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Hebden Bridge Burlesque Festival set for a fabulous return
The hotly anticipated Hebden Bridge Burlesque Festival (HBBF), an annual event established in 2013, returns to the stage this Spring after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The almost sold-out 2020 edition of the festival was cancelled only 6 weeks before the opening night when the world went into lockdown. However, with their “keep calm and carry on” attitude, an online show took place via Zoom and over 250 people bought tickets and watched live from their living rooms as 11 Burlesque performers transformed their homes into stages and performed their acts to their phones and laptops.
Now, Festival producer, Lady Wildflower, is delighted to finally bring the Festival back to the stage from 28th April – 1st May 2022. Previously, HBBF – the biggest and most renowned Burlesque Festival in the UK outside of London and now in its 9th year, took place at various venues throughout the Calder Valley with its Saturday night Gala at Todmorden Hippodrome. This year, due to demand, all 5 shows will be taking place at the Hippodrome and will be making use of the larger stage and venue capacity for what’s set to be the biggest and most anticipated HBBF yet!
Lady Wildflower, who produces the Festival said: “Following a tough couple of years for the live entertainment industry, I am so excited to bring back the Hebden Bridge Burlesque Festival in 2022. HBBF has been sorely missed over the past 2 years and I’ve been touched by the support of our audiences throughout the pandemic and their enthusiasm for being able to attend live shows and visit the valley once more. From nearby residents to those coming from around the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, attendees have always brought a real buzz to Calderdale when the Festival is on, with local accommodation and businesses reporting an uplift over the weekend. It’s great that the Festival can contribute so much to the local community again. Described as ‘the Jewel of the Burlesque Calendar’ by 21st Century Burlesque, and with performers and artists coming from all over the world, this year’s bigger and better HBBF is a show not to be missed!”
HBBF opens on Thursday 28th April with the Legend in the Making newcomers competition – the most prestigious Burlesque competition in the country. 12 upcoming artists from all over the UK will compete for the title in front of a panel of industry professionals and an audience vote.
On Friday 29th April, there are two shows running back to back for a full night of exciting, cutting-edge entertainment. First up is a visiting show from London: The Cocoa Butter Club (TCBC) – the game-changing burlesque of ground-breakers, space makers and booty shakers! TCBC invites audiences to join a movement of culture, history and empowerment, to revel in the rhythm and soak up the stories. Featuring Burlesque, live music, Drag, circus and more from a cast of BIPOC performers from the world of alternative cabaret. Next up on Friday evening is The Late Night Quickie – A short but sweet foray into the edgier side of cabaret! Showcasing the finest neo-burlesque artists from all around the UK.
On Saturday 30th April, the Hebden Bridge Burlesque Festival Gala takes place as the highlight of the weekend. Starring the crème de la crème of burlesque, cabaret, comedy and circus entertainment, the Gala will be headlined by international Burlesque royalty, Miss Exotic World & Queen of Burlesque 2018: INGA – who will be flying to the UK from the USA to perform exclusively at HBBF. The Gala will be hosted by Antipodean chanteuse KIKI DEVILLE – one of the most recognisable faces in the European cabaret world and star of BBC’s The Voice and judge on All Together Now. Kiki and Inga will be joined by an all-star cast bringing aerial circus acts, fire performances, hilarious comedy, clowning and mime performances and of course, the most glamorous and sensational burlesque acts.
The Festival goes out with a bang on Sunday 1st May with the most anticipated event of the weekend – Live & Stripping! The worlds of burlesque and live music collide in this electric, exciting show like has never seen before. Each internationally acclaimed artist will perform exclusive Burlesque acts accompanied by live band Cabaret Against the Machine with their eclectic and unique setlist of rock, pop, metal, funk, dance and blues tunes.
During the day on Saturday and Sunday, HBBF promises to keep attendees busy with a programme of fun and informative workshops and master classes from travelling artists – taking place at the Todfellows Space on Oxford Street, Todmorden. With topics ranging from Beginners’ Burlesque to Drag Aerobics to Retro Go-Go Dancing and much more.
There will also be a “Pop-up Vintage Hair & Beauty Parlour” taking place on Saturday afternoon ready for attendees to get glammed up and feel fabulous for the Saturday night Gala.
Possibly one of the most anticipated events of the weekend is Dolly Trolley’s Drag Bingo which returns after a sold-out success in 2019. This glitzy and glamorous game show for all to partake in, with camp anthems, prizes, lip-sync battles, bum shake-offs, conga lines, spot prizes and drag performances from Dolly Trolley throughout will be taking place at The Golden Lion, Todmorden on Sunday 1st May at 2pm.
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.hebdenbridgeburlesquefestival.co.uk
Phantom of the Open: Hysterical tale of persistence with a true British spirit
Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is a happy-go-lucky crane operator in Barrow-in-Furness. Close to redundancy during the 1970s recession, he is told by his wife, Jean (Sally Hawkins), that he’s sacrificed enough for his family, and that he should embrace joblessness to pursue his dream.
There is a glaring problem however: what even is Maurice’s dream? His life has passed him by and he’s found his dream in his family: wife, stepson, and his disco dancing twin sons, who go on to win the World Disco Championships.
But one day, while watching television, Maurice comes across a game of golf. In an epiphanic moment, he decides to become a professional golfer despite never having played before and is transported to the heavens in a sequence hinting at the Oscar Wilde quote he likes to repeat so much: “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.”
What follows is a laugh-out-loud hilarious series of events as Maurice blags his way into the British Open, only to be repeatedly kicked out, finding comical new ways of re-entering, taking the disguise of a Frenchman and an American.
An element of class dynamics is introduced: Maurice brings his university-educated stepson, Mike (Jake Davies), into disrepute at work with his golfing antics. Mike is then asked to choose between his middle-class colleagues and his working-class family, his boss referring to the latter with such disdain that you root for Maurice so much harder.
Based on a true story, this charming comedy – fuelled by Isobel Waller-Bridge’s wonderful score – will quickly disarm you. It has the same quirky, fumbling awkwardness that director Craig Roberts has epitomised with performances in films such as Submarine, which also starred Sally Hawkins.
Roberts’ recent successes in direction (Just Jim, Eternal Beauty) have allowed him to cast other notable Hollywood talents in Mark Rylance and Rhys Ifans, and his choices display excellent British acting icons. Rylance, in a different kind of role than usual, is brilliant: he perfectly depicts Maurice’s stutters and mannerisms and embodies his good nature and wholesomeness to the core.
Take the heart-warming scene at the start when Maurice asks Jean to marry him. She introduces him to her son, born out of wedlock, who is derided as a ‘bastard’ at school. Maurice innocently assumes it’s the kids who are doing this, but no, it’s the teachers. Maurice proceeds to tell Jean he’ll be his Dad from now on.
Years later in a truly moving scene, Jean sits to tell her sons of how her life was upside down before Maurice entered and saved her from a life of despair. Moments of such strong sentimentality would have easily fallen off if not for a cast as skillful as this and some capable writing from Simon Farnaby, who also plays fellow golfer Lambert in the film.
The Phantom of the Open is a celebration of a British eccentric, seen in other recent films such as The Dig and The Duke. Completely British in spirit, and hysterically funny, it is a tale of failure, persistence and the joy that comes from being the underdog.
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Dev Halls’ High School Musical is an earnest love letter to the franchise
On Friday 25th February Devonshire Hall and the LUU Backstage Society concluded their three day run of ‘High School Musical on Stage!’, directed by Jess Simmons and based on the original High School Musical film. The adaptation follows the same course as the film, focusing on American high schoolers torn between the expectations placed on them by their cliques and their creative desires hidden within.
Immediately noticeable is the love that both audience and production have for the High School Musical property. The mania surrounding the 2006 made-for-TV film had to be experienced to be understood, which this production benefits from due to the cast and crew being made up entirely of first year students. The audience was immersed from the get-go, with the customary phones-off announcement concluded with “What team?”, and the audience’s emphatic roar of “Wildcats!”, highlighting just how embedded the film is in early Gen Z culture; I was sat alone and the Wildcat reflex took over me nonetheless. Although the American accents of almost every character left something to be desired, they weren’t especially distracting and almost complimented the endearingly cheesy nature of the franchise. The transitions were seamless, the sets charming and the lighting appropriately utilised throughout.
The musical is instantly set apart from the film, with Sean Lomas as Troy singing the songs himself, which is more than can be said for Zac Efron in the first film. Lomas especially impressed when allowed to sing in a higher vocal range than songs like ‘Get’cha Head in the Game’ allow, and shone in ‘What I’ve Been Looking For’. The highlight of Elise McCracken’s consistent performance was in her solo, ‘When There Was Me and You’, with her vocal flourishes impressing throughout.
Any High School Musical fan will understand that the true star is Sharpay. She was played adeptly by Caitlin Lister who completely understood the assignment with all the sass and drama expected from the character matched with her own powerful, belting voice that outshone Ashley Tisdale’s by a mile. Josh King provides a refreshingly tortured aspect to Ryan, an oft overlooked character who finds solace only in his (perfectly executed) jazz squares. Maisy Dodd beautifully dominated the stage with her rendition of Ms Darbus, bringing all of the overacting and theatrics expected of her character and delighting the audience with nods to the romantic chemistry between herself and Coach Bolton (Uma Dell).
The musical standout of the production was certainly ‘Stick to the Status Quo’, with the stage being fully utilised and eliciting a wonderful audience response. Especially notable was the surprisingly powerful verse by Sam Bolles as Zeke and the relentless ‘popping and locking’ of Charlotte Haren as Martha. The live band performed stunningly all night, with the inclusion of a full brass section serving to highlight the dedication of those behind the production.
High School Musical on Stage! proved to be an earnest love letter to the franchise, the inclusion of brick phones and chunky laptops showing an eye for detail and a level of care and passion that felt completely natural for a production led by those who grew up on High School Musical. Knowing that there is also a production of High School Musical 2: On Stage! in existence, one can only hope that the talented Backstage Society will cast their eyes towards a sequel.