No. 470 - March 2010 Emeritus Life President: President: Vice President: Price 50p when sold Dr Wendy Toye CBE Simon Russell Beale CBE Nickolas Grace Twelfth Night Party This year’s party was held, as usual, at the Old Vic by kind permission of their management. Unusually, it was held on a Friday afternoon (January 8th) during very inclement weather. Despite this, a sizeable number of dedicated Members greatly enjoyed the event eating the delicious buffet and drinking the wine provided by Ruth Jeayes, Francis Cowan and Committee Members whom we greatly Dame Monica Mason cuts the cake, watched by Vic-Wells Members thank. The splendid cake, baked and decorated by Yvonne Hickman, was cut by our guest of honour, Dame Monica Mason who spoke about another cake cut each year after the last matinee of the Royal Ballet season. This is the Taglioni cake baked to a special recipe belonging to that great ballerina and discovered by ‘Madame’, Dame Ninette de Valois. We were also pleased to see Sir Peter Wright who will shortly be visiting Japan to mount his ballets once Dame Monica Mason with Sir Peter Wright and James Ranger again. The time passed in a flash with everybody mingling and chatting about every topic to do with the ‘Arts’ past, present and to come. Finally our thanks go to the most helpful staff at the Old Vic who provided tables, glasses, crockery and coffee. Tim Rooke Mary-Jane Burcher’s There was a lot of boisterous fun and high jinks from the comics, led by Chris Harris as Beauty's entertainment news…… nurse. Chris always amazes me with his New Years Honours List seemingly never ending source of first class This year the entertainment world didn't get comedy material, as well as some of the old much of a look in on the latest Honours List: in favorites. This pantomime had a bit of the theatre world, actor Patrick Stewart everything - it looked beautiful, had a strong received a Knighthood as did Nicholas Hyter, story-line, and was very funny! The children in the Artistic Director of the National Theatre; The the audience, excited and noisy, loved it - some actress Margaret Tyzack and theatre director experiencing their first visit to the theatre. Phyllida Lloyd received a CBE, and National Youth Music Theatre Director, Jeremy James OBITUARIES Taylor also received a CBE. In the ballet world, David Nixon, Artistic Director of Northern GEORGINA PARKINSON 1938 - 2009 Ballet Theatre received an OBE and Pineapple Georgina Parkinson, Dance Studios founder Debbie Moore also w h o d i e d i n received an OBE. December aged 71, was a principal Bristol Old Vic ballerina with the The Theatre Royal is now up and running, Royal Ballet, before though I am given to understand there are still s p e n d i n g t h r e e many renovations to be done before it operates decades as the fully. Tom Morris, the new Artistic Director, has acclaimed ballet great plans for the future of the theatre. The mistress of New Appeal to fund these renovations is still on- Y o r k ' s l e a d i n g going. This last Christmas Kneehigh Theatre company, American presented a version of the immortal Grimm Ballet Theatre. She was much prized by story of Hansel and Gretel; the Redgrave choreographers, particularly Kenneth Theatre’s forthcoming productions include The MacMillan, for her elegance and support in Tempest and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School moments of crisis. She also brought a wit and will present The Country Wife in February. There style to her characterizations which caught the are many exciting plans for play productions in eye of Frederick Ashton. Another highlight in a the future. varied career was with the renowned modernist Theatre Royal, Bath choreographer Bronislava Nijinska, who featured her in many of his ballets. I was delighted to be able to organise once again our annual visit to see our old friend Chris Harris in pantomime at the Theatre Royal in MOYRA FRASER 1923 - 2009 Bath. First we had lunch at the old Garrick's The actress Moyra Fraser Head pub, adjoining the theatre, which brought has died aged 86. She back happy memories of my touring days! The originally studied at Sleeping Beauty is not a favourite subject with Sadler's Wells Ballet pantomime managements, mainly because the School, and spent eight story is apt to finish in the first act. It is really up years with the company to the imagination of the writer as to how to at the start of a long extend the story-line to make it realistic. The c a r e e r . H o w e v e r , writer, Andy Ryan, and the ever imaginative growing to 5ft 10inches, Chris Harris, who also directed the show, did a she found few ballet wonderful job. The relatively small cast was roles open to her, and excellent – as were the dancers and children. A slipped into revue, delightful 'Fairy Godmother' was played by the pantomime and then vivacious Lisa Goddard, and the evil Carabosse plays. She was a big hit in the musical Camelot as was wonderfully portrayed by Gemma Bissex. the sinister Morgan Le Fay. 2 THE VIC-WELLS ASSOCIATION Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Eonnagata with Sylvie Guillem, and Northern Ballet. ANNUAL REPORT 2008/2009 Your Committee met five times during the year I am sure you would wish to join me in sending to run the affairs of the Association and plan our best wishes to our Emeritus Life President, future activities and I am sure you will join me in Wendy Toye CBE who is still residing at the thanking them for their support and good work. theatrical home, Denville Hall in Middlesex. The We were fortunate to appoint two replacement good news is that Simon Russell Beale CBE has key officers, Kirsten Sheridan as Social Secretary agreed to be our President despite his very busy and Marjory Agha as Editor, both of whom have acting schedule. Our AGM was held at Sadler’s been very valuable additions to our team. Wells on December 1st and after the business we greatly enjoyed a talk from Paul Richardson, I am very pleased to report that our web site, the retiring Technical Director at Sadler’s Wells. www.vic-wells.co.uk has been completely He regaled us with talk of the amazing demands updated and is full of useful information. of many of the visiting Company Artistic Having existed since 1923 to be the link Directors, such as building a breeze block wall at between the audiences the Old Vic and Sadler’s the front of the stage only to have this knocked Wells and their associate theatres, we are down at the start of the performance! His planning for a more active future and happily we experience covered many years at both the old have achieved a closer link with the Old Vic. and the present theatre so there were lots of James Ranger good stories to hear. Chairman Our traditional Twelfth Night Party and Shakespeare’s Birthday Party were both held in Vic-Wells AGM the very pleasant surroundings of the second Held once again in the Kahn Lecture room at floor bar of the Old Vic. The Twelfth Night cake th was cut by David Suchet OBE who was Sadler’s Wells on 30 November, the Committee performing in Complicit at the Old Vic. David and Members completed the formal part of the explained how he loved the Old Vic, having as a meeting before welcoming our guest of honour, young man seen many great performances the incomparable Gillian Lynne. She came hot including Sir Laurence Olivier as Othello. The foot from rehearsing yet another production of guest of honour at Shakespeare’s Birthday Party one of the most original musicals, Cats. Gillian was Niamh Cusack who proposed the toast to related fascinating stories of the early days of the Bard. Appearing in Dancing at Lughnasa at the Vic-Wells Ballet touring during the war. She the Old Vic she spoke to us passionately about told how, after the war, when appearing in Shakespeare’s plays, saying how relevant they Liverpool, they were summoned to the Board were today to people in all walks of life. Our Room of one of the city’s leading stores and thanks go to the many helpers who provided an were surprised and delighted to be told they excellent buffet for both occasions, ably were to be reopening in the Royal Opera House. coordinated by Ruth Jeayes. Our thanks also go Gillian remained with the company for several to the Old Vic for allowing us to host these memorable years, leaving to start a second enjoyable parties there. career in the theatre in revues and in west end Members had the pleasure of going on several musicals as a dancer and leading lady before visits during the year organised by Committee starting her third career as Producer, Director members. These included a fascinating visit to and Choreographer and still going from strength the Guildhall Art Gallery, the Annual visit to the to strength. Her next career is about to blossom Bath pantomime and a visit to see the Merchant as her long awaited autobiography is soon to be of Venice at the newly opened Rose Theatre in published. Kingston. Members had the opportunity to Gillian’s chat ended with a question and answer attend several rehearsals at Sadler’s Wells session. She kept us enthralled for well over an during the year and I should like to thank Lisa hour - which passed in a trice- and when she Bowler of Sadler’s Wells for persuading so many apologised for going on far too long we all visiting companies to let us see their rehearsals.