It’s a busy year for theatre and musical fans!
April brought us two separate Old Time Music Hall events, by coincidence, after not having seen any such since 2017 when one was staged as part of a European Capital of Culture extravaganza at The Emba Theatre. PAWS Dog Shelter put on a variety show of singers, comics and a highly memorable one-man-band; The Phoenix Club’s Performing Arts Group presented a self-penned Music Hall Mystery & Mayhem – a drama, set in the world of Music Hall, in which the cast played real stars of the era and the audience had to solve a mystery for a prize. In the latter I played the role of a singer who called a strike over unfair conditions and pay for performers – which seemed somewhat ironic, as I’m an entertainment agent in real life.
Just prior to these at the end of March, Thomson School of Dancing & Performing Arts gave us a splendid production of Shrek The Musical Jr with some phenomenal acting from the youngsters. Four of these dancers, their vocal teacher Melanie Ballard, plus her choir, B Sharp, and local hero Matthew Edmondson brought A Night at the Musicals to the Emba Theatre a month later, filling the house. Stage One Theatre Group’s production of The Railway Children was well received at the start of May and they are now looking ahead to a dark comedy Natural Causes in October and a December pantomime, Old Mother Hubbard.
But long before that, we can enjoy another Disney Musical, Moana Jr, presented in English by the Imperial Russian Academy, with a child cast performing a matinee and adult cast in the evening. The same pattern goes for Frozen Jr, which Music Academy Aspa Vasiliou are running with three different casts: young children, older children and adults, though as the title suggests this will not be until winter.
The Pafos Aphrodite Festival, AKA The Harbour Opera, has not yet been announced, but should run for three nights in early September: watch this space (and lamp posts all over town). I believe the tender for opera companies has now closed, so we should know any day now.
International classical crossover quartet Il Divo will visit Limassol on their European tour in July, and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra will be playing a rock concert in October, sadly clashing with the Cyprus Rocks festival on the east coast.
The Phoenix Group’s winter pantomime, Mother Goose, again self-penned, will get us in the mood nicely for Old Mother Hubbard, which should kick us into Christmas! But that’s a long way away.
I do hope my leaking roof will be fixed by then. I’ve had three artisans visit to check the job and quote. Only the third brought a ladder; the second simply stood aground, looked up, and declared ‘need replace whole roof’ while the third looked aghast and declared “I didn’t know it would be up high”. It’s only a bungalow, but seriously, where do they expect the roof to be?
Let’s hope some of these theatre productions will ‘raise the roof’ – those with roofs, that is. The amphitheatres in Tala and Pissouri will be busy with music shows this summer, particularly tribute bands. On the tourist scene too, tributes seem to be regaining popularity, with at least five Elvi in resort already. The show boats have started sailing day and night, with Matthew Edmondson at the helm as a pirate by day and hosting the Ocean Vision at night, whilst the Wavedancer once again features the east coast drag show Stardust once a week.
The local airwaves have changed recently, with Rock FM now playing the genre its name has always suggested, and with a new line-up of presenters (no Matthew!) presenting mostly in Greek. Viva FM continues but now competes with WOW Radio Online Cyprus, which is where you’ll find Bejay Browne, and Chris King’s Sapphire Radio which now also features Joep Klinkenbijl.
But for those who came to this island for peace and quiet, there are still places to escape to. Head for a beach without a bar or rows of sun-loungers, or up into the hills – you might even catch the last vestiges of snow. Take a good look, as it’ll be a good few months before there’s any more!
Moana Jr Pattichio Theatre Limassol 13th June
www.soldoutticketbox.com
Il Divo Monte Caputo Limassol 9th July www.ticketmaster.cy
Natural Causes The Emba Theatre 1st – 4th October
www.tageonetheatre.net
Cyprus Rocks Protaras region 1st – 8th October
www.cyprusrocks.co.uk
Rock Sympho Show Markedion Theatre 4th October
www.soldoutticketbox.com
Frozen Jr Markedion Theatre 15th & 16th November TBA
Mother Goose The Phoenix Club 28th – 30th November
www.phoenixpaphos.com
Old Mother Hubbard The Emba Theatre 8th – 13th December
www.stageonetheatre.net
