Alphonso - 2018/2019 Tour · Phipps in 1883. Billy Merson had played there in Variety during 1938...
Transcript of Alphonso - 2018/2019 Tour · Phipps in 1883. Billy Merson had played there in Variety during 1938...
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Alphonso-2018/2019TourWealwayssaiditwouldbeanuphilltaskpromo5ngashowaboutsomeonemostpeoplehadforgo8en,playedbysomeonenoonehadheardof.
Soitwas.WeopenedattheLambTheatreintheOldTown,Eastbourne–anancientinnwithathrivingpubtheatrethat
claimedCharlesDickensasoneofitsearliestperformers.Withcapacityali8leinexcessofforty,weranforfiveperformancesandbeddedtheshowin.
ShortlyaCerwards,weplayed‘foronenightonly’attheBrightonFringe.WehadchosenavenueadjacenttotheTheatreRoyal,whereBillyMersonhadperformed‘Alphonso’forthefirst5mein1910.ThenearbyUnitarianChurch,withitshighcolumned
façade,wasreminiscentoftheLyceumandwemustereda75%capacityhouse.Thestrainsofajazzbandatapubacrossthestreetwereaudibleduringthefinalscenes,addingtothesenseofavibrantfes5valaroundus.Fringereviewratedus‘Highlyrecommended’.
OurnextforaywastotheNoCnghamArtsTheatreinBillyMerson’shometown.Aninvita5ontopromotetheshowinacharityconcertatthenearbyMaltCrossMusicHallpub,wherehehadplayedinhisearlycareer,flounderedwhenitwentintoreceivershipaweekbeforewewereduetoperform.Worsethanthat,itappearedthatNoZnghamresidentshadlongforgo8entheirveryowncomedian.
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Followingfran5cflyerplacements,aBBCNo5sRadiointerviewandaNo5sTVappearancewemanagedtofillthestudiotheatreandreceivedgoodfeedbackintheNo;nghamLe>LionArtsReview.
Fringefes5valshadbeentargetedaspoten5allyfer5levenuesandthePavilionTheatreprovedasplendidseZngduringtheHailshamFesJval.Ithadbeenbuiltinthe1920’sasadecocinema,
lookedlikeamusichall–bothinternallyandexternally–andprovidedaperfectbackdropforastorythatreflectedtheimpactcinemahadineclipsingvariety.OursubsequentcharityperformanceinthecryptofStGeorgetheMartyr,BoroughHighStreet,
London,a8ractedacapacityhousewithmanymembersofthePlayers’Theatrea8ending.Versedinthisgenreoftheatre,therecep5onthroughoutwasakintorollingbacktheyears.Bycoincidence,therewerefurtherDickensianconnec5ons.AsurvivingwalloftheMarshalseaPrison,wherehisfatherhadbeenimprisonedfordebt,formsthenorthernboundaryoftheChurchyardandthechurchfeaturesprominentlyinLi5leDorrit.
ThreefurthercharityperformancesfollowedinandaroundLewes.Allsoldoutandthefinalperformanceof2018,attheLewesLiQleTheatre,wasgivenafourstarreviewbytheBrightonEveningArgus.
WetookabreakforChristmasandpreparedfortheyearahead.Despiteourapparentabilitytoa8ractaudiences,wekeptouroriginalmisgivingsinmind.
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PerformancesattheBuryStEdmundsFringeFesJvalinSuffolkandBenenden,inKent,requiredaninordinateamountofpublicitytogenerateinterest.WeworkedhardandwerefortunatetosecureaninterviewwithRadioSuffolkandathreeminutetelevisionfeatureonBBCSouthEastToday.
WesubsequentlyplayedattheAssemblyRoomsinChichester–abeau5fulRegencybuildingwherebothLisztandPaganinihadperformed.ThenextdayweappearedattheKinoTeatr,StLeonardsonSea–adelighculvenueboas5ngawell-tunedgrandpianoand,inkeepingwithmusichalltradi5on,abarintheauditorium.
Wehadbeenadvisedthat,ifthesunshone,peoplewenttothebeachbut,ifitrained,ma5nee
audiencesswelled.Itwasaglorioushotdaybutweneverthelessenjoyedanapprecia5ve,ifdiminished,house.
TheEastbourneRoyalHippodromeisabeau5fultheatre,designedbyCharlesPhippsin1883.BillyMerson
hadplayedthereinVarietyduring1938andhaddeclaredinhiscurtainspeechthathewouldhavedonesobeforehadheknownhowwarm-heartedEastbourneaudienceswere.
TheEastbourneHeraldhadfeaturedusonthefrontoftheirentertainmentguideandprintedafulsomepreview.Itfeltstrangetofinallyperformonastagethathehad
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occupiedand,althoughwewereplayingsolelytothestallsareaofthetheatre,therewasanelementofexcitementandan5cipa5onfromanenthusias5chouse.
Awell-receivedperformanceattheRyeArtsFesJvalwasfollowedbyafinal,sellout,charityperformanceatFolkingtonManorinSussex.
OfthefiUeenvenuesweplayedduring2018/19,fivewerecharityperformancesandall5cketsalesweredonatedtothe
respec5vecauses.Wees5matethattheseraised£9,500intotalandthatsubsequentdona5ons,fromanonymousdonorswhohada8endedaperformance,increasedthisfigurebyafurther£7,000.Asaproduc5oncompany,wejustaboutcoveredourcosts–aidedbythefactthatwewereallunpaidandheavilysubsidisedourtravelsinthesureknowledgethatthesewerethenearestthingtoaholidaythatwewouldget.
Wehavereachedtheendofourtwoyeartourandsimplydonothavethe5meorfundingtoextendit.Weare,however,happytostagecharityperformancesinaidofgoodcauseswhereorganisersareabletogenerateanaudienceatasuitablevenue.Pleasecontactusviaourwebsitepageifthisisofinterest.Intheinterim,weareabouttomake
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afilmversionoftheshowtoensurethat‘TheBillyMersonStory’survives.ItwillbeproducedbyRobReinerofGilreiVideo.Iwouldliketosignoffbyrecordingmygra5tudetothemanypeoplewhogavetheir5meandexperience,freelyandenthusias5cally,torealisealongstandingambi5ontoresearchandstageatributetoBillyMerson.Inpar5cular,RogerRoserwhotranscribedsongsfromvintagerecordingswhensheetmusicwasunobtainableandembellishedthemwithhisownarrangements.Aswellasbeinganintui5veaccompanist,heisanaccomplishedmusicaldirector.Therewouldhavebeennoshowwithouthim.IamalsoindebtedtotheprofessionalactorsanddirectorswhoreadthescriptindraCformand/ora8endedtheshowinrehearsalandperformance.Inpar5cularLloydJohnston,whohadplayedBillyMersonin“MeetMrMerson”,stagedbyEmmaTouringCompanyinthe1980’s,andgreetedmytenta5veenquirieswithagenerosityofspiritthatspurredmeon.Thesupport,construc5vecommentsandencouragementthatIreceivedfromthosemanyfriendscannotbeunderes5mated.Neithercanthepa5enceofmydancetutor,LorraineDavis,whoins5lledinmetheminimalrou5nesrequiredandtheconfidencetoperformthem.Alltheproduc5onteamarelistedintheprogrammeonourwebsite.EachandeveryonewasfundamentaltothesuccessoftheprojectandIcannotthankthemenoughfortheirenthusiasmandcommitment.Iamalsoindebtedtomyson,friendsandcolleagueswhotransportedtheset,propsandcostumestoourvariousvenues.Finally,Iwouldliketorecordmyhearceltthankstomywife,Sally,wholivedandbreathedtheprojectwithmeandwasthere–erec5ngandstrikingtheset,feedingusintransitandgluedtothescriptbackstage-ateachandeveryperformance.Herhonestappraisalsthroughoutwereinvaluable.Everyoneworkedsohardandwesharedsuchhappy5mestogether-thatwillbemyabidingmemory.MilesJenner
TheVenuesoftheTour2018/2019
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IfICatchAlphonso,Tonight!PremieredMay2018atLambTheatre,EastbourneThentouredatthefollowingvenues:BrightonFringeFesJvalArtsTheatre,NoCnghamHailshamFesJvalStGeorge,Borough,LondonSelmeston,SussexCliffe,LewesLewesLiQleTheatreBuryStEdmundsFringeFesJvalBenenden,KentAssemblyRooms,ChichesterKinoTheatre,St.Leonards-on-SeaRoyalHippodrome,EastbourneRyeArtsFesJvalFolkingtonManor,PolegateNofurthervenuesarependingatpresent.