CHAOS – Evita in Chipping Norton

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When CHAOS (Chipping Norton Amateur Operatic Society) reached their amazing 50 years of performing they decided to go for the iconic musical EVITA by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to show off their long-established talents.

With director Mandyrae Jessey and musical director Catrin Russ at the helm, they auditioned over four night for the principle roles and were delighted to offer tow Evitas and two mistresses the chance to perform. Che, Peron and Magaldi followed and then chorus, creating Evita’s family, staff, Army and some children, all came together brilliantly.

Taking such an iconic and large cast show to the stage has been exciting and CHAOS is proud to team up again this year with the beautiful CHIPPING NORTON THEATRE who are also celebrating their 50th year.

The director has created a set and props that work for a smaller stage and has added some special moments, including giving out real gifts from Evita for the audiences each night while the songs are sung about giving gifts to the Argentinian people during her marriage to Peron. As far as we know this has never been done before.

The special performances are totally unique to CHAOS, offering an immersive experience for the audience.

The cast, crew and orchestra are all extremely proud of the work everyone has put in.

If you would like to know more about the production and behind the scenes, please contact either:
CHOAS Chairman Elizabeth-Rae-Large – [email protected] – +447309 060826 or Director Mandyrae Jessey – [email protected] – +447970925685.

Mandyrae Jessey is also celebrating 50 years of directing this year.

Show dates: 16-17-18th May, with a matinee on 18th May.
Box Office: The Theatre Chipping Norton

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John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett

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John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett bring their hugely entertaining, funny show to The Crooked Billet, Stoke Row on Wednesday 7th September.

John and Willy’s roots were originally in acoustic, roots and folk. Otway was hugely influenced by early Bob Dylan, Otway’s early gigs were on the folk circuit. In the early 70’s Willy Barrett enjoyed an enviable reputation on the folk scene. Willy features on The Contemporary Folk Guitar album with Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Gordon Giltrap and Ralph McTell. He performed numerous times at the Cambridge Folk Festival. Willy also spent time as guitarist with George Hamilton IV.

Otway & Barrett’s grungy fast and furious fiddle, banjo and guitar with sweet and sour harmonies became pigeon-holed by the punk rock/new wave genre.

The duo have split and reunited umpteen times since their first gigs in 1971. The Who’s Pete Townshend produced and performed on their legendary self-titled debut album “John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett.

Otway has headlined Reading Rock Festival and played Glastonbury dozens of times

A legendary Old Grey Whistle Test performance where Otway’s failed amplifier leap saw him straddling the speaker, crashing on his most delicate bodily parts. The painful landing led to “Really Free” being a Top 20 hit and Top of the Pops appearances.

Over the years Otway & Barrett have headlined numerous festivals. Over 10,000 attended Otway’s home turf Aylesbury Market Square gig – filmed for the ITV documentary “Stardust Man” (Otway was originally a dustbin man).

Otway has headlined Reading Rock Festival and played Glastonbury dozens of times. Wild Willy Barrett is a regular at the Cambridge Folk Festival. The duo have performed main stage at Cropredy, and performed to 150,000 supporting The Police in Toronto.

Chart success has been sketchy. In 1980 the BBC cameraman’s dispute cancelled Otway & Barrett’s Top of the Pops performance of their single DK50/80 which consequently dropped out of the charts. The BBC banned their single “Headbutts”. Otway enjoyed a Top 10 hit in 2002 with “Bunsen Burner”, performed on one of the last ever Top of The Pops.

Otway clocked up his 5000th gig recently. The secret to John and Wild Willy’s huge cult following and popularity of their stage shows is down to an enduring, hilarious and utterly entertaining live performance and presence. Barrett is an incredibly talented musician and very funny, with the ability to swap from Django Reinhardt to punk rock in a blink. The ability to play blues slide guitar with an egg, play classical guitar (usually Otway’s) with a hacksaw and claw hammer. Otway is a brilliant songwriter, their set bounces from beautiful ballad to grunge-folk-punk to their hits: “Bunsen Burner”, “Really Free”, “Geneva” and the seminal “Beware of the Flowers (’Cos I’m Sure They’re Going To Get You Yeah!)”

Incidentally, in 2000 “Beware of the Flowers” was voted in at Number 7 by the BBC National Poetry Day poll to find the nation’s favourite lyric. The Beatle’s Yesterday comes in at Number 6.

Otway, Otway & Barrett have sold out the London Palladium, The Astoria, Hammersmith Odeon and the Royal Albert Hall (more people went to see Otway at the Royal Albert Hall than went to see Tom Jones at this year’s Henley Festival).

Hogs Back Brewery opened in August 1992 in Tongham, near Farnham, in 18th century farm buildings that at various times had stored wheat and housed cattle and, appropriately, hogs. The first casks to roll out of the original brewhouse – now the site of the Brewery Shop – and into local pubs were TEA – which was renamed Tongham TEA earlier this year.

Catch John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett at The Crooked Billet

Catch John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett at The Crooked Billet, Stoke Row on Wednesday 7th September. Pub chef and landlord Paul Clerehugh promoted many of Otway & Barrett’s big London shows. Paul played guitar on the original “Bunsen Burner” hit recording and took a choir of 1000 Otway fans to Abbey Road Studios to record the B side of the 2002 hit.

Otway & Barrett. National Treasures.

For tickets and further details contact the Crooked Billet on 01491681048 / 01491682304.

The Crooked Billet, Stoke Row, Henley on Thames, RG9 5PU

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New theatre company Moonhawk stage Frankenstein

Karen Neville

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Abingdon’s Unicorn Theatre is the stage for inaugural production 

Catch new theatre company Moonhawk in action from Wednesday, 30th March until Saturday, 2nd April when they’ll be performing a new version of a classic tale. 

The fledgling company will be staging Nick Dear’s version of Frankenstein based on the Mary Shelley original at the Unicorn Theatre full of all the Gothic and romantic elements that have made this tale popular still more than 200 years later. 

Victor Frankenstein (Nick Kovari) constructs a creature from recovered body parts. When his creation comes to life he runs away in horror and abandons it. The creature wanders across Europe, trying to escape violence and hunger. When he is taught to read and write by a blind teacher he learns about his creator and begins a new journey to find Frankenstein and to get answers. 

This is the first production from Moonhawk who will perform a wide range of plays, old and new and welcome anyone and everyone with an interest in all aspects of theatre production, either on stage or behind the scenes. The new theatre company has been created to give opportunities to actors and technicians of all ages with the aim of supporting those wanting to go to drama school. 

Moonhawk founder Leon Witcomb said: “I caught the drama bug over 10 years ago and have been acting, directing and stage managing ever since. More recently I’ve entered the world of producing, hence Moonhawk Productions.  

“We’re based in Abingdon-on-Thames and we use several locations to put on our diverse types of 

drama. We operate an “open door” policy meaning that anyone can be part of Moonhawk – on stage, back stage, production and front of house.” 

Leon added: “My mentor and the catalyst for my drama career is my old drama class teacher, Andrea Mardon. She taught me from a very early age and directed me in many shows and inspired me to take acting and producing seriously. Thanks Andrea! 

“Moonhawk have some really amazing plays, as they say in politics – shovel ready and raring to go! Watch this space!” 

Tickets £10, age 14 & upwards on the door or from www.wegottickets.com/moonhawk

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Southern Pro Musica’s two new concerts

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Southern Pro Musica has two exciting concerts for the new year. Songs from the Shows: Musical highlights from stage and screen on Friday, 14th January

Start the new year with a sensational show featuring Songs from the Shows courtesy of Southern Pro Musica at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Following the last two sell-out collaborations with the superb singers from Guildford School of Acting, Southern Pro Musica is delighted to return on Friday, 14th January, to once again present an evening of musical dazzle. There’ll be numbers from the very best Broadway and West End hits, as well as the most enduring film scores, compèred by Julian Woolford and under the baton of renowned conductor Jonathan Willcocks.

The audience will enjoy spirited ensemble numbers such as ‘Hello, Dolly!’, ‘The Best of Times’ and ‘I won’t send roses’ by Jerry Herman; ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ and ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ by Irving Berlin and much more. The orchestra will bring you iconic film music by John Williams – Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark; the Great Escape music by Elmer Bernstein; the Pink Panther theme, to name a few. This will be an evening for all lovers of music theatre and film.

To purchase tickets go to www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk, call 01483 440 000.

G Live will host Family Classics: Fun with classical music for all the family on Sunday, 20th March.

This popular annual event provides the opportunity for people of all ages to have a go at trying all sorts of musical and percussion instruments in workshops led by Southern Pro Musica musicians. The afternoon will be rounded off with a fun classical concert performed by the full professional SPM orchestra with exciting, family-friendly classical music, a narrated musical story and a song for the audience to join in with. There’ll also be guest appearances by SPM’s ‘Strictly Strings’ scheme pupils from Sandfield, St Thomas, Boxgrove and RGS Prep School, as well Guildford High Junior School Lower Choir.

To purchase tickets go to www.GLive.co.uk, call 0343 310 0055.

Southern Pro Musica is firmly established as one of the leading freelance professional chamber orchestras in the south of England. It includes among its core players many of the finest orchestral players to base their work in the south. In 2013 Southern Pro Musica was appointed by Guildford Borough Council as their ‘principal provider of Classical music’, encompassing a broad range of orchestral concerts and educational outreach work in Guildford.

Entrance is FREE to all Music for Guildford concerts for 18s and under.

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Beer-fuelled Bard

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Peter Anderson catches up with Stacey & Saul of Sh*tfaced Shakespeare which lands at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday, 12th November

A smash-hit, internationally acclaimed, award-winning, multi sell-out fringe phenomenon comes to Swindon this month presenting Shakespeare in a way none of us remember it from our schooldays. We all know about pre-show drinks, but what if it is a random member of the cast who spends the four hours before a show having the pre-show drinks? Welcome to Sh*t-faced Shakespeare and their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With a gin in one hand, a cup of wine in the other and a flagon of ale in the other… What could possibly go wrong?

I catch up with Stacey & Saul from the group to find out this combination of beer and the Bard, came about. “We had one of those sessions where we all put our heads together and came up with ideas on how we can make the improv different. This was the suggestion that someone came up with. I don’t remember whether we said yes or no to it at the time, but it was a little while later that in a radio interview someone mentioned that this was something, we had thought of doing. From then on, we had to it, and it seems to have been well received as we are still filling theatres after some years.”

Is there a chance the plot could change? “Oh yes, when you are one of the sober cast you have to be ready for just about anything, from Juliet deciding she is not going to commit suicide to characters appearing in the wrong play which adds to the spice and fun – for both us and the audience especially. There are rules that we use in improvisation and these can usually keep the play flowing. The important thing is that we are providing something enjoyable for the audience, there is no question of deliberately making one of the cast look stupid.”

You are quite a close-knit group of actors to be able to do improv, especially with the additional jeopardy of alcohol, but if you could have a famous actor join you for a show, who would you love? “Now, there’s a thought! I think the one actress who always seems good fun in the things she does is Helena Bonham-Carter, I am sure she would be up for it and extremely good fun whether she was drunk or sober.”

The Evening Standard said of this show “There is no doubt this is a hoot to watch”. To get your chance to see what could be subtitled for one actor A Midsummer Morning’s Hangover the show is on Tuesday 12th November at the Wyvern Theatre

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Bjorn Again

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Bjorn Again are set to shine at the black-tie cultural extravaganza that is Henley Festival on the banks of the River Thames, between 10th & 14th July

One of this year’s headline act started out with a pub gig in Melbourne which had an audience of 350, from just a chalkboard outside the pub that day in 1988.

Scripted and choreographed as a tongue-in-cheek satirical parody of ABBA, the show rapidly achieved cult status. Having been acknowledged by Bjorn Ulvaeus as being the show which single-handedly initiated the ABBA revival in the late 1980s early 1990s, the Bjorn Again show is hailed as the most popular and successful show of its type. Now, just over 30 years later Rod Stephen, who founded the group brings Bjorn Again to the Henley Festival.

Growing up in Australia, who was the first band Rod remembers following and seeing live? “I was probably more into the rock scene than music like Abba,” he says. “The main group who I liked at the time started off as a New Zealand group Split Enz (you probably know them better as Crowded House); it was not just their musicality and vocals, but also, they opened my eyes to the theatricality of pop music. I remember seeing them once live and the entire stage looked like a front room, the keyboard player was playing with a standard lamp behind him.”

So, how did the idea of an ABBA parody band come about? “It was 1988, and none of the groups I had been in amounted to anything. I felt like doing something different and thought of a parody band. I had three choices, Queen, The Beatles or Abba, growing up in the 1970s I had the flared trousers so picked Abba. I got together a group of musicians and we spent months rehearsing and watching videos of Abba, then came our first gig. It was at a pub in Melbourne, and the only publicity was on the chalk board outside, “Abba tribute band here tonight”. We had 350 people in, they couldn’t hold any more! We were invited back the next month, and before we knew it, we were performing quite a few nights of the week in either Melbourne or Sydney and the media picked up on us.”

Is this your first time in the Thames Valley, or indeed floating! “I think it is the first time we have appeared at the Henley Festival, and we’ve performed on floating stages though I hope it doesn’t put us too far from the audience. We did make an appearance just up the Thames at the Reading Festival in 1992. I had this call from my agent to say we were needed to play the Reading Festival, and I said needed, why? Apparently, it was one of the late Kurt Cobain’s requests that we open for Nirvana. It was a great gig and that night we really rocked the Abba hits. To this day, I can still remember the cheers of the crowds.

What can the crowds at the Henley Festival look forward to? “All the great well-known Abba hits and some of the others they can sing along to. With Bjorn Again in authentic costumes, hopefully we can get everyone dancing in the aisles.”

Henley Festival

Bjorn Again are on the floating stage on Saturday, 13th July; visit the website

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