All Lit Up (part 1)

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed a short break in Hall for Cornwall’s programme of shows this month. This isn’t (contrary to rumour) because crew have headed en masse to Perranporth beach! In fact, they are working harder then ever during our regular maintenance period – one of the busiest times of year for them.

One of the tasks being undertaken is to clean and check ALL of the theatre’s lighting stock. This is no small task – each lighting unit is taken apart and cleaned before being PAT tested.



Another task the crew have been busy with has been to shorten the steel wires on all 35 fly bars. This involved clearing them of all lantern stock before manually adjusting each one. The adjustment means that when lowered they are at a better height for working on. They also rise higher in the fly tower to give us additional clearance (something that comes in very useful when touring companies bring sets designed for larger venues!).

I snapped a few pictures of the bars during maintenance. It’s very rare indeed to see them all lowered and clear like this.

Another development has been updating of the theatre house lights. The new lights are LED powered and offer significant power efficiency savings when compared to the old lights. There’s certainly no loss of light as a result – the new units appeared to be very bright when I went into the auditorium last week.

Alongside the highly visible building renovation and maintenance work, these types of maintenance jobs are a vital part of keeping the theatre functioning efficiently and ensuring ongoing improvements. Work being undertaken is part-funded by the Theatre Fund payments with ticket sales. As well as safety and maintenance we are investing in lighting that is more efficient with a view to reducing our operating costs as well as our carbon footprint.

CAR REVIEW - MINI Cooper (Junior) S

The paintwork is a stylish shade of blue, the shape classic MINI and the price is unbeatable!  This is the must-have car for the about-town toddler who can't be doing with all that walking nonsense.

Featuring two gears (forward and reverse) the car is responsive with intuitive, easy to use controls.  Being electric, its carbon footprint is minimal and there is no road tax to pay.  Leg-room is, admittedly, at a bit of a premium and the boot has been sacrificed but this is not uncommon with convertible models.

The wheels are premium-grade plastic with mock alloy trim (no polishing or waxing required).  The turning circle is, admittedly, not that tight for such a small car so a large space is advised whilst drivers are getting the hang of it.

The main benefit of the car, undoubtedly, is the fun factor and the huge smile on the face of its driver.  The mini featured in this review is being raffled and could be yours for just £1 (or £5 for a book of tickets purchased online).  Tickets are available at Hall for Cornwall Box office or online (click HERE).

Go on... make a small person's day!

Vegas Comes to Town (twice!)

Here at Hall for Cornwall we put a lot of work into the logistics of getting shows ready for opening night.  Part of that process is getting the cast, set, props, costumes and other equipment in the right place at the right time.  It’s a little unusual, in our experience, for shows to stop by a week early but that’s precisely what Martyn Lucas did today for the shoppers in Truro!

One Night in Vegas will be at Hall for Cornwall next Friday, but to promote his “homecoming” show, Martyn and one of his “Vegas Showgirls” arrived on Lemon Quay this morning to perform a selection of numbers from the show and offer passers by a few limited free tickets.

The One Night in Vegas show now tours the whole UK, with dates including the London Palladium, but the story started right here at Hall for Cornwall with his first ever version of the show.  Martyn is thrilled to be returning next week – his show is bigger and better having grown over the years.  In addition to the Vegas Showgirls, Martyn will be supported by musicians of the acclaimed British Philharmonic Orchestra for a wonderful live “big band” Vegas sound.

If you were there at the start, Martyn would love to show you how much One Night in Vegas has grown and if you weren’t there at the start… why miss out this time around?  To book click HERE

Shoot-Out at Hall for Cornwall!

This probably isn't what you think!  There was a shoot-out at Hall for Cornwall last week but it didn't involve two members of our technical team facing each other at noon, hands hovering over their holstered pistols.

Some exotic lighting effects being created.

In fact, it involved manufacturers of some of the latest theatre lighting products putting their wares up for direct comparison against other manufacturers. Of particular interest on the day was the comparison of the industry leading ETC Source 4, with the new challenger - the Selecon SPX, from two of the leading manufacturers in the field of theatre lighting. Also represented were Martin Professional, GLP, Arri, and (courtesy of White Light)  I-Pix, Robert Juliat, Coemar and Look Solutions.  The purpose of the event was to inform opinion as we consider replacing some of our lighting stock.  This was a big significant event which attracted quite a bit of industry interest as well as the two companies sending their top executives from as far afield as Texas, USA and Denmark.

A display of colour from the wings of the stage.

Generally, lighting is demonstrated at trade shows in individual stands or by reps at theatres.  One of the two companies at Hall for Cornwall last week was ETC.  Their Source 4 lights are considered the industry standard with over 2.5 million sold. Phillips Entertainment, however, have recently launched the Selecon SPX in direct competition.  Their literature claims their product is superior - so we decided to find out and offered both companies the chance to trial their products at HfC side by side.  This was the first test of its kind in the UK.

These lights are the workhorses of our theatre.  Our current stock is aging; some is beyond repair, and it doesn’t perform to the expectations of the quality shows coming to Hall for Cornwall. Replacement also gives us the opportunity to make energy efficiency improvements -  For example the lights we tested last week offer the same light output as our current lanterns and do so at 600 watts (as opposed to 1.2kw). There is a 50% reduction in energy use which obviously offers financial savings and a reduced carbon footprint. LED technology has made huge advancements in the world of entertainment lighting and it was a fantastic opportunity to see these products on our stage with their huge potential for energy saving as well as creative advantages.

Other lights being demonstrated.

Ian, one of our stage technical team, explained that with touring companies there is a need to recreate the same show at every venue - and ideally the lighting approach and kit at each theatre needs to be as similar as the venue allows.  It is therefore important for Hall for Cornwall to keep its stock up to date and in line with other presenting theatres.

Whilst the technical teams from each company eagerly looked at the competing products in a very scientific way (white light is never "true" white but may be bluish or yellow in tint, for example) Ian explained that Hall for Cornwall needs to balance that aspect with more practical concerns, such as the durability and life expectancy of the equipment and how flexible it is in application.

Some of the other lighting products at the shoot out in action.

Hall for Cornwall were not alone in taking an interest.  We had representatives from Lane Theatre as well as Theatre Royal, Plymoth in attendance as well as several other lighting companies.  Matthew Pitman, from Martin Professional, explained that this was interesting for him as this was his first chance to see the two competitors side by side.

"Hall for Cornwall is taking a very thorough approach" he told me. "It's very unusual for companies to directly test their equipment side by side like this - there is a lot of professional pride at stake."  He also commented on the very gentlemanly conduct evident throughout the day.

The two lights side by side on stage.

The shoot out was a very successful event that left our technical team with plenty to think about as they weigh the options for the future.  They can now make their decision based on having seen the products for themselves in action, in the theatre.

Two products shooting it out!

Anyone Can Write play premieres at HfC

One of the short plays written through the Anyone Can Write programme was premiered on stage at HfC yesterday afternoon.  With Cornwall's WI holding their conference here, we felt it was an excellent opportunity to stage one of the short plays written by one of their members who took part in the writing programme.

"On With the Show" was a hilarious short play written by Jane Curnow who was in the auditorium to see her play come to life.  It followed the course of a small committee meeting to decide the "theme" for their stall.  There was a hint of "Vicar of Dibley" about the proceedings and much of the humour clearly struck a chord with audience members who recognised aspects of the characters that will be familiar to many; the nervous, officious chairperson, the well intentioned "helpful" person willing to donate anything from a whistle to a racehorse and the inevitable committee member who forgets to switch off their mobile.

Alongside the important business of the meeting there was some sharply scripted and funny gossip, including the women who had "gone out" after "finding him on the internet".  This was the subject of much discussion as he was far too big for her, and grey!  Only after some clever double entendre do we discover they are talking about a greyhound, not a man off a dating site!

"On With the Show" had a cast of four actors, including Kate Edney who played Princess Jill in last year's panto at Hall for Cornwall.  Kate met up with Jane  before the play for a photo (above) and told her the actors had really enjoyed working with the script which had had them falling about with laughter.  It was certainly very well received by the WI.

Six other plays written through the Anyone Can Write programme will be staged at Hall for Cornwall on May 4th.  Tickets are now available (Click HERE).

ANYONE CAN WRITE has benefited from funding from FEAST and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. We are also grateful to our stakeholders, Cornwall Council and Arts Council, England, for their ongoing support.

ESF Awards - Success for HfC!

Hall for Cornwall was delighted to receive an award for its work on staff training and development through the European Social Fund.  The award recognised the work done at Hall for Cornwall to ensure the widest participation by staff in the training sessions.  When receiving the award, Tim paid tribute both to the staff who undertook the training and to Truro and Penwith College Business Centre who delivered the training programme and who nominated us for the award.

The award ceremony was an inspiring and at times moving event.  Some of the recipients of individual awards had overcome considerable barriers to achieve a great deal through ESF funded initiatives and it was good to hear their stories and to celebrate their success with them.

The awards were attended by the Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for the South West and Department of Work and Pensions.

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

Professional makeover for Dame Trott!

"Some people think you're scary..." goes one of the lines in a song about our pantomime dame this year.  Actually, she's not as bad as some I've come across - and played opposite - but its certainly fair to say that where makeup is concerned Dame Trott does not subscribe to the "less is more" school of beautification!

This is understandable in many ways as when you see her choice of wardrobe, not to mention hair dye palette, "understated" is not a word in her vocabulary.  Perhaps this is why Jack and Simon's father "whoever he is" ran away?  Or perhaps it was her cavalier approach to post-milking and mucking-out hygeine. Whatever the cause, the lovely people at Debenhams in Truro offered to help her out with a professional makeover this morning!

Catherine drew the very short straw of turning our Dame into a Belle and though it was a challenge calculated to test the most professional of beauticians, it's fair to say that she did an excellent job!  After some initial skepticism, Dame Trott herself seemed well pleased.

Whether this new, chic look is kept or whether she reverts to her old habits remains to be seen - you'll have to come and see the panto!

Pictures from top: (Original style, makeover x2, not too sure, final result!)

Our new Corporate Friends!

We would be remiss if we didn't properly welcome Ocean BMW on Falmouth Road, Penryn as new Corporate friends of Hall for Cornwall.  We look forward to working with Ocean in a mutually beneficial partnership as they support Hall for Cornwall in the work we do and, hopefully, develop a close interest in, and partnership with, Hall for Cornwall across the diverse range of our performing and community activities.

Ocean BMW is the home of BMW and Mini in Cornwall.

Win the last of Jack's Cows!

"Take a bit of panto land home with you!"

Most of you will have seen Jack's herd of cows around Cornwall this summer.  Most of the herd have now found new homes but the final, and possibly most "Cornish" of the lot, is up for grabs in Jack's Cow Raffle.  Tickets cost just 50p with money going to Hall for Cornwall's "Loved to bits" fund.

"Travel the Milky Way" features a cleverly painted map of cornwall with milking stools indicating the county's dairy herds.  It was designed by Tracy Sheffield who works in our Box Office.

This cow is not small - so the winner will need a large garden or, if they're feeling particularly generous, a VERY large conservatory!  On the plus-side she's remarkably well behaved for a cow and very low maintenance.  No chewed plants - guaranteed.  Sadly, though, if you're hoping to use her as an alternative to mowing the lawn you are destined to be disappointed.

Tickets are obtainable from the Box Office and we are also selling them during late night shopping evenings.

Christopher Timothy very kindly helped launch the cow raffle during his time at Hall for Cornwall with Grapes of Wrath.

Bingo Bells and Panto Cows make for an interesting evening in Truro!

The reindeer parade and late night shopping was an unmissable opportunity to get our Jack and the Beanstalk panto cast members out and about. The event was also the ideal time to launch "Jack's Bell Bingo" and the cast quickly got stuck into the job of handing out numbered bells to just about anyone who caught their eye!

The bells were a huge hit and Victoria Square was quickly ringing to the sound of countless tiny bells - a sound that followed along the route of the parade as we had a massive 650 bells to give out during the evening.   Each bell has a corresponding numbered envelope which can be obtained from Box Office by bringing your bell in.  Prizes include drinks and food from our restaurant and coffee shop, posters and panto tickets.

After the parade hopeful youngsters were turning up at the Box Office, bells in hand, to see what they had won.  Though many bells remain as yet un-redeemed (we assume because the children wouldn't give them to Mum or Dad to read the instructions!) we had quite a few lucky winners with tickets, posters and other prizes being claimed.

Whilst the title of last night's event was "Reindeer Parade", an unexpected appearance by our panto cow, Daisy, temporarily upstaged the reindeer when she made a brief appearance at the start of the parade.  She even walked some of the route before it all became a bit much for her poor hooves and she made her way back to the stable to rest.

All of the panto characters, and especially Daisy, proved popular with the crowd and many photos were snapped.  The cast did an incredible job with handing out bells and fliers in what was the first of no doubt many public appearances ahead of opening night.  The event was a great success in raising awareness of the panto at Hall for Cornwall and it's nice to think of all those Christmas trees out there that will have an HfC bell hanging on them this December!

Further bell hand-outs are expected between now and Christmas so keep an eye and ear out for them at future late night shopping evenings.

It's not too late to redeem your Bingo Bell by bringing it into the Box Office.

All youngsters GET TO KEEP THEIR BELL regardless of whether it is a winning bell or not.  All bells offer a small complimentary prize so please do pop along with them if you haven't already.  Please note, though, that only bells with their valid number can be accepted as without them we cannot verify which envelope belongs to that bell.

Public Notice:

We received special permission to allow Dame Trot into a public place from her "sheltered home for the excitable"on the understanding she was properly chaparoned!  She was returned home after the event, took her medication, and had a settled night.

The Show Will Go On!

It's been a busy 14 hours here at Hall for Cornwall, but following a hurculean effort by staff we are pleased to announce that tonight's Grapes of Wrath performance WILL go ahead as planned!

Unfortunately, during last night's performance one of the below-stage sprinklers was triggered.  Due to the location, water collected very quickly and for safety reasons power in the theatre had to be shut off and the performance cancelled.

Once the theatre had been checked by the fire brigade, the clean-up operation began immediately with staff working until the early hours.  Even one sprinkler can discharge a huge quantity of water in a relatively short space of time and it was a lot of work to set things to rights.

At the time of writing, we have successfully dealt with the water and have installed industrial driers in the affected areas.  Aside from drying out, we have obviously also had to conduct work on the sprinkler system itself and extensively test the electrics to ensure tonight's performance can go ahead.

Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing but I am pleased to be able to report that damage appears minimal due in large part to the swift actions of staff in dealing with the water.

We would all like to offer our apologies to any of our readers who were caught up in what proved to be a disappointing and difficult night.  In such cases, where a sprinkler has activated, evacuation of the audience, cast and staff is absolutely necessary whilst the cause of the alarm is investigated by the fire brigade.

All audience members are being offered the choice between a refund or an alternate performance, with Box Office staff working today to re-accommodate many of last night's audience into the remaining performances.  The play is well worth  seeing and we hope to be welcoming most of our disappointed audience members back tonight and tomorrow.

We have been grateful for the messages of support and understanding from our customers.  Your help and good natured cooperation with the staff who conducted the evacuation is also very much appreciated by us all.

Box Office can be contacted on 01872 262466

As you can see from the pictures taken this morning we are almost back to normal.  The pictured sprinkler (top) is an example of the one triggered  - the size of the pipe gives some idea of the discharge rate of the system!