Wow! Six! The Tudor Musical – what can I say? History wasn’t like this when I did my GCE ‘O’ Level. Yes I am that old. But then my ‘O’ Level history course was social and economic so it was all Enclosures, Jethro Tull’s seed drill and Bessemer’s converter rather than kings and queens of England and Scotland. Well, it’s safe to say that my erstwhile sketchy knowledge of Henry VIII’s six wives has now had the gaps filled in!
Divorced
Beheaded
Died
Divorced
Beheaded
Survived
I never could remember which one suffered which fate. But I’ve got it firmly fixed now thanks to this high-octane, girl-powered romp through Tudor history.
Six! The Tudor Musical
Caveat
I’m honour bound now to point out the currentrun of this show at the Wyvern theatre is sold out . BUT – if you’re wondering then what the point of this blog might be – there’s a chance it’ll come back! So – if you aren’t familiar with it, read on – ‘cos then you’ll know for future reference. I only had half an idea of what it was all about myself.
What’s it all about then?
Well – the six wives of Henry VIII – #Obvs
Using the conceit of the wives performing a pop concert, they tell the audience that the position of leader of their band will be the prize for whichever of the six queens had the worst experience of being wed to Henry VIII. Thus they get to tell herstory rather than history.
In telling their stories, the queens come to see how they’ve been robbed of their individuality. They’re known only as the queen that was beheaded, or the queen that outlived Henry – rather than the women that they were. Having figured that one out they come together as a group rather than as solo artists.
The show also explores ideas of female beauty via the House of Holbein where they parody a dating app and refer to profile pictures – a reference to the Holbein portrait of Anne of Cleves that persuaded Henry to agree to wed her.
All of which is interesting enough but does nothing to convey what tremendous fun this show is. The costumes are simply fabulous as were the performances. The whole concept is so original. It’s exciting and full of energy and ultimately it’s uplifting. I’ll resist making comments about it being worth losing your head over as it’s been done already. But …. it really is!
Not for nothing has this show made the transition from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to the West End and Broadway. So – when you DO get the chance to see it – sadly not on this run – grasp it. I’d love to see it again!
Conductor Anthony Brown and his Fulltone Orchestra take ‘A French Fantasy’ on tour
South West conductor Anthony Brown is taking his huge seventy-two piece Fulltone Orchestra on a three-date tour this autumn to celebrate some of the most iconic French classical music.
The orchestra, based in Wiltshire, will present A French Fantasy: Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, among other arrangements, over three nights in October.
Fulltone Orchestra on Tour – Anthony Brown
Tour dates
The tour takes in:
Saturday 8th October: Cirencester, St John Baptist Church
● Saturday 22nd October: Marlborough College, Memorial Hall
Sunday 23rd October: Oxford, Sheldonian Theatre
Guests can expect to hear music from:
Boléro
Carmen No 1 Prélude
Danse Macabre
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and …
elements of Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14, among other arrangements.
‘I’m so excited we’ll be playing at Marlborough Collegethis month. It’s going to be a very special evening,’ Anthony said.
The professional orchestra rehearses in Devizes in the run-up to its concerts. There are more than 150 top flight musicians in the group with each concert featuring up to seventy-two. The orchestra has grown in stature and professionalism since its inception in September 2017.
An exciting and enthralling evening
The evening is set to enthral, with rehearsals in full swing and the hairs on the back of necks already standing on end. Anthony said: ‘We put this programme ogether to create pure excitement. With our biggest performing orchestra to date, all seventy-two of us will be playing this massive and enthralling set. We’ll take the audience through an entire spectrum of emotions, in a huge finale that’s both dramatic and stirring!’
Music has been an important part of conductor and founder Anthony’s life since childhood. He was head chorister and learnt to play the flute to diploma level. Further he was found treading the boards as the male leads in shows up until swapping the stage for the baton.
Yet, music wasn’t his first career. He worked as an accountant before owning a uniform business and running a theatre company with his wife, Jemma.
‘I should have done music in some form straight from school. It was much later in life I became determined to have my own orchestra. And now that dream is a reality, and I get to work with some of the best musicians I could have ever dreamt of working with.’
Anthony gets expert mentoring from Captain Neil Skipper, Director of Music in the British Army.
Anthony, 44, lives in Devizes with Jemma, and between them, they have three children. Jemma is also musical. She’s an accomplished vocalist and is head of Devizes music academy and the artistic director of the Fulltone Orchestra.
Future plans include the orchestra performing Karl Jenkins’ Symphonic Adiemus in three cathedrals with a massed choir. All followed by a 2023 tour around musicals with a top West End star.
Tickets for the October shows, are available by visiting www.fto.org.uk
ENCHANTED GARDENS LIGHT TRAIL RETURNS TO THE TOWN GARDENS
Following on from the success of the inaugural Enchanted Gardens Light Trail, it thrills South Swindon Parish Council to announce its return. Last year the trial welcomed over 27,000 visitors. The year it’s set to be bigger and better than ever!
When is it?
From Friday 2 until Saturday 31 December, you can enjoy a magnificent outdoor lighting trail. Designed by light art pioneers,Luminism, the trail is complete with state-of-the-art effects, light art sculptures and interactive illuminations. All are set to amaze Swindon residents of all ages.
Enchanted gardens light trail
About Town Gardens
The historic Town Gardens, located in Old Town, Swindonwere laid out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They lie on the undulating Okus Field, the site of old Purlock stone quarries. There are several historic points throughout the Town Gardens. Including the 1930s Art Deco Bowl, in which SSPC have hosted a varied programme of theatre and music events throughout the summer. In so doing they’ve attracting over 1300 attendees to this iconic space.
School participation and other events
As part of the illuminations, SSPC have invited selected local schools to be part of the event. They’re going to help to create one of the light art installations. Entitled ‘The Lantern Walk’, it’ll you’ll find it positioned on the Quarry Road Pathway.
This year, SSPC are launching a series of workshops and performances at the Bandstand during the trail’s opening hours. This will include story-times with the award-winning local author, Kate Claxton (Really Rather Wild). There’ll also be performances from local schools and performing arts groups. One of which is the Kitty Langan Studio.
A full schedule of these workshops and performances during the light trail will be available online at www.southswindon-pc.gov.uk/enchanted-gardens-light-trail-2022. Make sure to keep an eye on this website and @SouthSwindonParish on social media for updates.
Neil Hopkins, Chair of Leisure, Environment and Amenities at South Swindon Parish Council said: ‘After the huge success of last year’s enchanted gardens light trail, it’s a delight to work with Luminism once again. Between s we’re bringing an even more spectacular event to Town Gardens for the whole of December.
‘Luminism are creating a most memorable experience for Swindon’s residents and visitors. Everything about this light trail is even better than last year. It’ll have newly-designed installations, great food and beverage offers and more gift and charity stalls. All showing off our iconic Town Gardens at their seasonal best.’
A new concept for Swindon
Chris Watts, Chair of South Swindon Parish Council said:
When Neil brought the concept of a light trail to our parish councillors for consideration last year, we were very impressed. But, even then, we didn’t realise how good it would actually be. During last year’s event we had a huge number of positive customer comments and social media posts. And what’s more, a score of 4 out of 5 on Skiddle, despite being much cheaper than many more established light trails.
I’m delighted that South Swindon Parish Council is once again leading in Swindon. It’s amazing to be providing such a wonderful light trail event for our residents and the many visitors from outside the area. I’m looking forward to seeing the many new installations that I’m sure will enchant everyone who attends.’
To get tickets
Search ‘Enchanted Gardens Light Trail’ on Skiddle to find out more and book tickets.
Tickets are £11.00 for adults and £6.00 for children (aged 5-17 years). Under 4s and carers/assistants may attend free of charge with a paying ticket holder. Booking fees will apply.
There’ll be a limited number of tickets available for with allocated time slots every 15 minutes, starting from 5pm. Tickets will be available, in the main, online. There’ll also be a limited number available on the day at the box office, located at the entrance to the trail through the Westlecot Road gates.
The Mechanics’ Murals – Well listeners – here I am again with yet more mural marvellousness. Hot on the heels – or pedals –of the Pinehurst Peloton we have a set of murals all round the Mechanics’ Institution. To tell you more about them let’s turn to the Swindon Advertiser: The stunning new murals you can find at Railway Village:
These works are a collaboration between Swindon artists and schools from across Swindon. They’ve produced a series of works based on a variety of themes. Those themes are: the past, drama and art, life in the railway village, work and the area’s early days and the future.
The artists involved went into schools around the borough and spoke to children and encouraged them to produce art. The artists then scaled up the children’s art work and painted it onto the hoardings.
There’s also some great information boards about the railway village etc. Well – they would be great were it not for a terrible font choice on the headings. They’re bad. Sorry!
Artists involved
Among the artists taking part are: Hannah Dosanjh, Tim Carroll, Caryn Koh, Sally Taylor, Paul Exton, Sean Burke and Sue Bardwell.
Do read the Adver article on the link above to find out what the artists say about their sections.
Below – some of them.
The Mechanics’ TheatrePaul Exton section of the Mechanics’ muralsTim Carroll section of the The Mechanics’ Murals Caryn Koh section
But that’s not all
Also participating in this gorgeous creativity at the HAZ project is marvellous Marilyn Trew. Karen Phimister, the HAZ project manager approached Marilyn to make a map for visitors to the railway village area. But an oversized map to go on the hoardings.
On her map Marilyn has noted all the fantastic buildings, pubs included! Used to working on a much smaller scale, Marilyn had some deliberations with her printers to find the best way to accomplish the 16 ft map.
Says Marilyn: ‘It’s been a real pleasure to make this map as it’s a bit different from my usual studies. I found all the buildings fascinating, I loved the patterns of the bricks and stones. I had to lots of research of course and had some help from Royston Cartwright.
When they installed the map I was proud I had to hug it! Thanks for the opportunity SBC – this is a joyous thing for Swindon.
Marilyn Trew hugging her map!Marilyn Trew in front of her railway village map
Funding for these art works came from Historic England. SBC led and organised the scheme.
The cabinet member for culture, heritage, leisure and the town centre Matty Courtliff said he was thrilled by the works.
Some of the information boards – see what I mean about the font?
How Bright Ideas Built a Railway Town called Swindon
Hannah Dosanjh’ Children’s Book – it’s a wonderful thing.
Hannah Dosanjh Children’s Book
Hot off the press is this gorgeous book written and illustrated by Swindon artist, Hannah Dosanjh. Surprisingly, despite a tsunami of writings about Swindon, my own publications included, no-one has, to my knowledge, written Swindon’s story in a child-friendly format. So congrats Hannah for filling that gap. Oh to be this talented!
Back cover of Hannah Dosanjh Children’s Book
Full of delightful illustrations by the author, this book uses a series of rhyming couplets to tell Swindon’s story in child-friendly format. I love all of it, but what impresses me a great deal is how, without over-egging the pudding, she conveys the good, the bad and the ugly about the early years of this fledgeling town. For the families who pitched up in New Swindon, by any means possible – often on foot, didn’t find a version of Bournville or Port Sunlight.
The GWR/New Swindon Company were not paternalistic and benevolent as were the Cadbury family. Thus the early residents of New Swindon found themselves in the wild west of the southwest. The new railway village was lawless and insanitary – people were dying in droves and the settlement almost failed. She also covers the dangers of toiling in the Works and the creation of the Medical Fund Society. And Hannah has managed to convey all that in a format that children – of all ages – can relate to. I can’t speak of it highly enough!
A bit about Hannah
From her website:
‘Hannah lives just outside Swindon, and is a Parish Councillor. She exhibits regularly with Swindon Open Studios, has a love of local history ( she recently painted a mural along the Mechanics’ Institution) and painted the first “Swindog” ready to launch the Julia’s House sculpture trail in summer 2023.
This year she published her first book for children “A Railway Town Called Swindon” available to buy from this website.Here’s the link to buy Hannah’s book: https://hannahdosanjh.co.uk/product/book/
Hannah Dosanjh and Angela Atkinson (your premier blogger 😉 ) flogging their wares outside the Baker’s in the GWR railway village.
Book launch
Hannah is launching her lovely book at Swindon central library on October 15th. She’ll be there from 12 to 2pm. So an ideal opportunity there to get a signed copy from the author.
The Swindogs are coming
Find out more about the Swindogs and see some pictures of the one that Hannah painted here:
