Yes folks, Louis Lawrence has managed to entice several acts for a great Easter Variety Circus Show to be held on Easter Bank Holiday Monday 24th March from 7.30pm.
Amongst those performing will be the Sandown Dog Olympics team, Extreme Circus from Ryde, Christa Correia’s Circus dancers and many other acts who we’ll tell you about later.
Expect a children’s Clown competition where kids will be invited to either dress up or act as a clown for prizes.
Tickets are a mere £5 for adults and £3 for the kids. Available from the Ventnor Winter Gardens box office on 857581.
This very brave stilt walker was amongst the many who turned up to audition for the show a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks to Roger Regular, who is once again sharing his experience of music at Ryde Theatre. Ed
Shanklin Freak Show, wow what a night, it was certainly a light fantastic at their CD launch.
I’ll try to set the scene; lots of brightly coloured balloons throughout the dance floor, glitter on and off the stage, more than two genders popping out for the night, loads of eye-liner and make-up; that was just the men. (more…)
The People’s Theatre Company is proud to present the return of its smash hit musical for adults and children.
Based on the classic Russian folk tale of “Baba Yaga The Witch”, The Witch’s Bogey is a funky musical fairytale about good versus evil and the magic of family guaranteed to delight absolutely anyone who’s ever lived, loved or blown their nose!
A glittering cast, colourful characters and memorable songs make The Witch’s Bogey the most unmissable show of the year, so if you’re picking just one musical this year.
We’re always keen to promote local events, particularly those run on a voluntary basis (as VentnorBlog is). The Ventnor Theatre Group put on some fabulous shows last year, which were all well attended and received rave reviews. However, despite this, they are struggling financially and in need of some. The opportunity outlined below to support them sounds like a great idea. Ed
Everyone involved with Ventnor Theatre Group does so voluntarily - absolutely no one gets paid, we have no council subsidies, zilch!
Whilst we strive to churn out remarkable show after show for local people and holiday makers to enjoy, we are quite skint - well VERY skint actually! (more…)
We’re really pleased to hear that the newly established Invent Theatre Group have secured themselves a place at the Careers 4 All’ event being held during the half term holidays at Medina High School.
The brains and drive behind this new youth Theatre organisation, Jack Whitewood, writes on his blog … (more…)
If you missed our previous articles about the exciting new youth theatre organisation in Ventnor for youngsters then read on.
Invent Theatre welcomes all young people aged between ten and eighteen and will provide opportunities to develop skills in performance, technical production and arts management.
It is based at Ventnor Middle School, with weekly workshops (held on Sundays), specialising in acting for stage and screen, as well as providing specific programs for those whose interests lie in technical, artistic and management roles. (more…)
Join Dave Lawton and the Deckchair company from Manchester at Quay Arts on Friday 15 February at 8pm for a bittersweet musical voyage through the highs and lows of a life lived in the thrall of pop culture.
With new music and lyrics written especially for this theatre production, Life of a Failed Pop Star is a must for anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping the ordinary.
‘Now I was just another castaway washed ashore by the sea of failure abandoned by the good ship Pop’.
Bits and Bobs:
Performance Date/Time: Fri 15 Feb 8pm Doors 7pm
Location: Anthony Minghella Theatre, Quay Arts
Ticket Price: £6 / £5
Box Office 01983 822490
Following the success of Peter Pan at the end of last year, Ventnor Theatre Group will be holding auditions this Sunday for their next production.
‘BUDDY’ the world’s most successful rock ‘n roll musical is due to be staged at Ventnor Winter Gardens in May (details to follow shortly).
The musical tells the story of the last three years of Buddy Holly’s life, from his initial success and hit records (True Love Ways, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy and more) to his tragic death at the age of just 22.
Auditions will be held at the Winter Gardens, on Sunday 20th January starting at 2.00pm.
The group are particularly looking for young male performers, who must be able to sing and act with convincing American accents.
The theatre company has been founded by young people, supported by business and community representatives, and aims to provide opportunities in all fields of their work. (more…)
Here at VentnorBlog, we’re extremely proud to be involved with a new creative initiative starting in Ventnor next year. Regular readers of the blog will remember Jack Whitewood, the writer and director of The Bench in the Park. We were stunned by Jack’s writing and directing skills, as well as his drive and ambition, so not in the least bit surprised when he told us about a new theatre group he was planning to set up. Read on and Jack will tell you the rest. Ed
New Year, New Challenge?
Earlier this year twenty-five students aged fifteen and sixteen produced a play with no adult direction or management. The result ‘The Bench in the Park’, a full length war time drama, was received with great support and was a stunning example of what can be achieved by young people. (more…)
If you were unfortunate enough to miss the wonderful Peter Pan panto last week at the Ventnor Winter Gardens, but need your dose of panto before the end of the year, fear not.
From the title we’re sure you can work out that this is going to be a mash up of various panto stories, but what’s really special is that Quay Arts have a great offer on the tickets.
Buy two tickets and get the third one free, that way you can take your little darling and their best friend too.
If you haven’t bought your tickets yet for the Ventnor Theatre Group’s production of Peter Pan, get your skates on, because they are selling like hot cakes.
We hear that the Sunday matinee is now fully booked and Saturday night almost sold out. (more…)
Tickets for the forthcoming Ventnor Theatre Group production of Peter Pan are flying out of the door (after being paid for, we’re pleased to say).
We’ve heard lots of people say that they plan to attend performances but haven’t bought tickets yet.
This is proving to be a very popular panto, so if you haven’t bagged your tickets yet, make sure you get down to the Winter Gardens between 12-2pm (open every day) and hand over your cash. (more…)
Panto season is upon us and Quay Arts are getting in the festive spirit of goodwill and bringing you a very special offer.
This years panto at Quay Arts promises to be totally off-the-wall.
It’s brought to you by Forest Forge, who you might remember from A Christmas Carol, and this year they are putting on The Smith Family Panto - or Sleeping Mother Whittington in Boots!
It’s a hilarious ‘Billy Liar’ style Christmas fantasy,with out of work panto dame, Cliff Smith, in love with his pretty next door neighbour, Cindy Ella - a girl with two ugly sisters. (more…)
You’ll have seen the posters in shop windows, or perhaps the banner across the High Street in Ventnor and maybe even read it on VentnorBlog, so you’ve got no excuse for not buying your tickets yet for the forthcoming Ventnor Theatre Group’s panto, Pater Pan.
I’ve been sitting at the back of the hall every Monday and Thursday night, watching the rehearsals over the last few weeks. (more…)
This years Christmas Panto performed by The Ventnor Theatre Group will be an adaptation of the wonderful J M Barrie story, Peter Pan.
With a cast from as young as six years old up to 80, you’re assured of plenty of variety with swashbuckling pirates, twinkly fairies and pesky lost boys.
The show features music from Mary Poppins, High School Musical and The Bee Gees, as well as many other popular classics, all adapted to fit the story line beautifully.
Tickets are £6.50 for adults and £5.50 for OAP/kids with performances will be be on Thursday 6th, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th at 7.30pm with the final performance on Sunday 9th at 2.30pm.
To book your tickets for this fabulous show, call the box office on 857581 or pop in to the Winter Gardens between 12-2pm every day and from 6.30pm on show nights.
Are you a Harry Potter fan? Or do you have family members who are?
If so, this upcoming family comedy at Quay Arts might be right up your street.
Our favourite arts venue is offering two chances (3pm and 6pm) to catch this parody of the Harry Potter stories and the whole Harry Potter phenomenon as told by Dan and Jeff (best-known for their storytelling slot on BBC’s Blue Peter) in November.
Coming up at Quay Arts in just under three weeks time, is an opportunity to catch some excellent new theatrical comedy, when Gonzo Moose perform ‘You Don’t Need To Know That’.
Apparently inspired by Kafka’s The Trial, the play is an exhilarating collision of comedy, drama, slapstick and puppetry, performed by the theatre company, Gonzo Moose, whose backgrounds in circus and physical theatre, create a hilarious, ludicrous and disturbingly anarchic world where anything can happen and frequently does.
So what’s it all about? Essentially, it’s a story of human survival in the face of absurdity, an ordinary man, who minds his own business, awakes one morning to find a police inspector at the foot of his bed. (more…)
Another event connected to Quay Arts this Saturday is a theatre performance of Aleksei Arbuzov’s Old World.
According to the promotional blurb, Old World promises a heart-warming, poignant performance with a pleasant balance of wit and charm brought to life by some of the finest, talented cast and crew in the country.
It’s a delightfully observed and touching story which reminds us that it’s never too late to find someone to grow old with. A story of hope and compassion which will appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes.
If you’re looking for something a bit more cultured than going down the pub on Saturday night, there are still some seats available for Threadbare Greebo at Quay Arts.
Apparently, this latest play to hit Quay Arts was inspired by the factual accounts of vulnerable young people, and the playwright’s own experience of growing up with the stigma of mental illness.
The result is a raw and compelling piece of new writing, which is complemented by a completely original soundtrack of experimental music and multimedia projections filmed on location in East London. (more…)
Amongst those performing will be the Sandown Dog Olympics team, Extreme Circus from Ryde, Christa Correia’s Circus dancers and many other acts who we’ll tell you about later.
Thanks to Roger Regular, 
If you’re looking for something to do with the kids tomorrow, why not head down to the Ventnor Winter Gardens?
Everyone involved with Ventnor Theatre Group does so voluntarily - absolutely no one gets paid, we have no council subsidies, zilch! 
Now that ‘Buddy’ has been cast and rehearsals are underway, (and it’s an exceptional cast - so sure to be another sell out!) we’re at it again! 
We’re really pleased to hear that the newly established 
If you missed our 
With new music and lyrics written especially for this theatre production, Life of a Failed Pop Star is a must for anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping the ordinary.
Thanks to a lottery award, local group InterAct are offering classes, leading to accredited examinations in acting and speaking in verse and prose.
‘BUDDY’ the world’s most successful rock ‘n roll musical is due to be staged at Ventnor Winter Gardens in May (details to follow shortly).
Ventnor resident and organiser of the Christmas Variety Show, Louis Lawrence is planning a fun packed Easter variety show with a circus theme.
You might remember back in December, we gave you details of a new 
New Year, New Challenge?
If you were unfortunate enough to miss the wonderful Peter Pan panto last week at the Ventnor Winter Gardens, but need your dose of panto before the end of the year, fear not.
If you haven’t bought your tickets yet for the Ventnor Theatre Group’s production of 
Tickets for the forthcoming Ventnor Theatre Group 
You’ll have seen the posters in shop windows, or perhaps the banner across the High Street in Ventnor and maybe even 
If so, this upcoming family comedy at Quay Arts might be right up your street.
Apparently inspired by Kafka’s The Trial, the play is an exhilarating collision of comedy, drama, slapstick and puppetry, performed by the theatre company, Gonzo Moose, whose backgrounds in circus and physical theatre, create a hilarious, ludicrous and disturbingly anarchic world where anything can happen and frequently does. 
According to the promotional blurb, Old World promises a heart-warming, poignant performance with a pleasant balance of wit and charm brought to life by some of the finest, talented cast and crew in the country. 
Apparently, this latest play to hit Quay Arts was inspired by the factual accounts of vulnerable young people, and the playwright’s own experience of growing up with the stigma of mental illness.