Autumn Update

Hello everyone.

It may be well after the summer programme now, but Whirlwind are very busy with new plans and projects. Since Brilliant the Dinosaur and after a well earned holiday, Mike and Myette have been putting things together for the forthcoming year.

Newsletters have been sent out to everyone on the mailing list along with an oder form for Brilliant photographs and DVD's. If you have not had one of these and wish to order then please contact the office. Posters from the last four Summer productions are also available at the bargain price of £2.50 each, so why not take a trip down memory lane and order all four? (They look great side by side.) After a slight hitch with the Whirlwind T-Shirts these should now be with everyone who ordered them and are now available to order once more.

If you run an out of school club or youth organisation, have you thought about having whirlwind in to run a session? Sessions can be an hour, half a day or a day, tailored to meet your needs and are variable in price according to length and structure? Why not talk to Mike and Myette and see what they can contribute to your organisation?

Finally, and saving the big news until last. In the New Year Whirlwind are planning to start running sessions for children on a weekly basis. More details will be announced shortly, but keep watching this spce, the website or the facebook group for news of this exciting development.

Brilliant the Dinosaur Photographs.

Photographs from the summer 2008 production can be seen on the website here.

Do have a look and enjoy. There will be news next week about photographs and dvds for sale.

Whirlwind Facebook Group.

For all you internet addicts out there in blogland, Whirlwind now has a Facebook group. Do come over to Facebook and join us and have some fun discussing the up and coming production.

The group can be found by following this link.

Brilliant The Dinosaur - Ticket News

Rehearsals for the summer production are going well and the children are enjoying themselves.

Posters are now going up around town, do look out for them. If you can display a poster, or better still are able to get several displayed in your locality then please contact Mike to request them.

Performances are at The Kings House on Phoenix Street, Lancaster on 13th, 14th and 15th of August at 6.30pm and on 14th August at 2.30pm.

Adults £9.00
Children/Concessions £7.50
Family ticket £28.00
Tickets may be pre-booked online by Credit/Debit card by clicking here.
Tickets may also be available on the door.

Brilliant :- Ready to go...

The summer school, Brilliant the Dinosaur will be starting next Monday, 28th July. Hope you are excited, we certainly are. Here are all the final details and things you may need to know to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Doors open at 9.15am each day, ready for a 9.30am start.

Doors open for collection at 3.20pm, for a 3.30pm finish.

The first day may take a little longer as registration details are checked.

Children will need:
Sensible clothing for physical and messy activities.
Sensible footwear, ie trainers, gym shoes, soft sensible shoes. (NO heels, flip-flops or crocs.)
A named water bottle that can be refilled if necessary.
A healthy packed lunch. (Please avoid nuts and sesame seeds if possible as we have some children who are allergic.)

Water and fruit will be provided during the day, but please feel free to include extra items for breaks.

Please note there is little or no parking on the WhiteCross Estate unless you work there and have your own permit. The most convenient free street parking is outside the hospital.

We look forward to seeing you on 28th and are sure we will have a 'Brilliant' time together.

Summer Production Progress

There are a lot of things happening now in preparation for the Summer Production, Brilliant The Dinosaur.

All our staff are chosen and over the next few weeks we will introduce you to them.

There are just a few space left for children, we are looking especialy for some older boys 13-14 years old with strong singing ability to play the family, and children from 6-14 years to play village children and friends of the family and the dinosaur. Every part is equally important because Whirlwind Theatre is ensemble, assigning equal importance to every role and every member.

This year we are hoping to be able to borrow staging and a raised seating area for the audience to enable them to see much better.

Help needed
There are three ways you can help us:

1.) We are looking for companies to advertise in our programmes, if you know of any who many be interested, please put us in touch with them.

2.) We are also looking for sponsors for the stage set and costumes. This can be from individuals or companies and you can sponsor all or part of the set or costumes.

3.) Finally we also need bike tyre inner tubes and boy's tank tops. If you have one or many to donate please contact us. It doesn't matter if they need repairing, we are well able to 'make do and mend'.

Press Release

Press Release,
‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’ by Richard Stilgo. Whirlwind Theatre Summer Production.
What is large, green, very theatrical and 160,100,000 Million year old? Whirlwind theatre latest recruit -‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’!
Whirlwind Theatre is inviting 45 local children to join the professional cast and go prehistoric in ‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’ by Richard Stilgo, this years popular and exciting summer school production. Whirlwind is also looking for hundreds of bicycle inner tubes to make a 10ft long Diplodocus, a mastery of design and the largest puppet that Whirlwind theatre has ever made. Dr Ife Ackintunde, Gospel singer and local celebrity, is the voice of the dinosaur with his warm African and jazz tones. He will be learning to operate the front of the puppet which is no mean feet as he is completely blind.
‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’ is written especially for children and was first performed at the Chichester Festival Theatre to glowing critical acclaim. ‘I don’t know why children are fascinated by Dinosaurs, perhaps it’s because they are huge and exciting but safely extinct’ says Richard Stilgo. The story is set a few years from now in a South Coast town ravaged by hurricanes. The latest storm opens a canyon in the cliff and reveals the town’s oldest and least known inhabitant a real and living Diplodocus.
‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’ has a light fun comic Opera feel, with close harmonies, a high speed sung argument and a singing dinosaur, and fits very well into Whirlwinds theatrical style. Myette Godwyn, Artistic Director, says that it reminds her of the music she was brought up with, touring with her fathers renowned company ‘The Palm Court Theatre Orchestra.’ Myette is very proud to be able to direct one of Richard Stilgo's shows as she met him several times as a child, because he was topping the bill with her parents. He is one of Britain’s best loved and known theatre composers and is famous for teaming up with Andrew Lloyd Webber for Starlight Express. He also is a great supporter of inclusive children’s theatre and has a company very similar to Whirlwind in the South of England.
‘Brilliant the Dinosaur’ should not be missed, either to see or to be in, a very memorable fun time by all.
Whirlwind Theatre is Ofsted Registered and has a welfare team that support the children through out the production and workshop time. Up to 70% of fees can be claimed back through Child Tax Credits allowing for more children to take part. Rehearsal start on the 28th July and the performances are on the 13th to the 15th. August. Each day begins at 9.15am and finishes at 3. 30 pm (not weekends).
If you would like a place, of would like to donate inner tubes, please ring the office on 01524 812851, or on line at Bookings@whirlwindtheatre.org.uk. To view past work please look at the web site www.whirlwindtheatre.org.uk.

Recognition for Whirlwind

The 'Key Cultural Partners' in Lancaster and Morecambe will have their advocacy document ready for distribution in the next few weeks detailing all the major arts activities and companies in the area of which we are one! It's great to see that we are finally being recognised as a key arts organisation in the area.

We have had some response to our call for Board Members but are still looking for more. Please contact the office for more details. Details of how to contact us are on the website, see the link at the side.

Finally for today Mike is currently touring again with Chris Barber.

Summer School News

We now have 30 children already booked onto the summer school. Places are filling quickly so hurry to book yours soon.

Rehearsals will be taking place at The Chapel, White Cross (venue of our recent sucessful Easter Programme) and we now have confirmation that the performances will once more be at The King's House, Pheonix Street.

We are awaiting confirmation that Steve Allan Jones will be able to do the music for us again this year. Unfortunately we won't be able to have live music as the costs would be too high. The stage set design is underway for the summer show and looks as if it will be a challenge but as you know we relish challenges of that kind.

We are hoping to update this blog more frequently now so do bookmark and visit back frequently. Later in the week we will be posting an update about the company.