Alf Ramsey Knew my Grandfather @ Darlington Civic

It's like a trip to Beamish - in boots  

I am a football nut - I love everything about it with a passion; the 4, 0 and 1 buttons on my Sky remote have all but worn away, my wardrobe is now full of replica shirts from over 30 years of having to have the latest style on launch day and if you called at the house you would be left in no doubt as to where my heart lies (sorry girls, but you will grow up & leave home - the Toon Army will always have time for me on a Saturday).

So whilst I am a lifelong, dyed in the wool Newcastle United fan (even our cats are black and white) I spent most of my childhood and adolescence living in Bishop Auckland and so I am well versed in the history of the amateur greats of South Durham.  Bishop Auckland and Crook Town dominated the amateur game for decades but I remember being in awe of the fact that West Auckland won the World Cup well before I understood that it wasn't the same sort of tournament as I had watched Argentina win in 1978 but that just added to the mystique of the 'old days' .

This play, brilliantly crafted and wonderfully cast doesn't just take the audience to the very first world cup back in 1909, it brings alive the cultures, the lives and most of all the humour of the early 20th century in a pit village in south Durham.  This is far more than a football story - it is Beamish in boots.

The story is built around a modern day non league assistant manager lamenting the fact that his ancestors were very much a part of the football tapestry which forms our modern game while he just couldn't get a break.  As he reminisces, the story is told in flashback to the West Auckland world beaters as they prepare for their trip to Italy, how they managed to raise enough money, the characters that went to build the team and the life stories along the way.  It is a stark reminder that back then travel outside of the village, let alone out of the country, was something most men rarely achieved - the scene where the lads try to work out where Italy is had the audience in stitches.  It is also a lesson in humility when you compare the way football used to be played - for the love of the game and the team spirit only, not for the hundreds of thousands of pounds and material trappings that so beset the current game.

Mixing the modern day with the past is this play's cleverest and most endearing quality - for the footie fool like me you can't help but spot the references to players, formations, tactics and 'gamesmanship' which it is suggested were formed over a hundred years ago by the lads from West.  There's even a cameo by Jeff Stelling courtesy of Sky Sports Centre updates.

Filled to the brim with North East humour mixed with real life pathos, this is a wonderful insight into hard working and hard playing men who used football as a brief escape from their lives down the pit. The language, slang and accents are all perfect (they would be when you realise that the cast are all drawn from the North East) leading to the melodic harmonies and verbal jousting for which this great part of the UK is known & loved. 

I urge everyone who has ever had a passing interest in the North East, football, local history or just great comedy to come and see this 2 hours of genuine laughter making, even more so if you're from Bishops or West as this is OUR history, OUR pedigree, OUR unique contribution to the world of football - bring yor maytes, bring yor lass, bring yor ma 'n' da and gan on the jornee with the mighty West Auckland.

Proceeds from this production are being very generously donated to Darlington 1883, the fan led group who are working very hard to protect and rebuild Darlington Football Club as we strive to get back into the football league.

42nd Street @ Sunderland Empire

The ultimate toe-tapping show in town

Based on a film of the same name which has become synonymous with lavish musical numbers choreographed by Busby Berkeley, it was always going to be interesting to see how a cast of hundreds of dancers set in huge movie sets would transfer to the rather more modest stage at Sunderland Empire.   The story would of course work on any scale; young wannabe comes to the big city with innocent dreams, turns out to be uber talented and is asked to understudy for the diva of the day, promptly breaks said diva's ankle and then steps in to save the show & the day.  What made 42nd Street the movie, and subsequently makes 42nd Street the stage show is the musical numbers - pounding symphonies of split second timing, tap routines that spell out the works of Shakespeare in Morse code all testimony to the choreographers drive to eek out every possible inch of routine.

This show did not, for one moment, undersell the proud history and heritage of the previous incarnations of 42nd Street.  The chorus line dancers were mesmerising in their collective delivery which at times defied the boundaries of the human body for speed and dexterity.  The leads created a supernova within this whirling maelstrom of sparkle, light and sound and then, just as quickly as it came, it went and we were left with the powerful delivery which gave the under-story pathos and humility.

Dave Willets and Marti Webb, brilliantly cast as Julian Marsh and Dorothy Brock, provided a richness, depth and worldly wise to their characters which would have not been possible with lesser, dare I say younger, actors.  Jessica Punch who took the lead of Peggy Sawyer was truly outstanding - a wonderful mix of wide eyed innocence coupled with energy levels that would not be out of place in the forthcoming Olympics (I defy any of the Olympians to be able to match Jessica's nightly routine, show after show).

This show however, can't have the impact, the spectacular, the WOW factor without the whole group.  The ensemble is one of the most talented assembled for any tour, they have to be to be cope with such demanding routines throughout the whole production.  Even here there are theatre stars in their own right; Felicity Chilvers who has recently toured with Buddy as Maria Elena (and is mentioned elsewhere in my blog); Abigail Climer who has West End productions of Whistle Down the Wind and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on her resume, and Jamie Harris who has recently returned from 'at sea' productions on board the Queen Elizabeth.  Special mention also to Hollie Sorelle, a local North Easterner who has rapidly become a well known name throughout theatre land for her wonderful performances, most notably as Cinderella in Darlington Civic's pantomime.

The show itself is very much "line 'em up 1st half, knock 'em down 2nd half" - in the main due to the fact that the big numbers and well known tunes reside after the interval.  It is also worth noting that the original movie had only 4 or 5 musical numbers, not enough for a full stage show, and so extra songs were drafted in - at times these are noticeably weaker than the foundation tunes "Lullaby of Broadway", "We're in the Money" and of course "42nd Street" but this doesn't detract from the overall performance, in fact it heightens the appreciation when the stage is full, the orchestra is loud and the dancing frenetic - well, you just have to tap along too.

Jazz in my Pants in Durham City

Jazz in my Pants - JIMP

Anyone visiting Durham city this month will not be able to avoid the huge range of live music echoing around this historic city, for this is the Month of Brass. We ventured into the city on Saturday and had an amazing wander around the bustling streets.  For what felt like the first time in ages we had a warm, sunny & dry day; the crowds were all smiling and the live entertainment just added to the feeling that we had just come through a 3 week storm; I guess in fact, we had.

After walking down Silver Street and over & back over the bridge we headed to the Gala square, initially for something to eat but as we approached we found we were just in time to catch one of the funkiest groups I've seen in ages - Jazz in my Pants (even the name is enough to raise a chuckle).

This gang of brilliant young musicians have taken the core essence of a jazz brass ensemble and pumped it full of funk, soul, sass and cool - all at the same time - their repetoire is like taking a trip through the history of modern music with the Beatles (as a funk/soul waltz), Queen, Madness and then a fabulous rendition of a real classic Blues with Laurie providing an amazing impression of Louis Armstrong - this has to be seen/heard to be believed that such a 'nice' looking young man (ok, there were many in the audience who called him downright cute) can then come out with the raw, growling, gravelly voice of Ol Satchmo himself.

Whilst Laurie provided this vocal solo, JIMP is very much an ensemble performance, everyone has a key part to play and it's all delivered with a genuine sense that JIMP are having just as much fun as the audience.  They are all very, very talented musicians who clearly spend a lot of time planning and rehearsing their set and it shows in the fluidity and tightness of their playing.

Definitely worth seeking them out during the Durham Brass 2012, I defy anyone not to be tapping & clapping along while you marvel at the just how good Drum & Brass can sound.

Go get some Jazz in your pants !