Stage Door Chat - Kernow Voice (Whitemoor)

As well as welcoming established stars to the stage, Hall for Cornwall regularly hosts local talent, among which are the budding stars of the future.  Kernow Voice, Whitemoor, were among the groups of young performers raising money for the Cornwall Music Therapy Trust.  Kernow Voice is an ongoing singing project organised and supported by Hall for Cornwall.  The opportunity to perform is an integral part of the project and Stage Door went along to have a chat with some of the singers.

I started by chatting to Blade and Gemma (Age 9) who sing in the junior section.  We talked about performing on the Hall for Cornwall stage.  You might expect young people to find the prospect of facing an audience of up to 980 odd a bit daunting but these two seemed pretty relaxed about it.

"We're used to it," they explained. "We've been here before and it gets easier the more you do it."  Gemma has been in Kernow Voice since the project started and so has nearly 3 years of singing experience behind her already.  Blade hasn't been with the project quite so long but has learned to enjoy performing. He told me that other members of his family get "really bad stage fright" but he's done it more often so it doesn't bother him.

I asked them what they would be singing. "A School Rap and Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" they told me.  They like both songs but said the rap was their favourite of the two pieces.  If they had to choose a favourite song from the entire Kernow Voice repertoir, it would probably be "Consider Yourself" from Oliver.

The junior section of Kernow Voice Whitemoor had the job of opening the Kidz 4 Cornwall show with their two songs.  They were followed later in the programme by the senior section.  I spoke to Helen and Melissa (Age 15 and 16) who are relative newcomers to the project what they felt about singing with Kernow Voice.

In just two months this was their third performance with the group so they too were relatively relaxed about performing though they were a "bit nervous" they admitted. They told me that it was a good project for people their age to be involved with and that they enjoyed performances and being part of the group.

Kernow Voice is one of the longest running community performing arts projects run by Hall for Cornwall.  As well as being a great ongoing experience it was very clear from chatting to these young performers that the experiences offered to them through the project were allowing them to develop the confidence to enjoy performing on stage.

One of the benefits of this type of project is that it can instill a life-long joy for singing and it certainly seemed that the young people I spoke to were on that route.  Gemma and Blade, for example, hope to continue into the senior section, by which time they will be true "veterans of the stage"!

For additional details about Kernow Voice, including the adult singing group, contact Isobel King on 01872 321971

Stage Door Chat - Brendan Cole

Hall for Cornwall was delighted to welcome Brendan Cole to Truro on Friday for a two night run of his dance show "Brendan Cole Live and Unjudged".  Two lucky ticket holders won a competition via our Facebook page to meet Brendan for a chat before the show.

Brendan told us that this was his first visit to Cornwall and that he liked the theatre and the stage and was delighted to have sold out both nights.  The opening night was something of a Cole family affair as not only is his brother touring in the show with him but his Mum had travelled in to see the show for the first time that night.

Brendan was not courting controversy and refused to be too drawn on many aspects of "Strictly".  However he told us that he gets on very well with Craig - it's just that he "doesn't agree" with a lot of his feedback! There was also a wry acknowledgement that Len might not necessarily approve of his use of capes in some of the show choreography!

Talking about the show, Brendan admitted that it was quite demanding in terms of energy. He assured us that he does get out of breath - even if it doesn't seem like it from the audiences' point of view!  He was kind enough to give our competition winners 20 minutes of his time and signed their programme as well as a poster for our Stars Restaurant.

Brendan expressed the hope that he would return to Hall for Cornwall at some point in the future.  We look forward to seeing him when he does!

Everybody has a story; what’s yours?

On a cold and icy morning earlier this week an intrepid group of WI members gathered at the CFWI Conference Room in Thremilestone to take part in the first of 6 play writing sessions led by local playwright Paul Farmer. Theirs is the first of 6 community groups who over the coming 4 months will be learning techniques to help them write a 10 minute piece of theatre for the stage.

These workshops form the community element of a new Hall for Cornwall project called Anyone Can Write which is taking place from October 2009 to May 2010.

Isobel King Hall for Cornwall Projects Manager said:

“I was very lucky to sit in on the first of our community writing workshops. For this project we have been seeking out people who are just willing to have a go, no prior experience is necessary. Taking part in a project like this will be fun but there is also a degree of hard work. You also have to brave enough to share what you have written with others in the group and ultimately, if you write something to be performed, with a public audience.

The WI group were a really friendly group of ladies who I’m sure will support each other through the creative process. I look forward to dropping in to another of their sessions and hearing what they have written.”

About This Project

Anyone Can Write is about instilling skills, confidence and creativity into people who may never have thought of writing a play before. It was kickstarted in October with a week long workshop foccussing on writing for the stage which was led by Duncan Macmillan. Duncan won the Second Prize and the Writer-in-Residence Bursary at the inaugural Bruntwood Playwriting Competition for his play Monster, which was subsequently nominated in the Best New Play category at the MEN and TMA Theatre Awards. He was Pearson Playwright in Residence at Paines Plough and had written for the National Theatre Studio, Paines Plough and the Royal Exchange he has also had work staged at Theatre 503 and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (Afternoon Play).

The Anyone Can Write project is part funded by FEAST. FEAST is a new programme to make great art happen in Cornish villages and towns. The ambition is to touch and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds and generate a whole new wave of creative activity in our communities.

For more information on FEAST go to www.cornwallculture.co.uk/feast

Darke and Dazzling nights at HfC This Week!

We're gearing up for a busy and exciting week here!  Our Darke Festival, celebrating the work of the late Cornish playwriter Nick Darke opens on Tuesday with a rehearsed reading of "Never Say Rabbit in a Boat".  Darke Nights comes to the stage on Sunday 24th - an evening of dance performed by young people from around the county.  This promises to be a great showcase of young talent brought to stage in a partnership between Hall for Cornwall, KEAP and The Works.  Darke Visions, a show involving young people from a wide selection of Cornwall's secondary schools can be seen the following night on Monday 25th.

We're also hosting two very big names this week!  Rick Wakeman is coming for an evening of music and "grumpy humour" on Thursday 21st.  Always a popular visitor to Hall for Cornwall, Rick's combination of sharp wit and music make for a highly entertaining evening.

On Friday and Saturday, the glamour of the ballroom comes to town as Brendan Cole's "Live and Unjudged" show promises two days of supurb dance.  Despite a "Bad Boy" image on Strictly (mostly the symptom of a perfectionist I've always thought), Brendan's dancing talent and ability is universally recognised.  The show has been well received by critics thus far:

"Far from being one man's excuse to be self-indulgent, the show was a fun celebration of dance and music with five professional dancers including Scott Cole (Brendan's brother – proving rhythm runs in the Cole family's genes), an  impressive live band and two talented singers thrown into the mix." - Julia Bennett

The new-look Coffee Shop Opens for Business!

This lunchtime was quite exciting for our catering staff as after a short period of refurbishment, the coffee shop reopened with the new serving counter.  The new counter is designed to allow self-service which means that hopefully popping in for a cake and some coffee will be much easier to do, and quicker, and customers will be better able to view the selection of food available.

Our catering manager, Jenney Robinson, is delighted with the new counter.

"We've moved the staff access to the street end which is a lot better for staff and customers," she explained. "The till area is a lot less congested and staff are not squeezing past each other where hot drinks are being prepared.  Food is displayed much better now whilst being properly chilled so customers can serve themselves from the full range of food available. As customers become used to the layout it should improve the speed of service."

There are a couple of finishing touches that will go in over the next few days but when I was in the coffee shop this lunchtime staff and customers seemed very pleased with the new design.  I have to say also that the cakes on display were very tempting indeed!  Why not pop in next time you're in Truro?

Weekly Bulletin

It's been an "interesting" start to 2010 here at Hall for Cornwall.  Whilst Truro itself has missed most of the bad weather there has inevitably been some impact on staff attendance and understandable concerns from the public about shows they have booked tickets to see.

The first piece of good news is that we were able to reschedule another performance with Johnny Cowling on Feb 17th.  Anyone who was too snowed in to attend on the 7th can return their tickets to Hall for Cornwall within the next 7 days and alternate tickets for the 17th Feb can be issued.  Of course, this also offers people a chance to catch him if they didn't have tickets to this week's show which is an added bonus!  Johnny is always a popular visitor to the Hall so we're pleased to be seing more of him!

The next show, is the much acclaimed and unforgettable Circus of Horrors (see previous blog post).  We are definitely looking forward to this show as it is always a great spectacle.

From Wednesday of next week you can chase away the winter blues with the "King" of Rock and Roll with Lee "Memphis" King taking to the stage as Elvis in an evening packed with of his most famous, and popular, music.

We wish all our blog readers a safe and warm weekend!

Last of Jack's Cows finds a new home!

Travel the Milky Way is the last of Jack's Herd and was available to win through a raffle.  Hundreds of people bought tickets during December in the hope of winning her and the final lucky winner was Jacky P who will be providing a good home for her on the North Coast of Cornwall.

Jacky and her partner came along to Hall for Cornwall yesterday afternoon to collect their prize and told me a bit about how they came to enter the raffle in the first place. "We were in truro and just popped into the Coffee Shop for a quick drink," Jacky explained.  "I saw the cow there with her "Win Me" badge on and I had to buy a ticket."

Jacky is delighted with her prize and like many people fell in love with the cow which features a map of Cornwall with milking stools representing about a third of the county's dairy herds.  We are told "Travel the Milky Way" will be enjoying a good home under the shelter of an oak tree, possibly with a view of passing walkers and a nearby school.  We hope Jacky, and nearby residents, will enjoy her company for many years to come.

The removal company hired to transport the cow to her new home seemed a little bemused by what they described as "the most unusual request" they'd ever had. I got the impression they were a little unsure what they'd find when they got to Hall for Cornwall but in the event with some laughter and a few quick snaps "for Facebook" "Travel the Milky Way" was on her way to her new home.

This event is both a happy and a sad one for us as it brings to an end a very exciting and popular project here at Hall for Cornwall.  The cows have been a feature of Cornwall, and a big part of the Hall's collective identity, for much of 2009.  However, we do feel that the last of the herd has gone to a very good home and so this was a happy end to the Jacks Cows project.  We wait to see what 2010 will bring!

Where a Summer School can take you!

We're looking forward to seeing the latest Circus of Horrors show here at Hall for Cornwall on Friday and Saturday.  The production will not be lacking in colour, eccentricity and the "wow" factor for which the Circus of Horrors is rightly well known.  But as you watch some of these acts you might wonder how these artists came to choose this profession above more mundane occupations (such as writing theatre blogs for instance).

Well for one performer, Natalie Verhaegen, the road to the role in circus of Horrors began right here in Cornwall!  Natalie worked as a marketing manager but felt she wanted something extra from her career.  Even taking a course in design management at university in Nottingham didn't quite satisfy her desire for something a little more unusual and exciting.

Eventually, following the Circus skills summer school in Cornwall, she applied to Circus of Horrors to be a saxophone player and was delighted to be accepted.  It was at this point she discovered the true meaning of the old adage "be careful what you wish for" since this saxophone playing job has one or two "little extra bits" in the job description guaranteed to satisfy the desire for a more "exciting" career.

These "extras" include Natalie playing upside down and standing at a board and having knifes thrown around her.

"At first, I thought it was a wind up" claimed Natalie. "My mum would never even let me slice a Tomato let alone stand at a board and have knifes thrown around me."
 
Never the less she did master her new found  skills and is now competent playing standing at a board and having knife thrown around her at 30 miles per hour and playing hanging upside down.  Which just begs the question "What summer school will you be going to in 2010?"


Circus of Horrors - Day of the Dead runs from Friday 8th to Saturday 9th January. To book tickets, click HERE