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Life at The Little Theatre column: Returning friends tread the boards

Read the latest updates from Southport's Little Theatre.

Zainab Noor

InYourArea Community, Zainab Noor

— 2 min read
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Life at The Little Theatre column: Returning friends tread the boards

Kyle Pope and John Sharp in Visiting Mr Green (picture: Graham Fletcher-Hill/SDC)

By Jennifer Corcoran and Andrew Sloman

Announcements - and the anticipation of them - are very much the theme for this month.

‘Coronial’ babies (the name coined for children born or conceived during the pandemic) are being born to Royals and non-royals.

We are all waiting to see whether restrictions will lift in their entirety in two weeks, or whether we need to be a little more careful for a little while longer. We are keeping a close eye on events and will consider your safety at every turn.

Our proposed season of plays for 2021/22 has been plotted; we should be able to bring the list to you by month’s end when we should have more certainty of how it will all work. Keep reading this column and following our social media to find out more.

In the last week we have seen announcements from friends of the SDC, Southport Spotlights. They are planning their return to the stage for July 2022 with the hilarious romp, Lucky Stiff. Their junior company, SONG are also working on their next show and should be able to present their postponed production in August 2021.

Our own young members are also keenly preparing to bring you Fame, The Musical from August 24-28.

Announcements and propositions can open up possibilities. In our 2019 production of Pitmen Painters, we saw how the announcement of evening classes led to a real discovery of talent and a legacy of creativity.

A few months later in Visiting Mr Green, Ross Gardiner announces he is there to make reparations with the titular character, which is met with some scepticism.

What unfolds is a fascinating friendship and healing experience. This goes to show that when announcements are less positive or popular, they often result in ingenuity and team work anyway.

Another example is celebrated in Calendar Girls which we performed in 2012. Members of a Women’s Institute opt to fundraise in memory of a member’s late husband.  Their proposal to pose discreetly in the nude is met with some opposition, but they persevere.

In last year’s Curtain Up! the announcement via last will and testament was that five women had inherited equal shares in a theatre also led to accidental alliances and comradely creativity.

In the same vein, A Bunch of Amateurs the previous year also featured a theatre in need of salvation. This announcement in this case was the imminent arrival of a Hollywood star to feature in their next production!

Michele Martin's interpretation of our Pitmen Painters (picture: Michele Martin)

Luckily, we have enough fabulous folk right here to bring you brilliant shows all year round as well as returning friends treading our boards.

Whilst you await our announcements, head to our website now and book tickets for Andrew Lancel in Swan Song on Monday, July 5.

To keep up to date with news and plans for the Little Theatre in Southport, Merseyside and find out the latest information on when we may be able to open click here or follow on Facebook and Instagram.

You can also see some special lockdown performances and a virtual theatre tour on our new YouTube Channel – search for Southport Little Theatre.

Southport Little Theatre is at Hoghton Street, Southport, Merseyside

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