Ayckbourne’s comedy opens programme

Leonard is a poet, divorced. Peter is a sportsman who works for Graham. Graham is a would-be philanderer who makes a pass at Peter’s fiancée, Joan, despite being married to Anna who is Leonard’s sister.

Leonard, meanwhile, passes the time in earnest conversation with his garden gnome yet his apathy totally alters the dynamics of the group’s relationships with hilarious results.

A big hit in the West End in 1972, when Tom Courtney played the part of Leonard, and later a success on both radio and TV, this is a genuinely funny play, one of Ayckbourn’s best. The play is at Preston Playhouse from Wed January 15 to Sat January 18 at 7.30 each evening. Tickets £8, £7 for concessions.

The 20-plus cast of SOUTHPORT SPOTLIGHTS MUSICAL THEATRE SOCIETY are in rehearsal for their next production ‘THE DROWSY CHAPERONE’.

This new and exciting show has been described as “a musical within a comedy” and features a slightly eccentric musical theatre fan as he sits at home listening to his favourite show recording of the 1928 musical The Drowsy Chaperone.

As he listens, he tells the audience the story, explains characters and gives them the history of the actors who played them. As he does so, the characters magically appear in his apartment and perform musical numbers and comedy routines from the show.

The Drowsy Chaperone is a fun show, full of witty one-liners, clever comedy routines and all the glamour and glitz of the golden age of Broadway musicals.

Winning several awards on Broadway and having had a critically acclaimed run in the West End with Elaine Paige in the title role, this clever and entertaining musical can be seen at the GREENBANK THEATRE, SOUTHPORT in February 2014.

Regular theatre-goers will remember past Southport Spotlights musical successes ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘The Producers’, and most recently ‘Acorn Antiques-The Musical’, which has been nominated for no less than seven awards by the National Operatic and Dramatic Association.

Tickets will be available from January. Visit their website www.southportspotlights.co.uk for more details.

Ron Ellis