Debuting in 1973, at London’s Royal Court theatre, and now a cult classic, the Rocky Horror Show remains one of the sexiest – and funniest – shows in stage and film. Fifty years and going strong. The blog, Europeana, describes it as drawing inspiration from B-movies, science fiction and horror. And indeed that’s not hard to see.
Richard O’Brien, famous for the Crystal Maze game show, wrote the musical. Glam rock inspired the music and visuals of this tale of a newly-engaged couple, Brad and Janet. Caught in a storm, they seek help at the home of scientist, Dr Frank-N-Furter. During proceedings he unveils his new creation, Rocky, a monster in tanned, muscular, blonde, male form.
The Europeana blog further describes how the show found itself being influenced by, and in turn being an influence on, the counter-cultural and sexual liberation movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Further it was at the vanguard of musicals that depicted liberated characters with fluid sexualities. As such, LGBTQ+ communities hold it in huge affection and celebrate it for its subversive portrayal of sexuality and gender.
Rocky Horror Show 2023 – programme cover
The cast
Well here was a novelty – for me ( I live a sheltered life) – a familiar name in the cast list in the form of Joe McFadden as the narrator. It’s an important role is that one. Sometimes the audience for the RHS can be, shall we say, a bit lively*, interacting with the narrator. And they then have to respond to that – all off the cuff like. And last night a section of the audience were clearly RHS devotees – they knew the lines and were interjecting with the narrator at every available moment.
*A million years ago, when I first saw this show in Sheffield, I experienced this. EVERYONE was dressed up (aside from me and my mate), we got in the auditorium and the doors were closed. No interval – it went right through. It was a little raucous!
Stephen Webb as Frank N Furter I’ve seen before – he’s great. As indeed were the entire cast – singing and dancing their stockings and suspenders off. But I must give mention to Kristian Lavercombe who plays Riff Raff. It seems that Kristian has over 2000 Rocky Horror performances under his basque – that’s more than anyone in its 50 year history! But of course they’re all fab. Suffice it to say, the performance has all the energy and fun that you’d expect and want from The Rocky Horror Show.
Though I should point out that a show with a song called Sweet Transvestite is perhaps not for the easily offended. But it’s such a hoot!
Wessex Week in Wiltshire – A PASSION FOR HISTORY & CULTURE LIES BEHIND WESSEX WEEK 2023.
A PASSION for music, history and the arts has led volunteer Julia Bowen to step up again to stage Wessex Week in Malmesbury this autumn.
Julia (73) has been alongside her colleague historian Tony McAleavy and the rest of her team, organising a whole week of events. They’ll celebrate the region’s history, culture and art through the centuries. But putting a particular emphasis on Malmesbury and the Anglo Saxon period. The events take place in the town between Saturday October 14 and Saturday October 21.
Julia Bowen, one of the two founder volunteers of Wessex Week
How it began
The ‘week’ came about after the BBC ran its history week from the town for several years and then pulled out in 2016. Julia, with others, decided to organise events themselves.
‘It had been so successful that when the BBC decided to move to Winchester, we wanted to create our own event. In that first year it was such a success that we made a small profit. So we re-invested it for an event in 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years we’ve had some wonderful speakers. They’ve included historian and author Tom Holland, historian and broadcaster Michael Wood and Dr Janina Ramirez – a cultural historian, broadcaster and author.’
Well known
Julia is well known in Malmesbury for her voluntary work and is involved in local cultural and musical activities. She was Malmesbury’s second lady mayor and chairs Malmesbury & District Twinning Association.
During her working life, she was a music teacher for Wiltshire Music Service. She later became Deputy Head of South Gloucestershire Music Service , taking her colleagues over the world to learn about music from other cultures. Her late husband John was also a well-known artist and fashion designer, involved in the history and culture of Malmesbury and wider Wiltshire. Julia’s own love of music, culture, the arts and performance continues undimmed.
Music is in my DNA and I come from a long line of string players. My great grandfather made and taught the violin and a great uncle was a ‘ cellist in the Halle. I have always been a performing musician, particularly voice and it very much defines who I am.’
It’s not surprising then that music features again during the 2023 line-up of events.
The events
The Story of Malmesbury Abbey 670 to 1539 by Tony McAleavy (7pm Saturday Oct 14 in the Abbey).
Guided walk & talk by Campbell Ritchie on 900 Years of The Monks at Malmesbury Abbey (10.30am Sunday October 15 from Cross Hayes)
A free exhibition ‘Archives, Maces and Bird’s-Eye-View’. This offers a rare opportunity to explore the archives of the Warden and Freemen of Malmesbury including the Queen Anne silver maces. The Warden & Freemen of Malmesbury is an organisation dating back to the time of King Athelstan. It’s still active today (Sunday October 15 10.30am to 4pm Warden and Freeman Office in Market Lane).
Malmesbury & Queens of Mediaeval England (talk & supper) led by Tony McAleavey. Wednesday October 18 6pm at The Old Bell Hotel. You can get separate tickets just for the talk.
The Story of the Warden & Freemen of Malmesbury with Richard Robins, Capital Burgess. Thursday October 19 7pm, Malmesbury Town Hall.
One very special event to close the week on Saturday October 21 will have senior archaeologist Richard Osgood MBE leading. He’ll share the story of The Shallow Grave. It relates to the discovery and excavation of a Saxon burial on private land near Tetbury.
Richard said: ‘Gloucestershire in the 7th Century was a liminal zone -frontier land. There’s limited traces of this age. But yet a Cotswold field has recently yielded some very important finds. There’s evidence for a settlement which has associated burials. One of them was provided with a series of impressive grave goods. Located by a metal detectorist, Gloucestershire Council further investigated the site. Also participants on the Operation Nightingale programme. They used archeology to assist the recovery of military veterans.
‘Hence, the formation of Exercise ‘Shallow Grave’. My talk will explore the site in the Cotswolds and then draw in recent parallels from other sites in Wessex including on the chalklands of the military training area of Salisbury Plain.’
To get tickets
Tickets for any of these events are available online via the Wessex Week websitehttps://wessex-week.org
And there are some also available to buy at the tourist information centre based at Malmesbury Town Hall.
The stage is set for the first Malmesbury Folk & Roots Festival and tickets are on sale! And what’s more, fans from across the region look set to arrive in the Wiltshire market town to see some of the genre’s best-loved acts.
Malmesbury Folk & Roots Festival – Fly Yeti Fly
Location, location, location
The Malmesbury Folk & Roots Festival is being staged on Saturday September 23 in Malmesbury Abbey Cloister Gardens. It’s timing ties in with the inauguralEuropean Folk Day.
Supported by Malmesbury Town Council, it’s on course to becoming an annual highlight of the folk music calendar. Organisers are hoping for a capacity crowd of 450 plus.
‘I’m so excited Malmesbury is celebrating the inaugural European Folk Music Day with our first ever one day Folk & Roots festival of traditional music and dance,’ said Malmesbury Mayor, Cllr Gavin Grant.
It promises to be a terrific event with its beautiful cloister gardens setting. There’s a great line up of musicians, local talent showcase, food stalls and bar, and raising funds for my Mayoral good causes. I hope it will become an annual fixture in Malmesbury’s events calendar.’
Behind the scenes
Town resident Catherine Burke is organising the event. Catherine is a folk music lover who runs the annual, world-renowned Purbeck Valley Folk Festival.
Catherine has booked some big names for the stage, including Martha Tilson, Old Baby Mackerel and Wiltshire band Fly Yeti Fly. Headlining is 3 Daft Monkeys. She said the festival would offer something for everyone to enjoy.
‘People sometimes have an idea of what folk music is, but it’s much broader. Ed Sheeran is a man with a guitar, storytelling, and to me that’s folk music. We’ve called the festival ‘folk and roots’, to show we have a wide variety.
Opa Rosa is an upbeat Balkan band
Old Baby Mackerel are bluegrass – so think Dukes of Hazzard.
And Martha Tilson plays very laid back, chilled music.
Everyone will enjoy it.’
As part of the festival, Morris dancers will perform at different places around the town. And local cafes, shops and restaurants are getting ready for a busy day. Burton Hill campsite is offering a discount to festival-goers.
Musician Stephen Kearney, director of MusicLan Studios and European Folk Network member, is also getting involved.
‘There was never a better time to celebrate the incredible musical diversity and cultures of Europe,’ he said. ‘The traditional arts are an essential element of European cultural identity and diversity. They are a source of wealth in every sense of the word. There are millions of us who work, create and are active participants in this fundamental element of our culture. I’m delighted that the Mayor of Malmesbury has embraced that and mobilised the town’s people so effectively.’
Tickets etc
Malmesbury Folk & Roots runs from 1.30pm to 10.30pm.
Chris Hunt Skelley Chases Gold. Chris Hunt Skelley MBE, who won gold in his sport of judo at Tokyo2020 has taken his next steps towards Paris2024. By winning silver at the inaugural European Para Championships he’s achieved exactly that.
The 30-year-old fought hard throughout the competition in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He lost out on gold by a narrow margin, in a match against a fellow competitor from Georgia in the +90kg class.
Chris said: ‘The European Para Championshipswas an incredible experience. It was like a mini-Tokyo. It was so special to have all the different types of sport there and to feel the kind of atmosphere that it will be like, I trust, in Paris 2024.
Chris Hunt Skelley Chases Gold – Chris Hunt Skelley MBE who won silver in the European Para Championships. At time of writing he is ranked World No 1 in his sport.
An honour
Said Chris: ‘It was such an honour to represent Great Britain again. It was the best feeling ever to step on that mark knowing that you’re representing new friends and new family. It’s amazing to be able to show the world how disability sport is going to take over.
‘It’s wonderful to be alongside all these fantastic athletes. The Paralympic Games, paralympic sport in general, is here to take over the world. It will show what you can do even if you have a disability. Disability is your superpower.’
The event involves 1,500 paralympic athletes from 45 countries competing across ten different para sports.
Visually impaired Chris took gold at Toky02020 in judo. He’s training hard to qualify for Paris2024 to go for gold again. He took up the sport at an elite level after being discovered competing in judo while wearing a blindfold.
blindfolded. And winning against sighted competitors.
Chris received a diagnosis of ocular albinism at the age of nineteen. That meant he had to abandon his apprenticeship as a mechanic and had to give up team sport. But he persevered through his passion for judo and that led to the spotting of his potential as a paralympian.
Since then he’s been competing in major championships across the globe representing Great Britain. He’s the world’s leading Judoka with a visual impairment.
Welcome to the Wyvern Summer Youth Project 2023. And they’ve gone and done it again! This year’s SYP2023 is, as they always are, joyful and wonderful. There are still tickets for tonight and tomorrow – do yourself a favour and go!
I’ve seen a fair number of summer youth project performances over the years. They’re always a joy and have become one of the highlights of my year. And last night’s performance of The Wizard of Oz was no exception to this.
Somewhere in the region of 150 wonderful young people gave the audience of mums, dads, grandmas, aunts etc, a terrific theatrical treat. One that they’d so clearly put their all into.
I’m ever in awe that everyone involved in this project gets it staged, from start to finish, in about a week. It’s simply marvellous.
The Principals
Not always helped by less-than-great amplification at times, Dorothy, the tin man, the scarecrow and the lion, were all fabulous. They danced well, they sang well – it was all well!
Bethany Tunley sure looked the part as Dorothy and she danced, sang and acted her little socks off. But I did struggle to hear her at times – and I’d even remembered to wear my hearing aids! But I fear the fault may well not be hers. And if I could have the ruby slippers when she’s finished with them that would be wonderful. What size are they?
I loved the tin man’s moves – once he’d been oiled. He was great. But I must give special mention to the two young people playing the scarecrow and the cowardly lion. They both had brilliant voices. Such a lot of talent!
It has to be said, this is a show that really needs the excellent ensemble. What with munchkins, citizens of Oz, the poppies and more, the WoO has crowd scenes galore. So that’s a win. Well done to each and every one of them.
Backstage
And of course the talent isn’t restricted to the players. Those responsible for the set design, props, choreography, costumes etc, etc all deserve a mention in despatches. Though a wee complaint – I’m pretty sure the left hand of the auditorium got a bigger share of the bubbles when Glinda appeared. Harrumph. Rationed bubbles aside, I loved the witty wee touches of the tiny wicked witch and hot air balloon being winched across the auditorium over our heads.
Wyvern Summer Youth Project 2023
So what are you waiting for? If you’re at a loose end tonight or tomorrow eschew Netflix and get on the yellow brick road and go and see this lovely, life-affirming show instead.
The Wizard of Oz, is an American musical film, released in 1939, based on the book of the same name by L. Frank Baum. Though not an immediate financial or critical success, it became one of the most enduring family films of all time.
Cue tornadoes, witches, munchkins, ruby slippers and a wizard that’s not at all what he/she/it is cracked up to be! An excellent metaphor for our government. #JustSaying
