News
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Index
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Appointment
of Director
Modern Mayhen as Moll Flanders staged
The curtain rises on a £1million
fundraiser
NODA Report - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Air
of slitherin’
From
Rosehill Theatre to Kosovo
APPOINTMENT
OF DIRECTOR
The
Chairman and Trustees of Rosehill Arts Trust are pleased to
announce the appointment of Richard Elder as Director to succeed
Karen Thompson. Richard will take up the position officially
in July although he is becoming increasingly involved now.
This
appointment comes at a significant time for Rosehill as we prepare
for our 50th anniversary in 2009 and a major building redevelopment.
Richard
Elder is an experienced manager and producer in performing arts
and entertainment, having held senior positions at the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and with English National Opera.
He has undertaken a number of significant commissions as a consultant,
in addition, the most recent of which have been with the newly
developed Belgrade Theatre in Coventry (shortlisted for a RIBA
Award) and with the National Youth Orchestra, now based in London.
The
Chairman, Dave Mason said:
"I'm
really pleased to welcome Richard to the team. He joins us at
an important point in Rosehill's history. He has tremendous
experience and a record of achievement he will be able to use
to make Rosehill a centre of excellence for the arts, which
the local community will be proud of."
Richard
Elder is delighted to have this opportunity at this significant
time. His family home is in Dumfriesshire from where, as a teenager,
he travelled to performances at Rosehill which had a major influence
on his career in performing arts to follow. He says of this
appointment that it is a “perfect opportunity at a perfect
time.” Richard is keen to move north and has a great love
of the countryside in addition to performing arts. To be able
to combine the two and at such a pivotal time for the theatre
is a remarkable opportunity, coming as it does with the Trustees
intention to mount a major redevelopment of the theatre and
relook at its programming and events
Modern
mayhem as Moll Flanders staged
Whitehaven
News, Thursday 22 May 2008
DANIEL
Defoe’s literary classic, Moll Flanders, has been hilariously
adapted for the stage.
It
is being performed at Rosehill Theatre on Friday, May 30, at
7.30pm, by the Brute Farce Theatre Company.
Said
to be a wickedly outrageous adaptation of the classic tale,
it promises modern mayhem with a generous sprinkling of satire.
From
the dingy recess of Newgate prison, to marriage, prostitution
and Moll’s final “penance” in the plantations
of Virginia, Brute Farce promise a versatile cast in this tale
of incest, bigamy and crime.
First
appearing in 1722, Moll Flanders is the English novel's first
leading female character but 300 years later, her obsession
with social mobility, trading her looks and guile for advancement
through marriage, invites clear parallels with the current fascination
with celebrity vanity.
Tickets
are £12 and £10, telephone 01946 692422
The
curtain rises on a £1million fundraiser
Published
on 31/01/2008 in The Whitehaven News
FOR
almost 50 years, Rosehill Theatre has served the public well
and won a place in the hearts of theatregoers countywide. But
now the time has come to revamp the theatre and make it fit
for the next 50 years.
Ambitious
refurbishment proposals are being discussed for the Whitehaven
venue and the organisation is inviting the public to contribute
their thoughts to that process.
Local
user groups have already been consulted and now a public survey
has been created and posted on the theatre’s website,
which they hope West Cumbrians will take the time to fill in.
Theatre
director Karen Thompson said: “It’s important that
the public contributes to this process of planning. Rosehill
is a small local charitable organisation which essentially is
committed to serve the local population. It’s your venue:
tell us what you think!”
The
intention is to secure Rosehill as a facility for the arts and
community in West Cumbria and to improve it in line with modern
expectations. It’s a £1million-plus project which
the trustees are taking on at a time when arts funding seems
to be getting cut left, right and centre. And they hope to have
it all done and dusted by the end of 2009 – the theatre’s
50th anniversary year.
It’s
a challenging goal but as David Mason, chairman of the regeneration
committee points out, the result will be “a community
facility for generations to come”.
So
what specifically will we get for our £1million plus?
A
refurbished bar and foyer area suitable for contemporary audience
expectations;
Improved
access to the theatre including a new lobby and ticket office;
An
exhibition area for visual arts;
The
possible creation of new restaurant which would operate in conjunction
and independently of the theatre, using the spectacular views
across the countryside and Solway Firth that Rosehill enjoys.
In
addition the backstage facilities would be extended and upgraded
to be suitable for larger community group casts and made accessible
for the disabled. Essential repair work to the building’s
structure is also required and would include replacing the worn
original timber cladding and parts of the slate roof.
As
the home to the only cinema in Copeland, it is also hoped to
improve the projection area and equipment, making it ready for
the digital age.
But
where will the funding come from?
The
trustees are beginning a potentially long and difficult round
of negotiations with various funding bodies. Arts Council North
West is highly supportive. Combined arts officer Charles Rowley
said: “Rosehill is an important organisation strategically
in delivering quality arts programming and participatory arts
activities in West Cumbria, an under-served area of the region.
“The
proposals for the regeneration of the venue are very exciting
for all concerned.”
David
Mason added: “The theatre is the only Arts Council-funded
arts centre in the area. The Arts Council recognises the strategic
importance of Rosehill and its role in extending out to the
community.
“The
Arts Council will be increasing its core funding of the Rosehill
programme by 40 per cent but it has no money for capital projects.
We are going to have to find the money from local sources.
“Other
bodies are looking to see what jobs might be created by the
regeneration of the theatre and we’re confident that a
revival of the theatre will see a number of jobs created.”
The
icing on the cake will be the ‘greening’ of the
theatre, made possible by the rebuilding work.
Karen
Thompson said: “Arts and culture have a major role to
play in regeneration and the economic development of areas.
“With
tourism playing an increasingly important part in the local
economy and with the imperative to provide good local services
to make the area an attractive place to live and work, the improvement
of Rosehill’s facilities are a key factor in the development
of West Cumbria.”
The
regeneration programme ties in nicely with the 50th anniversary
of the theatre, which was founded by local businessman Sir Nicholas
Sekers.
The
interior of the theatre was created by noted designer Oliver
Messel and the theatre itself is now Grade II listed. But a
chance meeting between David and Oliver’s nephew means
that they now have access to original moulds for some of the
fittings making restoration work possible.
The
stage is set for Rosehill’s regeneration and revival –
so what’s the next step?
David
said: “There is a leap of faith involved but the first
moves have been made possible by a private donation. We will
need to bring on secretarial and project support, and donations
are very welcome.
“We
need to raise some funds by the summer of this year with a view
to starting work in late summer. The work will take about a
year so it will hopefully be finished by late summer 2009.”
It
is likely that the theatre may have to close for a short time
while some of the work is carried out but it is hoped to either
erect a marquee in the grounds or take ‘Rosehill into
the community’ so that the theatre can continue its 50-year-long
tradition.
As
they always say, “The show must go on...”
The
survey can be found at www.rosehilltheatre.co.uk
.

Published
on 21/02/2008 in Times and Star
TOP
British soul and funk saxophonist Snake Davis visits Cumbria
this weekend to promote his eighth album.
Widely
known for his solos on tracks such as Lisa Stansfield’s
Change, M People’s Search For The Hero and Moving On Up
and Take That’s A Million Love Songs, Snake has played
and recorded with artists ranging from James Brown to Paul McCartney,
The Eurythmics to Amy Winehouse – recording on more than
400 tracks for more than 60 artists and playing live with dozens
more.
Snake
and his band visit the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, on Saturday
(call 01539 725133 to book tickets) and the Rosehill Theatre,
Whitehaven, on Sunday (call 01946 692422), playing music from
the new album Talking Bird as well as a variety of old favourites.
How
did you start playing wind instruments?
Well,
I picked up a flute at a friend’s house and I really liked
the idea of playing and she had given up playing so she lent
it to me. I’d already been a singer and tried keyboards,
guitar and trumpet.
Why
did you choose the sax?
I
found out the flute wasn’t loud enough to get noticed
and the sax was similar fingering, and as soon as I picked it
up I knew this was the instrument for me.
How
did you get to where you are today?
Progress
was slow and steady. I never really experienced the “lucky
break” or “amazing chance encounter”. There
were notable steps up like playing solo on The Tube (with Paula
Yates and Jools Holland). Doing first TV sessions (Granada TV’s
Behind the Bike Sheds), playing solos on good records that people
took notice of with artists like Living in a Box and Lisa Stansfield.
But
really all this came about through working and working, practising
and practising more, getting out and playing loads and loads
of shows with all kinds of different line ups.
Gradually
I started being noticed and people started asking for me to
record and tour with them. Slowly and steadily my name got known.
If
you hadn’t been a musician, what would you have ended
up doing?
A
psychiatric nurse or primary school teacher.
You’ve
worked with a lot of big names – what has been your most
rock’n’roll moment?
At
one of the after-shows on the Eurythmics world tour I looked
around and realised that I was hanging out with Dave Stewart,
Annie Lennox, Bono, the Irish prime minister and the second
richest man in the world, all in our dressing room. I thought,
is this for real?
Out
of all the work you’ve done, what are you most proud of
and why?
My
own albums (because I put so much time and effort into them
and people like them!) and my solos on A Million Love Songs
and Lisa Stansfield and M People’s tracks (Change, Someday,
Moving on Up, Search for the Hero etc) because they are so Snakey.
I
am so much a part of those records, and they have touched so
many people.
With
the advent of electronic music, what is the place of the saxophone
in pop music today?
Sax
is not so much “in vogue” for solos on pop records
at the moment but appears in brass sections a lot. This has
more to do with fashion and trends than electronic music. Sax
can sit quite happily with electronic music. The classic “sax
break” still has a big place in soul blues and rock. Sax
is number one in jazz of course.
Who
are your favourite people to work with, and why?
My
own faithful band members, because they play so well and work
so hard, and Heather Small. I started as M People’s sax
player but now I’m musical director too for M People and
for Heather Small solo.
Heather
and I have worked so closely together for so many years, we’ve
done so many great shows together, built the music up, travelled
the world.
It’s
been a huge part of my musical life.
Are
there any artists you wouldn’t work with again, and why?
One
springs to mind, Gene (“Duke of Earl”) Chandler,
US soul singer. We learned his tunes and backed him about five
years ago. He was rude, arrogant, hadn’t learned his own
songs, treated my band very badly, wanted to fight me. One of
my lovely girl singers kept me out of his way!
Who
would be your dream collaborator, and why?
Soul
singer Van Morrison, a big hero who I’ve never had a chance
to work with.
Do
you have any ambitions left to fulfil?
Just
to do what I’m doing, taking it to new heights and places.
And
the obvious one... where does the name ‘Snake’ come
from?
My
stage name comes from the fact that apparently I slither in
a snake-like fashion when I’m on stage with my instruments.
And I weave and writhe my way around a melody, unable to play
it straight.