The Unexpected Guest
September 24, 2007
Theatre Royal
Newcastle and Tour
Sept 17th for 1 week
Bill Ken Wright has secured the rights to produce Agatha Christie plays under the name of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company and the second such play is the Unexpected Guest.
But it was not only the play, set in 1957, that brought back pangs of nostalgia last night to the Theatre Royal. It brought back memories of the 70s ands 80s when “whodunit pot boilers” toured with a cast of TV faces who had recently had their characters killed off from TV soaps or had left to try and not be type cast, often never being heard of again.
Mickey takes the cake in Sunderland
September 24, 2007
Mickey Rooney was presented with a birthday cake to celebrate his 87th birthday during a press call at the Sunderland Empire. In his first panto he plays Baron Hardup while his real life wife Jan plays the good fairy. Les Dennis as Button and Michelle Heaton as Cinderella also star.
Hollywood Star for Sunderland
September 23, 2007
The Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney is to appear in his first panto at the Sunderland Empire, with his wife as the fairy. Les Dennis co-stars in Cinderella.
CATS Returns
September 23, 2007
Cats
The monster moggie musical Cats which held the record for the longest single run of any show at the Theatre Royal returns from Jan 29th until 16th Feb 2008.
Canon Stephen Taylor and the Sunderland Empire
September 23, 2007
Canon Stephen Taylor has not only been in charge of Sunderland Minister for the past six years but three years ago he was appointed by the Actors Church Union as Theatre Chaplain for the Sunderland Empire as well. (The Actors Church Union is a national organisation that has responsibilities for theatres, dance schools and other entertainment venues.)
By co-incidence Sunderland Minister and the Sunderland Empire stand next to each other in the City, but that is not why Stephen was appointed as Theatre Chaplin. His predecessor at Sunderland Minister, the Reverend Bill Hall, was the full time director of Arts and Recreation within the Diocese of Durham and Newcastle, before being appointed as National Director of the Actors Church Union based in London. At the time Reverend Hall was Theatre Chaplin for several theatres including the Billingham Forum and Sunderland Empire, but knowing that Stephen had been involved with theatres previously, suggested him for the vacancy in Sunderland. From there he had to be interviewed by the Actors Church Union and Theatre Management, with an appraisal twelve months after his appointment.
-
Recent Posts
Advertisement
Other Regional Sites