and their outdoor Theatre to see a very special production called: Memories of the Musicals. Billed as… “a full-length show featuring the very best songs from every one of the nineteen musicals produced at Kilworth House Theatre since the theatre opened in 2007. Six …
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Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest at Tolethorpe Hall
We headed for Tolethorpe Hall near Stamford today to see the latest production of The Importance of Being Earnest by the Stamford Shakespeare Company. We haven’t been to Tolethorpe since July, 2015, where we saw Henry V – quite a while! And going further back in time, we last saw a previous production of the …
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The Look of… Kilworth
It was a welcome return to Kilworth House this evening to see Dusty Springfield in concert. It wasn’t THE Dusty (obviously!) but a darn good impression! The event had been postponed from October last year, then again in April, because of you-know-what, but tonight was (finally!) the night!!! The performance was called: Delightfully Dusty. Tonight, …
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Play: Midsummer Night’s Dream
We drove over to Stratford-upon-Avon today – to The Bear Pit – to see Second Thoughts‘ penultimate performance of 2020’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was a perfect excuse to leave a bit earlier to give us time to get some retail therapy in the town! We chose the matinée performance at 2.30pm, …
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The RSC: King John
This afternoon was a unique opportunity to see Shakespeare’s rarely performed production of ‘King John’ at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. We met Chris and Gill at theirs and headed over to the Theatre in time for a spot of lunch followed by the performance at 1.30pm. (The lunch incidentally, was superb!) I wasn’t familiar with …
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Rick Wakeman on Tour (2019)
Entitled Rick’s Grumpy Old Christmas Show, we joined our friends, Ian and Ann, for an evening of superb piano playing punctuated by Rick’s unique sense of humour. This was the last of his twelve-date tour around the UK. The venue wasn’t one we’ve it visited before — Warwick Arts Centre — and the surrounding University …
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London Mini-Break – Day 3 (of 3): Suits you Sir!
Our final day in London today! Ahh, that’s better! I feel a walk down Oxford Street coming on (before midday!) On our list today… 9.20am: We were out earlier than yesterday, but confident we’d miss the rush on the Tube. How wrong we were! It was nose-to-armpit for the whole of our journey in, and …
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Kilworth Cats!
Off to Kilworth Theatre today with Ann, Janet, Jo and Carol to see the theatre’s production of ‘Cats‘. Am I the only person to have never a ‘Cats’ production before? Quite possibly! Last time we were here was back in June, to see Joseph – and today was just as busy! West End quality without …
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Joseph – And the Pub of Many Burgers
We headed for Kilworth Theatre today to see their latest outdoor production… Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joseph… Running from 26th May until 5th July 2019, this production was back by popular demand. Given the track record here, we knew we were in for a treat! Starring Jacob Fisher in the titular role; Carole …
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Cirque de Soleil – Totem
A welcome return to the Royal Albert Hall today! After my last visit for Prog Rockers, Camel, back in September, last year, today was a complete contrast – Cirque du Soleil‘s Totem. We picked up Janet, Jo and Carol and headed for Kettering Station and the 12.51. An hour-and-a-half later, we were taking our seats …
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The Sound of… Bookends
After picking up Jo, Janet & Carol, we headed off to Kilworth House this evening for a spot of nosebag and evening with the Simon & Garfunkel tribute act – Dan Haynes & Pete Richards aka ‘Bookends’. We haven’t been to Kilworth for over a year – last time was in September 2017, to see …
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Rick Wakeman at the Derngate
We haven’t been to the Derngate since last November when we saw Rob Brydon. And just like last time we dropped into Pamukkale, the Turkish restaurant, just down the road, before the Show. It didn’t disappoint, in lots of ways and also seems to have expanded since we were last there – taking over the …
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Rock me Amadeus!
It was down to the Capital this afternoon to catch the National Theatre’s 2018 production of Amadeus. But before all that, we headed for the Royal Academy to see the time-limited ‘Charles I: King and Collector’ exhibition. Wow! This was impressive! It featured a collection of around 100 works of art (classical sculptures, Baroque paintings, …
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A Bunch of Amateurs
The Stratford Players desperately need King Lear to be a success or it will be their last ever production, and their theatre will be demolished for redevelopment. Maybe a big box office star can help? Enter from stage-left, one Jefferson Steele: Hollywood action hero, currently between his film-franchises and encouraged to play his very first …
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Twelfth on Twelfth at 12!
More by happy accident than perfect timing, we headed off to Stratford-upon-Avon today with Chris and Gill to see the RSC’s matinee performance of Twelfth Night – actually on twelfth night! Continuing the ‘12’ theme, we sat down for lunch just before Noon! What are the chances ehh? I remember studying this Play at school …
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Long Weekend with Ralph & Karen
Ralph and Karen are staying with us until Sunday! Yay!!! Thursday Ralph and Karen arrived just before lunch and after a quick nibble, it was off for a sight-seeing afternoon around picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon… …we dropped into Rick’s place – Hathaway Tea Rooms for a quick nibble, but no sign of Rick though! (That, unbeknown to …
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London Calling!
It’s been a while since we did this – and we’re certainly packing it in – a short two-day break to the Capital! Deep breath, and here we go! …Train from Bedford… …a brief meeting with Chris, our Financial Adviser… …dump our bags at the Hotel… …Champagne Lunch at the Ritz (thanks Roger, Jane and …
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Top Haturday & Sunday
Another family & friends get-together today as we headed for Kilworth Theatre and their final performance of Irving Berlin‘s Top Hat. It was obviously a popular choice, having run for a whole month – 16th August until 17th September. Roger, Jane and Oliver are with us for the weekend and joined us for the event, …
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