Rehearsals get underway for

Written by Cath Moyse - Thu 5th May 2022

Last Sunday was the first rehearsal for "A Musical Jubilee". July may seem a long time away, but it is only 11 weeks and the tickets have already gone on sale.

13 hardy performers turned up warmly dressed on a cold evening in the barn at Hare Leys Farm, accompanied by 4 (out of the 5) musicians who will be providing live music for the show. This first rehearsal concentrated on some patriotic "Last Night of the Proms" songs with lots of flag waving, plus a selection of ensemble dance routines to songs from well-known musicals.

The planning that goes in to the choreography was an eye-opener for me. Each participant is given a position on stage (and this position varies with each song!). The aim is to give each member a chance of being in the front row, whilst still maintaining an even balance of bodies on stage.

The dance for "There's no business like show business" featured hatography with sparkly bowler hats - a whole new genre of choreography that I had never heard of before.

Many of the props for the show have already been sourced, which helps the dancers enormously to get into the mood for each song. "Food, glorious food" featured giant cut-outs of the various dishes featured in the song which were held up in turn as they were mentioned in the lyrics. In "Be our guest" the cast circled around a seated Belle presenting her with candlesticks, a clock, dancing dishes, a ladle of soup, a plate of hors d'oeuvres and a 4 foot long steak knife!

"A Musical Jubilee" is a family friendly open air variety show, with performances at 2:30pm on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July 2022, featuring songs from musicals, readings, poems, sketches and silly skits to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. It is suitable for all the family.

Tickets cost £10 for Adults and £5 for Children and are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/lvp (booking fees apply). Alternatively, call 07864 715708 for cash and cheque purchases. Each ticket comes with a free waving flag so you can join in with our "Last Night of the Proms" tribute!