|
26th March 2011
(2 tickets for the price of 1 for 31st March only - Shazia Mirza Quote web offer Shazia Mirza)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KMT Variety matinee
2.00 pm on Saturday 2nd April 2011 Tickets £12.00(£10.00 Concessions)
25th Feb 2011
27th January 2011
KENNY AWARDS: Nominations received for the year 2010 (The winners will be announced at the Kenny Awards Evening On Sunday 6th March)
Best Actor Phil Halpin Private Lives Jonathan Meyer Moonlight & Magnolias Brian Seaton Moonlight and Magnolias Spencer Simmons The Ghost Train
Best Actress Lesley Curtis And Then There Were None Christine Keates Doubling Up (Harlequinade) Jacqui Lodge Private Lives Janet MacPherson A Kiss on the Bottom
Best Supporting Actor in a Play Jeremy Smith Doubling Up (Harlequinade) Phillip Rowlands Doubling Up (Real Inspector Hound) Lee Thompson Private Lives Reg Wheeler And Then There Were None
Best Supporting Actress in a Play Jenni Allen Moonlight and Magnolias Debbie Peck The Ghost Train Katie Waller Private Lives Nina Wilson The Ghost Train
Best Male Performance in a Musical Phillip Rowlands Curtains Jai Sepple Dracula Richard Sheepwash The Drowsy Chaperone Lee van Geleen Beauty and the Beast
Best Female Performance in a Musical Victoria Abery Baby Kate Henderson Our House Harri Sepple Jesus Christ Superstar Jessamy Stoddart Beauty and the Beast
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical Aaron Jones Baby Phil Clarke Beauty and the Beast Keir Ramshaw Jesus Christ Superstar David Ward Dracula
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical Jacqui Lodge Our House Jackie Long Curtains Jackie Lowe Beauty and the Beast Loraine Porter Curtains
Best Director Steven Day Curtains Christine Keates Private Lives Jai & Harri Sepple Dracula Sally Woodfield Beauty and the Beast
To be announced on the evening:
The Fred Mountier Award for Best Show of the Year
The Judy Walker Award for Young Person of the Year
The Ilford Recorder Theatre Personality of the Year
5th January 2011
28th December 2010
Snow Business Like Panto Business
With sixteen performances under our belt, and what looks like a bit of a thaw settling in, the “Sleeping Beauty” company is heaving a sigh of relief. We’ve shivered, slithered and slid our way to the theatre each day, coping with snow, icy roads, cancelled trains and traffic jams – and managed to keep each performance going. Congratulations, too, to the audiences – the vast majority of whom have also managed to get here in spite of the weather. With a bit of luck things should now settle down to a more sensible run and hopefully the snow will stay away until at least January 22nd!
Disrupted Services from Liverpool Street
If your trip to the pantomime would normally involve a train from Liverpool Street to Ilford, CHECK THE DETAILS before you set out. It appears all trains will be cancelled for some ten days or so because of planned engineering works connected with the Olympics (!) This will mean taking the Central Line to Gants Hill and then a replacement bus service into Ilford. You should check the details with Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) and allow extra time for the journey.
27th December 2010
"Last few seats remaining for this years panto..contact the box office quickly to avoid disappointment"
Some production stills taken from the show!
6th December 2010
PANTO DAME ARRIVES IN STYLE
Nurse Nelly (aka Christopher Marlowe) doesn’t really like travelling by bus, so she drives herself to the pantomime rehearsals. The only problem is, she’s a big girl and it’s a little car ! Nurse Nelly gets funny looks at the filling-station, and the traffic wardens tend to give her a wide berth! - Yes folks – just ten days, left before this year’s panto opens – December 16th, 7pm. If you haven’t booked yet – get a move on! (Actually these photos are part of a film-shoot by the Shoot-You Film Company, and will form part of the Dame’s first entrance in this year’s panto, “Sleeping Beauty”!)
3rd December 2010
Hold Tight Xmas 60’s Show Cancelled! Due to circumstances beyond our control, this Sunday's show, 5th Dec, "Hold tight Xmas '60's" has been cancelled. For refunds please contact the Box Office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8th November 2010
Meet the cast of this year’s KMT pantomime
Tickets are selling fast so don’t miss out on the magical pantomime
16th December 2010 - 22nd January 2011
Directed by Vivyan Ellacott
Tickets available at the Box Office now!
19th October 2010
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Advance planning for the pantomime is now well under way: script finished, costumes arriving from the various makers all round the UK, costume, wig and shoe fittings happening on a regular basis, props being made, music being scored, scenery being painted - people running backwards and forwards – all in all, a “proper pantomime”! – But there’s still lots to do before the opening on December 15th. The final company consists of John Burlington, Hannah Chick, Nathan Daniel, Jason Denton, Isobel Hurll, Christopher Marlowe, Loraine Porter, Jocelyn Prah, Owen Smith, Rikki Stone, Tami Stone, and Edward Thorpe. Tickets have been on sale since September 1st and are going very quickly! (Oh, yes they are!) Remember to book early to avoid disappointment"
7th September 2010
VIVYAN’s FAREWELL SHOW
“Wow!”, Vivyan’s farewell show was a brilliant tribute, filled with laughter and a few tears! Superbly put together by the KMT’s regular team, and written by Rob Mitchell-Gears, more than 125 performers re-created some of Vivyan’s many shows from the past 35 years. A glorious team of “old” Dames, a gathering of “old” Rocky Horror performers, an ensemble of “old” opera names, a huge Sondheim choir (singing a magnificent and specially arranged medley from all the KMT Sondheim shows) and a stunning video compilation of photos and extracts from past shows – all this was wrapped around a “send-up” version of the Wizard of Oz with numerous surprise guest appearances. Three hours of wonderful, nostalgic entertainment and a packed house (overflowing into a video link in the foyers) made this one the greatest ever evenings at the KMT. A final tribute was made by David Ian, after which Vivyan himself made a moving farewell speech – thanking everyone past and present who had made his career such a long, happy and successful one. The final words came in a message from Anthony Lyn in the USA, whose message read:
Today Vivyan Ellacott, retires after a lifetime in the theatre - as a Director, Manager, Producer, Mentor, Inspirer and granter of dreams to every young person who entered his world seeking a life in someway connected to theatre and entertainment. Like so many hundreds of others - I thank him for my career and the life I have today.
There can be no greater achievement than being a “granter of dreams”. What a farewell! And what a man!
(Christopher Marlowe, Marc Seymour, Keith Hopkins, Nigel Ellacott and Andrew Ryan)
Dames of the KMT
31st August 2010
HAIL AND FAREWELL ! Goodbye Vivyan & Robert Q, Welcome Robert J. Vivyan’s farewell show on September 5th is – as we expected – totally sold out. Those who failed to strike lucky in the ballot have now been offered seats for the video link in the foyer. Hopefully this will be a very special, memorable and great send-off for the man whose name has been synonymous with the KMT from the very beginning. At the same time, Vivyan’s right-hand man and Assistant Manager, Robert Quarry, has decided to take an early retirement. Robert, too, has been at the KMT from the very beginning, and feels that he and Vivyan have been such an inseparable team, that it is better for a complete clean sweep, leaving the field clear for a brand new management start. As in the case of Vivyan, it will be strange to think of the KMT without Robert: both of them will be a hard act to follow.
However, the KMT is delighted to welcome Vivyan’s successor— ROBERT JACKSON
—who is already proving to be an excellent replacement. Rob Jackson has promised to keep the best aspects of the past 35 years, and to add to them some new and exciting plans for the future. Rob is experienced and enthusiastic and impressed by the past achievements of the KMT and the great support it receives from the Club and the Club’s army of volunteers. Although we’re sad to say goodbye to Vivyan and Robert Quarry, we can be assured that the future of the KMT is in safe hands!
24th August 2010
The Summer Closedown Everything is on target so far: the new box office system is installed and we have started on the backlog of postal tickets. We're going very slowly and carefully (old dogs needing lots of practice to learn new tricks!) but should be ready for the first day of public sales on August 31st. The new air-conditioning plant is now firmly in place on the roof of the theatre - all we need do is connect it up! The usual shampooing of carpets and seats, general cleaning and tidying up is well under way. The ballot for Vivyan's farewell show has taken place, and people will be informed by August 31st. We're planning to install a video screen in the foyer to cope with some of the overflow - offering tickets at half-price, starting with those who failed to get in on the ballot.
31st July 2010
THEATRE CLOSED DURING AUGUST The KMT is now completely closed until Tuesday 31st August, with some major works taking place. The most dramatic of these involves taking old air-conditioning units off the roof and replacing them with brand-new state-of-the-art modern plant. Last Sunday all the roads around the theatre were closed to traffic whilst a very large crane began the process of removing the old stuff. In two Sundays' time the whole process will start again when the crane will hoist up the new equipment. Meantime a completely new box office computer system is being installed (eventually leading to us being able to offer online booking, BUT. . . one step at a time! We're still learning the basics of the new system.) And even though it's the height of Summer, the pantomime scenery is currently being made and painted, taking advantage of the space on the empty stage!- And they call this our summer holiday!!
16th July 2010
Special Concert on July 30th
The KMT is delighted to be selling tickets for a rare musical treat to be performed just along the road at the Albert Road Community Centre. When the legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died in 1997, he left behind a huge musical vacuum into which stepped his two nephews, Rizwan and Muazzam Mujahid Ali Khan. They are now the torchbearers of the Sufi tradition of Qawwali music, which stretches back over 700 years. This very special musical event is on 30th July at 7.45pm at 58 Albert Road and tickets (£15) are available from the KMT Box Office.
11th July 2010
A new box office computer system is being installed during August and therefore during July and August we can only deal with postal bookings (in order of receipt) and they will be available for collection posting from 31st August.
PLEASE NOTE: The Box Office will be completely closed from Sunday 1st to Monday 30th August (inclusive). The Box Office will re-open for counter service from Tuesday 31st August – Sat 4th September, from 11am to 5pm.
TICKETS FOR THIS YEAR’S PANTOMIME WILL BE ON PUBLIC SALE from WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
Club Members can get a Pantomime Priority Booking (in writing only) from August 1ST onwards. EARLY NOTICE: PANTOMIME PERFORMANCES (The Pantomime goes on sale on Wednesday 1st September)
SLEEPING BEAUTY
The KMT’s 36th annual pantomime will be on sale from September 1st to the general public. (Club Members will be able to book earlier - in writing only!) As always, our panto will be a lavish, traditional, fun-filled spectacular suitable for all the family. And – as always – advance booking is expected to be very heavy. Book early to be sure of getting the seats you require.
PANTOMIME TICKET PRICES Ticket prices for all performances : ADULTS £12.50; CHILD/SENIOR £10.50 (See important notice below) (For party bookings: 1 free ticket for every 20 purchased)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: All children MUST be paid for. Children aged 3 and under are allowed to sit on a lap (but a “LAP ticket” must be purchased at a charge of £3.) The issue of these “lap” tickets enables an accurate head-count in the event of any emergency evacuation of the theatre. Children aged four and over must have a seat of their own. This is to comply with the safety rules on overcrowding.
Party and Group Bookings: Special prices apply to performances marked(***) for party bookings of more than 20 tickets For these (***) performances only: Redbridge-based organisations of the elderly, young or disabled, Redbridge schools and registered charities: all seats £8.00 (no further reductions or free tickets). For other party bookings which do not qualify in the above categories: all seats £10.50 (no further reductions or free tickets)
2nd July 2010
KEVIN COOKE
Our deepest sympathy goes to his family and to his very many friends and colleagues.
26th June 2010
VIVYAN TO RETIRE AFTER 37 YEARS!
Vivyan Ellacott has been the KMT General Manager since January 1973, when the theatre was in its very early building phase. From the opening night on December 31st 1974 he has headed our highly successful venue and turned it into Redbridge’s pride and joy. At the end of August he will hand over to a new manager, although he will return to direct the occasional guest production (He’ll be back to direct this year’s pantomime!)
Rather than make a collection to buy him a gold watch (!) we have decided to mark the occasion with a “benefit performance” on Sunday 5th September. This will be a show full of surprises, with all the ticket money presented to Vivyan as a farewell gift. So many people will want to be there that it is unlikely there will be enough tickets to go round. If this happens, we’ll hold a ballot for tickets on 31st July. Only Club Members will be entered in the ballot, and if there are tickets left, they’ ll be sold on a “first-come, first-served basis”. If you’d like to be there, send in a SEPARATE WRITTEN APPLICATION BEFORE July 31st - with an SAE and a cheque (which will be returned to you if you are unlucky in the ballot). All tickets are being sold at £12. If you’re unable to attend the show but would like to make a donation towards Vivyan’s leaving gift, please make it payable to the Kenneth More Theatre, and be sure to state clearly this is a contribution towards the farewell benefit.
Two photo’s, a very young Vivyan with Kenneth More and Alderman Harold Cowan laying the foundation stone - and then one of the poor old sod nearly 40 years later - worn down with care!
An Amazing 37 years
As well as acting as Manager throughout this time, Vivyan has also been the Artistic Director. He has directed 328 productions at the KMT, including 35 pantomimes, 25 full-scale operas, well over a hundred musicals, and countless variety shows and plays. He has written several musicals and plays, adapted many others, and translated new versions of several Mozart operas and a completely new version of “Die Fledermaus”.
His freelance work has included UK tours of “Hair”, “Godspell” and, of course, his legendary eight-year non-stop tour of “The Rocky Horror Show”, which played 97 different theatres in the UK and 14 different theatres in Israel, Germany, France and Belgium. He has also directed musicals and operas in Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest. This amazing record of service to Redbridge was acknowledged in 2002, when Vivyan was given the Honorary Freedom of the London Borough of Redbridge.
11th June 2010 TOP AWARD FOR IODS This year's Audrey Toms Award (for outstanding contribution to the arts in Redbridge ) has been won by the Ilford Operatic & Dramatic Society. This happens to be the year of their 90th Anniversary - but they are still at the top of their game - and have an excellent and thriving youth group. The award was accepted by Len Seager, the IODS President. Their production of "Half a Sixpence" is at the KMT from 17th - 19th June.
22nd May 2010
KMT ROADSHOW ON THE ROAD The KMT's Annual Pantomime Roadshow is currently playing in local schools. At the end of this first week we've played to something like 2,500 Key Stage 2 children in nine different schools - and next week there's another ten schools and approximately another 3,000 children to come .Thanks to special support from Redbridge Council, this programme doesn't cost the schools a penny! The three performers are Nigel Ellacott, Andrew Ryan and Nathan Daniel. More details of the KMT Road show can be found on www.Its-behind-you.com (just scroll down until you come to the Roadshow details.)
20th May 2010
HILDA AT 90 Last night's 90th Birthday party for Hilda Hooper was a great success. "Hilda Hooper, What a Trooper!" Looking very glamorous in a black sequin gown, she gave a very funny speech and sang two numbers - one very saucy! All this - and she's ninety! There were about 60 people present - champagne, birthday cake, and a cabaret. Everyone agreed to note May 19th 2020 in their diaries to celebrate her 100th.
8th May 2010
Ronnie Barden
For more than thirty years Ronnie Barden has been the champion of the KMT, passionately supporting and promoting us not only in Redbridge, but throughout London. If this result means he can no longer be our Chairman, it will be an enormous loss!
19th March 2010
14th March 2010
Lady Ratlings Charity Show - April 11th 7.30pm Subject to availability the following performers hope to appear: Vince Hill, Graham Cole, Bryan Burdon, Alan Simmons, the UK Ukes, Kaplan Kaye, The Swingtime Sweethearts plus Lady Ratlings Anna Karen, Helen Keating, Julia Burnett, Victoria Yellop, Carol-Anne Wells, Linda Watts and Barbara Speake's children - with Bruce Graham and his band.
8th March 2010
Kenny Award Winners 2009
Best Actor: John Chapman for The History Boys
Best Actress: Joint Award Liz Calnan & Christine Keates for The Chalk Garden
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play: Grant Leat for The History Boys
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play: Sarah Jones for My Cousin Rachel
Best Male Performance in a Musical: Jai Sepple for Frankenstein
Best Female Performance in a Musical: Gemma Knight Jones for Ragtime
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical: Joe Curran for Footloose
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical: Katie Waller for Guys & Dolls
Best Director: Jai & Harri Sepple for Frankenstein
Special Kenny Award: Darren Matthews for services to music
Young Person of the Year (The Judy Walker Award) (Jointly) Lee & Nicky Caulfield
Best Show of the Year (The Fred Mountier Award) Frankenstein
Ilford Recorder Award for the Theatre Personality of the Year Hilda Hooper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4th March 2010 Welcome to our new-look website
We've given ourselves a bit of a makeover, and hope the new-look site will be more user-friendly and allow us to update it more often. It's many years since Simon Curtis offered to create and look after the KMT website. We're very grateful to him and sorry that pressures on his time means he'd now like to hand over the task, feeling that we're now "grown-up" enough to handle it ourselves. Well, we're ready to have a go - and luckily we've been able to get a helping hand from Ian Parsons who has designed our new set-up and promises to teach us how to go on from here. This is a work in progress - so watch this space!
(Incidentally, all theatre-lovers should visit Ian's site at www.swanseasgrand.co.uk and see the kind of thing we hope to match - given time - a lot of time!)
KENNY NOMINATIONS for 2009 (Announced Sunday 7th March 2010)
Best Actor: John Chapman The History Boys Bob Hutt Cards on the Table Reg Wheeler Audience with Murder Sean Wilkinson Macbeth
Best Actress: Jay Berry Gaslight Liz Calnan The Chalk Garden Christine Keates The Chalk Garden Deborah Peck My Cousin Rachel
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Play: Dave Bennett The History Boys Bob Hutt My Cousin Rachel Grant Leat The History Boys Dan Wilson Macbeth
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Play: Sarah Jones Cards on the Table Sarah Jones My Cousin Rachel Jacqui Lodge The Chalk Garden Katie Waller Audience with Murder
Best Male Performance in a Musical: Tony Khublall Ragtime Keir Ramshaw Frankenstein Jai Sepple Frankenstein Richard Sheepwash Ragtime
Best Female Performance in a Musical: Vicky Cook Ragtime Elaine Gilbey Gypsy Gemma Knight Jones Ragtime Jane Pavett Guys & Dolls
Best Male Supporting Performance in a Musical: Joe Curran Footloose William Dignon Gypsy Grant Leat Les Miserables Phillip Rowlands The Boy Friend
Best Female Supporting Performance in a Musical: Jenni Allen Oklahoma Georgia Permutt Gypsy Tami Stone The Boy Friend Katie Waller Guys & Dolls
Best Director: John Chapman The Chalk Garden Jai & Harri Sepple Frankenstein Jeremy Smith Les Miserables School Edition Sally Woodfield Ragtime
To be announced on the evening: Judy Walker Award - Young Person of the Year Fred Mountier Award – Best Show of the Year Ilford Recorder Theatre Personality of the Year
|
A very large crowd of KMT performers and audience were present today at Kevin Cooke’s
funeral at the Actors’ Church, Covent Garden. Kevin’s sudden death at the age of
38 was a huge shock to us all. He died in Spain on 13
Everyone at the KMT is saddened by Ronnie Barden's failure to get re-elected as a
Councillor in the May 6th local elections. The shock result calls into question Ronnie's
position as Chairman of the KMT Board. Ronnie has been one of the Council's appointed
representatives on the Board since 1978, and has held the office of Chairman of the
Board for the past 24 years. Now that he ceases to be a local Councillor, it seems
he is no longer eligible to represent Redbridge Council on the Theatre Board. 
Everyone at the KMT was especially thrilled when HILDA HOOPER was announced as the
winner of this year's Ilford Recorder Theatre Personality of the Year. Hilda, now
approaching her 90th birthday, has been the leading diva of the KMT from the beginning
- legendary for her stunning voice, her amazing vocal control and her wicked sense
of humour. Over the years at the KMT alone, Hilda has given 221 performances in 61
different productions - everything from Carmen to Music Hall, from Aida to Sondheim.
Her most recent appearance was last September in the ENSA show - when in spite of
an accident leaving her with cracked ribs, she proved what a trooper she is! (Photo
courtesy of the Ilford Recorder)
Lucy
Fairy Flora
Simon
Maleficent
Princess Aurora
Jack
Prince Michael
King Rudolph
Nurse Nelly
Silly Billy
Patty