Blog Description Copyright @AnthonyDotNet https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss Wed, 12 April 2023 11:41:17 Wed, 12 April 2023 11:41:17 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/april/12/summer-the-hipp/ Join us at the Hippodrome for a summer of fun creative activities. We have a number of workshops for children and families to enjoy together as well as some activities just for adults. Try something new! MINDFUL MOVEMENT Thursday 27 July 5.30pm - 7pm | Ages 18+ This session is about moving our bodies to help the mind, using somatic practices, breathwork, visualisation and authentic movement. Learn more about Mindful Movement HIPPODROME YOUTH DANCE DAY Monday 31 July 10am - 3pm Come and try out a fun mix of dance styles from contemporary to street dance. Learn more about Youth Dance Day CRAFTS IN THE CAFÉ Wednesday 2, 16, 30 August 10am - 2pm FREE LUST FOR LIFE DRAWING Thursday 3 August 7pm - 9pm Relaxed untutored life drawing to a rock and roll soundtrack. Learn more about Lust For Life Drawing   YOUTH THEATRE TASTER DAY Friday 4 August 7-10s workshop 1pm - 3pm 10-13 workshop 3pm- 5pm If you would like to see what our fun and exciting Youth Theatre sessions are all about, then this is for you. Learn more about Youth Theatre Taster Day DRAGON EGGS Thursday 10 August 11am - 2.30pm Calling all budding young Dragon Keepers – come along and create your own dragon egg to care for. Learn more about Dragon Eggs MAGIC WANDS Thursday 10 August 1.30pm - 3pm Bring your little wizards along to this workshop where they can make a unique magic wand which they can take away at the end. Learn more about Magic Wands FABRIC SCULPTING WORKSHOP - JOURNALS Thursday 10 August 5pm - 8pm Learn how to use fabric sculpting techniques to create a stunning three dimensional design on an A5 notebook. Learn more about Fabric Sculpting Workshop MINI MANDALAS Saturday 12 August 1.30pm - 3pm Join artist Jessica Grady to create your very own stitched mini mandala design using textiles and recycled materials. Learn more about Mini Mandalas DOODLE STITCHING Saturday 12 August 4pm - 6.30pm Come along and explore the colourful world of doodle cloths! Learn more about Doodle Stitching SUMMER FLOWERS WITH NATTRASS Friday 18 August 6pm - 8pm Join Nattrass to make Summer wreath. Learn more about Summer Flowers with Nattrass AN INTRODUCTION TO BURLESQUE Friday 19 & 26 August 6.15pm | Age 18+ Ebony and Duke Divine will be providing you with a brief insight into the history of burlesque and some of its pioneers over the decades, an introduction to robe removal, glove peels and boa work, ending in a short routine and a demonstration from the professionals. Learn more An Introduction to Burlesque POSE, PAUSE & PLEASE WITH EBONY SILK Friday 19 & 26 August 7.45pm | Age 18+ Explores the art of burlesque even further, looking at how to make the most of your shape as you pose and enjoying the experience! Learn more about Pose, Pause & Please with Ebony Silk   MAKE YOUR OWN THEATRE Tuesday 29 August 11am - 12.30pm | Age 7+ Led by professional designers, you’ll build your own model theatre stage and go wild with decoration! All materials provided. Learn more about Make Your Own Theatre STERLING SILVER RING MAKING - FAMILY Thursday 24 August 2 - 5pm | Age 10+ Create your own sterling silver ring or a set of three stacking rings, in this workshop with By Ros. Learn more about Sterling Silver Ring Making - Family STERLING SILVER RING MAKING - ADULT Thursday 24 August 6 - 9pm | Age 18+ Create your own sterling silver ring or a set of three stacking rings, in this workshop with By Ros. Learn more about Sterling Silver Ring Making - Adult   GIN TASTING WITH MASONS OF YORKSHIRE Friday 25 August 6 - 8pm Join us on the Hippodrome stage with a member of the Masons of Yorkshire team who will guide us through a tasting of a selection of the Masons range, we will learn about the story of Yorkshire's first distillery whilst enjoying locally sourced food sharing board platters. Learn more Gin Tasting with Masons of Yorkshire https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/april/12/summer-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/april/12/summer-the-hipp/ Wed, 12 April 2023 11:41:17 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/27/call-out-for-professional-dance-artists-for-rapunzel/ balletLORENT will present Rapunzel, their latest dance theatre production for families, and Rapunzel After Dark for adult audiences at Darlington Hippodrome in May 2023. Both shows features balletLORENT’s dancers performing alongside a guest professional cast of local dance artists performing with their pre-school child. Local school children will also appear in Rapunzel.   They are seeking three regionally based professional dancers to join the cast with their pre-school (0-4yrs) child, and perform in two scenes in the first half of the shows. This project aims to support dance artists who are new parents, looking for opportunity to return to professional practice.   A casting workshop for up to 10 dancers and their pre-school children will take place on 6 March from 4.00pm-5.45pm at Darlington Hippodrome. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please send a short CV/Showreel with a Cover Email/Video Intro by 28 February 2023 to James MacGillivray, Education and Projects Manager: Email – james@balletlorent.com / Whatsapp - 07308 160 383   A fee of £50 will be paid to those invited to, and attending the workshop. At the casting workshop, we will: look for dance artists with a natural performance ability who would be comfortable moving and dancing with their young child. set choreographic material, and ask you to work with some of our dancers. describe the scenes in more detail, including use of props. not be expecting or asking for any particular level of technical dance ability – the work requires performers who are uninhibited, creative, able to embody character, and who are comfortable to engage their young child in a safe and creative environment.   Following this workshop, three artists will be invited with their children to join the cast in rehearsals, and the performances of Rapunzel at Darlington Hippodrome.   Rehearsals at Darlington Hippodrome: 5 May 3.30pm-5.00pm & 6 May 2.00pm- 3.30pm (Time TBC) Technical and dress rehearsals, and performances at Darlington Hippodrome – Times TBC: 16 May 2023 – rehearsal 5.30pm-8.15pm 17 May 2023 – 12.00pm-3.30pm / 5.00pm-9.00pm (Rapunzel After Dark performance 8.00pm) 18 May 2023 – 12.00-8.00pm (Rapunzel performance 6.00pm)   A total fee of £500 is available for guest artists who complete all the rehearsal and performances. If you are not able to complete all dates due to childcare/other commitments, they may consider sharing roles with other artists, and the fee will be pro-rated. Fee payable on receipt of an invoice at the end of the project. Guest Artists will be responsible for their own tax and NI contributions. Fees include holiday pay. Please contact balletLORENT if you require support for travel expenses as they may be able to subsidise some costs.   They are an equal opportunities employer, and a Parents and Carers in Performing Arts Charter Partner. They welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds, and will endeavour to support those with caring responsibilities.   balletLORENT will apply for Child Performance Licenses from the local authority for the children involved, and will provide paperwork to parents to be completed.   You can watch a trailer of Rapunzel here: https://www.balletlorent.com/productions/rapunzel-22 And learn more about the involvement of parent artists and their children here: https://vimeo.com/balletlorent/rapunzel-guest-casts   One of their Supporting Partners on this project is Dance Mama, whose aim is to advocate and celebrate professional dancing parents, highlighting the issues that they face and providing inspiration, information and connection. To support you on your journey as a dancing parent, take a look at their award-winning professional development programme, Dance Mama Live, which provides online workshops, webinars and a community of other, like-minded dancing parents. To find out more visit: www.dancemama.org/dancemamalive https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/27/call-out-for-professional-dance-artists-for-rapunzel/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/27/call-out-for-professional-dance-artists-for-rapunzel/ Mon, 27 February 2023 11:48:24 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/13/sashas-story-a-place-for-everyone/ Sasha has recently moved from Ukraine to Darlington, and has loved her time in the town. One of her favourite things has been Darlington Hippodrome, and she's been able to see a few shows through A Place For Everyone Fund. Here's what she had to say:   "Hello, my name is Oleksandra and I prefer to be called Sasha. I came to Darlington four months ago with my mom Inna and travelled from our family home on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. We love everything about Darlington and in particular the beautiful theatre. I have been to the Hippodrome twice and each time it was spectacular! My first visit was to see a Miss Marple play which I enjoyed so much. The acting, scenery, theatre staff, displays and comfortable seating made my first experience so memorable. It was so exciting to be in an English theatre and I was on the edge of my seat fascinated how this piece of art is presented in another culture. My second visit to the Hippodrome was to see a ballet called ‘The Nutcracker’. The scenery was so well-designed that I could see all the details from the dress circle. Even though the troupe wasn't very big, they gave a feeling of a much bigger cast dancing on the stage as dancers changed their costumes quickly. Moreover, I was captivated by how dancers' rich facial expressions complemented their moves and made the audience understand the emotions they represented without any words. In addition, the performance was complimented by the talented orchestra who accompanied the ballet to create the magical story."   This was all made possible through our A Place For Everyone Fund . We believe in the transformative power of the arts and think that everyone has the right to experience theatre and participate in creative activity. A Place for Everyone opens up the theatre to audiences, practitioners and performers, regardless of social, physical or economic barriers. Since the fund's launch in February 2019, £66,000 has been raised from donations from individuals, businesses and charitable trusts. To support A Place for Everyone, donate when buying tickets through our box office or online, or contact hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk If you're involved with a group which would benefit from the scheme, contact hippolearning@darlington.gov.uk. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/13/sashas-story-a-place-for-everyone/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/february/13/sashas-story-a-place-for-everyone/ Mon, 13 February 2023 15:47:08 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-offers-a-warm-welcome/ Darlington Hippodrome’s Hippo Lounge will offer free tea, coffee and biscuits between 10am and mid-day every Tuesday and Wednesday this winter to provide a free, safe, warm, and welcoming space for all. This initiative has been funded through the Hippodrome’s A Place For Everyone fund which aims to open up the theatre to audiences and practitioners regardless of social, physical or economic barriers. To support A Place For Everyone you can donate when purchasing tickets through the box office or online. If you are part of a group who could benefit from the scheme please contact hippolearning@darlington.gov.uk Darlington Hippodrome’s Hippo Lounge is situated in the main foyer area of the theatre which is on Parkgate, just a short walk from Darlington town centre. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-offers-a-warm-welcome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2023/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-offers-a-warm-welcome/ Mon, 09 January 2023 09:43:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/october/06/hauntings-of-the-hippodrome-ghost-cam/ With the Ghost Cam Facebook Live event coming up soon (10 October), we thought you’d like to get acquainted with just a few of the ghosts that have been spotted around Darlington Hippodrome… who knows, perhaps you’ll see one? We’ll begin with the most well-known ghost, Signor Rino Pepi. Being both a showman and theatre director in life, it seems his spirit wishes to stay in the limelight and is thus the most likely ghost to be spotted in the theatre. The camera on our Ghost Cam will have a good view of his box in the auditorium, though it is said this ghost is usually seen from the corner of your eye as a shadow – defined by the shade’s distinctive top hat. During the theatre’s refurbishment in 2016/17, a member of the construction team heard groaning from inside Pepi’s box. Worried that someone was injured, or perhaps ill, he rushed to the scene. Upon opening the door, he didn’t find a person at all, but rather a disembodied pair of legs… One of the most terrifying places in Darlington Hippodrome is Dressing Room 12. While the name may sound unassuming, this room has been used to conduct seances with mediums and even Ouija boards and this has left a spiritual scar in the form of many hauntings. Perhaps the most unnerving of these is the crying little girl – a phenomenon experienced by countless people who’ve ventured near the dressing room at night. Alongside the unexplained sounds, the stench of urine occasionally emanates throughout the room and people have even collapsed in there. In the past, an actress was sat in Dressing Room 12 preparing for the upcoming show when she heard the faint sound of crying outside. Straining her ears, she thought it was coming from outside in the hall, but when she checked there was nobody there. The sound continued, but thinking it was just the old building making unusual noises – or perhaps the cry carrying through from the street – she returned to preparing for the show. A chill ran up her spine as she reached for her make up bag and the ever-present sound of crying seemed to pick up in volume. As she began to apply her make up with the help of a mirror, something caught her eye – a girl in the reflection. Spinning around to see, she was met with an empty dressing room and the sound of crying fading off into the distance. The final spirit to be shared before the Ghost Cam event is, thankfully, much less scary than the hauntings of Dressing Room 12 – in fact, some would say it is quite sweet. We are of course referring to the ghost of Signor Rino Pepi’s dog, thought to be a pug. This playful haunting hound has been known to have a fondness for children, and sometimes you’ll hear barking when alone in the theatre. The bones of a dog were found buried in the quicklime in the walls of the theatre, and while the skeleton was removed in the 1960s/70s, it doesn’t seem like the ghost has left as the current programming Director felt the dog when she was alone in the auditorium. These are only a tiny selection of ghost stories of Darlington Hippodrome, and perhaps by the time Ghost Cam has finished, we will have a few more to add. Even if not, we will be sharing more ghost stories throughout the two hours. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/october/06/hauntings-of-the-hippodrome-ghost-cam/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/october/06/hauntings-of-the-hippodrome-ghost-cam/ Thu, 06 October 2022 10:58:32 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/august/04/q-a-with-the-authors-of-spike-a-new-play-coming-to-darlington-hippodrome/ Ian Hislop and Nick Newman have teamed up to create a new stage play based on the life of Spike Milligan which comes to Darlington Hippodrome in October. --- Your play ‘Spike’ tells the story of the young Spike Milligan, coming out of World War Two and writing and performing with The Goon Show – which became a phenomenon. How did the play come about?  Nick Newman [NN] : We wanted to write something about Spike to coincide with the centenary of his birth –we didn’t quite hit that deadline, but we made it for his 104 th ! From the outset, we wanted it to be a celebration. There are too many biopics of comedians that tell the ‘tears of a clown’ story. And while you can’t escape Spike’s mental health issues, for us that was something that we saw as powering his comedy. Ian Hislop [IH] : We didn’t want an audience coming out thinking, ‘the really important thing about this person is that they were miserable and unhappy. And now so am I!’. We wanted them thinking, ‘the important thing about this person is that he produced all this!’ and it made a huge number of people very happy. And still does. There are two very grim incidents in the play involving Spike having breakdowns, both of which he immediately turned into comedy. That in itself is fascinating. Did you want to celebrate Spike because you were Goon Show fans when you were younger? NN : Maybe. I remember when I was at school, just crying with laughter reading Spike’s war memoirs. And The Goon Show, I was brought up on it. My father was in the RAF and we were stationed in places like Singapore where there was no television. All we had to listen to was acetate recordings of The Goon Show. I can still quote chunks and bore for Britain. IH : I’m a lot younger than Nick, so I didn’t hear them first time around. I missed out. The pleasure for me of making this play was Nick saying, ‘this is  really  funny. Genuinely funny and brilliant writing.’ And I went back and listened to it and was gobsmacked. I’d become so used to the older Spike, and the older Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers, that I’d forgotten that when they first came along, they’d just been demobbed, they were really young men, and they blew the place away. And the people in charge at the BBC couldn’t bear it. They had no idea what this group were doing, and they wanted to shut them down, basically. They thought they were noisy and anarchic and up to no good. All of which was true: that’s what made them so attractive. So for me the challenge with the play was: can we bring all that to life onstage? And that's what the play depicts: the battles between Milligan and the BBC? NN : When we first began writing, we managed to get hold of a great cache of correspondence between Spike and the BBC, and from BBC management about Spike. And that gave us the backbone of the story. Because it was quite clear that Spike, having been fighting Hitler and Mussolini for five years, went into the BBC and started fighting them. It was a continuation of war by other means. IH : Spike always hated the BBC. He was furious that they didn’t pay him enough money and didn’t respect him and were trying to get rid of him. There was something about institutions that he found incredibly annoying – but also productive and comforting. He wouldn’t have been who he was without them. After all, the BBC gave him two brilliant producers, who made the anarchic mess that was the Goons into one of the greatest radio programmes ever. So they both enabled and frustrated him. NN : Some of it was class warfare, I think, because Spike was working-class. As you can tell from his war memoirs, he didn’t have time for the officer class. And of course, after the war, all these officers went straight into the BBC and ran it. So Spike was at loggerheads with them on that basis. As we’ve tried to reflect in the play, the BBC management were always saying: there’s too much in The Goon Show about the war, it’s too noisy, there are too many explosions. And this was Spike exorcising his demons. One critic described the Goons as being “like shell-shock on radio”, and that says it all. That was Spike’s experience: he was shell-shocked. And he carried on reflecting that in his work. IH : It’s interesting, because we tend to think of the 1950s as being incredibly deferential and then luckily along came satire in 1961 and everything changed. But that’s not how it happened. The great satirists Richard Ingrams and Peter Cook were huge   Spike fans. When I took over as editor of Private Eye, [previous editor] Ingrams said to me ‘Spike Milligan will write in letters. Just put them in! He’s a genius.’ And Michael Palin, who we worked with on our film  The Wipers Times, said to us, ‘People say Monty Python was very influenced by The Goons. And yes: it was!’ It’s remarkable that Spike’s work inspired two different strands of UK comedy: Python-style absurdism but also the ’60s satire boom. IH : I don’t think they saw those things as separate in the way later historians did. Spike was just doing topical comedy. In 1954, the BBC produced a landmark TV version of George Orwell’s ‘1984’ . The Goon Show almost immediately produced an episode called ‘1985’, taking the mickey out of the ‘Big Brother Corporation’. It was the same with the Coronation. They did a whole episode about it. It’s not like ‘oh, what’s this mad world that the Goons created?’ It’s your world! It’s the one that’s going on in front of you. NN : In the play, we show how satirical Spike was. There were conflicts with the BBC about Peter Sellers doing an impression of the Queen. The BBC hauled Spike in and said ‘you can’t parody the Queen!’ Nobody had done that before: a direct satire of the monarchy. The BBC thought everyone was going to get put in the Tower. But then three years later, Prince Philip invited the Goons to be his representatives in the Cambridge tiddlywinks competition. IH : Prince Philip clearly thought the Goons had delivered a very amusing representation of his wife. Which endeared him to me. NN : In the correspondence we read, which the play dramatises, the BBC are complaining that the Goons’ endless jokes about the war are insulting to the memory of the people who fought in it. So of course Spike turned around and said ‘We all fought in the war!’ If you read his war memoirs, they’re full of people making jokes about the grimmest situations. There’s this account of Spike just before he gets blown up at Monte Cassino, crawling up a gully and being bombed by the Germans. He comes across a rock onto which someone has chalked a sign saying ‘World War Two: this way’, and an arrow. And you think: in the midst of death, that is quite funny. Did doing it live, in a theatre, help you get closer to the spirit of the Goons' work? IH : When you put something onto the live stage, you can bridge the gap to the audience and have real fun with it... NN : …because when they recorded it, they were endlessly ‘corpsing’- laughing uncontrollably and breaking the fourth wall. The BBC got so annoyed. They said, ‘you sound as if you’re having more fun than the audience.’ And they said: 'We are!' We’ve tried to reflect that on stage by also breaking the fourth wall. When you see the play performed live it does remind you that Spike always had an imaginary audience in his head. IH : He was never happier than with an audience. Being a tortured writer on his own, that was the downside. For Spike, the great bit was rehearsal and then performance. Or the TV chat shows, on which he was such a great performer. Spike would be on anything. He just loved it. So we needed an actor who would understand that, who really wanted to get the laughs. NN : There is a responsibility to try and get it right. Because the Milligan family came to see the play, their reaction was very important to us. Jane Milligan came up to us after the show and said ‘That was my dad on stage!’ That felt fantastic. Because the family want Spike’s legacy to be that he was very, very funny. And so do we. We have a lovely speech at the end of the play, a little paean of praise from Harry Secombe to what it was like working on the Goon Shows. Every time I hear it performed, it brings tears to my eyes. Because it’s exactly what my memory of the Goons is. Just wishing every day was a Sunday. Soaring on the thermal gusts of Spike Milligan’s imagination. Reflecting that is everything we wanted to achieve with the play. IH : Secombe was the one who  saw  what fun they were having, who genuinely appreciated it, and tried to keep the peace with the other two so it didn’t all break up. You know, millions of people listen to them every week. Every Sunday they’d go into the studio and have an enormous amount of fun, and then go out to the pub afterwards and have a laugh with people who loved them. What bit of that  isn’t  right?! We wanted to get that feeling across. Is it part of your ambition with the play to introduce Spike’s work to new audiences? IH : Yes,  I think that’s fair. There’s nothing quite as much fun as hearing a joke delivered to a modern audience that was written 100 years ago, in the case of The Wipers Times, or with the Goons, 50 years ago. And hearing today’s audience roar with laughter. You just think: that’s fabulous. That is incredibly pleasing. Spike runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 October. To book call the Box Office on 01325 405405 or buy tickets online here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/august/04/q-a-with-the-authors-of-spike-a-new-play-coming-to-darlington-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/august/04/q-a-with-the-authors-of-spike-a-new-play-coming-to-darlington-hippodrome/ Thu, 04 August 2022 11:47:20 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/28/darlington-hippodrome-young-dancers-accepted-on-to-pioneering-training-course/ Three young dancers who have been attending Darlington Hippodrome Youth Dance sessions for over two years have been accepted on to Dance City’s Centre for Advanced Training in Contemporary Dance course. Following successful auditions, Grace Hanson, Lola Smith and Annabel Wilde will start as CAT students in the new term starting in September. The Newcastle based Centre for Advanced Training is part of The Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme offering a contemporary dance training programme for young people from the North East region aged between 10 and 18. CATs exist to help identify and assist children with exceptional potential, regardless of their personal circumstances, to benefit from world-class training as part of a broad and balanced education. This will enable students proceed towards self-sustaining careers in music and dance. Grace, Lola and Annabel will train for a minimum of seven hours per week, attending classes on weeknights and weekends during school term times. They will have the opportunity to take part in intensive dance sessions during school holidays, working with renowned choreographers and guest artists. They will perform at Dance City’s performance space as well as attending professional theatre performances throughout their time on the course. Darlington Hippodrome’s Youth Dance and Youth Theatre sessions are suitable for ages 7+. For further information call the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/28/darlington-hippodrome-young-dancers-accepted-on-to-pioneering-training-course/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/28/darlington-hippodrome-young-dancers-accepted-on-to-pioneering-training-course/ Thu, 28 July 2022 11:15:14 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/25/opening-the-closet-doors-meet-the-artists-with-sarah-li/ Hello, my name is Sarah Li , I am an artist working on a project called ‘Opening the Closet Doors’ in the Darlington Hippodrome - exploring the archives for LGBTQ+ stories, inspirations and potentially gaps to make artworks with local LGBTQ+ people. Please click here to read the previous blog post for a brief overview of the project . I am really excited to introduce to you all, the amazing LGBTQ+ people who have been involved in this project!  They have been creating all kinds of different responses to the things that we found interesting in the archive to go into our final film which will be shown on 11th August 7:30pm at the Darlington Hippodrome as part of Pride celebrations. Purchase your tickets here Mike is a non binary, northern based concept artist that excels in creating impressive artwork of buildings, creatures and characters.  Basil is a trans man who grew up in Darlington. He draws informational, fun illustrations that bring the fantastical to life, typically animals and dinosaurs but ranging toward the spooky as well.  Sofia Barton is a Punjabi artist from the North East who is inspired by nature and heritage. A lot of her work comprises of Indian matchboxes stemming from a collection her grandfather left her. Sofia is fascinated by vintage objects, often redesigning them to contemporary culture.  Lizzie Lovejoy is a story-telling artist based in the North East of England. Using a mix of illustration and written works, Lovejoy explores the heart and soul of this region, observing, writing and visually interpreting our stories and histories. Born in Darlington, Lovejoy has dedicated their life to celebrating and exploring the culture and heritage of our local area. From spoken word performances at festivals and rural venues, to visual art exhibitions in Northern spaces, Lovejoy creates work for and inspired by the people they surround themselves with, as well as their own personal experiences. Luke Myer is a local councillor in Redcar & Cleveland and founder of LGBTees, a Teesside LGBT+ support group with over three hundred members. He has been a long-time campaigner on LGBT+ issues, including protesting for equal marriage in Northern Ireland and winning a national campaigning award in 2019 for work to support transgender young people.  Rosa Walling-Wefelmeyer is a mixed media artist, writer, performer and researcher. Some of their previous and ongoing projects can be found at instagram.com/queerdeathsociety , instragram.com/williamnoblesdrag and also rosawallingwefelmeyer.wordpress.com .  Beki Eaton and Cat Hurst-McGahey from LGBT+ NSG as well as being partners on the project have also made some wonderful visual scores to be interpreted for the musical score of the film.  Edwin Li and Stella Dixon are part of the crew for this film! Edwin will be primarily focusing on creating the score for the film while Stella will be focusing primarily on the cinematography.  Edwin Li is a musician and artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is a member of the theatrical drumming group Spark! He has created various music/art installations and films and his work ‘Ed’s Spiral Piece’ is included in the Arts Council collection. You may recognise him with his massive cardboard Darth Vader mask on as he has become a local celebrity in the busking scene.   Stella Dixon is a documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on the creative retellings of social contemporary narratives. Graduating from Newcastle University in Fine Art, Stella has since trained in Documentary Filmmaking with OTOXO Productions in Barcelona, Spain. She has since been based in Newcastle working as a freelance filmmaker having been commissioned by the New Creatives North to make the short film ‘Born to Flex’ which is now showing as part of ‘Female Filmmakers: BBC Introducing Arts’ on BBC iPlayer. We are excited to be celebrating pride with you all with a creative look into our past as LGBTQ+ people. This project is supported by Arts Council England, Darlington Hippodrome, Creative Darlington, LGBT+ NSG, County Durham Community Foundation (The Dover Art Prize), SAN North East and Rianne Pictures. Thank you to Helix Arts who supported the project throughout the R&D stages of the project. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/25/opening-the-closet-doors-meet-the-artists-with-sarah-li/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/july/25/opening-the-closet-doors-meet-the-artists-with-sarah-li/ Mon, 25 July 2022 10:33:37 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/31/national-volunteers-week/ It's National Volunteers Week and Darlington Culture Volunteer Pam King has kindly wrote us a blog sharing her experiences volunteering at the theatre: Culture. What a loaded word. What does it actually mean? Am I cultured? I don’t think I’m clever enough to be cultured…and frankly is ‘culture’ not a little bit worthy but boring? Well despite these thoughts I became a volunteer for Darlington Culture Volunteers (DCV) a few months before lockdown number one. (Was someone trying to tell me something?) The group is linked to several local organisations - I’ve helped out with Halloween crafts and meeting Santa at the Head of Steam, guided people to their seats and made tea for Green Theatre, seen Handel’s Messiah performed beautifully while helping out, and done some painting - no, not watercolour or oil, but slapping emulsion on the walls of a building in Skinnergate which is to display artwork. However the focus of my volunteering has been on the Hippodrome, a venue I feel we are so lucky to have in Darlington and an absolutely stunning building since the restoration and reopening in 2017. There are varied roles available to volunteers; I’ve helped out with craft sessions and supported guided backstage tours for the sight-impaired, as well as being a guinea pig for volunteers learning the role of a theatre tour guide - VERY interesting. Many volunteer opportunities are on an ad hoc basis although some can be reasonably regular commitments. I very much enjoy weekly archiving sessions, when a small group of us get together to catalogue or scan old theatre files about past shows, for example. It is fascinating to read some of the letters written by audience members to the theatre manager in the 1970s…and the replies. The contents of some of the files are an absolute pleasure for the nosey, like me! I also get a lot of enjoyment from being a ‘welcome host’ at the theatre. Welcome hosts are an add-on to the professional Front-of-House staff, who are always happy to help out if we don’t know the answer to a question. For each performance one or two welcome hosts are on duty. We stand near the doors and greet audience members as they come in, checking they know where to go for their seats when the auditorium opens, letting them know which bars are open, how to order interval drinks, and generally if it is appropriate having a bit of a chat and perhaps complimenting them on their costumes for something like ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, or admiring the children coming dressed up for a children’s show. (And it can be useful, I confess to asking the occasional woman where she got her dress/shoes from, people tend to be flattered and I don’t need to trawl round the shops…) There are regular training sessions and always the opportunity to shadow an experienced volunteer in a role for as long as it takes to feel comfortable  - we are very well supported. And if suddenly life gets in the way and personal commitments start coming in thick and fast, we just need to let DCV know that we will need to take a break from volunteering until life gets back on track. So in summary, if you’ve been thinking about volunteering and are interested in anything to do with the arts in Darlington, I highly recommend having a look into DCV - something for everyone! By Pam King - DCV Volunteer If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer please visit https://darlingtonforculture.org/volunteer/ to register your interest or keep an eye on our Facebook page for volunteer drop in dates to speak to one of the volunteer coordinators and meet other volunteers. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/31/national-volunteers-week/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/31/national-volunteers-week/ Tue, 31 May 2022 12:55:29 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/19/exploring-the-archives-for-lgbtqplus-stories/ Hello, my name is Sarah Li , I am an artist working on a project called ‘Opening the Closet Doors’ in Darlington Hippodrome - exploring the archives for LGBTQ+ stories, inspirations and potentially gaps to make artworks with local LGBTQ+ people. Please click here to read the previous blog post for a brief overview of the project . Artist Sarah Li looking through the Darlington Hippodrome archives. Image description: Colour photo, interior. A white non-binary human with brown hair tied in a pony tail and a sparkly top is wearing white gloves and looking through musical scores in the archive. Image credit: Edwin Li I am delighted to introduce you to the incredible historian who I have been working with on this project and who will share with you an aspect of LGBTQ+ history in theatre that can be traced with some of the items in the Darlington Hippodrome archive: PhD history candidate James Davison Image description: Colour photo. Interior. Head and shoulders of a white man with brown hair and blue eyes. He looks directly into the camera with a smile. He is wearing a white shirt. He has one earring. Image credit: James Davison Hi my name is James, I’m a PhD candidate at the University of Liverpool where my research focuses on examining the evidence surrounding Trans* lives in the early Medieval past. My role in this project was to help examine the archives so generously made available by Darlington Hippodrome Theatre, and to put the findings into some historical context. Finding evidence of LGBTQ+ people and themes in theatre is not as straightforward as might be imagined. In terms of finding individual people, the peripatetic lifestyle of actors, a predilection for stage names, and the risk involved in being openly LGBTQ+ means that verifiable accounts of LGBTQ+ people in theatre are exceptions until relatively recently. With regards to productions, until 1968 every play had to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, whose duty it was to uphold what was considered Britain’s moral standards. This office enforced a strict ban on any themes considered ‘immoral’ (read: LGBTQ+), and would prohibit performances of plays containing such themes. This led to playwrights masking LGBTQ+ characters and themes, either in their original drafts or in edits after rejection by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, and to unknown numbers of LGBTQ+ stories being lost under a cisgender and heterosexual veneer. Darlington Hippodrome was somewhat ahead of the curve, putting on two plays with LGBTQ+ backgrounds prior to the role of theatre censor being abolished by the Theatres Act of 1968. The first of these was Michael MacLiammoir’s 1965 ‘ The Importance of Being Oscar’ , a biographical play about the controversial Oscar Wilde, covering his arrest, trial, and imprisonment for ‘gross indecency’, and the poet’s reflections following his release upon his life and behaviour. The second is a 1967 play by Shelagh Delaney, ‘A Taste of Honey’ , wherein the main character, Jo, moves in with Geoffrey, a gay student, who takes on the role of surrogate father to Jo’s unborn child. This play was begrudgingly approved by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, although the character of Geoffrey caused some consternation. It is interesting to consider the reasons for these plays being approved. Granted both were produced at a time of mounting pressure for acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and might well not have passed the bar in earlier years, but importantly both plays conform to a ‘bury your gays’ format, where Oscar and Geoffrey suffer as a result of their orientation. Indeed, the opinion of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office was that Geoffrey seems not to have suffered enough, and is a well-rounded character written to elicit more than scorn or pity from the audience. Immediately following the Theatre Act, Darlington Hippodrome included a number of plays with LGBTQ+ characters and themes in their programmes. These include the Noël Coward play ‘A Song at Twilight’ , in which an ageing author is confronted by his memories of a same sex relationship which he had buried in the years since it ended. David Kirk’s 1969 ‘The Killing of Sister George’ also played at the Darlington Hippodrome, a dark comedy which centres on the rather unhealthy relationship between radio-actress June Buckridge and Alice "Childie" McNaught. June and Alice live together and it is strongly implied that they are a couple, Kirk did not intend for the play to be a serious discussion of women in same-sex relationships, so the womens’ identities are never confirmed. This was an exciting project to have been involved in. It was heart-warming to know that during the 1960s the Darlington Hippodrome was pushing boundaries to advance the representation of LGBTQ+ stories in theatre, and this project demonstrates that this commitment to equality is still alive and well today. With such consistency it is not unreasonable to imagine that the Hippodrome served as a haven where our LGBTQ+ forebears could flourish in safety during decades where it was even harder for them to live genuinely fulfilled lives. 'Opening the Closet Doors' film will be screened at the Darlington Hippodrome on 11th August 2022. Keep your eyes peeled for more information! This project is supported by Arts Council England, Darlington Hippodrome, Creative Darlington, LGBT+ NSG, County Durham Community Foundation (The Dover Art Prize), SAN North East and Rianne Pictures. Thank you to Helix Arts who supported the project throughout the R&D stages of the project. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/19/exploring-the-archives-for-lgbtqplus-stories/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/may/19/exploring-the-archives-for-lgbtqplus-stories/ Thu, 19 May 2022 14:54:10 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/29/international-dance-day-a-global-celebration-of-dance/ It's International Dance Day - a perfect time to remind you all about the exciting dance shows we've got coming up at the Hipp. 🔹 Dracula - Vortice Dance Company | Tues 17 May Through blood, laughter, fear and love, the creators of this unforgettable contemporary ballet will show us all the faces of DRACULA and his wild transformations and deconstruct all the stereotypes that we have for this amazing character. Book now 🔹 MoveUP Showcase | Sun 5 June Presented by TeesDance, in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, MOVEUP SHOWCASE invites you experience the region's best young choreographers. During this unique event, young people from across the Tees Valley will showcase their own dance creations on Darlington Hippodrome's big stage. Book now 🔹 English Youth Ballet - The Sleeping Beauty | Fri 10 - Sat 11 June English Youth Ballet returns to Darlington with its acclaimed production of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. It promises to be a magical evening of classical ballet. Book now 🔹 Darlington Hippodrome Youth Dance Showcase | Tues 12 July Join us as we celebrate the work of the Darlington Hippodrome's Youth Dance groups. The young people have worked tirelessly on all manner of styles and look forward to sharing their work with you. Book now 🔹 Rhythm of the Dance | Wed 13 July This dance and music extravaganza contains a wealth of Irish talent, an exciting trip through hundreds of years of Irish dance and music, 22 award-winning World & Irish dance champions with 25 dazzling costume changes. Book now 🔹 Motionhouse: Nobody | Tues 4 Oct Motionhouse's renowned dance-circus style combines with mesmerising choreography to tell this emotional and ultimately uplifting story, full of twists and turns. Book now 🔹 Giovanni Pernice - Made in Italy | Sun 2 April 2023 Strictly Come Dancing 2021 champion and dance heart-throb GIOVANNI PERNICE invites you to join him on a journey to his homeland for his brand new 2023 production of 'Made in Italy'. Book now If you'd rather participate than spectate - we've got some fun classes for all ages: 🔸 Dance Fitness with Debbie 16+ | Every Tuesday at 6.15pm A fun movement and exercise session to music aimed at raising your fitness, your heart rate and your spirits. Inspired by a variety of dance styles, Dance Fitness with Debbie is suitable for adults of all levels of fitness. Book now 🔸 Diddy Dancers | Every Thursday at 10am A fun movement and social class designed for little ones and parents/carers to take part in together. Little ones will learn through music, movement and dance, helping to build confidence, coordination, gross and fine motor skills, learning and developing along the way. Once you’ve moved it's stay and play meet fellow little ones and chat with other parents/carers. Book now 🔸 Monday Movers | Every Monday 9.30am and 11.30am A movement and dance class aimed at people aged 65+ who are living independently, although any age is welcome. The class includes some chair-based exercises and optional movement within the space. Book now 📸 Motionhouse: Nobody https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/29/international-dance-day-a-global-celebration-of-dance/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/29/international-dance-day-a-global-celebration-of-dance/ Fri, 29 April 2022 11:50:46 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/28/darlington-hippodrome-in-search-for-special-guests-to-attend-ve-day-proms-celebration/ To celebrate V.E. Day on Sunday 8 May – Darlington Hippodrome is looking for some very special guests to attend One Night at the V.E. Day proms - the ultimate, musical celebration in honour of V.E. DAY which comes to the theatre on Monday 9 May. The Hippodrome would love to hear from local people who remember celebrating the original V.E. Day in 1945. How did they celebrate? Where did they go and what did they see? How did they feel on that special day? In return for sharing their experiences, one lucky person will be picked to come along on Monday 9 May with some friends and family to enjoy the incredible concert show. If you were there, or know someone who was and who’d like to share their story, let us know by emailing hippodrome.info@darlington.gov.uk . One Night at the V.E. Day Proms comes to Darlington Hippodrome on Monday 9 May 2022 and will take you on a musical journey through World War II, providing an insight into how music played a pivotal role throughout the most extraordinary period in modern day history. Featuring The London Gala Orchestra and exceptional live singers, One Night at the V.E. Day Proms brings back to life such popular war time songs as Vera Lynn's 'The White Cliffs of Dover' and Glenn Miller's 'In The Mood' alongside classical masterpieces such as 'Land of Hope and Glory' and 'Jerusalem'. Tickets are on sale now. For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or visit the show page here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/28/darlington-hippodrome-in-search-for-special-guests-to-attend-ve-day-proms-celebration/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/28/darlington-hippodrome-in-search-for-special-guests-to-attend-ve-day-proms-celebration/ Thu, 28 April 2022 13:34:28 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/14/irish-themed-shows-at-the-hipp/ If the culture of the ☘️ Emerald Isle ☘️ is your thing then we've plenty of choice here at the Hipp...   💚 Foster and Allen have been one of Ireland's most successful musical exports over the past 45 plus years. TONY ALLEN will be bringing his solo tour to Darlington. Tuesday 14 June Book now   💚 RHYTHM OF THE DANCE - This dance and music extravaganza contains a wealth of Irish talent, an exciting trip through hundreds of years of Irish dance and music, 22 award-winning World & Irish dance champions with 25 dazzling costume changes. Wednesday 13 July Book now   💚 ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN will return to Darlington when The Wild Murphys will set up Murphy's Pub at the Hippodrome, guaranteeing one glorious night of high-energy Irish Music and more than a little bit of Irish Craic. Wednesday 28 September Book now 💚 Join us in celebrating one of the greatest sitcoms ever made, as we welcome renowned stand-up JOE ROONEY for a night of all things Father Ted! Friday 14 October Book now 💚 From the producers of the hit show Seven Drunken Nights - The Story of The Dubliners, FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK is the ultimate feel good Irish-inspired Christmas show. Friday 2 December Book now https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/14/irish-themed-shows-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/14/irish-themed-shows-at-the-hipp/ Thu, 14 April 2022 14:32:02 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/07/opening-the-closet-door/ Image 1: An old programme belonging to the Darlington Hippodrome. There is a dancing woman with a fan and red dress on the front. Hello! My name is Sarah Li and I am a Scouse artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne.  I am very excited to be able to finally be able to introduce myself and to you all and what I am doing in the Darlington Hippodrome. Image 2: Colour photograph, interior. It’s me, Sarah Li, exploring the archival material. A white non-binary person with brown hair stands in a mirrored practice room. There are large tables with boxes laid out on them. The person is wearing white gloves and looking through archival material in one of the boxes. ‘Opening the Closet Doors’ is an art and film project that I am working on with local LGBTQ+ adults referencing the archives of the Darlington Hippodrome. I have been exploring these amazing archives with the incredible and very knowledgeable historian James Davison to uncover LGBTQ+ histories, stories, shows and performers. Some of these narratives and inspirations are beginning to take shape into our creative responses that will be shown at the Darlington Hippodrome summer time 2022. I am still very keen to learn more about Darlington, more about this beautiful theatre and in particular to hear your stories. If you are an LGBTQ+ identifying staff member (performer, technician, musician, director, cleaner, box office staff, costume designer, volunteer or in any way involved in the theatre) of the Darlington Hippodrome past or present and would be interested in having a chat with me, I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts. Please contact me at s.grundy.art@gmail.com by 20th April if you would be up for chatting with me. Your information will not be shared wider without your consent! If you are a local LGBTQ+ adult and you would like to hear more about how you could get involved in the project, please contact: s.grundy.art@gmail.com . Keep your eyes peeled for more information over the coming months! Image 3: Colour photograph, interior. Archival boxes lie on a table. Some of them are open revealing stacks of scores.  Commissioned as part of the ‘Flourish’ programme by Creative Darlington. Also funded by Arts Council England and County Durham Community Foundation (Dover Art Prize creative award). This project is generously being supported by  Darlington Hippodrome LGBT+ NSG and SAN North East Huge thank you to Helix Arts who have provided invaluable support alongside Creative Darlington during the R&D stage of this project. Image credits: Sarah and Edwin Li, Darlington Hippodrome Archives https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/07/opening-the-closet-door/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/07/opening-the-closet-door/ Thu, 07 April 2022 12:07:54 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/06/staff-at-darlington-hippodrome-choose-three-charities-to-support-throughout-2022/ From a shortlist of 19 local and national charities the staff at Darlington Hippodrome have chosen three charities to support through 2022 holding regular post-show bucket collections, challenges and online donations. The three chosen charities are Annabelle’s Challenge, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Darlington Assistance for Refugees. 13 year old Annabelle Griffin suffers from Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – a rare genetic condition which causes collagen deficiency which means Annabelle is at daily risk of her internal organs and arteries spontaneously rupturing. Annabelle was diagnosed with this rare and incurable disorder aged just three. Annabelle’s Challenge was set up to reduce the number of people being misdiagnosed or going undiagnosed by increasing public awareness and educating medical professionals to help find a cure. Learn more Click here to donate Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a charity that trains dogs to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds they may otherwise miss. Sounds that many people take for granted such as a doorbell, alarm clock and even danger signals like a fire alarm. Being aware of these sounds, thanks to a hearing dog, makes a real difference to deaf people’s lives. Learn more Click here to donate Darlington Assistance for Refugees makes an enormous difference to many lives which is so clearly evident with the current situation in the Ukraine. Being a refugee means reaching a foreign land after fleeing home in fear. It means leaving everything and everyone behind. Darlington Assistance for Refugees makes sure these men, women and children receive the warm welcome they deserve in a safe and friendly environment. The charity also ensures refugees get the support they need to rebuild their life in a new country. Learn more Click here to donate https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/06/staff-at-darlington-hippodrome-choose-three-charities-to-support-throughout-2022/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/april/06/staff-at-darlington-hippodrome-choose-three-charities-to-support-throughout-2022/ Wed, 06 April 2022 15:28:22 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/february/04/monday-movers-take-part-in-dance-festival/ Taking part in Dance City’s Inspire Festival was an appropriate step for over-55s movement class Monday Movers to take. The group’s story has been inspirational from its inception during the first lockdown of 2020. It began as a Zoom class intended to reduce isolation and encourage fitness during that uncertain period of time. When the Hippodrome opened its doors again, the group made it their new home, led by tutor and professional choreographer Debbie Harbin. Since then, the Monday Movers have been able to share their hard work with our Youth Dance classes as part of a joint sharing performance, after which several of the Movers asked “When can we do that again?” That chance came on Sunday 30th January, when Debbie and I accompanied the group to Dance City Newcastle to take part in the Inspire Festival , a celebration of aging and dance. Our initial plan to take the train as it would get us to Newcastle faster was derailed (pun intended) by having to go by Rail Replacement Bus, but this did make for something of an adventure as we got a bit of a sing-song going on the way back later in the day! The first port of call was the café prior to heading into the technical rehearsal, in which the dancers got to run through their routine to Liza Minelli’s “Life is a Cabaret” on stage with lights and sound. Back to the café (once more with feeling!) for tea and cake whilst we waited for the dress rehearsal. When the time came, we got to watch the other groups performing as part of the festival, all comprised of people over the age of 55. There was a dazzling variety on display from an energetic tap routine to an aerial dance display featuring hoops and aerial silks. Throughout there was a keynote of the sheer joy of movement. Once the performance got underway, the dancers were marshalled by the friendly team from Dance City to the side of the stage to open the show as the first live act. The sheer excitement meant that the time passed extremely quickly, and before we knew it, we were on our way back to Darlington. “So, what’s next?” Debbie casually mentioned hoops and aerial silks, so watch this space! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/february/04/monday-movers-take-part-in-dance-festival/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/february/04/monday-movers-take-part-in-dance-festival/ Fri, 04 February 2022 11:22:02 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/january/27/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-27012022/ As throughout the pandemic, the safety and confidence of our audiences and staff remains paramount. Please read below for the latest rules and guidelines in place at Darlington Hippodrome: - Whilst no longer mandatory, we would encourage customers (aged 11+) to wear face coverings during their visit to the Hippodrome unless exempt or whilst eating or drinking. - There is no requirement to present the COVID Pass or negative lateral flow test. These are not required as we are a seated venue. - To assist with reducing crowding, on arrival please go straight to the seating level your tickets are booked for – there are bars available on all levels of the Hippodrome. - Hand sanitiser stations are in place around the building. - Enhanced cleaning schedules are in place. - Queueing systems are in place upon entry to the building and on bars around the building. - We ask theatregoers not to congregate at Stage Door post-show. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome should you have any symptoms of COVID-19: - Continuous cough. - Elevated temperature. - Loss or change of taste and smell. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome if you are displaying COVID-19 symptoms or are required to self-isolate under current NHS guidance ( https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/ ). https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/january/27/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-27012022/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2022/january/27/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-27012022/ Thu, 27 January 2022 09:15:20 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-15122021/ As throughout the pandemic, the safety and confidence of our audiences and staff remains paramount. Please read below for the latest rules and guidelines in place at Darlington Hippodrome: - It is now a legal requirement to wear a face covering in indoor public settings, including theatres .  For the safety of our staff and customers everyone aged 11+ is required to wear a face covering unless eating/drinking or exempt. - There is no requirement to present the COVID Pass or negative lateral flow test. These are not required as we are a seated venue. - To assist with reducing crowding, on arrival please go straight to the seating level your tickets are booked for – there are bars available on all levels of the Hippodrome. - Hand sanitiser stations are in place around the building. - Enhanced cleaning schedules are in place. - Queueing systems are in place upon entry to the building and on bars around the building. - We ask theatregoers not to congregate at Stage Door post-show. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome should you have any symptoms of COVID-19: - Continuous cough. - Elevated temperature. - Loss or change of taste and smell. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome if you are displaying COVID-19 symptoms or are required to self-isolate under current NHS guidance ( https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/ ). https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-15122021/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19-15122021/ Wed, 15 December 2021 10:19:43 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/14/tees-dance-announces-moveup/ TeesDance announces the launch of MoveUP - a new development programme for aspiring young dance creators in Tees Valley. MoveUP is a free, six-month programme providing young people with the opportunity to progress their dance making and choreography skills. With the support of mentors, participants will develop and create new work, ending with a sharing on our stage in June . Applications are now open to all young people aged between 14 – 19, or up to the age of 25 if d/Deaf or disabled, from across Tees Valley (Darlington, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Redcar and Cleveland). Applications close on Friday 14 January 2022. TeesDance is hosting a free taster session for those interested in learning more about the programme at Darlington Hippodrome on Sunday 19 December at 11AM. Registering prior to attending is required. MoveUP 2022 is delivered in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome and kindly supported by Arts Council England, Creative Darlington, and Darlington Borough Council. The following organisations and artists are also offering support: Dance City, One Dance UK, TIN Arts and Patricia Verity Suarez. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/14/tees-dance-announces-moveup/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/december/14/tees-dance-announces-moveup/ Tue, 14 December 2021 11:51:15 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/19/darlington-hippodrome-to-receive-198-461-from-third-round-of-the-government-s-culture-recovery-fund/ Darlington Hippodrome is among 925 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the Culture Recovery Fund. The funding will support the theatre to cover the loss of income caused by an anticipated reduction in attendance at the Hippodrome during the November 2021 to January 2022 period. Staff salaries and theatre overheads will all be supported by the funding. It is hoped that audience attendance will begin to increase by February, supporting the long term sustainability of the theatre once the funding comes to an end. More than £100 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Darlington Hippodrome in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today. The third round of funding will support organisations from all corners of the sector as they deal with ongoing re-opening challenges, ensuring they can thrive in better times ahead. £1.2 billion has already been awarded from the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, supporting around 5000 individual organisations and sites across the country ranging from local museums to West End theatres, grassroots music venues to festivals, and organisations in the cultural and heritage supply-chains. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Culture is for everyone and should therefore be accessible to everyone, no matter who they are and where they’re from. “Through unprecedented government financial support, the Culture Recovery Fund is supporting arts and cultural organisations so they can continue to bring culture to communities the length and breadth of the country, supporting jobs, boosting local economies and inspiring people." Heather Tarran-Jones , the Hippodrome’s Director of Programming and Development, said: “We are delighted to receive news of this third Arts Council England grant. The last eighteen months has been a challenging time for the sector and we are very grateful to receive support from central government, administered through ACE, as part of the Culture Recovery Fund to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19. “We are coming to the end of a difficult journey and this funding will assist in the transition back to a sustainable business model. We are experiencing the gradual return of our fantastic audiences purchasing tickets for current and future shows, helping to breathe life and energy back into the Hippodrome and welcoming the return of live entertainment.” Darren Henley , Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: “This continued investment from the Government on an unprecedented scale means our theatres, galleries, music venues, museums and arts centres can carry on playing their part in bringing visitors back to our high streets, helping to drive economic growth, boosting community pride and promoting good health. It’s a massive vote of confidence in the role our cultural organisations play in helping us all to lead happier lives”. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/19/darlington-hippodrome-to-receive-198-461-from-third-round-of-the-government-s-culture-recovery-fund/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/19/darlington-hippodrome-to-receive-198-461-from-third-round-of-the-government-s-culture-recovery-fund/ Fri, 19 November 2021 09:11:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/05/create-space-your-opportunity-to-be-involved-in-the-creation-of-a-feature-film/ Create Space is a project led by Orchestras Live in partnership with Manchester Camerata orchestra that will create an orchestral feature film . The film will include brand new music inspired by words, music, videos and visual art gathered from the community. The film will be shown at the Darlington Hippodrome and in other community settings such as libraries, village halls, maybe even in your local pub! Residents in Darlington are invited to contribute creative material to inspire composer Daniel Kidane, and his creative team music creator Ben Nobuto, poet Roma Havers and musicians from Manchester Camerata orchestra to write a new piece of music that will feature in the film. What we’d like you to do It’s been a difficult eighteen months for everyone, and we’d like to hear from you in artistic and creative ways about your feelings about togetherness . We’d like you to think about the importance and value of being together; of sharing time with family and friends, even your pets, what it feels like to be alone, what makes you happy, what lifts your mood and places where you like to go to spend time with friends and family. We are interested in receiving creative material in a range of formats. You might want to express how you feel about the theme in: a poem by taking photographs making a short video on your phone by painting by making up a song or tune just speaking about your experiences. If you aren’t confident using technology, please ask your friends and relatives to lend you a hand.   How to submit your material You can submit your material in a range of formats. We suggest that large files such as video are submitted using Dropbox or WeTransfer or other online file sharing services. Written material should be in MS Word, audio in MP3 format, video in MP4 format and visual material in JPEG. Please submit your material by email to robyn.hall@darlington.gov.uk using the email heading Create Space creative content . Permission and rights Please ensure that you ask the permission of anyone you photograph or video that they are happy for you to do so and make them aware that it might be featured in a film for public viewing. Please don’t use copyright material – something that has already been created by someone else. We want your original material.  If we use your material in the film, we will ask your permission to use it . The copyright for the original material will reside with you but the copyright for the music and the film will reside with the composer and the film makers. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/05/create-space-your-opportunity-to-be-involved-in-the-creation-of-a-feature-film/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/november/05/create-space-your-opportunity-to-be-involved-in-the-creation-of-a-feature-film/ Fri, 05 November 2021 09:53:56 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/september/14/important-information-on-covid-pass/ In line with the Government's announcement today and in consultation with Public Health, as of Tuesday 14 September it will no longer be a requirement to demonstrate your COVID status to gain entry to screenings or live performances in the auditorium of Darlington Hippodrome. We would still encourage patrons to be mindful of others and follow the recommendation to wear a face covering whilst in the venue (except when eating or drinking). Hippodrome staff will continue to wear face coverings at all times. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/september/14/important-information-on-covid-pass/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/september/14/important-information-on-covid-pass/ Tue, 14 September 2021 15:16:33 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/11/darlington-school-creates-their-own-water-music/ Young people in Darlington have created and recorded a brand new piece of music inspired by the River Skerne. Young people in Darlington have been working with professional composter Sarah Freestone, lyricist Katie Doherty and musicians from Opera North to create and record a brand new piece of music called Song of the Skerne, based on their experiences, understanding and historical research around the river that flows through Darlington. Through a series of creative online workshops earlier this year, young people from Haughton Academy in Darlington took a journey along the River Skerne to explore the river’s evolving environment and rich history – from Romans to railways via marshland and the Durham Ox. They created lyrics and musical ideas thinking about the river ‘then', ‘now’ and in the ‘future’ with some incredibly thoughtful contributions. The creative team then weaved these ideas together into a moving and uplifting song about the river! Opera North and Darlington Hippodrome collaborated as artistic partners, the Hippodrome will play host to the Orchestra of Opera North on Thursday 7 November for a special afternoon of music including the live premiere of Song of the Skerne. A special exhibition about Song of the Skerne is currently located at the Hippodrome with some beautiful photography created by the Haughton Academy students. A special film has been created to accompany the Song of the Skerne which goes live on Youtube at 7.30pm on Thursday 12 August. You can watch the film here . Song of the Skerne was produced by Orchestras Live in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, Discover Brightwater, Durham Music Service and Opera North with funding from Arts Council England, Discover Brightwater, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Creative Darlington and the Scops Arts Trust. To book tickets for the Orchestra of Opera North on Thursday 7 November call the box office on 01325 405405 or visit the show page here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/11/darlington-school-creates-their-own-water-music/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/11/darlington-school-creates-their-own-water-music/ Wed, 11 August 2021 15:06:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/10/come-work-for-us/ We're looking for Box Office and Sales Assistants with 37 hours p/w, 16 hours p/w and casual positions available. Nic, one of our current Box Office and Sales stars, will soon be leaving us as he moves to a new role near his new home in York. We'll be sad to see him go, but he's provided a few words about the role... "If you are passionate about theatre and meeting a wide range of people this is a great job for you. At the Hippodrome we're like a big family and you will have the support of a diverse and friendly team of colleagues. "The best part of the job is providing an excellent level of customer service and providing the customers with those extra bits of information that make their visit special. "Like all jobs there are set tasks but no two days are the same. New audiences and exciting visiting companies make the Hippodrome a vibrant place to work. "We are all about the people and being part of a shared experience." Learn more and apply below https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/jobs/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/10/come-work-for-us/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/august/10/come-work-for-us/ Tue, 10 August 2021 14:03:02 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/july/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19/ We are relieved to hear that theatres across England can fully open from Monday 19 July. This will hopefully be a turning point on the road to recovery and ensure the long-term financial viability for our world-leading arts sector. As throughout the pandemic, the safety and confidence of our audiences and staff remains paramount. The majority of Darlington Hippodrome’s COVID safety measures will remain, including a strong recommendation of the use of face coverings whilst in the venue and more importantly in the auditorium, as advised by the Government. To assist with reducing crowding, on arrival please go straight to the seating level your tickets are booked for – there are bars available on all levels of the Hippodrome. We hope to make the auditorium available as early as we can to allow you to take your seats. The theatre foyer doors will be open one hour before the production starts. From Monday 19 July the following measures will REMAIN:  Enhanced cleaning. Hand sanitiser stations. Wearing of face coverings is strongly encouraged, especially while moving around the venue and seated in the auditorium. Hippodrome staff will continue to wear face masks and screens will continue to be used on service areas. Our staff will still be maintaining social distancing. Queueing systems will be in place upon entry to the building and on bars around the building. The NHS QR Code will be available to scan on an individual basis. Some one-way routes around the building to avoid overcrowding at pinch points. Restricted Stage Door activities post-show. From Monday 19 July the following measures will CEASE:  Compulsory check-in via the NHS app or taking of individual contact details on entering the venue. Socially distanced auditorium seating (although some productions may continue to offer some, or all, of their performances as socially distanced over the summer). Restrictions on booking party size and limitations to households or bubbles. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome should you have any symptoms of COVID-19: Continuous cough. Elevated temperature. Loss or change of taste and smell. Please do not attend a performance at Darlington Hippodrome if you have been instructed to self-isolate, either by the NHS Track and Trace service or other healthcare professionals. Having received the go-ahead to fully re-open, theatre producers and the Hippodrome staff are committed to bringing top quality live entertainment back to Darlington. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/july/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/july/15/updated-information-regarding-covid-19/ Thu, 15 July 2021 11:25:28 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/09/online-events-coming-your-way/ We'll soon be back onstage but we're still very much online also. Let's take a look at some exciting and informative live streams we have on-sale. A superfan online event with Neal Shusterman Thursday 17 June 2021 Join author Neal Shusterman as he considers the worlds he has created, as well as giving some much-anticipated hints at what it yet to come for his beloved characters. Bookings are now closed. Emma Barnett: Periods, Power and Politics Sunday 27 June 2021 Join Emma live in conversation on her bold crusade to finally remove the bizarre stigma surrounding the process to which we all owe our lives. She'll explore why this ludicrous taboo stubbornly persists in the 21st century, how periods can hold women back without them realising, and share previously untold stories by women which will make you cry with laughter and horror in equal measure. Bookings are now closed. A Night in with Matt Haig Wednesday 30 June 2021 Settle down on the sofa to enjoy Matt's mix of philosophy, memoir and self-reflection, as he builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages, from Marcus Aurelius to Nellie Bly, Emily Dickinson to James Baldwin. This is the event for when you need the wisdom of a friend, the comfort of a hug or a reminder that hope comes from unexpected places. A charming tonic, fitting for these troubled times. Bookings are now closed. A Night in with Otegha Uwagba Wednesday 7 July 2021 Join Sunday Times bestselling author and podcaster OTEGHA UWAGBA to celebrate her new book 'We Need To Talk About Money': an extraordinarily candid personal account of the ups and downs wrought by money written with a deft blend of candid memoir and stark socio-political commentary. Bookings are now closed. An evening with Andrew Cotter, Olive and Mabel Tuesday 14 September 2021 Join Andrew in this very special livestream, as he gives a commentary of a different kind: the heart-warming story of his life with his two famous Labradors, of his bond with his dogs, and their many adventures together. Book An evening with Andrew Cotter, Olive and Mabel https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/09/online-events-coming-your-way/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/09/online-events-coming-your-way/ Wed, 09 June 2021 16:06:08 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/08/get-the-family-back-to-the-theatre/ Whether it's their first unforgettable trip to the theatre or they're already mini theatre veterans - let's get the kids enjoying live theatre this year! The Hippodrome is bursting at the seams with family events. Let's get on with the show! Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Tues 3 - Wed 4 August 2021 We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is dead! So it's time to prepare yourselves for this very special production of Horrible Histories live on stage! Learn more about Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain In the Night Garden Sat 7 - Sun 8 August 2021 Your little ones will be amazed! You'll see all your favourite characters beautifully brought to life with full-size costumes, magical puppets, and enchanting music. Learn more about In the Night Garden Stick Man Fri 10 - Sun 12 September 2021 Packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wonderfully exuberant and imaginative! Our 3 year old was engrossed from start to finish' Time Out Critics’ Choice. Learn more about Stick Man Justin Live Sun 19 September 2021 A fabulous show for all the family packed full of well-known songs, lot's of dancing, hilarious comedy and plenty of slapstick fun! Learn more about Justin Live Dragons and Mythical Beasts Fri 8 - Sun 10 October 2021 Spectacular puppets are brought to life in this fantastic new interactive show for all the family. Come face-to-face with some of the most magnificent monsters to ever walk the earth. Learn more about Dragons and Mythical Beasts Dear Zoo Sat 13 - Sun 14 November 2021 With lots of laughs and audience interaction, Dear Zoo is the perfect introduction to theatre for young children. Learn more about Dear Zoo Cinderella Fri 10 - Fri 31 December 2021 You shall go to the ball this Christmas with our spectacular family pantomime. Packed with all of the traditional panto ingredients audiences expect, Cinderella features laugh out loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses. Learn more about Cinderella https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/08/get-the-family-back-to-the-theatre/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/june/08/get-the-family-back-to-the-theatre/ Tue, 08 June 2021 14:10:59 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/may/28/hippodromes-youth-dancers-flying-the-flag-for-the-north-east/ Members of Darlington Hippodrome’s Youth Dance company have been selected to represent the North East region as part of an online national showcase at the U.Dance National Youth Dance Festival 2021. Darlington Hippodrome’s 14+ Contemporary Dance group has been selected as one of two regional finalists to represent the North East in the U.Dance National Youth Dance Festival for 2021. Presented by One Dance UK, the U.Dance National Youth Dance Festival invites youth dance groups selected from U.Dance Regional Platforms to experience a summer celebration of dance.  Having reached the regional finals at Dance City for several years, Darlington Hippodrome’s Youth Dance Company are thrilled to be selected to represent their region at the national final for the first time. Due to the Covid pandemic the competition has had a different format in 2021, with the whole festival taking place online and groups being invited to submit a film of their chosen dance. Darlington Hippodrome engaged with Dave Allinson, a local film-maker to work alongside group leader and choreographer Debbie Harbin from The D Project Dance Company to create a dance piece called Textured Reality. The piece was inspired by discussions with the dancers about their experiences through the first lockdown. Working face to face where possible and online where necessary, the piece evolved over time and focuses on the different layers of reality the group had to face during periods of isolation. Lyndsey Middleton, Darlington Hippodrome’s Audience Development and Participation Officer said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to represent the region at this exciting national event. Whilst lookdown has been a challenge for our young people, we were keen for them to still have access to the best possible dance opportunities, as well as being able to come together - albeit online - and explore what living through this period has meant to them and how it has impacted their mental health and wellbeing. The dance film that the young people have created and choreographed, led by their Dance leader Debbie is a heartfelt representation of their feelings and emotions expressed through dance, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements.” Councillor Andy Keir said “This is great news not just for the talented young dancers involved but for Darlington and the wider region. This is a great opportunity to showcase the talent, drive and determination of the young people of Darlington highlighting an important issue in such a creative way.” The national showcases will be held online from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 July. As well as the film being broadcast nationally, the festival will include online workshops with leading dance professionals and inspiring dance careers information for young people to take part in. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/may/28/hippodromes-youth-dancers-flying-the-flag-for-the-north-east/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/may/28/hippodromes-youth-dancers-flying-the-flag-for-the-north-east/ Fri, 28 May 2021 09:37:50 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/april/01/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-499-304-funding-bid/ Darlington Hippodrome is to receive £499,304 from the second round of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund. Darlington Hippodrome is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Darlington Hippodrome in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today. The grant will help Darlington Hippodrome offset losses from cancelled productions, retain jobs, secure the long-term future of the theatre and secure the purchase of new state-of-the-art cinema screening equipment to facilitate an ever expanding offer of events once the venue is able to re-open its doors in May. Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead. Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead." Heather Tarran-Jones, the Hippodrome’s Director of Programming and Development, said: “We are delighted to receive news of this second Arts Council England grant. The last twelve months has been a challenging time for the sector and we are very grateful to receive support from central government, administered through ACE, as part of a £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19. “We are coming to the end of a difficult journey and this funding will assist in the transition back to a sustainable business model. However, what we really need is the return of our fantastic audiences purchasing tickets to future shows to breathe life and energy back into the Hippodrome welcoming the return of live entertainment.” https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/april/01/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-499-304-funding-bid/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/april/01/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-499-304-funding-bid/ Thu, 01 April 2021 15:53:12 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/march/16/one-year-on/ On Monday 16 March 2020, Darlington Hippodrome temporarily closed its doors following official government guidance that advised people should avoid public buildings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's been a demanding and unpredictable year since then but the show went on (and often online!). Thanks to our dedicated staff and most importantly you, our loyal customers, there has been plenty to smile about and take part in over the last year. Have a look at our infographic below for some highlights from the last 12 months. And this doesn't even include all the other exciting events we've enjoyed with you such as book clubs, artist masterclasses, literary livestreams, a digital careers fair, and we even had a couple of naked people in the auditorium for some life drawing sessions! There is hope on the horizon for the return of live events and classes! We can't wait to welcome you all back through the doors but for now we've still got to sit tight until it is safe to do so. Rest assured the Hippodrome team are working their showbiz socks off to plan for the future. See you soon! ❤️ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/march/16/one-year-on/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/march/16/one-year-on/ Tue, 16 March 2021 11:01:32 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/music-of-the-skerne/ The theatre is proud to be involved in an ambitious creative project inspired by the River Skerne and our local environment. Via a series of creative workshops, pupils from Haughton Academy (#TEAMHaughton!) are working with composer/arranger Sarah Freestone and lyricist Katie Doherty to create a new musical composition inspired by the river and its history - from Romans to railways via marshland and the Durham Ox. The new piece created by the pupils with the support of our artistic partners will be premiered by Opera North at the Hippodrome in a performance later in 2021. #SkerneMusic is produced by Orchestras Live in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, Discover Brightwater, Opera North and Durham Music Service. 📷 - Photos/graphics - Orchestras Live/Discover Brightwater https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/music-of-the-skerne/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/music-of-the-skerne/ Fri, 26 February 2021 16:32:11 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/entertaining-and-informative-livestreams-in-march/ There is hope on the horizon for the return of live theatre! We can't wait to welcome you all back to the Hipp but for now we've still got to sit tight until it is safe to do so. That doesn't mean we can't throw a few exciting online events your way in the meantime! Darlington Hippodrome has teamed up with Fane Productions to offer theatre streamed live to your laptop, tablet, TV or phone. Book online on our website and before the show, you'll be sent a link and joining instructions direct from the producer. Ticketholders can watch live at the at the scheduled time or on demand for up to 7 days afterwards. Authors, musicians, even explorers - there's something for everyone. Read on to discover more... Naoise Dolan In Conversation With Pandora Sykes Monday 1 March | 6.30pm Slyly humorous and scorchingly smart, NAOISE DOLAN's modern love story 'Exciting Times' was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and one of the most talked about books of 2020. Join Naoise in conversation with broadcaster and writer Pandora Sykes on inspiration, politics, culture and all things Exciting Times. Booking now closed for this event. In Conversation with Laura Whitmore Wednesday 3 March | 6.30pm In conversation, Laura will share her experiences of overcoming heartbreak, body image worries, self-doubt, and insecurity. She'll consider the freedom you feel when you take back control and how to stop waiting for someone to save you, and instead do it yourself. Booking now closed for this event. A Superfan Online Event With Cassandra Clare Thursday 4 March | 6.30pm Join bestselling author Cassandra in conversation as she considers how her stories are inspired by world mythology, what it was like seeing her novels adapted into a hit TV series, and what's next for her beloved characters. Booking now closed for this event. A Night In With Alexander McCall Smith Wednesday 17 March | 6.30pm In conversation, Alexander will explore his rich and varied career - from professor of Medical Law to New York Times bestseller and household name, what it was that inspired him to write fiction in the first place, and his writing rituals and routines. Booking now closed for this event. A Night In with Fran Lebowitz Thursday 18 March | 6.30pm In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, FRAN LEBOWITZ stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Booking now closed for this event. A Night In With Bryan Washington Monday 22 March | 8pm Join the author in conversation as he explores the timely themes of his novel: race, sexuality, grief, trauma, and class. Funny and profound, this is an evening you do not want to miss about everything in life that matters. Booking now closed for this event. Giles Terera In Black Matter Wednesday 24 March | 6.30pm A new song cycle by GILES TERERA, the Olivier Award winning star of Hamilton. These are songs of protest and joy and anger and love. Booking now closed for this event. A Night In With Nicola Benedetti Sunday 28 March | 6.30pm One of the most sought-after violinists of her generation. In this exclusive streamed event she'll be talking inclusivity, fearlessness, and the black magic of interpretation. Booking now closed for this event. A Night In With Vanessa O'Brien Monday 29 March | 8pm Join the record-breaking mountain climber in conversation as she marks the publication of 'To the Greatest Heights', which takes its readers on an extraordinary adventure around the world. Booking now closed for this event. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/entertaining-and-informative-livestreams-in-march/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/26/entertaining-and-informative-livestreams-in-march/ Fri, 26 February 2021 11:57:49 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/25/happy-retirement-to-tech-star-nick-sanderson/ The theatre would like to wish a happy retirement to long-standing tech crew stalwart Nick Sanderson. Nick has been part of the very fabric of the theatre for many a year and will be missed greatly. Nick comes from a family steeped in theatre. Mum Greta joined Darlington Operatic Society (DOS) in 1948 for 'Goodnight Vienna', she was a dancer with a close association with local ballet legend Joy Beadell and later taught at Joy’s ballet school in Grange Road. Frank Murray, one of her two brothers, became DOS musical director. Nick's brother Steve was Senior Technician at the Civic, now Darlington Hippodrome, and they worked alongside each other for many years until Steve retired himself in 2018. Nick’s first appearance on stage was as a performer was in one of Joy Beadell's dancing displays – he didn’t appear again on stage until required to do so for an RSC production in 1993 where all stage crew were required to be in costume. His first show actively helping out backstage was 'Gigi', a DOS production, in 1978. Nick had the vital role of crew runner - crossing the road to the Greyhound pub to collect the stage crew for the next scene change, pints were left behind the bar for their return (it was a different era!). Nick learned his trade from the stage upwards, starting as tab man with Trevor Mann operating the running tabs for DOS shows, then changing scenery, and finally helping in the flies. From there he watched the ‘Red Barrows’ stage crew complete scene changes and build sets and scenery. The crew were well known for playing practical jokes on the cast as long as it didn’t interfere with the production, putting the odd stage weight in a suitcase or writing messages on bits of set that couldn’t be seen by the audience. In one production for DOS of 'Sweet Charity', Arthur Ellis was due to drag a rolled up carpet on stage – the crew rolled it up ready in the wings with Nick inside! One production of 'Salad Days' required a truck to be pushed on stage in dry ice, carrying three cast members – Nick being agile stayed behind the truck to prevent it rolling off the front edge into the pit, he learned to say one of the words from the script which became his saying: "Penuroscopotelecineramarefractavistavisionset!". Nick worked as a casual for many years on panto, once as Board Operator as he had a leg in plaster. Then later as a full-time member of staff, becoming Head Flyman – Swift Nick as he was known when working with hemp. Flying cloths would come in under control very rapidly and surprise some of the cast members! Nick was one of the aces for the crew darts team – a vital weapon in any crew vs cast tournaments. We now wish Nick a very long happy retirement. We won't be seeing the last of him though as we're sure he'll continue to be a regular face at the theatre, just now he'll be looking at the stage from the auditorium instead of from above! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/25/happy-retirement-to-tech-star-nick-sanderson/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/february/25/happy-retirement-to-tech-star-nick-sanderson/ Thu, 25 February 2021 16:06:10 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/28/actor-jamie-parker-talks-about-how-he-caught-the-theatre-bug-in-darlington/ Award-winning actor Jamie Parker, born in Middlesbrough and raised in Darlington, spoke to BBC Radio 3 last week and revealed how Darlington Hippodrome played a significant early part in his acting career. Rising to fame initially as Scripps in various productions of Alan Bennett's The History Boys , Jamie has forged a successful career on stage and screen, including an Olivier award-winning role as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Speaking to host Michael Berkeley on BBC Radio 3's Private Passions , Jamie revealed the importance music plays in his life, and chatted briefly on how Darlington Hippodrome, and his parent's role in amateur dramatics with Darlington Operatic Society (DOS), helped spark his interest in acting. Listen to his interview on BBC Sounds by clicking here (the subject of the Hippodrome begins at 18 minutes). Jamie's parents were both keen member of DOS and appeared in many shows between 1970 - 1991 in what was then known as the Darlington Civic. Our friends at DOS have also uncovered the programme for when Jamie himself appeared in one DOS show as Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld in 1998. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/28/actor-jamie-parker-talks-about-how-he-caught-the-theatre-bug-in-darlington/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/28/actor-jamie-parker-talks-about-how-he-caught-the-theatre-bug-in-darlington/ Thu, 28 January 2021 13:05:52 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/14/from-the-front-row-to-the-front-line/ As employees of Darlington Borough Council, Hippodrome staff are currently working to support the Covid-19 mass testing scheme in Darlington. We're more used to dealing with the front row but we're proud to be supporting the front line in the fight against Covid-19. As a consequence, the Hippodrome box office is operating on reduced hours and phonelines are currently closed to incoming calls. You can email us at hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk and we aim to respond to your email as soon as we can within seven days. If you would like to speak to a member of staff via phone, please email and let us know a convenient phone number and time so that we can call you. Thank you for your patience and we look forward to welcoming you to the Hippodrome again soon. Read on below to learn more about the mass community testing centres and how you can get tested... What is mass community testing? 1 in 3 people who have Covid-19 have no symptoms. The point of mass community testing is to find people who display no symptoms but who have Covid-19 – and could be infecting others without knowing it. Taking a community test is just another way we can keep Darlington on the right track. We all need to continue to play our part to keep our family, friends and colleagues safe. How do I get a test? The tests, available at six sites across Darlington, MUST be booked. There are no walk-in slots available. If you take a community test at one of our locations in Darlington, it will be a lateral flow test. This involves a hand-held kit, which will give a result in about 20 minutes. Please remember that a negative test means you are not infected today but you could become infectious at any time. You must continue to follow the hands, face, space guidelines and the national rules on mixing with people. Even if you test negative, we strongly encourage you to book another test within a week, to improve our chances of detecting positive cases. Anyone with a positive result should immediately self-isolate, stay at home and away from other people for 10 days to avoid spreading the virus. After 10 days isolation it is advised you take an NHS test to ensure you are not still infected. You can view further information if you need support while you are self-isolating or you can call the community support HUB Monday to Friday on 01325 405000. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/14/from-the-front-row-to-the-front-line/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/14/from-the-front-row-to-the-front-line/ Thu, 14 January 2021 11:05:33 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/05/learn-at-home-with-our-heritage-learning-resources/ Learn at home! Now seems like the perfect time to let everyone know about a new addition to Darlington Hippodrome’s heritage learning resources. Perfect for those who suddenly find themselves with some eager pupils to keep occupied. We've teamed up with our friends The D Project to produce videos and worksheets based on traditional music hall choreography and Anna Pavlova's famous Dying Swan. Education with a side of dance! This is on top of the Hipp's already extensive resources covering four distinctly themed schemes of work for use by parent/guardians at home. There is so much to discover! Access the resources below ⬇️ https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/take-part/hippodrome-at-home/heritage-resources/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/05/learn-at-home-with-our-heritage-learning-resources/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2021/january/05/learn-at-home-with-our-heritage-learning-resources/ Tue, 05 January 2021 16:01:46 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/30/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ As Darlington is now in Tier 4, live performances and classes cannot go ahead in the building at this time, and the venue is temporarily closed to the public. We are offstage, but not offline. All the world wide web's a stage! Youth Theatre and Youth Dance classes will move to Zoom from w/c 11 Jan. Parents will be contacted w/c 4 Jan with further details. Adult classes will also take place online as scheduled from w/c 4 Jan. Ticketholders for Barmy Britain and Ballet Masterclasses with Gavin McCaig will be contacted as soon as possible next week with news of rescheduled dates. Click here to visit the Hippodrome at Home section of our website , full of activities for all the family to enjoy at home – and follow us on social media or sign up to our emailing list for all the latest news. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/30/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/30/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ Wed, 30 December 2020 16:43:58 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/04/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound-the-panto-edition/ This is the time of year where we'd normally have our panto cast and crew in the theatre preparing another festive spectacular for you all ✨ Sadly, we all know that this isn't possible this year, but Julian from our HIPPODROME SOUNDS podcast has been chatting with Jake Hine, Executive Producer at Qdos Entertainment who have been associated with the festive family pantomime at Darlington Hippodrome for over 20 years. Learn all about how Jake got into the business and about how pantos are put together, from script to final show. 🎧 HIPPODROME SOUNDS WITH JULIAN COUND podcast is available to download now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you choose to download your podcasts. You can listen by clicking here ➡️ https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1368649.rss Don't forget to book your tickets early for CINDERELLA in 2021 ⬇️ https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whats-on/Cinderella https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/04/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound-the-panto-edition/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/december/04/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound-the-panto-edition/ Fri, 04 December 2020 11:14:21 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/26/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ IMPORTANT INFORMATION Darlington will be placed in Tier 3 from Wednesday 2 December. This means that for the time being, live performances and cinema screenings cannot take place. Classes for over-18s cannot go ahead at this time, and the venue remains temporarily closed to the public, including the Hippo Lounge, box office counter, and galleries. Youth Theatre and Youth Dance for under-18s are permitted to go ahead on the stage under the COVID-secure conditions which are already in place. Participants will be contacted directly with further information. If you have booked tickets for a forthcoming event, our box office team will be in touch soon. We are offstage, but not offline. All the world wide web's a stage! Classes and activities for over-18s will continue to take place online – watch this space for details. You can still contact us by email at hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk or by phone 10am - 2pm Monday - Friday on 01325 405405. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/26/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/26/important-information-regarding-covid-19-tiers/ Thu, 26 November 2020 13:41:02 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/11/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound/ All aboard for the second episode of our new podcast HIPPODROME SOUNDS WITH JULIAN COUND. Should you choo choose to listen to the new episode you'll hear all the railways and their impact on the Hippodrome with contributions from our Heritage Engagement and Learning Officer Cait Barratt and local historian Chris Lloyd. Listen to a clip below of Cait talking about the current exhibition in our Young Person's gallery. Pupils from Firthmoor Primary School have been looking at the history of Darlington's famous engine Locomotion No.1, just as it is under threat of being moved out of town! Sign the petition below to help #KeepTheLocoInDarlo. Once signed, please share with your friends 👇 https://www.change.org/keep-the-loco-in-darlo HIPPODROME SOUNDS WITH JULIAN COUND podcast is available to download now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you choose to download your podcasts. You can listen by clicking here ➡️ https://bit.ly/32D3EXU You can even ask your smart speaker to play it for you...🗣️ "Alexa, play Hippodrome Sounds with Julian Cound". Wherever you download your podcasts, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/11/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/11/hippodrome-sounds-with-julian-cound/ Wed, 11 November 2020 16:39:02 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/10/keep-moving-as-dance-goes-digital-this-month-at-the-hipp/ We may be offstage but we're definitely not offline! Join us online throughout November for a series of online dance fitness sessions for all ages and levels. These sessions will take place online using Zoom, which can be accessed on a smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop. All sessions are £4 and you'll be sent a link to join shortly before each class. Read on below to learn more... Monday Movers | Mondays until 30 November |10am - 12pm Monday Movers is a movement and dance class aimed at people aged 65+ who are living independently, although any age is welcome. The class includes some chair-based exercises and optional movement. Booking is now closed for this event. Dance Fitness with Debbie 16+ | Tuesdays until 24 November | 6.15pm - 7.15pm A fun movement and exercise session to music aimed at raising your fitness, your heart rate and your spirits. Inspired by a variety of dance styles, Dance Fitness with Debbie is suitable for adults of all levels of fitness. Booking is now closed for this event. Sling and Sway Taster Session | Thursday 19 November | 10am - 11am Movement class for baby and parent/carer. A gentle movement/dance class designed to get you moving in a safe fun way with your baby safely in a sling or baby carrier. Enjoy moving with your little one whilst helping your body regain strength and posture and improving your mental wellbeing. Booking is now closed for this event. Family Dance Taster Session | Saturday 21 November | 12pm - 1pm A dance fitness session for all ages, to encourage intergenerational fitness and fun! Family Dance Fitness incorporates a variety of styles of dance, music and fitness. You don't have to be with a family - this is a class for all! Booking is now closed for this event. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/10/keep-moving-as-dance-goes-digital-this-month-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/10/keep-moving-as-dance-goes-digital-this-month-at-the-hipp/ Tue, 10 November 2020 11:05:31 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/02/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ IMPORTANT INFORMATION Darlington is currently in Tier 3 restrictions. This means that for the time being, live performances and cinema screenings cannot take place. Classes for over-18s cannot go ahead at this time, and the venue remains temporarily closed to the public, including the Hippo Lounge, box office counter, and galleries. Youth Theatre and Youth Dance for under-18s are permitted to go ahead on the stage under the COVID-secure conditions which are already in place. If you have booked tickets for a forthcoming event, our box office team will be in touch soon. We are offstage, but not offline. All the world wide web's a stage! Classes and activities for over-18s will continue to take place online – see our what's on page for more details . You can still contact us by email at hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk or by phone 10am - 2pm Monday - Friday on 01325 405405. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/02/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/november/02/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ Mon, 02 November 2020 08:29:01 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/ghostly-sighting/ One of our team was recently in contact with Mark Peet of Willmott Dixon. Mark and his team were responsible for the wonderful restoration of the Hippodrome in 2016/17. 📷 Mark shared a photograph, taken during the early days of the restoration, that spooked the whole team at the time. Whilst everyone else is in colour, there is a grey washed out figure in the top right who no one knows and can account for. The gentleman in the black hat swears there was no one beside when the team photo was taken... 🗝️ There were also reports from a worker restoring the heritage doors and handles that he heard old style keys jangling behind him but when he looked, the area was deserted... 🎃 Happy Halloween! Don't forget about our spooktacular triple bill of Halloween movies screening today. See below for further details ⬇️ https://bit.ly/31WBExM https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/ghostly-sighting/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/ghostly-sighting/ Fri, 30 October 2020 14:11:24 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/a-new-podcast-from-the-hippodrome/ Having hosted the regular Hippodrome quiz events over the last seven months or so, a lot of you have come to know our Quizmaster (and Marketing Officer) Julian Cound very well. Great news! Now you can hear more of him with our new PODCAST! 🎧 HIPPODROME SOUNDS WITH JULIAN COUND podcast is available to download now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you choose to download your podcasts. You can even ask your smart speaker to play it for you...🗣️ "Alexa, play Hippodrome Sounds with Julian Cound". Wherever you download your podcasts, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 👻 Julian kicks off with an episode on the hauntings of the Hipp. Listen to the first podcast here. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/a-new-podcast-from-the-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/30/a-new-podcast-from-the-hippodrome/ Fri, 30 October 2020 10:58:54 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/22/spend-halloween-at-the-hipp/ 🎃 This is no trick, we've got THREE treats for you next Saturday as the Hippodrome has scared up a spooktacular triple bill of classic movies this Halloween. 🦇 FANCY DRESS IS ENCOURAGED! 💀 What better place to spend Halloween than sat in the dark inside one of the country's most haunted theatres. 👻 Seats are socially-distanced for people in this realm but we can't guarantee a ghost won't take a chair next to you and laugh along to Disney's hilarious HOCUS POCUS at 2.30pm. 🕯️ A spectre might pull up a pew right behind you and watch the terrifying THE WOMAN IN BLACK at 7pm (don't turn around! 😱) 🔪🚿 A film-buff phantom may settle in beside you and take in Hitchcock's PSYCHO at 9.30pm. ...who dares? ⬇️ HOCUS POCUS (PG) ➡️ SOLD OUT THE WOMAN IN BLACK (15) ➡️ https://bit.ly/33AWzYH PSYCHO (15) ➡️ https://bit.ly/3jzLCfv https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/22/spend-halloween-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/22/spend-halloween-at-the-hipp/ Thu, 22 October 2020 10:40:10 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/19/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-1million-funding-bid/ Darlington Hippodrome has been successful in a £1million funding bid to Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund. This grant will help the theatre offset losses from cancelled productions, retain jobs, and secure the long-term future of the theatre, as well as supporting our current programme of socially-distanced events and activities including backstage tours, classes in drama, dance and art for young people and adults, and classic cinema screenings. Councillor Andy Keir, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for local services said: “Arts and culture are of vital importance to the local economy and to the wellbeing of Darlington residents. “Our much-loved Edwardian theatre, Darlington Hippodrome, is integral to the cultural landscape of the town and the wider region, and we are thrilled that this grant, alongside continued funding from Darlington Borough Council, will help secure its future.” Heather Tarran-Jones, the Hippodrome’s Director of Programming and Development, said: “We are delighted and relieved to receive news of this grant this morning. Our sector has been hit hard by the pandemic and we are very grateful to receive support from central government, administered through ACE, as part of a £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19. “I am proud that as a venue we have continued to deliver activity throughout this crisis, first online and, since September, in our beautiful venue. This grant will mean that these activities can continue, but we still need the support of the public, and want to thank everyone who has helped us, whether by a donation, a ticket to an event, or a cup of coffee in the Hippo Lounge.” The grant has been awarded as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the culture and heritage organisations face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure a sustainable future for the sector. #HereForCulture https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/19/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-1million-funding-bid/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/october/19/darlington-hippodrome-successful-in-1million-funding-bid/ Mon, 19 October 2020 09:20:33 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/27/youth-theatre-on-the-stage/ This September the Hippodrome is re-opening for a season of socially-distanced activities, including THREE youth theatre classes that will take place weekly in our auditorium. These sessions are tailored to specific age groups and explore a range of theatre techniques and styles. Sessions start with warm-up games and exercises to engage the creativity of the group and encourage teamwork and focus, and then move on to explore specific theatre skills and performance work. Ages 7-10 | Mondays from 7 September to 19 October | 17.15-18.45 Click here to book Mondays 7-10 year olds Ages 10-13 | Thursdays from 10 September to 22 October | 17.15-18.45 Click here to book Thursdays 10-13 year olds Ages 13+ | Thursdays from 10 September to 22 October | 19.00-20.30~ Click here to book Thursdays 13+ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/27/youth-theatre-on-the-stage/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/27/youth-theatre-on-the-stage/ Thu, 27 August 2020 15:18:24 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/26/move-it-move-it-with-our-youth-dance-classes/ 🤸 Move it! Move it! With our youth dance classes! 🤸 This September the Hippodrome is re-opening for a season of socially-distanced activities, including THREE dance classes to keep the youngsters fit and thriving! These sessions are a fantastic idea for children and young people new to dance, or those who just can't stop moving... ⭐ Mix It Up Dance (7-11) | Mondays 4pm - 5pm ⭐ This fun, energetic class introduces children to lots of different dance styles, from musical theatre to contemporary to street dance, whilst developing a strong foundation in technique. It stretches the creative imaginations of the children and encourages them to develop their own choreography. Booking is now closed for this event. ⭐ Contemporary Dance 11+ and 14+ | Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm (11+) & 7.15pm - 9.15pm (14+) ⭐ The Hippodrome's contemporary dance classes are fun, creative, and equip young people with excellent dance skills and techniques, working towards exciting performance opportunities. Booking is now closed for this event. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/26/move-it-move-it-with-our-youth-dance-classes/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/26/move-it-move-it-with-our-youth-dance-classes/ Wed, 26 August 2020 13:04:28 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/25/get-moving-at-the-hippodrome/ 🤸 Get moving at the Hippodrome! 🤸 Lockdown has been a golden period for the home workout but now you don't need to drag the sofa out of the way or lock the cat in the kitchen any longer! 🐈 The Hipp is re-opening in September for a season of socially-distanced activities, including THREE new adult dance classes taking place on our stage ⭐ Monday Movers | Mondays 10am - 12pm ⭐ A movement and dance class aimed at people aged 65+ who are living independently, although any age is welcome. The class includes some chair-based exercises and optional movement within the space. Booking is now closed for this event. ⭐ Dance Fitness with Debbie 16+ | Tuesdays 6.15pm - 7.15pm ⭐ A fun movement and exercise session to music aimed at raising your fitness, your heart rate and your spirits. Inspired by a variety of dance styles, this class is suitable for adults of all levels of fitness. Booking is now closed for this event. ⭐ Contemporary Dance 16+ Taster Session | Sat 12 Sep 12pm - 1pm ⭐ This class is a no-pressure introduction to contemporary dance, easing you into technique exercises and free-flowing phrases. There may even be some rolling around on the floor! Contemporary dance is fun, expressive and great for your overall fitness. Join Debbie onstage at the Hippodrome to try something new! Booking is now closed for this event. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/25/get-moving-at-the-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/25/get-moving-at-the-hippodrome/ Tue, 25 August 2020 16:00:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/17/darlington-based-youth-project-needs-your-votes-for-a-share-of-1million-fund/ The Darlington based In2 Project is on the shortlist to win a share of Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures £1million pot supporting under-18s nationwide. The aims of the In2 Project are to help build confidence, foster aspiration and improve general health and wellbeing by opening up access to cultural and sporting activities for pupils in some of the most deprived wards in the area. As the home of the In2 Project Darlington Hippodrome has hosted sessions with musicians, circus performers, actors, theatre producers and even inventors over the last year. Persimmon Homes North East is backing the In2 project to be a prize winner at a gala dinner in October, where cash awards of £100,000, £50,000 or £20,000 will be made to those projects winning the most online votes. Councillor Andy Keir representing the In2 Project said “it is a huge achievement to have been selected as a regional finalist, but now we really need people to get behind us and get voting so that we are in the strongest possible position to earn one of the top three cash awards on the night.” Councillor Keir added “Voting could not be simpler. Just log on to www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/ and select the In2 Project and vote for us. We would really appreciate everyone’s support.” Building Futures is being delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation. Through the scheme, a total of 128 grants of £1,000 have been awarded to groups supporting sport, education & arts and health across Persimmon’s 31 regional businesses and its head office. Online voting opened on 27 July and will close at midnight on 18 September 2020. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/17/darlington-based-youth-project-needs-your-votes-for-a-share-of-1million-fund/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/17/darlington-based-youth-project-needs-your-votes-for-a-share-of-1million-fund/ Mon, 17 August 2020 13:32:03 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/14/darlington-hippodrome-s-spectacular-festive-pantomime-moved-to-2021/ It's with a heavy heart that we must announce that this year's panto, CINDERELLA, has been rescheduled to Christmas 2021. You shall go to the ball! Just not this year 😢 Due to the continuing uncertainty around when theatres will be able to re-open without social distancing, the Hippodrome, along with producers Qdos Entertainment, have taken the decision to postpone. Panto is one of the most exciting times of year here at the Hipp and we’ll miss seeing theatregoers of all ages enjoying their festive treat 🎄 But we now look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2021 for what promises to be a spectacular return for our famous panto ✨ During the theatre's closure period, we've greatly appreciated the support and patience you've displayed as we face a difficult period with a reduced team. Cinderella ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible with details on how they can move this year's tickets into 2021. In the meantime, if you prefer a full refund, then can contact the theatre on 01325 405 405 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm) or email hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/14/darlington-hippodrome-s-spectacular-festive-pantomime-moved-to-2021/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/august/14/darlington-hippodrome-s-spectacular-festive-pantomime-moved-to-2021/ Fri, 14 August 2020 09:12:22 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/11/darlington-hippodrome-lit-up-for-pride-month/ Darlington Hippodrome will be illuminated in the colours of the rainbow during June 2020 to help celebrate Pride month. As one of Darlington’s most well-known landmarks it is only fitting that Darlington Hippodrome should be transformed to create a highly visible emblem in celebration of an inclusive and open Darlington. Our programming and Development Director Heather Tarran-Jones says, “When the theatre closed in March, we were ready to announce some colourful events to celebrate Pride Month. Lighting up the venue in the rainbow of the Pride flag signals our commitment to inclusivity and diversity."  Darlington Hippodrome encourages equity and equality in everything we do including training and developing employees and constantly monitoring and reviewing work practices. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/11/darlington-hippodrome-lit-up-for-pride-month/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/11/darlington-hippodrome-lit-up-for-pride-month/ Thu, 11 June 2020 10:47:13 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/08/backstage-tour-at-the-hipp/ Recently our Senior House Manager Andy took one of the marketing team (and their camera!) on a socially distanced backstage tour of Darlington Hippodrome. Andy led us around some of the places the public doesn't usually get to see. We looked at the scene dock where all the scenery, costumes and technical equipment is brought in for each show, he showed us the stage with its iron curtain, we looked at the fly floor and finally he took us for a sneak peek inside a dressing room. Watch the video below: There's a lot more to see and learn about in the theatre so if you have suggestions of any areas you're curious about, let us know by emailing hippodrome.info@darlington.gov.uk and we'll see what we can do! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/08/backstage-tour-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/june/08/backstage-tour-at-the-hipp/ Mon, 08 June 2020 12:27:34 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/21/activities-and-puzzles/ Looking for something to keep the family entertained? We've got you covered with our  Pepi's Prize Puzzle Sheets ! A wordsearch! A crossword! A scramble! This puzzle sheet has it all on one page! You could even win a family ticket to our festive pantomime   CINDERELLA . Send us your completed puzzle sheets and you'll be entered into a prize draw. Download Puzzle sheet 1 here Download Puzzle sheet 2 here Download Puzzle sheet 3 here Complete the puzzle and email an image of your answers to hippodrome.boxoffice@darlington.gov.uk . Keep an eye on the blog for new puzzle sheets! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/21/activities-and-puzzles/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/21/activities-and-puzzles/ Thu, 21 May 2020 10:36:32 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/11/building-confidence-fostering-aspiration-and-improving-general-wellbeing-through-the-in2-project/ As the home of the In2 project, the Hippodrome has hosted sessions with musicians, circus performers, actors, theatre producers and even inventors over the last year.  In2 is a three-year project, using physical and creative activities to support children with the transition from primary to secondary school.  The programme helps to build confidence, fosters aspiration and improves general health and wellbeing by opening up access to cultural and sporting activities they wouldn’t normally experience, allowing them to explore their own creativity and aptitudes outside of the normal curriculum. 103 pupils from Corporation Road, Northwood, Harrowgate Hill and Firthmoor primary schools are participating in this exciting new programme, which is supported by Darlington Borough Council. As well as visiting the theatre to enjoy performances, the group has attended workshops where they have: learnt about the history of pantomime, before casting their very own show and designing a poster to promote it; invented a power saving device that used renewable energy as part of the Little Inventors energy challenge; learnt about movement and performance with Oddmanout Theatre and most recently joined a street band and learnt how to play instruments. The music project, funded by Durham University, saw street band Back Chat Brass work with the schools for eight weeks, building towards a performance for peers, parents and teachers.  Each week the Hippodrome rang out with the sound of ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Lean on Me’ as the children mastered the colourful plastic brass instruments, which the programme has now gifted to the schools, much to the disappointment of the staff who thought they might get to show off their musical prowess! You can see just how much the children enjoyed the experience in this film… https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/11/building-confidence-fostering-aspiration-and-improving-general-wellbeing-through-the-in2-project/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/may/11/building-confidence-fostering-aspiration-and-improving-general-wellbeing-through-the-in2-project/ Mon, 11 May 2020 15:16:04 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/21/archive-updates-behind-the-scenes-at-the-hipp/ From November 2017, over 30 Darlington Culture Volunteers have dedicated 2,022 hours to cataloguing, scanning, photographing and organising the theatre’s collection of memorabilia. Initially the collection of 65,000 items was stored across three sites, but with the support and hard work of the volunteers, our collection is now not only catalogued, photographed and neatly stored, but is starting to offer glimpses into the lives and experiences of past staff, crews and casts of the Hippodrome. We thought we would share how our archive has progressed over the last three years and share some of our volunteers’ favourite finds! The programmes Meeting every Tuesday, the volunteers have been steadily working their way through different types of material including programmes, posters, photographs and postcards. We started in November 2017 by cataloguing and scanning the collection of programmes, including a programme from the theatre’s opening night in 1907. While the programmes were a very important resource in helping us create a complete list of all the shows over the last hundred years and are visually fascinating, they only make up about 6% of our total collection! The changing design of the programmes has been a source of interest for our volunteers but recently we have been looking at the types of adverts within the programmes themselves. The adverts are an interesting way to look at the variety of businesses in Darlington and the changing nature of consumption over the last century. For example, there is a steady increase in the number of car adverts from 1949 until 2018, due to the increased availability and affordability of cars. However, two of the archive team’s favourite adverts has been an 1907 ad for H Porter, Gent’s Outfitters highlighting the fashionable choices at the store with ‘ all the latest styles in ties, collars, scarves, braces and new range of fancy socks in colours ’. Heavisides Commercial and Temperance Hotel, which offered: ' The best and cheapest dinner in the north. Refreshments at any hour of the day. Well-aired beds' was also another favourite! See these adverts at the top of this blog! The Building While exploring types of shows, range of acts and development of technical tricks has been our primary focus, the volunteers have also been exploring the building itself.  Originally opened in 1907, the building has undergone several changes over the last 100 years, with the addition of a projection box in the 1930s, the Borough Road extension in the 1990s and more recently the 2016/2017 restoration. Our volunteers have discovered a variety of photographs and plans that chart these changes; one collection of photographs shows the changing façade of the building, while a selection of 79 plans think there’s something missing here! One of our regular volunteers has enjoyed the variety of the archive and the challenges it has presented: "I absolutely love it. It’s so varied - one week we are photographing and measuring posters then the next week I’m cataloguing old plans of the theatre." The Show Files Our most recent project and probably our biggest to date is cataloguing the show files. Making up 43% of our total collection, the show files are A4 lever arches filled with all the contracts, correspondence, receipts and invoices for each show.  With our collection starting in 1973, and ending in the mid-2010s, the show files are a fascinating example of the move from handwritten or typed correspondence to emails, as well as the development of shows and customer feedback. While the majority of the show files document a wide variety of shows  - from the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra to The Yetties - 40 of the files are dedicated to pantomime, with each production from 1974 to 2014 having its own unique file. These panto files chart the development of a pantomime production including the first contracts, casting, set design, marketing plans and final financial settlements. Amongst the mix of contracts, handwritten notes, sketches and even bar tabs for the press on opening night, our volunteers’ favourite finds have all been the correspondence. The majority of the files are made up of professional and personal letters which have fascinated the volunteers as they’ve followed the trials and tribulations of actors’ digs, producers complaints about telephone costs, and thank you letters from audiences. One volunteer has said: "I love looking through everything, recording my findings and discussing with my fellow archivists. I think my favourite find was an extremely well written, very humorous thank you letter." We will continue to share some of our favourite items and stories with you over the next few weeks and would love to hear about your own experiences at the Hippodrome. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/21/archive-updates-behind-the-scenes-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/21/archive-updates-behind-the-scenes-at-the-hipp/ Tue, 21 April 2020 13:29:16 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/16/darlington-hippodrome-staff-have-selected-darlington-samaritans-as-their-new-annual-charity-partner/ Darlington Hippodrome has announced that the Hippodrome staff selected Darlington Samaritans as their new annual charity partner. Samaritans is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with over 200 branches across the UK and Ireland. Every year Samaritans answer more than 5 million calls for help through their unique 24 hour listening service. Demand for the service is growing with Samaritans responding to a call for help every 6 seconds. Through the partnership, Darlington Hippodrome will help support Samaritans’ services through various fundraising activities. Darlington Hippodrome has launched an online crowdfunding page to allow individuals to show their support for Samaritans and find out more about the services they provide. The crowdfunding page can be accessed here. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/16/darlington-hippodrome-staff-have-selected-darlington-samaritans-as-their-new-annual-charity-partner/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/16/darlington-hippodrome-staff-have-selected-darlington-samaritans-as-their-new-annual-charity-partner/ Thu, 16 April 2020 14:31:36 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/14/the-hippodrome-gets-quizzical/ Following the success of the first virtual quiz event held on Friday 27 March to help celebrate World Theatre Day, Darlington Hippodrome started holding weekly quiz events to encourage social interaction during the period of social distancing. Weekly family quiz events are taking place on Wednesdays at 2pm and a more pub-quiz style event on Fridays at 7.30pm. All events will be held on Facebook Live allowing access to an unlimited number of entrants. Visit our Facebook page. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/14/the-hippodrome-gets-quizzical/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/14/the-hippodrome-gets-quizzical/ Tue, 14 April 2020 16:05:03 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/08/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, forthcoming performances will not go ahead until further notice and the venue has closed. Whilst the physical doors may be shut, the team behind the theatre are still very much hard at work dealing with customer queries and making sure you can enjoy the Hippodrome at home. Read on to see how the theatre is dealing with cancellations/postponements and how the Hipp may gone offstage temporarily, but we're still very much online and there's plenty to get involved with... Cancellations and postponements We have begun to contact customers on a rolling show-by-show basis as it becomes clear which events will have to be cancelled or rescheduled. Please wait for us to contact you and we thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. As you will have heard in the media, the impact on the entertainment industry could be very damaging. Darlington Hippodrome is a vital part of the theatre infrastructure and the local community and we ask you to consider whether you are able to donate all or a portion of the cost of your booking back to support the theatre, the industry and the local economy. We recognise that this is a time of uncertainty which will affect everybody differently, but if you are in a position to help us remain a vital part of the community, we would be enormously grateful. Your options: Gift the cost of your ticket to support Darlington Hippodrome and the theatre industry. Donate part of   the cost of your ticket   and either use the remaining amount towards tickets for future performances (account credit), or claim a partial refund. Put   the cost of your ticket   back onto your Darlington Hippodrome account to use for a future performance at this venue (account credit). Claim a full refund to your original payment method Move your tickets to a new date if the show has been rescheduled. You do not need to do anything relating to your booking at this time. As you will appreciate, our staff are experiencing unprecedented volumes of calls and emails and we would be grateful if you would wait for us to contact you. Thank you, once again, for your understanding. Whatever your response when we contact you, we remain grateful and send all our best wishes. Hippodrome at Home We might be offstage but we're not offline! There's plenty going on digitally which you can get involved with each week. Get quizzical with our twice weekly online quizzes. Our Quizmaster Julian takes you through your paces with a family quiz every Wednesday at 2pm and a general pub-quiz style every Friday evening at 7.30pm. Choose teams within the same household to play against or just play for fun. Both streamed using Facebook Live from our Facebook page . If you'd rather get physical than quizzical, the Hippodrome, in association with the D Project, is running three free interactive online dance classes each week until week commencing 13th April. This is prior to the beginning of the summer term when we plan to move the venue’s regular programme of Youth Theatre and Youth Dance classes online. Click here to discover more information about how to join in . Your legs aren't the only muscle that needs a work out, the brain needs to keep active also. Our Heritage Learning Resources are perfect for all those who find themselves with some eager pupils at home. Colourful powerpoint slides, printable PDFs and extensive resource folders dealing with 4 exciting schemes of work. Find out more here . Plus much more! Follow us on social media as we add new events and features every week. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/08/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/08/darlington-hippodrome-and-covid-19/ Wed, 08 April 2020 13:36:42 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-offers-free-resource-learning-packs-for-teachers-and-parents/ Teachers and parents can now download and share for free online Heritage Learning Resource Packs from the Darlington Hippodrome website . The packs include whiteboard slides, activity sheets, teacher notes and a wealth of resources within four subject areas: Pepi and his Palaces of Variety, Darlington Hippodrome, Pantomime Magic and Around the Hippodrome – A Local Study. Each subject area has four sets of information which can be downloaded and used together or individually – Teacher Notes, Read and Explain, PowerPoint Slides and Resource Folders. The Teacher Notes are a series of PDF documents aimed at giving an outline of the subject area and summarising the learning objectives for the activities. The Read and Explain documents are sheets about key themes or characters in the theatre’s history which are explored in the four subject areas. The PowerPoint slides feature literacy, numeracy and comprehension-based activities and the Resource Folders contain a mix of templates, images and maps to aid further engagement within activities. The Heritage Learning Resource Packs can be downloaded for free from the Take Part section of the Darlington Hippodrome website. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-offers-free-resource-learning-packs-for-teachers-and-parents/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-offers-free-resource-learning-packs-for-teachers-and-parents/ Tue, 07 April 2020 12:52:09 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-brings-people-together-online-for-world-theatre-day/ During the closure of the venue through the period of social distancing due to the Covid-19 situation, Darlington Hippodrome initiated a virtual quiz to help celebrate World Theatre Day using the online meetings app Zoom. The quiz, held on Friday 27 March, featured rounds on music, art, literature films, Disney, musical theatre and general knowledge. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-brings-people-together-online-for-world-theatre-day/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/april/07/hippodrome-brings-people-together-online-for-world-theatre-day/ Tue, 07 April 2020 12:49:22 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/17/darlington-hippodrome-cancellations/ Following the prime minister’s briefing yesterday, advising people not to visit theatres, Darlington Hippodrome has taken the difficult decision that forthcoming performances will not go ahead until further notice and the venue will be closed. We will begin to contact customers on a rolling show-by-show basis as it becomes clear which events will have to be cancelled. Please wait for us to contact you and we thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. As you will have heard in the media, the impact on the entertainment industry could be very damaging. Darlington Hippodrome is a vital part of the theatre infrastructure and the local community and we ask you to consider whether you are able to donate all or a portion of the cost of your booking back to support the theatre, the industry and the local economy. We recognise that this is a time of uncertainty which will affect everybody differently, but if you are in a position to help us remain a vital part of the community, we would be enormously grateful. Your options: Gift the cost of your ticket to support Darlington Hippodrome and the theatre industry. Donate part of   the cost of your ticket   and either use the remaining amount towards tickets for future performances, or claim a partial refund. Put   the cost of your ticket   back onto your Darlington Hippodrome account to use for a future performance at this venue. Claim a full refund to your original payment method You do not need to do anything relating to your booking at this time. As you will appreciate, our staff are experiencing unprecedented volumes of calls and emails and we would be grateful if you would wait for us to contact you. Thank you, once again, for your understanding. Whatever your response, we remain grateful and send all our best wishes. Very sincerely yours, Heather Tarran-Jones Programming & Development Director https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/17/darlington-hippodrome-cancellations/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/17/darlington-hippodrome-cancellations/ Tue, 17 March 2020 16:43:01 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/12/coronavirus-covid-19-faqs/ Updated 16th March 2020 Following the prime minister’s briefing on the afternoon of Monday 16 March, advising people not to visit theatres, Darlington Hippodrome has taken the difficult decision that forthcoming performances will not go ahead until further notice and the venue will be closed. We will automatically refund all customers for cancelled performances via their original payment method, or by cheque in the case of a cash payment. We will communicate further with customers tomorrow, and update regularly on which performances are cancelled, but in the meantime it would be helpful to us if you waited for us to contact you, in order to alleviate the pressure on our staff. We thank you for your co-operation during this difficult and unsettling time, and wish everyone the best of health.   We will post further updates here as soon as we can. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/12/coronavirus-covid-19-faqs/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/12/coronavirus-covid-19-faqs/ Thu, 12 March 2020 13:39:41 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/10/you-shall-go-to-the-ball/ Tickets for our spectacular family pantomime   Cinderella   are now on sale! Packed with all of the traditional pantomime ingredients audiences expect,   Cinderella   features laugh out loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses. Join Cinders as she goes from rags to riches, outwits her very ugly sisters and meets her dashing Prince Charming.   Read on to discover how you could save this Christmas... Bring the family and save with our Family Ticket Offer! £22 tickets available to groups of 3 - 6 people (minimum 1 Adult and 1 U16) on the following performances: Tuesday 8 December | 2pm & 7pm Wednesday 9 December | 1pm & 7pm Thursday 10 December | 2pm & 7pm Friday 11 December | 2pm & 7pm Tuesday 15 December | 2pm & 7pm Wednesday 16 December | 2pm & 7pm Thursday 17 December | 7pm only Simply add your tickets to your basket and discounts will apply automatically.   Get a group of 7+ together and save! £20 tickets available to groups of 7 people and over for the following performances: Tuesday 8 December | 2pm & 7pm Wednesday 9 December | 1pm & 7pm Thursday 10 December | 2pm & 7pm Friday 11 December | 2pm & 7pm Tuesday 15 December | 2pm & 7pm Wednesday 16 December | 2pm & 7pm Thursday 17 December | 7pm only Save £2 per ticket on the following performances: Saturday 5 December | 2pm & 7pm Sunday 6 December | 1.30pm & 5.30pm Saturday 12 December | 2pm & 7pm Sunday 13 December | 1.30pm & 5.30pm Saturday 19 December | 2pm & 7pm Sunday 20 December | 1.30pm & 5.30pm Monday 21 December | 2pm & 7pm Tuesday 22 December | 2pm & 7pm Monday 28 December | 2pm & 6pm Tuesday 29 December | 2pm & 6pm Wednesday 30 December | 2pm & 6pm Thursday 31 December | 2pm & 6pm Saturday 2 January | 1.30pm & 5.30pm Sunday 3 January | 1.30pm & 5.30pm Simply add your tickets to your basket and discounts will apply automatically. Groups of 10+ will need to ring our friendly Box Office team on 01325 405 405 to book.   Relaxed performance Thursday 17th December 12pm | £10 tickets This performance is specially designed for people with autism or a sensory or communication disorder, or other theatre goers who may find a typical theatre setting a challenge. Click here to book! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/10/you-shall-go-to-the-ball/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/march/10/you-shall-go-to-the-ball/ Tue, 10 March 2020 08:46:59 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/february/21/rupert-hill-talks-about-his-role-in-lady-chatterleys-lover/ Sixty years after the impassioned tale Lady Chatterley's Lover shocked the world, a stage version, coming to Darlington Hippodrome in March, presents itself to a very changed world. We caught up with Rupert Hill who portrays the pivotal role of Mellors the gamekeeper in this brand new stage adaptation. What was it that initially drew you to this adaptation? I knew very little about the book to be honest. I’m ashamed to say that I think I’d kind of dismissed it as a “50 Shades” of the 1920’s! But I read Ciaran’s script and I thought it was stunning. Very theatrical and immersive and this really excited me. So much so that prior to my audition I decided to prioritise reading the book, over learning my lines! A risky strategy but it paid off. The book is without a doubt a new favourite of mine. It’s without question a masterpiece, way ahead of it’s time and devastatingly relevant. To describe it as an erotic novel would be a woeful misunderstanding. It’s a philosophical book about truly being alive and in love. I’m so enthralled that I’m going to be involved in a new retelling. A Fifty Shades of Grey for its time period; were you familiar with the controversial history behind the novel before you got involved? Yes a bit but I read up about the trials further. The book is very explicit but it amuses me that the very people who sought to have the book banned were also the target of its ridicule. The bourgeois and arrogant position of dictating what people can or can't say in their creative pursuits. So stuffy and boring and meanwhile they completely failed to see what a beautiful and progressive love letter to nature Lawrence had written. Life imitated art here quite profoundly. What do you want audiences to take away from the production? The book is a beautiful and life affirming piece of work. It asks of us to transcend the tedious trappings of class and social status and seek a higher state of mutual wellbeing through openness and human contact and love. It’s a meditative, cathartic journey and I felt utterly joyous after completing the book. I hope through Ciaran’s vision that we can create something intense, challenging, raw and ultimately life affirming for our audiences. And also I hope they absolutely love it and tell all their friends! Why do you think it’s important that we discuss female empowerment and sexuality? Because it’s utterly absurd that in 2019 we are still discussing female equality in society. Whether it’s their continued sexual exploitation in various guises, a pay gap deficit still apparent pretty much across the board or the lack of female political leadership across the planet, this battle is still being fought. Powerful men seem so cocksure that their vision of the world and the human condition is the correct analysis and what Lawrence does is to drown out and quieten those voices and he raises the volume of the female protagonist. We hear her desires, hopes and beliefs and they contradict starkly with that of her husband’s and his stifling high society. It is such a feminine book (for want of a better word) that it continuous to amaze me that it was actually written by a man Do you think the discussions around social class are still relevant today? Absolutely. The rise of populism, nationalism, racism and anti-immigration rhetoric have once again turned the working classes against the migrant as the reason for their downfall. Rather than the collapse of the international markets and the major banks, unregulated by runaway venture capitalist supporting governments. The greatest ever right wing trick! The rich/poor divide is enormous and growing and respect for truth, facts and evidence is waning. Food banks, homelessness and a rise in crime also point towards an expanding imbalance and division in class today. The void between the have and have nots is as glaring, prevalent and toxic today as it’s ever been. A lot of people will know you from your appearance in Coronation Street. What is the biggest difference between performing on stage and screen?  One of the major reasons for leaving the Street was because I missed doing theatre. I was worried that I might’ve lost that skillset. It’s a completely different discipline and requires a different approach and respect. Theatre is playful and dangerous. It’s very exciting and humbling too. The audience are complicit to the energy in the room and we all go on a sort of journey together. It’s amazing. Acting for camera is amazing too but it’s all about the finished product. All about the destination. Theatre is about the journey. What preparations have you done for taking on this iconic literary heartthrob?  Are you asking if I’m going to the gym? Well I am. I’ve been working with a personal trainer on losing some weight and achieving the kind of physique an ex soldier now gamekeeper might have. It was going well till I got flu last week and was bedridden. Although I still lost the weight so every cloud. Mellors was my favourite character when I read the book and his vision of what a man should be completely blew my mind. He thinks men should be gentle, loving and compassionate. He thinks that’s real masculinity. I want to bring this kind of thinking into the performance alongside the dark brooding anger and sadness of the man. I think it’s these mysterious contradictions that make him so compelling. And the fact that he listens to what women think and what they want. He’s a dude. What are you most looking forward to while on tour? I have two little girls so I tend to watch a lot of kids television. I have a backlog of books and films that I need to get through, so whilst I’m not looking forward to being away from my girls. I am quite looking forward to catching up on some more grown up material (that sounds weird!). Also looking forward to going on some long walks in places like Malvern and the Lake District. What would your dream role be? I just like the unexpected diversity of this job. You never know what’s coming next. I recently played a communist revolutionary in a Bertolt Brecht radio dramatization and now I’m playing a Yorkshireman Gamekeeper. It’s the best thing about the job. It’s always unexpected. What’s next for you after the tour? Nothing yet, we’ll have to wait and see.  I do have a couple of potential directing jobs next year though which is exciting for me because I’ve only just started dipping my toe into this side of the business and I love it. Lady Chatterley’s Lover runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 March. Age guidance 14+ For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or visit https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whats-on/lady-chatterleys-lover/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/february/21/rupert-hill-talks-about-his-role-in-lady-chatterleys-lover/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2020/february/21/rupert-hill-talks-about-his-role-in-lady-chatterleys-lover/ Fri, 21 February 2020 14:16:51 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/11/crime-at-the-hippodrome/ From classic detective novels and true crime television series to thriller films and mystery plays; the subject of crime is a significant and popular genre in entertainment.  People have always enjoyed reading or watching their favourite detectives, both amateur and professional, as well as the lives and times of criminals - and the theatre as always provided a platform and willing audience for these thrilling stories.  With hundreds of plays devoted to murder, robbery and blackmail featuring heroines, villains and sleuths, there is something for everyone.    Since opening in 1907, Darlington Hippodrome has always reflected and reacted to our audiences tastes. Over 4,000 plays have been staged in our 112 year history and over 15% of the productions have been dramas, mysteries, thrillers and crime plays. Primarily known as a Variety Palace, the Hippodrome’s early years featured twice nightly performances of variety acts that changed weekly. Approximately 2,053 individual performers appeared at the Hippodrome in the theatre's variety heyday of 1907 to 1949, with 64% of all the productions during that era being either variety or music hall. However from the 1950s some of the Hippodrome's most popular productions have been murder mystery and thrillers, averaging 9 shows every year since 1960. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the Hippodrome has hosted a Thriller Season - for one month in the Summer four mysteries/thrillers were staged.  Often featuring popular Agatha Christie plays or adaptations such as Towards Zero, Spiders Web and Peril at End House,  the season also featured other favourites such as Murder with Love. Known as the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie wrote over 70 books featuring numerous surprising plot twists, captivating mysteries and famous fictional detectives such as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Many of her works were adapted for the stage, the most famous of all being the legendary whodunnit The Mousetrap. Opening in London’s West End in 1952, The Mousetrap has one of the most famous plot twists in theatre, that traditionally at the end of every performance the cast ask the audience not to reveal so that future audiences can enjoy the surprise! The Hippodrome has staged over 45 productions of Agatha Christie plays or adaptions including favourites A Murder is Announced, And then there were none and Death on the Nile. Here are some of our favourite discoveries from the Hippodrome’s archive: Find the Lady 22nd September – 27th September 1980 Staged at the Hippodrome in September 1980, this comedy murder thriller was very popular and played to a capacity of 105% in Darlington! Taking the lead role of Rosie Lake “the slightly faded ex-actress proprietor of the Delamare Private Hotel” was Mollie Sugden, known for her roles in Liver Birds, Son of the Bride and Mrs Slocombe in Are you being served?        Dial M for Murder 1972, 1977, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2016 Dial M for Murder is a chilling thriller  by Frederick Knott written in the early 1950s.  More commonly  known from the 1954 film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock, the play first opened in London in 1952 and has since continued to be a popular production. Telling the story of murder, betrayal and blackmail the show has been staged approximately 6 times at the Hippodrome and has featured stars Peter Davison, Sophie Lawrence , James Ellis, Ingrid Pitt and David Davenport. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/11/crime-at-the-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/11/crime-at-the-hippodrome/ Mon, 11 November 2019 15:30:33 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/04/dancers-required-for-the-english-youth-ballet/ 100 Young Ballet Dancers required for a new production of CINDERELLA IN HOLLYWOOD   English Youth Ballet is auditioning for roles in a new production of CINDERELLA IN HOLLYWOOD on Sunday 1 December at the Hippodrome.  At the audition 100 young male and female dancers (aged 8 – 18) from across the region will be offered the chance to rehearse with and then dance alongside international professional principal dancers in the production for 3 performances which will be presented at the Hippodrome from 17 – 18 April 2020. The thrilling new production – CINDERELLA IN HOLLYWOOD is set in the glamorous era of fifties Hollywood.  Cinderella is a seamstress on a film set and the ‘Fairy Godmother’ is her late mother and a former movie star of the thirties. Her Wicked Sisters are Hollywood starlets competing with each other for starring film roles.   The Prince meets Cinderella at the press party but at midnight she flees from the scene leaving a sparkly silver pointe-shoe as the only clue to her identity. Award-winning English Youth Ballet (known as EYB) is now in its 20th successful year and is one of the largest ballet companies in the UK. EYB is a national touring ballet company with Director - Janet Lewis MBE at its helm.  Miss Lewis enjoyed an illustrious dancing career with the Royal Ballet Company and London Festival Ballet dancing alongside such greats as Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.  The company consists of a core team of 8 international principal dancers, 2 artistic ballet staff, 2 wardrobe mistresses and 4 theatre technicians. The principal dancers have danced in some of the world’s greatest companies including English National Ballet, La Scala and the Royal Ballet. EYB is highly regarded for presenting lavish, large-scale classical ballets and critics have praised the quality of the beautiful sets and costumes. EYB Director – Janet Lewis says:  “The EYB audition is an experience in itself.   EYB is all about performance experience and this starts at the audition as the dancers are given a regular ballet class on the stage.  Parents and family are encouraged to watch from the audience.  We are looking for young dancers of all abilities who can show the audience how much they enjoy their dancing." The policy of EYB is to give professional performance experience to young dancers in beautiful venues close to where they live.   The young dancers benefit from being coached and mentored by the professional dancers in an 11-day rehearsal period which takes place out of school hours.  They gain a unique insight into what it is like to be a professional dancer.   Young dancers have said “EYB is the best thing I have ever done” .  Parents have said “it is lovely to see my daughter gaining in confidence.”   Teachers have said “EYB inspires young dancers and you notice something different about them in class when they return.” Each audition will take the form of a regular ballet class.  Dancers will find out on the day if they are successful.  It is advisable to register for the audition in advance but it is possible to register on the day (please arrive 30 minutes early to register).  The audition fee is £18.00 and all dancers participate in a full ballet class.  Parents are invited to watch the audition. Click here to view the audition application form. Auditions will be held on Sunday 1 December at Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington DL1 1RR . 1.00 – 2.30pm Audition 1  (for dancers aged 8 – 11) 3.00 – 4.30pm Audition 2 (for dancers aged 12 – 18) For more information and to register for the audition please contact EYB either by telephone – 01689 856747 or by email – info@englishyouthballet.co.uk .  For more information about English Youth Ballet please visit www.englishyouthballet.co.uk . Tickets for the show are available here. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/04/dancers-required-for-the-english-youth-ballet/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/november/04/dancers-required-for-the-english-youth-ballet/ Mon, 04 November 2019 11:09:23 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/october/28/christmas-at-the-hipp/ Join us on Saturday 7th December as the Hippodrome is transformed into a festive wonderland. Book onto a wreath-making workshop, make a clay Christmas tree decoration, craft a Nordic Gnome using recycled materials, meet Santa, or do some Christmas shopping at our range of gift stalls and enjoy a mince pie and mulled wine whilst listening to the live Christmas music from Somethin' Blue.   🌿 Wreath Making Workshop with Flowers by Nattrass   Make and decorate your very own Christmas wreath to take home to adorn your door over the festive period. The workshop will be delivered under the professional guidance of Sally from Flowers By Nattrass, and all workshop materials will be provided, along with full tuition and plenty of help along the way.   🎄 Make your own Clay Christmas Tree Decoration Using air-dried clay, you'll make and decorate a personalised Christmas tree decoration for your tree to take home.   🧝 Drop-in Nordic Gnome Family Craft Workshop 🎅 Meet Santa | £4 inc gift! 🎁 Gift Stalls 🎷 Live Christmas Music from Somethin' Blue 🍰 Christmas themed Food & Drink 🎲 Fun Christmas competitions   Saturday 7th December | 10am - 3pm   Free to enter the theatre on the day but the Wreath Making, Clay Christmas Tree Decoration and meeting Santa do carry a charge. Wreath & Clay workshops bookable in advance. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/october/28/christmas-at-the-hipp/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/october/28/christmas-at-the-hipp/ Mon, 28 October 2019 08:56:26 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/august/29/an-artistic-interpretation-of-the-hippodrome/ This excellent drawing below of the Hippodrome was created by Jennifer Smith , one of the artists currently attending the Community Art Project - part of Darlington Borough Council’s services for adults with learning disabilities.   The Community Art Project is now based at The Bridge on the corner of Yarm Road and Hundens Lane along with various other art groups and courses run by tutors. Jennifer is a fan of the theatre and likes to regularly see shows and performances at the Hippodrome and is a talented performer herself, as well as a gifted artist. She hopes to one day combine her interests by making props and designing costumes for stage shows. Jennifer is a regular exhibitor and has been included in numerous CAP exhibitions and always enjoys having her work displayed. We love Jennifer's confident use of line and shading to depict our Edwardian facade. If you've done your own masterpiece of the theatre we'd love to see it! Email it in to hippodrome.info@darlington.gov.uk . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/august/29/an-artistic-interpretation-of-the-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/august/29/an-artistic-interpretation-of-the-hippodrome/ Thu, 29 August 2019 13:45:22 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/july/09/queen-elizabeth-s-sixth-form-work-experience-week-at-the-hippodrome/ In the first week of July, six first-year students from Queen Elizabeth’s Sixth Form completed a week long work experience placement, learning about Darlington Hippodrome and researching the theatre’s heritage for a presentation to the staff at the end of the week.  Throughout the week the students met with different members of staff from the Hippodrome team, attended a backstage tour and helped different departments with a variety of jobs. The students kept a diary over the week documenting their work so they could share their experience with everyone! Monday 1 st July On Monday we were all greeted in the Hippo Lounge before settling in the Green Room which would become our base of operations for the coming week.  After getting to know one another, Lynda Winstanley, the Director of the Theatre led us lead on a grand tour of the theatre - no area was off limits! In the afternoon we ventured from the Hippodrome to the Crown Street Library where we were directed down into the mysterious archives and were shown some of the grand history of the theatre. Between files from the Quaker roots of Darlington and meticulous records of newspapers reaching back to the early 20 th century, we viewed the original programs and photos spanning the last 100 years.  On our return we each decided on our research projects, preparing for our presentation to close the week. “It was interesting to find out that the theatre group I am in (The Darlington Operatic Society) has actually a long history with the Hippodrome and it means a lot to be a part of something so important”- Anya “I enjoyed learning about the different parts of the theatre like the different curtains, particularly the iron safety curtain that stops fire spreading on the stage.”– Eva Tuesday 2 nd July We started our day in the luxury of the Green Room with tea and biscuits before spending the morning dividing our time between researching our chosen theatre topics, helping to organise a recent donation of 400 programmes and sorting out exhibition panels and framed pictures in the archive. After this we all followed Martin, the Technical Manager who gave us a backstage tour of the Hippodrome, where we were able to go on the stage and explore the Fly Floor, learning how a show in installed in the building. After our tour we met with Lyndsey, the Audience Development Officer who talked to us about making the theatre accessible to everyone. “I found the talk with Lyndsey quite fun, she knew a lot about the Hippodrome and learning about accessibility was great” – Talya Wednesday 3 rd July After a swift, but nonetheless productive, morning researching we had an enjoyable afternoon on a field trip! Cait, the Heritage Learning and Engagement Officer took us to Richmond to see the beautiful Georgian Theatre Royal, a theatre with a magical and fascinating history spanning back to 1788. We attended a fascinating tour and saw that a local school was practicing for their own performance on the romantic stage, lit by simulation candles to imitate the theatre’s antique roots. We also learned that the Georgian Theatre Royal, some 60 years after opening, was re-purposed for many different things; ranging from a wine cellar to a furniture storage unit, a grain house and more. “Seeing all of the history of the Georgian Theatre Royal, all 231 years of it, was absolutely brilliant. I also got to sit in Prince Charles’ chair in the royal box, a moment I’ll never forget.” – Reece “I really enjoyed seeing the Georgian Theatre Royal and find out about the history behind it.”-Tabita Thursday 4 th July We had a fantastic day today, after adding some final touches to our final presentation we met with Marketing Officer, Julian to learn about marketing in theatre - looking at marketing plans and suggesting ideas of ways to connect with younger audiences like ourselves. For the rest of the morning we helped the marketing team with their direct mail and delivering lots of Pantomime leaflets to various business and organisations in the Town Centre. In the afternoon we had a great time with the Heritage Discovery boxes.  The discovery boxes are 3 large activity packs with props and costumes, each focused on a theme in the Hippodrome – the life of Signor Pepi, Pantomime and Edwardian variety Acts. We had fun trying all the different props and staging photoshoots of the boxes around the theatre to be used in marketing material. Our final day was Monday 8 th July and we couldn't wait to share our research findings with the Hippodrome team! “Setting out different scenes with props from the cases was a great opportunity for all of us to work as a team.” – Ellison Monday 8 th July – Our final day The big day had arrived! In contrast to the previous week we spent our morning in the Education Space, working on the grand finale to our work experience week - the final presentation. We spent the morning preparing for the presentation by checking our research, editing the power point presentation and practicing the order in which we were speaking. We had each chosen a different topic relating to the history of the Hippodrome and Theatre in general, using a variety of sources including Darlington Hippodrome’s archive to help us. Reece and Anya explored the role of programmes and posters in the Theatre, showing how the styles have changed over 113 years, with influences from design trends, costs of printing and ink.  Ellison and Eva looked chose social history topics, looking at the importance of costumes and the traditions that surround them, as well as the changing representation of ethnicity, gender and social classes in both the audiences and performers. Talya, using the accident reporting book from the 1970s explained how attitudes to health and safety have changed, highlighting the dangers of working a theatre in 1907 due to toxic makeup and open fires! Tabita ended the presentation with a summary of all the ghosts that haunt the building.  Using newspaper articles and first hand stories from staff she listed all the ghosts in the Hippodrome including Signor Pepi and his dog! We really enjoyed giving our presentation to the staff and sharing what we had learned.  We are going to miss working at the Hippodrome and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone - absolutely everyone should experience the Theatre!   Work experience applications are now open for the 2019/2020 Academic Year. Learn more here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/july/09/queen-elizabeth-s-sixth-form-work-experience-week-at-the-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/july/09/queen-elizabeth-s-sixth-form-work-experience-week-at-the-hippodrome/ Tue, 09 July 2019 13:27:35 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/june/05/theatre-archives-open-to-all/ Darlington Hippodrome’s fascinating 112 year history will soon be available to explore online thanks to an army of volunteers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for almost 2 years. As well as historic posters, programmes, playbills, letters and postcards, many of the hundreds of items are rare and previously unseen. Most of the archives have been stored at the Crown Street Library with many other pieces being donated by the public. Each item has been painstakingly recorded, photographed, securely filed and stored electronically with an index of each item soon to be available online.   Cait Barratt , the Hippodrome’s Heritage Learning and Engagement Officer said “Our team of volunteers has been working on this project for nearly two years. They have become true ambassadors for the history of the theatre and have unearthed some amazing documents.”   “A small selection of the archives will be available to the general public on Thursday 6 June at the Hippodrome from 11am to 3pm for people to just drop in and experience some of the amazing historical items as well as hearing from the volunteers about their work.”   The team of volunteers will be at the Hippodrome on Thursday 6 June from 11am to 3pm with many items from the archives for the public to look through. The team will also be on hand to discuss any of the items as well as accepting any further items of the theatre’s history that people may have.   A database index of the archives has gone live here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/june/05/theatre-archives-open-to-all/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/june/05/theatre-archives-open-to-all/ Wed, 05 June 2019 12:46:50 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/06/north-east-dance-co-operative-company-class-with-russian-state-ballet-of-siberia-rowans-blog/ In January 2019, four lucky young local dance students took part in company class with the Russian State Ballet of Siberia at Darlington Hippodrome. Read about Rowan's experience below. 'I found the experience incredibly interesting and beneficial for my training. It was really good to be thrown in the deep end and just expected to do the exercises without time to think first because this is wha t the professional world is like. It was so really interesting to see what the dancers go through on a daily basis and to be able to be in the environment with them to see how a professional company works. 'My biggest takeaway from the class is that classes move much faster in a professional world rather than weekly studio lessons and that it’s really important to listen to everything the teacher is saying so you don’t miss anything. 'To have a class directed partly in Russian and partly in English was quite challenging as it would be a little bit of a guessing game sometimes to work the exercise out. However, I think it was helpful as it made me concentrate much harder and if I ever work abroad, it will be like that so it was good to be able to do. 'Overall, I think it was a really good experience to just be thrown into as you just had to do the exercises without a moments thought and it showed me the fast-paced environment. I am really grateful to have been selected and I really enjoyed it.' To find out more about North East Dance Co-operative, search for them on Facebook. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/06/north-east-dance-co-operative-company-class-with-russian-state-ballet-of-siberia-rowans-blog/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/06/north-east-dance-co-operative-company-class-with-russian-state-ballet-of-siberia-rowans-blog/ Wed, 06 February 2019 12:28:14 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/01/a-place-for-everyone-crowdfunding-campaign/ Darlington Hippodrome’s charitable fund, managed by the County Durham Community Foundation, was originally set up to support the refurbishment of the theatre and is now used to support a range of community outreach and education activities. The Hippodrome’s main campaign for 2019 is ‘A Place for Everyone’ . The aim of the new project is to remove the barriers to participation for individuals and families within Darlington who may not have the financial means or support networks to visit the Hippodrome and see a show. Working in partnership with various bodies and organisations Darlington Hippodrome will identify vulnerable members on the edges of the community such as children in care/at the risk of being taken into care, low-income families, older residents at risk of isolation, and people facing social, physical and mental health challenges who would benefit from participating in a shared cultural experience.  Darlington Hippodrome’s ambition is for the project to act as a gateway for participants into other areas of the theatre and increase involvement in wider social and cultural activities, for example: joining the Hippodrome’s Youth Theatre and Dance programme with the aid of bursaries; attending the ‘silver’ group – Pepi’s People or attending activities in one of Darlington’s other cultural venues.   Current supporters of the new initiative include The Thirteen Group, Creative Darlington, Darlington Borough Council – Commissioning, Performance and Transformation, Darlington For Culture, Bella Italia (food partner), LNER (transport partner). https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/01/a-place-for-everyone-crowdfunding-campaign/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2019/february/01/a-place-for-everyone-crowdfunding-campaign/ Fri, 01 February 2019 09:56:23 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/dracula-a-visual-feast-and-a-thrilling-story/ As part of my role, I am responsible for the Ambassador programme that we run in conjunction with Touring Consortium Theatre Company; the Ambassadors are volunteers who promote the production, as well as working at the performances to greet people, answer questions, and collect feedback. With the help of the theatrecloud website, we are able to access information about the rehearsal process, see production photos, and read interviews with the cast and crew. As part of the scheme, the Ambassadors and I have the opportunity to watch the  production at a prior venue on the tour, in this case Nottingham Theatre Royal. All that we had seen for ‘Dracula’ online convinced us that this was going to be something special. Our journey began early on a bright, autumnal morning, as our stalwart band began the journey not by the traditional sinister coach and horses, but a comfy large minibus. We began to discuss the extremely evocative trailer for the production. Some professed themselves to not being horror “fans”, whilst others were intrigued to see how the novel had been adapted. Roger Richardson (Company Manager) gave us a tour of the set, a tall, brooding collection of arches and pillars; there were various arcane pieces of equipment that we tried not to stumble over, as well as noticing interesting things hidden away. All our questions were met with a mysterious “You’ll see during the show” – the cast and crew are forbidden to reveal the secrets of the production’s incredible illusions and visual effects! From the unseasonably warm sunshine of our journey we were taken into a brooding, dark, rainswept world that was home to lurking horror as Dracula swept through Transylvania and Whitby. The supernatural world of the production has been created by illusionist Ben Hart, a real-life Jonathan Creek, who has even taught magic to Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf himself!). To write about them at greater length would spoil the surprises and scares in store for you, but suffice it to say that there are some truly spectacular sequences. Sleight-of-hand is also used in the production for some of the smaller but no less gruesome effects; again, we don’t want to give too much away! There are jump scares aplenty as well as scenes of more creeping horror and sudden violence– all the boxes are ticked (coffins are filled?) Throughout the production the charming, malicious presence of Dracula (Glen Fox) can be felt. This is a Dracula who can be elegant, stately and gentlemanly, but also savage, athletic and raging. Talking to Glen afterwards, he confirmed that it is hard work but also great fun, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the cast. The forces of good, led by the eccentric, driven Dr Van Helsing (Philip Bretherton) fight to save their lady friends Lucy Westenra (Jessica Webber) and Mina Murray (Olivia Swann) from the descent into carnality and murderous desire that Dracula inspires. Through their physicality and vocal performances both effectively portray the conflicting nature of their societal repression and the new sensations that they experience under his influence. Andrew Horton as Jonathan Harker plays the comic horror sequences in Dracula’s banqueting hall beautifully, making us laugh nervously without making the scenes ridiculous. Evan Milton’s Dr Seward is sent on a fantastic journey from the rational to the irrational and he makes us feel for him as his world becomes stranger than he ever knew. On the side of darkness, Dracula’s vixens (Charlotte Gosling, Benedict Smith, Marina Stoimenova, and Ellen Verenieks) were an unsettling presence even at times when we thought we would be safe from the Count. Their bestial nature and predatory movements added an element of visceral horror to the proceedings, as they started to invade Whitby. Lady Renfield (Cheryl Campbell) has a gift of a role, alternating between aristocratic hauteur and child-like simpering, as well as being unexpectedly moving on occasions.   Dracula is a visual feast and a thrilling story; we thoroughly enjoyed it, and meeting the Count himself afterwards was an added bonus for some of our group! I believe the word ‘dishy’ was used at one point. Not something one usually associates with the undead… https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/dracula-a-visual-feast-and-a-thrilling-story/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/dracula-a-visual-feast-and-a-thrilling-story/ Thu, 01 November 2018 10:50:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/16/a-blast-from-the-past-introducing-our-archive/ Over the last 18 months our Heritage Learning and Engagement Officer Cait Barratt has been working with the Darlington Culture Volunteers to develop the Hippodrome’s archive. The archive is made up of various theatre-related material; there are programmes, posters, leaflets, brochures, photographs, newspaper articles, buildings plans and lots of information about the 100s of productions staged in the building over the last 111 years.  The development of the Hippodrome’s archive has been funded as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund restoration grant, and aims to become a public resource.  Once all the material has been catalogued, recorded and scanned or photographed, a record will be made available online so our audiences can search for information on past productions and casts, or even look for relatives in local productions such as those staged by Darlington Operatic Society and Shildon and District Amateur Operatic Society. Sorting the material Before the HLF project the Hippodrome did not have a formal archive – boxes of programmes, old show files and plans had been kept in storage across several different sites. After collecting all the material and storing it in Crown Street Library’s basement, we decided that the programmes were a priority and made it a goal to catalogue all the programmes and develop a complete list of every single show that has been staged at the theatre since its opening on 17 September 1907.  This was quite a challenge! By  July 2018 we had finally finished cataloguing all the programmes and found that the 80 boxes of programmes were not in any date order and finding a specific programme was difficult.  So in the second week of August the archive volunteers took over the Education Space in the Hippodrome and spread out every single programme in the archive. First, the volunteers organised the programmes by decade, then by individual year and finally by month.  From the chaos of unboxing all 2,600 programmes by the middle of the week we had neat piles of programmes ordered by year. The volunteers also tackled a large pile of programmes which either had a partial or no date on them;  by looking at other similar programmes, old brochures and using the internet the volunteers have since been able to find a date for every single programme.  Amongst the chaos of the week we hosted an archive open day, where members of the public were invited to look at all the programmes and share their own past experiences of Darlington Hippodrome with us.  This was a great day with groups of young children and adults alike donning white gloves and exploring our precious Edwardian programmes. The Show List By the end of archive week we had organised all the programmes in date order and stored them in new archive boxes.  Alongside this project several volunteers used this opportunity to add to the Show List.  This list is a chronological database of all the performances that have occurred at Darlington Hippodrome.  They have been developed by using a variety of sources including programmes, publicity copy, newspaper articles, posters, records of income / expenditure and the managing director’s notebooks. To make this master list more manageable we have created smaller lists for each year.  They are still under development and currently contain only basic information such as the show title, genre, production company details, opening and closing dates as well as a principal cast list.  The show lists from 1907 to 1979 are now available to download from our website as PDFs. Over the next few months the volunteers are working hard to finish the individual lists from 1980 to 2018!  We also will be publishing two further databases listing all our Pantomimes and Darlington Operatic Society productions. Get Involved Recently we have begun to look at the large collection of the theatre’s photographs which feature external and internal shots of the building as well as previous productions.  We need your help in identifying the shows, actors and year of a collection of un-labelled photographs.  Every single photograph has been given a unique reference number; if you recognise the show or the actor, or think you can even identify the date please contact the Heritage Learning an Engagement Officer  Caitlin.Barratt@Darlington.gov.uk Remember to include the reference number and whatever information you can provide! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/16/a-blast-from-the-past-introducing-our-archive/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/16/a-blast-from-the-past-introducing-our-archive/ Tue, 16 October 2018 13:28:23 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/01/introducing-our-new-sales-and-marketing-manager/ Earlier this year Sue Wilson, Sales and Marketing Manager at Darlington Hippodrome, took the decision to retire after 24 years working for the theatre. Sue has seen many changes during this time including the closure of the Arts Centre and the fabulous restoration of the theatre which re-opened last November. Sue will be working at the theatre until mid December. Taking over in the position of Sales and Marketing Manager is Rebecca Howarth who has been an integral member of the Hippodrome’s marketing team for over seven years. Rebecca officially started her new role on Monday 1 October. Rebecca was born in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham and studied at Staindrop Comprehensive and Darlington’s Hummersknott School and Language College and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College before reading English literature at the University of Edinburgh. Darlington Civic Theatre had a formative influence on Rebecca as the location of some of her first theatre experiences; a visit to see Northern Ballet at the age of seven led to years of ballet lessons which continue to this day! Whilst studying in Edinburgh, Rebecca began working in theatre as front of house staff at the Traverse, King’s and Festival theatres. After a summer spent working as founding assistant editor of The Shimmy Skinny – a specialist dance offshoot of cult magazine The Skinny – she took up the post of marketing assistant at Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, for the duration of her final year at university, whilst also continuing her front of house work. Following graduation, Rebecca started working as marketing assistant at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, before moving on to Sunderland Empire. In 2012, Rebecca joined the team at Darlington Arts Centre and Darlington Civic Theatre, where in particular she worked on developing digital marketing, and is thrilled to now be taking up the post of sales and marketing manager at Darlington Hippodrome. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/01/introducing-our-new-sales-and-marketing-manager/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/october/01/introducing-our-new-sales-and-marketing-manager/ Mon, 01 October 2018 09:45:36 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/september/04/charlies-work-experience/ I don’t work in the theatre full time I’m just here for a week of work experience. I have been tasked with all number of different jobs which have tested my mental and physical skills but most importantly tested me in how to deal with last minute changes to my schedule – something I struggle with in my day-to-day life. I guess you could say the team at the theatre made it easy for me with my first task - sticking information labels on leaflets for upcoming shows and cutting out information about Darlington Hippodrome from The Northern Echo, but these jobs are ones which have to be done on a regular basis so I saved someone else from doing it so that they could now focus on more important jobs. But through doing these jobs I learnt how to finish a project in a short amount of time to meet the required deadline. I enjoyed these tasks because they were relaxing and were not too taxing on my first day. In the theatre every season there is a new brochure telling everyone about the productions which are coming in to the theatre. In my week of work experience we were expecting delivery of the new season brochures so there was a lot of work to do to ensure we could store the huge amount of boxes from the printers. This was the task which really tested my physical skills and my mental skills to just keep going and not to give up. But I enjoyed it because it was just me and the task at hand - I knew exactly what I was doing and what was expected of me. It’s not all physical work at the theatre, but making sure all the promotional print is displayed correctly, the theatre is always welcoming and that people’s working environments are kept tidy does require an amount of physical effort – remember, the theatre is spread over three floors! This week has taught me to never give up and I will take this into my school life to work harder and to make sure I finish all tasks on time. I have learnt to go into all tasks with a positive attitude. So all that’s left to say is thank you Darlington Hippodrome for giving me this incredible life lesson. Charlie’s Work Experience day by day Monday The first thing I did on Monday was add stickers to a leaflet. After that I was given a couple of newspapers from previous days, I was then asked to cut out anything which was connected to the events coming to Darlington Hippodrome. Later in the morning I went down to the poster cupboard were I collected three show posters as well as having already got two Darlington Hippodrome ones. These were going to be laminated and put on display in the indoor market. Downstairs was 120 boxes full of old brochures which needed to be recycled before the new brochures arrived later in the week. So I got rid of most of them with a few bits still left in the back of the cupboard. Most of the afternoon was spent in a marketing meeting talking about shows and ticket sales for future productions. Tuesday The first thing I did was start this write-up for my work experience week, and then I finished and got rid of the last 25 boxes of old brochures. For the following 2 hours I was at an archive session where I was looking through the old finances of the Civic Theatre. I had the job to scan, crop and save over 75 pages of valuable archive material. In the afternoon three of us went out to Yarm and Northallerton to distribute posters for The Great Joe Wilson show and Duet for One. Shops were given an offer if they agreed to display the posters.  Wednesday The first thing I did was start a blog report for the website - this will hopefully help with publicity and getting more young people involved with the theatre in terms of work experience. The rest of the day was spent stuffing 475 envelopes with posters and leaflets. The first 75 envelopes were to be filled with four show posters with a voucher. The remaining 400 envelopes had a smaller “The Great Joe Wilson” leaflet with a letter. That was most of my day on Wednesday at the Hippodrome. Thursday Today I have helped put up some shelving and we made the print storage area behind stage door look a lot more tidy and professional. I spent an hour or so sitting next to Nic at the Box Office learning how the Hippodrome ticket sales system works and watched and listened to Nic dealing with members of the public wanting to buy tickets or find information about shows. Friday Finished up my blog for the website and then for the rest of the day I was sorting out all the new brochures which arrived this morning. 775 boxes of brochures to be moved from stage door to various store areas around the theatre. To apply for a placement for you or your child... Visit the work experience section of our website. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/september/04/charlies-work-experience/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/september/04/charlies-work-experience/ Tue, 04 September 2018 16:20:30 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/august/07/remembering-barry-chuckle/ On Sunday 5 August 2018, we learnt that Barry Chuckle, of the legendary comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers, had passed away. Our Theatre Director, Lynda Winstanley, pays tribute. 'The Chuckle Brothers appeared here in many pantomimes beginning in 1986 when a TV duo known as the Chuckle Hounds were engaged for Jack and the Beanstalk , and most recently in The Chuckles of Oz in 2014/15. Barry, along with Paul, was hugely popular and much-loved in Darlington as he was everywhere he went. People of all ages loved them and Paul and Barry together had wonderful chemistry onstage and off. Barry was a true gentleman, unassuming, a true entertainer in the tradition of variety theatre and he will be greatly missed.' https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/august/07/remembering-barry-chuckle/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/august/07/remembering-barry-chuckle/ Tue, 07 August 2018 09:39:10 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/july/20/schools-out-august-activities-at-darlington-hippodrome/ School's out for summer! Did you know that Darlington Hippodrome's doors will remain open throughout August as we host a range of exciting activities and events for both children and adults? There'll be live music, theatre tours, craft and drama workshops, opportunities to view archive materials and an exciting Family Trail.  Click here to view the flyer  then visit our What's On pages to book. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/july/20/schools-out-august-activities-at-darlington-hippodrome/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/july/20/schools-out-august-activities-at-darlington-hippodrome/ Fri, 20 July 2018 09:11:38 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/may/09/using-an-old-pc/ From 30 April 2018, in common with all websites that handle payments, our box office provider Spektrix removed support for TLS 1.1. TLS is the encryption protocol that makes browsing the web a secure experience. Simply put, customers using very old computers or internet browsers will no longer be able to buy tickets on our website. This will affect less than 1% of our current online bookers: those who are using operating systems pre Windows 7 (Windows Vista or Windows XP) or any Internet Explorer versions pre version 9.  If you are one of those customers using a very old browser, we recommend upgrading to Internet Explorer 10 or 11 or using Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge. But, if you'd rather leave your PC as it is, then just give us a call on 01325 405405 and we'll be happy to help. Or id you're in town, why not call in and chat to our staff face-to-face? https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/may/09/using-an-old-pc/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/may/09/using-an-old-pc/ Wed, 09 May 2018 10:56:48 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/march/12/sir-ken-dodd/ Sir Ken Dodd Everyone at Darlington Hippodrome was so saddened to hear that our dear Sir Ken passed away yesterday following a recent spell in hospital with a severe chest infection. We spoke Ken just last week and heard that he was so looking forward to returning to Darlington next month – a venue he said always welcomed him so warmly. Ken was also excited to see for himself the extent of the venue’s wonderful restoration. Ken’s unique style of comedy was enjoyed by Darlington audiences for many, many years, the venue was always one of the first to be booked for every tour Ken arranged. His love of the venue was underlined by a personal letter he wrote in support of the recent restoration project. It is so sad that he never got to see or perform in the new Hippodrome. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ken’s wife Anne at this very sad time, but we will never forget the hours and hours and hours of endless joy and laughter Ken brought to Darlington over the years. Tatty bye, Ken….Tatty bye. Lynda Winstanley Theatre Director Footnote: Ken Dodd was to have played to a complete sell-out audience at Darlington Hippodrome on Sunday 8 April. We will be contacting everyone who had booked to arrange refunds. There is no need for anyone to try and contact the theatre. Image courtesy of The Guardian. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/march/12/sir-ken-dodd/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/march/12/sir-ken-dodd/ Mon, 12 March 2018 10:58:17 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/11/rehearsals-begin-for-anywhere/ "Getting back together with the community cast has been great! Many of us have kept in touch and formed close relationships since the performance of A Tale of Two Cities but it was good to see everyone in one room again with some new faces! "At first we didn’t know what to expect however, we knew it would be something different and exciting. Our rehearsals started off with a lot of ‘game play’ including a penguin game that I am really not good at! These games enable us to connect as a group and work together under pressure to achieve the same goals. "As the rehearsals developed we started to branch out into creating mini scenes and working on story building and development of characters which was really interesting as we started to get a glimpse of what the performance we were going to be involved in was going to look like. During this time we were lucky enough to take part in some really exciting workshops, my favourite was the mime workshop. Turns out I’m pretty good at ‘pretending to run’. "After Christmas we returned to find the completed storyboard of the production and we were introduced to our roles. I was super pleased to be cast as two really interesting characters and I am very excited to portray them in the performance.  Anywhere is going to be a really unique production that many people may not have experienced before and I would urge anyone and everyone to come along and get involved." https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/11/rehearsals-begin-for-anywhere/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/11/rehearsals-begin-for-anywhere/ Thu, 11 January 2018 15:08:40 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/08/liams-social-media-takeover/ On Friday 5 January 2018, Liam Mellor - otherwise known as Muddles in our panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - took over our Twitter and Instagram profiles for the day. If you missed it, don't worry - here's what he got up to! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/08/liams-social-media-takeover/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/08/liams-social-media-takeover/ Mon, 08 January 2018 14:18:54 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/05/zoe-birketts-social-media-takeover/ On Thursday 4 January 2018, Zoe Birkett - otherwise known as the wicked Queen Sadista in our panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - took over our Twitter and Instagram profiles for the day. If you missed it, don't worry - here's what she got up to! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/05/zoe-birketts-social-media-takeover/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2018/january/05/zoe-birketts-social-media-takeover/ Fri, 05 January 2018 11:16:27 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/november/15/darlington-hippodrome-re-opens-on-18-november/ Darlington Hippodrome opens its doors on Saturday 18 November. Over the last 18 months this Grade II Listed Edwardian building has undergone a £12.3 million restoration transforming it into a modern hub of theatre, creativity and learning. Darlington Hippodrome is a contemporary celebration of theatre and heritage, a place with a new name and a bright new future. Now, the team from Willmott Dixon are packing up their ladders and our new Front of House team is in place to welcome you to your new theatre. On Saturday 18 November at 10am, Darlington Hippodrome opens its doors. So come along, enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake in the Hippo Lounge café bar, explore the three new galleries, or book your tickets in the shiny new box office. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday between 10am and 6pm! But if you can't make it then, don't worry - with a stunning new season on-sale from Monday 20 November, you won't be able to stay away. Explore the website for full details of the new season as well as what's on in the galleries. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/november/15/darlington-hippodrome-re-opens-on-18-november/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/november/15/darlington-hippodrome-re-opens-on-18-november/ Wed, 15 November 2017 11:39:52 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/october/09/are-you-sitting-comfortably/ Darlington Hippodrome is celebrating the news that Able UK Ltd has awarded the theatre a grant of £200,000 to help transform the building as part of the major £12.3 million capital works.  The generous donation will fund the new heritage seats within the theatre's auditorium helping to complete the transformation of the Edwardian building in a return to its original opulence. Able UK is the market leader in the field of demolition and marine decommissioning and is now a significant land developer and port operator.  The funding has been made available through their LandTrust Community Fund which provides funding for projects ranging from repair of historical buildings to provision of leisure amenities and reclamation of disused land. Peter Stephenson, Executive Chairman of Able UK said, 'As a business owned and manager in Teesside we are naturally committed to support the ongoing development of the area that has been our base for over 50 years. It is particularly pleasing to be able to be associated with such a prestigious project and one that will provide so much entertainment, and comfort, to audiences that, just like our own customers, will be attracted from far and wide.'  The regeneration, made possible by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will restore and expand the theatre, which was originally opened in September 1907 as the New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties. Lynda Winstanley, Director of Darlington Hippodrome, said: 'We are delighted that Able UK has chosen to support Darlington Hippodrome's restoration in this way. The backing of local partners is vital in making this project a success and we are excited to see the beautiful heritage style seating within the restored auditorium'. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/october/09/are-you-sitting-comfortably/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/october/09/are-you-sitting-comfortably/ Mon, 09 October 2017 10:08:34 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/26/art-of-glass/ What better way to brighten up a rainy Monday than to spend the day creating something beautiful with coloured glass? This one-day workshop, one of several made possible by support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, was led by Gillian McGinley of Green Ginger Glass. Gill taught herself to work with stained glass twenty years ago and has forged a successful career making everything from windows for houses to gifts to sell through her own business, as well as leading workshops with children and adults.  The technique of leaded glass has been used in Britain for hundreds of years and I doubt the process has changed much in that time. Gill had left a clutch of tools at each workstation: a set square, a sort of rotating, blunt blade, and what I can only describe as a blue plastic clamp. First, you choose your pattern. I blithely selected what I later learned was the more difficult of the pair. Then, you pick your glass from a selection of colours and textures:  turquoise, scarlet, sea green, amber, deep purple… Gill explained that the paler the shade, the easier the glass is to cut, I suppose because the pigment reinforces the glass. I selected a soothing palette of blues, greens and yellows. The next step is to cut the glass. Straight lines are the easiest. Using the set square for accuracy, you lay the glass over the pattern like tracing paper and score a line from one end to the other, making sure to work on the smooth side if you’re using textured glass. It’s very important to draw the scoring tool from top to bottom (or side to side), otherwise the next stage will prove difficult. Next, you clamp the blue plastic tool over the scored line, press firmly (but not too hard) and your desired shape separates cleanly from the sheet glass.  It worked perfectly for me the first time (albeit Gill was standing beside me), and perhaps that gave my confidence a false boost, because after that, things began, quite literally, to fall apart.     After my triumph in cutting a turquoise rectangle, I moved on to a curved line. Here, you don’t have the set square to help you. You’ve got to work freehand, again tracing from the pattern beneath. The difficulty for me was applying the right amount of pressure so that the scoring tool didn’t slip. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. And I did, until my smooth sheet of glass was covered in scratches. Eventually, I made a passable attempt at a semi-circle and could attempt to cut the glass. With rounded lines, the cutting technique is more variable. You can try pressing on the scored line with your clamp, but if that doesn’t work, you can tap the underside with the blunt end of your scoring tool and the excess glass should fall away to reveal your carefully-drawn shape. And it works. Sort of. Only, the shape I was left with was less than perfect, displaying an uneven outline and jagged edges. Luckily, Gill was on hand to help me salvage it, expertly nibbling the edges with a pair of pliers until it looked just as I’d intended. I tried again. This time, my glass shattered and I was left with no shape at all. As the morning wore on, I became surrounded by mounds of broken glass which I periodically – and sheepishly – swept into a container. Gradually, the selection of new glass on the table lessened until there was hardly any left at all – and I was nowhere near finished. My carefully-chosen colour palette was discarded as I scrabbled around for offcuts in any hue at all, as long as they were big enough for the task in hand. Cue Gill, who came to the rescue, once again helping me to fashion a jumble of also-rans into passable shapes. I gained a huge sense of satisfaction from arranging the glass in the correct pattern and surveying my (and Gill’s) handiwork. But I couldn’t rest on my laurels for long. I was already lagging behind my fellow participants, who all seemed to have a knack with glass. So it was time to move straight on to the next stage: stretching the lead. This is done in pairs (although experts like Gill can do it alone) and involved pressing one end of a strip of lead firmly to the table while your partner pulls hard as if taking part in a tug-of-war.  You then cut to size by moving a sharp tool in a see-saw action. After that, Gill demonstrated how I should arrange thicker lead to frame the pattern and shape the more slender strips around each segment of glass, cutting them slightly short and at an angle so they all (in theory) fit snugly together. Leaded glass, I realised, is akin to a complicated jigsaw puzzle, and it’s at this stage that the flaws in your glass-cutting are exposed. Mine required a few tweaks from the tutor to erase gaps and shoehorn in pieces that were too large. Then, after I’d rubbed the joins with wire wool and tallow, my lead was ready to be soldered. The process being irreversible, I was a little nervous, so watched a fellow participant at work. Alan, I’d discovered, had a lot of experience in DIY, and was a dab hand with the soldering iron. For those of you – like me - who’re not, the idea is to hold the iron like a pen and melt a thin silver stick onto the joins of your lead to stick them together. I thought the solder would remain hot, but in fact it cools in seconds, so I was soon ready to do the other side.  All that was left to do was admire the finished product – flaws and all – and bask in the satisfaction of having made something with my hands. Am I a budding glass artist? I doubt it. Will I be giving up the day job to sell my work? Most certainly not.  Would I do another workshop like this? Absolutely. It was utterly absorbing, I learnt a plethora of new skills, and I came away with a newfound admiration for glaziers and glass artists which means that church windows will never look the same again. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/26/art-of-glass/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/26/art-of-glass/ Tue, 26 September 2017 11:27:45 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/22/going-for-gold/ On Tuesday 19 September I eagerly made my way over to The Bridge – Centre for Visual Arts to take part in the Illumination in Watercolour and Gold Leaf course. My route to the centre took me past the bustling Hippodrome site and seeing the words ‘New Hippodrome’ gleaming bright in the low morning sunlight foreshadowed the experience to come. This one-day course, one of several made possible by support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, was led by celebrated Durham born artist Judy Hurst. Judy uses gold leaf, glorious colour and traditional techniques to create luminescent works that draw on Celtic and Christian influences. Judy proved to be a patient, generous, and knowledgeable teacher. It was explained that we would create a small work of art that would touch on these Celtic inspired patterns and themes. Thankfully Judy had done some of the work for us and provided numerous small templates that we could quickly trace elements from to combine into a unique design. My fellow students and I set about creating our artworks whilst Judy was quizzed on her life and career. I choose a design based on the Green Man motif.  The Green Man is an ancient symbol that has been carved into wood and stone by many cultures. It’s usually depicted as a face suggested by foliage and generally represents rebirth and spring. After we had our designs down on paper another important creative decision had to be made, where would we place our gold? Judy gave us individual suggestions and using a brush we painted standard PVA glue into the areas we’d like to shimmer. Perhaps counter intuitively we then had to wait for the glue to be dry to the touch. Once dry we arrived at the exciting part, the GOLD! We were each carefully given a small sheet of beautiful 24ct gold leaf. Its delicate nature was obvious and we all instinctively held our breath in its presence. We were instructed to place the gold leaf over our glued areas and firmly press down with fingers and cotton wool. As we pulled the sheet away a rough approximation of our desired shape was left behind in gold. We then used a stiff dry brush to gently brush away the excess leaf and our designs revealed themselves. Judy eagerly retrieved all the tiny shards of gold we’d brushed off into a small jar and recounted us with tales of how gold leaf studios in centuries past would periodically burn their floorboards to recover the tiny gold particles that fell to the floor over time. It was cheaper to lay a new floor than lose the precious flakes! Finally we used paint to decorate the rest of our artworks. Overall an enjoyable and useful experience was had by all. It was fascinating to hear about Judy’s traditional processes and materials. Getting close to the gold leaf made me even more excited to re-enter the theatre and see all the gilding in the restored auditorium. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/22/going-for-gold/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/22/going-for-gold/ Fri, 22 September 2017 14:19:53 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/18/an-opportunity-for-local-talent-to-shine-at-darlington-in-the-round/ Roundabout is the world’s first pop-up, plug-and-play theatre. It flat-packs into a lorry and is popping up in Darlington’s Market Square from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 October as part of Darlington Theatre Town. On Sunday 8 October from 2pm to 4pm the Roundabout will be hosting a special event showcasing some of the talented folks of Darlington. The search is on for acts which are of the spoken word (an excerpt from a play for example) or acoustic music. Your act should last no more than ten minutes in length and be suitable for a family audience. If you are interested in being considered please send your name, contact details and a short outline of your act to nicola.craggs@darlington.gov.uk . All performers chosen for a slot on the day will be given a free family ticket to the Darlington Hippodrome pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. You must be 14 years or over to submit an application. Darlington Theatre Town is an exciting new initiative has launched in Darlington to bring ambitious and high quality theatre to the town. The project brings together the expertise of partners Creative Darlington, Darlington Hippodrome, Luxi, Theatre Hullabaloo and ODDMANOUT to cement Darlington’s place as a Theatre Town and a place where theatre thrives. The project, funded by the Arts Council and Darlington Borough Council, grew from the opportunity presented by the redevelopment of the Civic Theatre (opening as Darlington Hippodrome in November), the exciting development of Theatre Hullabaloo’s new theatre for young audiences, The Hullabaloo, and the momentum that has built over the last couple of years around theatre in unusual places by events such as the award-winning Jabberwocky Market. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/18/an-opportunity-for-local-talent-to-shine-at-darlington-in-the-round/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/18/an-opportunity-for-local-talent-to-shine-at-darlington-in-the-round/ Mon, 18 September 2017 11:28:35 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/11/wet-picnic-darlington-theatretown/ On Saturday 26 August, theatre company Wet Picnic came to Darlington as part of Darlington Theatre Town, an initiative led by partners Darlington Hippodrome, Theatre Hullabaloo, Luxi, Creative Darlington and ODDMANOUT. Hundreds of people turned out for three FREE events - The Aperitif, The Ball, and the after party.  Watch the video to see the fun unfold! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/11/wet-picnic-darlington-theatretown/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/september/11/wet-picnic-darlington-theatretown/ Mon, 11 September 2017 12:00:23 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/30/exhibition-guest-speaker-heritage-consultant-david-wilmore-of-theatresearch/ David Wilmore from Theatresearch will give a talk on the history of Darlington Hippodrome on Friday 1 September at 11am in the Crown Street Art Gallery, Crown Street Library in Darlington. David founded Theatresearch, specialist historic theatre consultants, on Christmas Day 1985 when the Tyne Theatre and Opera House suffered a major fire which severely damaged the fly tower and the theatre’s historic stage machinery. 32 years later the company is now involved in historic theatre projects around the country. During 2011, Theatresearch completed the conservation management plan for the Grade I listed Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne and the well known “Good Old Days” venue, the City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds, which was built in 1865. David’s most recent work has included being heritage team leader for the Bristol Old Vic and he is currently leading on the restoration management plan for Darlington Hippodrome. David Wilmore comes to Darlington on Friday 1 September at 11am. The talk is free but ticketed. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 405405 or book online here . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/30/exhibition-guest-speaker-heritage-consultant-david-wilmore-of-theatresearch/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/30/exhibition-guest-speaker-heritage-consultant-david-wilmore-of-theatresearch/ Wed, 30 August 2017 10:53:19 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/14/moving-forward-looking-back/ Moving Forward, Looking Back: A History of the Hippodrome is a new, free exhibition celebrating the architecture of Darlington Hippodrome. The exhibition, running at Crown Street Library until 7 September, will explore the architecture of the theatre, its external and internal features, and its succession of managers and directors and the impact they – and their times – had upon the building. You will also be able to take a sneak peek at behind-the-scenes images of the restoration. As part of the exhibition the Hippodrome will be hosting two one-hour talks in the library with guest speakers   who will share their own experiences of restoring the theatre and embracing its Edwardian heritage : David Wilmore of Theatresearch,  Friday 1 September at 11 am Sean McNicholas, on-site Operations Manager from Willmott Dixon, Wednesday 6 September at 6:30pm The talks are free but tickets are required. To book your place on either talk please contact the box office on 01325 405405 or visit the 'What's On' section of the website. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/14/moving-forward-looking-back/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/august/14/moving-forward-looking-back/ Mon, 14 August 2017 10:06:09 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/july/19/arts-award-success-for-44-darlington-pupils/ 44 Darlington pupils have been successfully moderated for three Arts Award projects, 39 students at Explore Level and five students at Bronze. The award has gone to six pupils from Marchbank Free School and 33 from Springfield Academy. All 39 children will receive a nationally recognised qualification: Trinity Entry Level Award in the Arts (Entry 3). An additional five students who have completed their Bronze Award are members of Hippodrome Youth Theatre and they will receive a nationally recognised qualification: Trinity Level 1 Award in the Arts. Arts Award provides opportunities for children and young people to develop their skills as young artists/arts leaders. The Arts Award qualification has been completed in conjunction with Darlington Hippodrome as part of our partnership schools scheme, through exploring our discovery box, attending a hard hat tour, and learning all about the heritage of Darlington Hippodrome and our founding Managing Director and performer Signor Pepi. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/july/19/arts-award-success-for-44-darlington-pupils/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/july/19/arts-award-success-for-44-darlington-pupils/ Wed, 19 July 2017 17:16:46 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/june/05/national-volunteers-week-2017/ Darlington For Culture's Volunteer Co-ordinators Heather Carter and Glenda Lynn celebrate seven years of successful volunteering and look forward to the new partnership between  Darlington for Culture and Darlington Hippodrome that will take the service into the future. "It’s National Volunteers Week and a good chance for us to celebrate seven years of successful volunteering. It seems a long time since we began in the Arts Centre days but we are now entering an exciting new phase in our service. This follows the launch of Darlington Culture Volunteers in February this year which is an amazing partnership of Darlington for Culture and Darlington Hippodrome. "We will continue to provide volunteers to support all the arts and culture events that we have done in the past but the partnership is a great opportunity to increase the scope of our volunteering opportunities. So no surprises to see Jabberwocky Market and Includefest in our 2017 programme but great to see Arts Spark, National Bookstart Week and History of the Hippodrome Exhibition as new events to support. "There are fifty Darlington Culture Volunteers with the youngest being 16 years old. Some have been with us for seven years and some joined last week. We are very lucky to have such a diverse group of people prepared to give their own time. They are all committed to supporting arts and culture to thrive in Darlington and enable new events to come to the town. Only this week, following volunteer support at a children’s writing workshop, the author and creative writer Tracey Iceton said the volunteers had all been ‘brilliant’ and due to their support the event went really well.  "So in National Volunteers Week the whole of the Darlington for Culture Committee and the Darlington Hippodrome staff join to say a massive thank you to all our volunteers for the hours they have given not only to enable events to happen but to make them very special. We hope you will continue to volunteer with us particularly as we all look forward to the opening of Darlington Hippodrome in the autumn." Heather Carter and Glenda Lynn, Volunteer Co-ordinators https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/june/05/national-volunteers-week-2017/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/june/05/national-volunteers-week-2017/ Mon, 05 June 2017 09:17:23 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/24/launching-darlington-theatre-town/ An exciting new initiative has launched in Darlington to bring ambitious and high quality theatre to the town. The project brings together the expertise of partners Creative Darlington, Darlington Hippodrome, Luxi, Theatre Hullabaloo and ODDMANOUT to cement Darlington’s place as a Theatre Town and a place where theatre thrives. The project, funded by the Arts Council and Darlington Borough Council, grew from the opportunity presented by the redevelopment of the Civic Theatre (opening as Darlington Hippodrome this autumn), the exciting development of Theatre Hullabaloo’s new theatre for young audiences, The Hullabaloo (opening this autumn), and the momentum that has built over the last couple of years around theatre in unusual places by events such as the award-winning Jabberwocky Market. Alongside the programme of theatre in the town the partners are working together to create training opportunities for the wider sector, to develop and share knowledge and data about audiences, create wraparound activity to reach audiences and build interest and excitement around the opening of Darlington Hippodrome and The Hullabaloo. Highlights of the programme will see the sensational theatre ensemble Wet Picnic perform their extravagant outdoor production The Ball to audiences in the town centre. Paines Plough will bring their temporary theatre space Roundabout to the North East for the first time. Roundabout will feature a specially curated programme of events and then for the younger audiences an immersive and sensory performance for pre-walking babies, Nest. Watch this space for more information and to keep up to date with the programme. And join us on social media using #Darlington #TheatreTown https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/24/launching-darlington-theatre-town/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/24/launching-darlington-theatre-town/ Wed, 24 May 2017 16:05:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/15/friends-of-darlington-hippodrome-gift-20-000-to-support-the-restoration-project/ The multi-million pound restoration project of Darlington Hippodrome has been given another financial boost following a donation of £20,000 from the Friends of Darlington Hippodrome which will fund the creation of a new green room. The Friends of the Hippodrome Green Room will provide a relaxing break-out space for performers and members of visiting companies. In show business, the green room is the area in a theatre that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before and after a performance, and during the show when they are not engaged on stage. The origin of the term is often ascribed to such rooms historically being painted green. Rodney Burges, Secretary of the Friends of Darlington Hippodrome said “The theatre has long had a reputation among actors as being a wonderful theatre to perform in because of the welcoming staff and Friends. We have continuously provided fresh fruit in the dressing rooms and put on regular opening night receptions for visiting companies. With the restoration providing more space behind the scenes and in particular this much needed relaxation area, the Friends were proud to make this substantial donation to the restoration fund to be sole sponsors of the green room and thereby further enhance the future reputation of the Darlington Hippodrome.” The Friends of Darlington Hippodrome is an independently run group of supporters that enjoys a whole host of benefits including discounts on tickets, advance notice of shows, priority booking and regular post show receptions with the performers. Membership is just £15 per year for individual membership or £25 for double membership. For more information or to become a Friend of Darlington Hippodrome email rodneyburges@btinternet.com The restoration of Darlington Hippodrome is still on-course to be completed by November 2017 in plenty of time for the festive pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which opens on Saturday 9 December. To book call the new box office number 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/15/friends-of-darlington-hippodrome-gift-20-000-to-support-the-restoration-project/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/may/15/friends-of-darlington-hippodrome-gift-20-000-to-support-the-restoration-project/ Mon, 15 May 2017 12:50:44 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/25/northumbrian-water-funding-to-bring-iconic-theatre-feature-to-the-public/ Darlington Hippodrome's iconic water tower will be brought into public use for the very first time thanks to funding from Northumbrian Water. As part of the regeneration of Darlington Civic Theatre – which will reopen in Autumn 2017 as Darlington Hippodrome – the theatre’s water tower will be converted into a new function room and public area, supported by the £40,000 grant that has been facilitated by the Tees Valley Community Foundation. The money comes from legacy Landfill Tax funds that have been freed up to support community causes. The newly-restored space will be named the Living Water Room, to reflect both its heritage and the support from Northumbrian Water. Previously inaccessible to the public, the 64 foot high roofed water tower forms part of the theatre’s distinctive architecture on Parkgate. It was originally used to provide high pressure water for spectacular aquatic scenes that were a popular element of music hall theatre during Edwardian times. It also operated as a safety facility, offering the opportunity to quickly dowse fires, which were historically a common danger in theatres and a reason why many such buildings were constructed close to fire stations. The regeneration, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will restore and expand the theatre, which was originally opened in September 1907 as the New Hippodrome and Palace of Varieties. It will increase the community’s ability to use and engage with the theatre, supporting the borough’s culture and arts movement. Lynda Winstanley, Director of Darlington Hippodrome, said: “We are delighted that Northumbrian Water has chosen to support the Darlington Hippodrome restoration in this way. The backing of local partners is vital in making this project a success and we are excited at the prospect of the iconic water tower becoming a fantastic public space in the new venue.” https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/25/northumbrian-water-funding-to-bring-iconic-theatre-feature-to-the-public/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/25/northumbrian-water-funding-to-bring-iconic-theatre-feature-to-the-public/ Tue, 25 April 2017 09:23:45 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/18/catherine-cookson-charitable-trust-becomes-latest-major-donor/ The fundraising team is pleased to announce another substantial donation to the restoration fund. The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, a north east based grant making organisation, has awarded the theatre £50,000 as a contribution towards the on-going restoration work. Longstanding Legacy Dame Catherine Cookson wrote over 100 books, selling more than 123 million copies. She described her books as historical novels about people and conditions she knew. She died at 91, completing her final stories from her sickbed. The trust receives royalties relating to the work of Dame Catherine Cookson and offers financial support to suitable organisations. The trust supports a wide range of activities including education and training, environment and conservation, arts and culture as well as general charitable purposes. The trust’s principal aim is to identify and meet the local needs of the area in which Dame Catherine was brought up and resided. In particular the trust supports work with young or disadvantaged people. The theatre team is delighted to be working with the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and looks forward to welcoming more trusts on-board in the coming months. If you are involved with a grant-making trust or foundation and would like to find out more about our capital restoration programme, please contact the development team on 01325 406104 or heather.walkington@darlington.gov.uk https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/18/catherine-cookson-charitable-trust-becomes-latest-major-donor/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/18/catherine-cookson-charitable-trust-becomes-latest-major-donor/ Tue, 18 April 2017 09:52:39 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/13/new-name-new-branding-for-darlingtons-theatre/ Notice something different? We've got a new website! Bookmark www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk to keep up to date with all the latest news. This new site marks the launch of our new name and new brand. And we've also got a new box office number - 01325 405405. Rolls off the tongue nicely! Theatre Director Lynda Winstanley says, 'I am thrilled to have launched the Darlington Hippodrome website as this marks the beginning of a brand new chapter in the history of our beloved theatre. With our new name, branding and website, Darlington Hippodrome has a vibrant identity of its own which will be carried through to an exciting season of productions in 2018 following our family pantomime SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.' https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/13/new-name-new-branding-for-darlingtons-theatre/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/13/new-name-new-branding-for-darlingtons-theatre/ Thu, 13 April 2017 09:30:46 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/05/the-sweet-smell-of-success/ In January, in our post Sweet Memories, we wrote about the receipts and invoices from the 1920s which had been found on the Hippodrome building site, most of them relating to a confectioner called Di Duca’s. We asked if anyone had more information on Di Duca’s, and to our surprise and delight, just a few weeks later we received emails, tweets and Facebook messages from Graham and Helen Di Duca who were researching their family history and who had stumbled across our post whilst searching the internet. At the end of March, four members of the Di Duca family came to visit us at Hippodrome HQ to look through the papers that had been found and to tell us more about their family the history of which is intertwined with that of the Hippodrome. Look out for a forthcoming article from Heritage Learning and Engagement Officer Cait Barrett, delving deeper into this fascinating story. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/05/the-sweet-smell-of-success/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/april/05/the-sweet-smell-of-success/ Wed, 05 April 2017 10:01:59 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/march/01/take-a-seat/ The Friends of Darlington Civic Theatre support their local theatre as well as enjoying a host of benefits such as advance information and priority booking, ticket discounts, and social events including meet-and-greet opportunities with the stars. Soon to be named The Friends of the Hippodrome  to reflect the theatre's return to a version of its original name, the group looks forward to continuing this relationship in the new and improved venue. In this blog post, Secretary Rodney Burges tells us why he decided to name a seat at the Hippodrome. "Over the years", writes Rodney,  "I have had the pleasure and privilege of visiting numerous theatres, some large and grand and others small and intimate. Of them all I have to say the Civic, or as we should call it by its 'new name', the Darlington Hippodrome has been my favourite because of its welcoming atmosphere engendered by the audiences that attend the shows and the thoughtfulness of all the staff. "On a number of occasions when preparing to sit down on one’s seat for the night I have noticed that some of them have names attached to the top of the backrest.  I used to assume that the attached name was for 'one of the great and the good' being remembered or honoured.  Indeed, I would muse as to what he or she had done to deserve such an accolade.  Had they been famous in the local area, been a well known thespian or provided vast sums for the benefit of the theatre?  I never really solved that mystery. "Obviously there has to be some gain for the theatre in the form of sponsorship which will go towards the costs of the refurbishment.  Although on the surface the price for a single seat (£200) and for a pair of seats (£375) is a tidy sum it is also good value.  If you sponsor a seat it is yours for fifteen years and in my case will probably see me out!  There is nothing to stop one clubbing together to remember a family member, pet or even an organisation.  Furthermore, it is a once in a lifetime occasion to be a 'pioneer' in a brand new Hippodrome and most probably never to be repeated. "I and my wife have taken the plunge and sponsored a couple of seats and because we have done it early on have got the seats we like to sit on.  There are plenty of seats waiting to be given a name so why not make a shrewd investment and have at least fifteen years of 'owning' a little bit of the Darlington Hippodrome?" Supported by renowned north east actor Stephen Tompkinson, naming a seat is a fantastic opportunity to personalise your very own seat in the beautifully restored Edwardian auditorium.  Dedicating a seat can be a very special gift or a fitting tribute to a loved one. By naming a seat you will be supporting the future of your theatre. For more information, visit the Name a Seat page on our website . https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/march/01/take-a-seat/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/march/01/take-a-seat/ Wed, 01 March 2017 09:15:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/february/22/from-civic-theatre-to-hippodrome-the-journey-continues-online-and-on-site/ You may have noticed we've changed our Twitter handle to @DarlingtonHipp and our Facebook page to www.facebook.com/darlingtonhippodrome . We'll soon be launching a brand new website, too, as we move towards re-opening the theatre under its new name. The Willmott Dixon team are also active on Twitter and even have a special account solely for our project, @DarloHippSite. But did you know you can keep up-to-date with the news from the Hippodrome site without being on Twitter? Simply see below where we've embedded their Twitter feed, including images of the latest developments.  Tweets by DarloHippSite https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/february/22/from-civic-theatre-to-hippodrome-the-journey-continues-online-and-on-site/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/february/22/from-civic-theatre-to-hippodrome-the-journey-continues-online-and-on-site/ Wed, 22 February 2017 15:07:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/27/launching-a-culture-of-volunteering/ Darlington for Culture and Darlington Hippodrome launch an exciting new venture to support and promote arts and culture in the town. With the restoration work at Darlington Civic Theatre moving towards the final stages a new volunteering partnership has been forged between the regionally renowned Theatre and the award-winning community arts organisation, Darlington for Culture, to help support and promote the arts and culture within the town. The vision for Darlington Culture Volunteers (DCV) is to be a hub for cultural volunteering in and around Darlington, building a community of people who have a vested interest in the future of the arts in the town. Building on the success of the Darlington for Culture Volunteer Service the group will support arts, music and cultural events encouraging the public to join in the activities, keeping the public informed and recording their views on the events. Members who join Darlington Culture Volunteers will learn new skills and be offered the chance to meet new people, make new friends and give back to the local community through a wide range of new and exciting projects. Volunteers will have the chance to engage with Darlington Hippodrome’s heritage and help audiences connect with its rich history. Heather Carter, volunteer co-ordinator for Darlington for Culture said: “I am truly excited about this new venture between ourselves and Darlington Hippodrome. Our current valuable volunteers will transfer to the new service and we are looking for new volunteers who can offer as little or as much time as they have available, from a long-term, regular commitment to those who can help as and when. Primarily we are looking for enthusiastic people interested in supporting the arts in and around Darlington.” Lynda Winstanley, Director of Darlington Civic Theatre said: “Darlington Culture Volunteers has evolved from the close relationship the Theatre has formed with Darlington for Culture. We are very much looking forward to launching this new venture together and to welcoming lots of new volunteers into the partnership.” Darlington Culture Volunteers will be launched at the Darlington Volunteering Fair on Thursday 2 February at Central Hall in the Dolphin Centre from 2.00pm. For more information about the scheme you can visit either www.darlingtonforculture.org or www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk , call 07775 996098 or email volunteerdarlingtonforculture@gmail.com https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/27/launching-a-culture-of-volunteering/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/27/launching-a-culture-of-volunteering/ Fri, 27 January 2017 14:37:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/23/the-latest-from-the-hippodrome-site/ The Willmott Dixon team has been hard at work over the last few weeks, stripping, demolishing, altering and constructing - and they've been tweeting all about it. If you're not on Twitter, don't despair -  you can read it here without having to log in to Twitter:  Tweets by DarloHippSite https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/23/the-latest-from-the-hippodrome-site/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/23/the-latest-from-the-hippodrome-site/ Mon, 23 January 2017 09:41:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/17/sweet-memories/ Along with a single cracked and muddy football boot and a matchbox complete with cigarette ends, the team from Willmott Dixon have uncovered several bundles of old paperwork relating to Darlington Hippodrome, some if not most or all of it dating from the mid-1920s.  The papers - invoices and receipts - detail transactions between the Hippodrome and suppliers of electricity, drinks, maintenance, and confectionery. The name which appears most frequently is Di Duca’s, recorded variously of being of Priestgate and of Parkgate, who supplied confectionery to the theatre from Cadbury's, Rowntree’s, Terry’s, Chocolat Tobler (now Toblerone), J J Fry & Sons, and Mackintosh’s, as well as companies which are less well-know these days, such as L. Wright & Son Ltd Biscuit & Cake Manufacturers of South Shields and biscuit manufacturers Peek Frean and Huntley & Palmers. It seems Messrs Di Duca & Sons also had some confectionery wrappers printed at the much-missed W M Dresser & Sons of High Row, which closed early this century. Do you remember a shop called Di Duca’s, or know someone who does? Where was it? When did it close? What are your memories of the shop? Let us know by emailing rebecca.howarth@darlington.gov.uk The newly-discovered items will be catalogued as part of the Hippodrome’s archival project, the first phase of which will commence work in February. A team of trained volunteers from The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies will start to record the Hippodrome’s vast collection of programmes and hopefully more exciting finds from the site. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/17/sweet-memories/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/17/sweet-memories/ Tue, 17 January 2017 14:08:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-awarded-15-000-in-spend-a-penny-campaign/ Your eyes aren't deceiving you - that is indeed a picture of a toilet (the accessible toilet in the Civic Theatre, to be precise). Not what you might expect to see in our blog, but the fact is it's not all glitz and glamour in the world of theatre.  Theatres Trust announced today that Darlington Civic Theatre is one of eight theatres to each have been awarded £15,000 from the Spend a Penny campaign, financed by the philanthropic CEO of Albourne Partners, Simon Ruddick. Tired of his wife’s complaints about the ladies’ loos in many theatres, this theatre-going entrepreneur decided last summer to do something, and offered the funding to Theatres Trust to make a start on the improvement of facilities for women primarily, but also gender neutral and unisex toilets. Our capital project will now include four new unisex toilets in the upper circle thanks to this timely funding. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-awarded-15-000-in-spend-a-penny-campaign/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/09/darlington-hippodrome-awarded-15-000-in-spend-a-penny-campaign/ Mon, 09 January 2017 16:24:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/06/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-productions-in-darlington/ While Dickens chose to remain on the lucrative path of a successful novelist instead of working as a less-respectable playwright, his novels have been widely adapted for the stage over the years, and we have welcomed many of these productions to Darlington. BRANSBY WILLIAMS Bransby Williams (1870-1961) was born the year Charles Dickens died and was possibly the earliest one-man Dickens performer of major importance. He became a star of the British music hall, but began his career on the legitimate stage. At the height of his career he was a top line ‘turn’ with an act that included imitations of the great thespians of the day including Henry Irving and Charles Wyndham. With a repertoire of Dickens characters, interpreted using a replica of the novelist’s reading desk, he was in great demand and sometimes performed several shows at different theatres in one night, notoriously changing costume in the cab while in transit. In the main he focussed on The Pickwick Papers , Dombey and Son , A Tale of Two Cities and 'The Signal-Man'. He appeared on stages all over Britain, broadcast on radio and television, visited the USA and made gramophone recordings. He also starred in the first Dickens sound film as the title character in Grandfather Smallweed, based on episodes from Bleak House . Various surviving accounts (including his biography published in 1954) suggest that early in his working life he was an all-purpose actor and mimic, making a living largely from work with a provincial stock company, doing musical monologues, imitations of famous actors and characters from Shakespeare and Dickens. These characters were immediately recognised by his audiences, who clearly relished his impersonations. This tells us a great deal about Dickens’ enduring place in British culture. The fact is that Dickens had entered popular consciousness, and remained there long before radio, film and television rendered his writing accessible to a mass audience. Bransby Williams appeared in Darlington at the New Hippodrome in a week-long star variety production from Monday 17 September 1934. Billed as The World Famous Character Actor, he would have performed twice nightly during the week with performances beginning at 6.40pm and 8.45pm. A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1966 In 1966 Michael Fabian Enterprises brought a tour of A Christmas Carol to the Civic Theatre which ran from 12 to 17 December, featuring Margaret Lawson as Miss Fezziwig and Peter Bennett as Scrooge. The production - and Peter Bennett in particular - was a huge hit with The Northern Echo with the reviewer stating: Scrooge himself is unforgettable, not only because of his monopoly of the stage, but because of Peter Bennett’s interpretation of the role. He was forceful, and produced the necessary harsh croak in his voice to create a miserly effect. The part was acted in all the tones of the period and his was an impressive performance. The main characters were well supported by a cast who spoke fluently and with conviction . A TALE OF TWO CITIES, 1988 A Tale of Two Cities first came to Darlington in 1988 with a joint production from the Cambridge Theatre Company and Tyne Theatre Company which ran at the Civic Theatre from 26 September to 1 October.  Steve Pratt of The Northern Echo was moved to say in his review: Directors Jane Gibson and Sue Lefton make magnificent use of music, movement, sound and lighting to convey an atmosphere of a country and people in turmoil – a device that has the added effect of seamlessly joining the necessarily short dramatic scenes conveying the narrative. The cast included a young Philip Middlemiss who went on to play Des Barnes in Coronation Street for eight years, and Pauline Black of the band Selector. Oliver!, 1993 AND 2007 Our local amateur theatre company, Darlington Operatic Society, presented a 10- night run of the Lionel Bart classic musical Oliver! - based, of course, on Oliver Twist in October 1993 and again 14 years later in April 2007. Always a hit with audiences due to the sheer number of child performers required in the piece, Oliver! was an artistic and financial success for the company on both occasions. Several of the young performers in these productions have since gone on to forge a career in the performing arts, most notably Peter McGovern who has worked extensively for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as touring in productions such as The History Boys and The Madness of George III , Jamie Heward who now studies at Urdang in London, Theo Close who attended the BRIT School and who is currently studying at Arts Ed., Stuart Thompson who attended Arts Ed. and now is a student at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Elliot Allinson – who played the lead role of Oliver - who attended and now works for the Sylvia Young Theatre School. GREAT EXPECTATIONS, 2012 Beckman Unicorn Productions brought Great Expectations to Darlington from 16 to 20 October 2012. The production, starring Jack Ellis, Chris Ellison, and Paula Wilcox, went on to be the first full-scale adaptation of the piece ever to be seen in the West End when it opened in London the following year. Again The Northern Echo was suitably impressed, with the reviewer observing: Towering, terrifying and touching, this stage adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens may be the most compelling piece of theatre Darlington audiences will see this season. Beautifully staged, wonderfully acted, this is a production not to be missed. THE SIGNALMAN, 2015 In October 2015 Middleground Theatre Company presented a thriller double bill which alongside Robert Aickman’s The Waiting Room included an adaptation of Dickens’ classic ghost story ‘The Signal-Man’, starring TV favourite Jack Shepherd. The Signalman is based on Dickens’ short story which draws on his experience of a railway disaster in Staplehurst, Kent. The Northern Echo reviewer Sue Heath wrote: The Signalman is a fully-formed, satisfying tale of the supernatural. The set that greets the audience is an eerie scene with a train tunnel complete with rails that stretch in greenish light back into profound darkness. By contrast the signalman’s room is well-lit and cosy and he is happy to share a hot drink with someone billed as the Traveller, telling him of his experiences on the railway. There’s something on his mind, though, and the sense of dread increases as he goes about his duties. Are his visions due to long hours of loneliness, or a premonition of impending disaster? The excellent Jack Shepherd takes the principal role very ably supported by Richard Walsh as the Traveller. Wonderful actors both, a pleasure to watch. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/06/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-productions-in-darlington/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/06/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-productions-in-darlington/ Fri, 06 January 2017 13:22:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/05/keep-up-to-date-with-darlohippsite/ Did you know the team at Willmott Dixon have their own Twitter account, @DarloHippSite, especially for the Civic Theatre - soon to be Hippodrome - site? The lovely people who are carrying out the building work for the restoration post frequent pictures and updates about how the work is progressing. If you're not on Twitter, don't despair -  you can read it (without having to log in to Twitter) by clicking on the following link: Tweets about @darlohippsite https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/05/keep-up-to-date-with-darlohippsite/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2017/january/05/keep-up-to-date-with-darlohippsite/ Thu, 05 January 2017 09:19:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-music-hall/ Between 1 October and 3 November 2016, Darlington Civic Theatre mounted an exhibition in Crown Street library entitled 'Dickens in Darlington'. In the second post in a series, we publish the content of the exhibition online.    One o’clock!  Parties returning from the different theatres foot it through the muddy streets; cabs, hackney-coaches, carriages, and theatre omnibuses, roll swiftly by; watermen with dim dirty lanterns in their hands, and large brass plates upon their breasts, who have been shouting and rushing about for the last two hours, retire to their watering-houses, to solace themselves with the creature comforts of pipes and purl; the half-price pit and box frequenters of the theatres throng to the different houses of refreshment; and chops, kidneys, rabbits, oysters, stout, cigars, and ‘goes’ innumerable, are served up amidst a noise and confusion of smoking, running, knife-clattering, and waiter-chattering, perfectly indescribable . The more musical portion of the play-going community betake themselves to some harmonic meeting.  As a matter of curiosity let us follow them thither for a few moments. In a lofty room of spacious dimensions, are seated some eighty or a hundred guests knocking little pewter measures on the tables, and hammering away, with the handles of their knives, as if they were so many trunk-makers.  They are applauding a glee, which has just been executed by the three ‘professional gentlemen’ at the top of the centre table, one of whom is in the chair - the little pompous man with the bald head just emerging from the collar of his green coat.  The others are seated on either side of him - the stout man with the small voice, and the thin-faced dark man in black.  The little man in the chair is a most amusing personage, - such condescending grandeur, and such a voice! Sketches by Boz , ‘Scenes’ Chapter II - ‘The Streets – Night’, 1836 UP AND DOWN THE CITY ROAD, IN AND OUT THE EAGLE: DICKENS AND MUSIC HALL In his early work, Sketches by Boz , Dickens observes the contrast between the gentility of legitimate theatre and the rowdiness of music hall. He was familiar with music hall, which developed in London in his own lifetime from the taverns and coffee houses popular with working class men. By the 1830s these taverns had rooms where there was regular musical entertainment several times a week. For the middle classes there were also song-and-supper rooms with hot food and entertainment. Dickens was a regular at one of these, the Eagle, which having been built in 1821 was one of the first and most prominent and which was immortalised not only in Sketches by Boz but also in the popular song ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’. Purpose-built halls were soon established, such as the Canterbury Hall in Lambeth, run by Charles Morton, the publican of the Canterbury Tavern. Unlike the taverns, the Canterbury Hall held 700 people who paid sixpence to get in. They sat at tables and food and drink were served throughout the show.  Proceedings were presided over by the chairman, the ‘pompous little man’ Dickens describes in Sketches by Boz .  As Dickens intimates, music halls were raucous places. In an effort to bring about an air of respectability, Charles Morton even introduced ‘Ladies’ Thursdays’ where ladies, who were not usually welcome in the audience, could accompany gentlemen. Men, however, did not necessarily take their wives, preferring the prostitutes who made themselves available there. And music hall was interactive, with audiences singing along, heckling, and shouting out to the performers.  Objects such as bottles or shoes might be thrown so sometimes waiters had to carry bottles chained to their trays, and the orchestra in their pit were protected from projectiles by a steel grill. To try to keep order there were even ‘bouncers’ dressed as policemen trying to quell the worst behaviour. Music hall songs, which became associated with particular artistes and which audiences would enjoy hearing time and time again, also dealt with the harsh realities of working class life, such as working conditions, debt and unfaithful partners. Needless to say, they were often very sentimental.  THE PEASE FAMILY VS JOHN PRICE EDWARDS At the time Dickens was frequenting the Eagle and publishing Sketches by Boz , saloons were popular in Darlington as well as in London as a destination for a good night out. One of the most enduring was in a room at the end of a yard on the north side of Blackwellgate, probably above Samuel Graves’ brewery.  Around 1840, Richard Thorn, who had been presenting theatre from a barn on Clay Row, moved into the Blackwellgate long room and reopened it as the Albert Saloon. It billed itself as ‘by working class people for working class audiences’. As well as this, itinerant players were performing in a tent near the wall of the Friends Meeting House graveyard off Skinnergate, as they had been doing since around 1768. An impresario, John Price Edwards, put on travelling stock companies, which would perform the songs of the day, such as ‘Pretty Polly Perkins’ and ‘When Johnny Came Marching Home’, as well as plays such as The Newcastle Footman and even some Shakespeare. Edwards’ unlicensed theatre, though popular, was regarded as noisy and a threat to public order. He began to fight a long-running battle with the prominent Quaker Pease family which was very much opposed to the growth of such entertainment in Darlington, with Joseph Pease stating ‘many young men have been ruined for life by theatres and many a young woman’s character has been blasted’. One way around this might have been to grant Edwards a licence: licensed theatres, unlike saloons, were not permitted to sell alcohol. Yet the teetotal Pease family opposed the granting of such a licence, using any objection they could muster. Eventually, Edwards won his hard-fought battle, but in 1856 the Pease family accused him of larceny, for making an illegal connection to his gas meter in his newly-constructed barn theatre which had replaced the tent. Although Edwards was adamant he had paid for all the gas used, he was still found guilty and sentenced to a month’s hard labour. Nevertheless, he valiantly continued to run his theatre. When he retired in 1860, his successor Thomas Wyld took up the never-ending battle for the annual renewal of the licence, with the Pease family still staunchly in opposition.  Despite this, the theatre was able to renew its licence and renamed itself as the Theatre Royal on 21 March 1861. THEATRE ROYAL, DARLINGTON More salubrious premises were soon required and plans were drawn up for a permanent theatre to be built on Buck’s Close, next to the Cocker Beck on High Northgate. The foundations for the new Theatre Royal were laid on 26 October 1864.  Despite being contained indoors, audiences at the new theatre were apparently no less rowdy, the Darlington & Stockton Times later describing them as ‘individuals of free and easy turn’ who ‘affected short pipes, hoarse cries and were far more energetic in their support of their favourite actors than the modern critical and calculating theatregoer.’ The Theatre Royal had a chequered existence. It continued to be a target for the Pease family, and with failing finances it closed in 1868 to be pulled down in 1873. But there was still a great appetite for theatre in Darlington, with pantomimes and circuses run by Frederick Allen mounted on Green Tree Fields behind Skinnergate. So the Theatre Royal was rebuilt in 1881, only to burn down two years later in a fire caused by a firework display taking place on a stage covered in sawdust: a recipe for disaster. In 1887 the Theatre Royal was reborn from the ashes and at last enjoyed a period of sustained success, paving the way for the creation of The New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties on Parkgate. FROM EAST END TO WEST, FROM PLMOUTH TO SUNDERLAND, AND FROM MUSIC HALL TO VARIETY THEATRE: THE BOOM AND CHANGE OF MUSIC HALL Following the success of early halls, there was a rapid expansion across London, until by 1875 there were 375 in greater London alone. In some, rows of seats were added, so they began to resemble the theatres we know today. And women gradually became a more accepted part of the audience, particularly in the West End of London, where by the 1880s and 1890s, the Empire and Alhambra, both on Leicester Square, the Palace on Shaftesbury Avenue, and later the Coliseum on St Martin’s Lane, all began to attract an upper-class clientele who came out in their finest clothes and jewels. By the 1860s music hall bills comprised up to 20 different acts, including singers, dancers, comedians, acrobats and a growing number of women performers. There was also a variety of animal and speciality acts, such as magicians or illusionists which Dickens would have enjoyed as he was a keen amateur conjurer. The most popular performers would take to the stage in several halls each night, crossing London in carriages. Doubtlessly, this was tiring, but worth it for the leading stars who were very well paid. Although music hall began in London, the trend for light entertainment rapidly spread across the UK with performers having the opportunity to further their careers by touring up and down the country, making use of the developing railway networks. (In Darlington – the home of the railway – ‘turns’ would arrive at Bank Top station with the fish that was to be sold at Monday market.) Many of these theatres were constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were purpose-built as Empires, Palaces and Hippodromes, some precious few of which are still standing today. Different social classes were catered for, with the working classes sitting in the gallery and segregated to the extent that they would even enter the building through a different door. The audience sat in rows, in the dark, concentrating on the performance rather than on food and drink, and while they still joined in, singing along or jeering an act they did not rate highly, they were less rowdy than in the days of the Eagle. Music hall had given birth to variety theatre.  THE NEW HIPPODROME AND PALACE THEATRE OF VARIETIES The founding managing director of Darlington’s own New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties, Signor Rino Pepi, had enjoyed a successful career in music hall as one of the world’s top proteans, or quick-change artists.  But in the 1900s, aged just 30, Pepi made one final quick-change: into a theatre manager. In 1907, with a grand civic event and a twice-nightly bill, he opened his Darlington venue, The New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties, which was to become the last surviving working theatre in an empire which over the years included Barrow-in-Furness, Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland and Shildon. Darlington Civic Theatre, as it has been known since the 1950s, closed its doors temporarily in May 2016 for a £12 million restoration and modernisation, re-opening in autumn 2017, 110 years after it was built. Empires, Alhambras, Hippodromes, Pavilions, Oxfords, Tivolis. Theatre managers did not choose these names at random. There was a pecking order, and the word picked out in lights at the front of the building reflected its size and the standard of act the manager engaged, or aspired to.  Hippodromes (from the Greek hippodromos, horse circus) specialised in equestrian and animal acts, acrobatics and pantomime.  Darlington’s Hippodrome was a classic example, right up to its water tower which was designed for aquatic acts. So the restored theatre becomes known as Darlington Hippodrome, a version of its original name. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-music-hall/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-music-hall/ Mon, 19 December 2016 13:39:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-theatre/ Between 1 October and 3 November 2016, Darlington Civic Theatre mounted an exhibition in Crown Street library entitled 'Dickens in Darlington'. In this, the first post in a series, we publish the content of the exhibition online. Dear, dear, what a place it looked, that Astley’s, with all the paint and gilding and looking-glass; the vague smells of horses suggestive of coming wonders; the curtain that hid such gorgeous mysteries; the clean white sawdust down in the circus, the company coming in and taking their places; the fiddlers looking carelessly up at them while they tuned their instruments, as if they didn’t want the play to begin, and knew it all beforehand! What a glow was that, which burst upon them all, when the music began in good earnest, with strong parts for the drums, and sweet effects for the triangles! Description of Astley’s Amphitheatre, Lambeth, London, in  The Old Curiosity Shop , serialised 1840-1841  OVERTURE Despite the hardships he endured as a child - frequently moving house, a disrupted education, and being sent to work in a boot-blacking factory at the age of 12 – Charles Dickens was lucky enough to be introduced to the theatre by his family at an early age. Both his father and his aunt Fanny shared with him their love of theatre, and a young Charles was taken to the Theatre Royal, Rochester, to see variety shows, pantomime and Shakespeare. And in 1819 and 20 when Charles was seven and eight, he travelled to London to see the great clown, Grimaldi. When, aged 15, Dickens began work as a solicitor’s clerk and later as a shorthand reporter at Doctors’ Commons – a base for lawyers practising civil law, of which a satire can be found both in Dickens’ Sketches by Boz and in his David Copperfield - he claimed to attend the theatre every night for three years, carefully studying the bills and going wherever there was the best acting. THEATRE IN DICKENS’ LONDON Just as it is today, London in Dickens’ time was full of theatres: minor theatres, melodrama houses and ‘legitimate’ theatres, which were licensed by the Lord Chamberlain to perform straight drama including the works of Shakespeare.  The unlicensed theatres, in contrast, put on a mixture of music, dance, pantomime, pageantry, acrobatics and animal performances, until in 1843 Parliament changed the licensing laws to permit all theatres to stage straight plays if their owners and managers desired. In fact, music hall, and its successor, variety, remained popular until the first decades of the 20th century. Typically, doors opened for an evening at the theatre at 6.30pm and often went on until midnight or beyond, with half price admission from 8.45pm. In the 1860s advances in artificial lighting made possible a later start time. Even in legitimate theatre, actors had to be multi-skilled at acting, acrobatics and playing a variety of musical instruments. Some actors also specialised in character roles which could easily be adapted to similar roles in the repertoire of stock companies. THEATRE'S LOSS, LITERATURE'S GAIN In 1832, when he was 19 or 20, Dickens asked Robert Keeley, a popular comedian, to coach him for a possible career as an actor. His sister Fanny, who was training as a classical musician at the Royal Academy, also helped him rehearse, accompanying his songs on the piano.  Once he felt ready he wrote for an audition to George Bartley, a comic actor who was the stage manager at Covent Garden Theatre. On the day of the audition, however, Dickens succumbed to one of the heavy colds he was plagued by, and was forced to cancel. He never tried again. This turned out to be to the benefit of generations of readers. Although he gave up his dreams of becoming an actor he never lost his love of theatre and devoted much of his considerable energy to amateur theatricals and dramatic public readings. And of course theatre found its way into his novels, for example in The Old Curiosity Shop , where its gilded splendour is evocatively depicted, and in Nicholas Nickleby where the protagonist joins an acting company led by Vincent Crummles, based on a real-life theatrical manager called TD Davenport. Nicholas, and his friend Smike, take to the boards, with Smike tentatively tackling the role of the apothecary to Nicholas’s own Romeo. Nicholas, however, soon renounces the stage to make his living as a writer, albeit of accounts in a warehouse: it is tempting for a reader to relate this back to the author’s life. A GIFTED AMATEUR The year after his missed audition, at his family’s lodgings at 18 Bentinck Street, Dickens set about putting on performances with himself as actor, singer, writer, stage manager, set designer and builder, and accordionist. His friends helped to paint the scenery, and rehearsals took place on Wednesdays for weeks on end. As was the custom there were three pieces performed: Clari, or The Maid of Milan , The Married Bachelor and Amateurs and Actors . In 1845, by which time he had achieved considerable success as a writer, Dickens progressed to putting on the work of playwright Ben Jonson, mounting Every Man in his Humour with the help of his friend John Forster, his brothers Fred and Augustus, his publisher Frederick Evans, various Punch contributors and a professional actress, Julia Fortescue. A retired actress, Miss Fanny Kelly, let them use her little theatre and there was a full house for performances on 20 September with Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the Duke of Devonshire in the audience.  Two more performances were put on in November, with all proceeds going to charity. Dickens continued to mount regular theatrical performances for the next 12 years, and he was acclaimed for his acting.  In 1851 he gave a Royal Command Performance of Not So Bad as We Seem at the home of the Duke of Devonshire. Queen Victoria, who made up part of the exclusive audience, described the play as ‘full of cleverness, though rather too long’ and found Dickens’ acting ‘admirable’. WILKIE COLLINS, NELLY TERNAN AND THE FROZEN DEEP   It was a production, with his friend, Wilkie Collins, of The Frozen Deep which in 1857 was to change the course of Dickens’ life. A collaboration between the two writers, The Frozen Deep was planned at Tavistock House for Charles’ son Charley’s 20th birthday in January 1857. Dickens took the leading role, growing his beard especially for it.  His performance as the tragic hero, Richard Wardour, was widely praised and he went on to base the character of Sidney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities on Wardour. His life took a dramatic turn when he was persuaded to stage the play professionally at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall in order to raise money for the widow of an old friend, Douglas Jerrold. The venue seated 4,000 people and it became clear that Dickens would need to engage professional actresses for the female roles. He employed Mrs Frances Ternan and two of her daughters, Maria and the 18-year-old Ellen.  Dickens, who was 45, became very close to Ellen, known as Nelly, and rumours about their relationship were rife.  Shortly afterwards he separated from his wife Catherine, with whom he had become increasingly disenchanted, causing widespread scandal and dividing public opinion. His relationship with Nelly continued until his death in 1870 and he caused yet more controversy by leaving her £1,000 in his will. DICKENS' STORIES ON-STAGE Although Dickens had a deep love of the theatre, playwrights were not held in high esteem, as theatre in general was not regarded as a respectable profession. They were also badly remunerated, so while he made some early forays into the genre with plays such as The Strange Gentlemen , The Village Coquettes and Is She His Wife? and could have been an accomplished playwright, Dickens chose to continue making his living as a highly-paid novelist, albeit one whose characters were larger-than-life and who gave dramatic readings of his own work. Nevertheless, theatres enthusiastically dramatised his work as soon as each monthly instalment was published.  The author made a special arrangement for his Christmas books so they could simultaneously appear in print and be adapted for the stage of the Adelphi or Lyceum theatres.  He himself worked with the dramaturges and the companies in rehearsal.   But sometimes, Dickens’ work was dramatised without his consent, and he was far from happy if an adaptation completed the story for the stage before he had even published the final instalment. CURTAIN DOWN In the final months of his life Dickens told a friend that his most cherished dream was: to settle down now for the rest of my life within easy reach of a great theatre, in the direction of which I should hold supreme authority.  It should be a house, of course, having a skilled and noble company, and one in every way magnificently appointed. The pieces acted should be dealt with according to my pleasure, and touched up here and there in obedience to my own judgment; the players as well as the plays being absolutely under my command.  There, that’s my daydream! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-theatre/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/december/19/dickens-in-darlington-dickens-theatre/ Mon, 19 December 2016 10:10:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/29/givingtuesday/ Today has been dubbed #GivingTuesday  - the antidote to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  We still have 1.6 million to raise towards the restoration of the theatre. Every penny of your donation will go directly to the restoration of your theatre, taking it forward into the next chapter of its incredible, enduring story. You can make a donation of any size to the Darlington Civic Theatre Foundation online. All proceeds to go directly to the Civic Theatre’s restoration fund. Darlington Civic Theatre Foundation, Registered Charity Number 147625 Gift Aid – If you are a UK tax payer and eligible to claim Gift Aid please email  heather.walkington@darlington.gov.uk  or phone  01325 406104 to let us know. Gift Aid will boost our fundraising total as it will enable us to claim 25% back in tax. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/29/givingtuesday/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/29/givingtuesday/ Tue, 29 November 2016 10:56:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/08/mob-instinct/ Tony Winward is part of the A Tale of Two Cities  ensemble, playing a member of the Jury, Mob, a Victim and the Priest in Darlington Civic Theatre's production. After studying the BA (Hons) Performance & Events Production course at Teesside University, Tony graduated in 2015 with Second Class Honours (1st Division). He has also been part of numerous short films including productions by Winward Studios which is run by his film-making brother Andy Winward. For A Tale of Two Cities , Tony attended the second audition that was held in August 2016 which he thoroughly enjoyed as it was the first time he had taken part in a theatre workshop since his time at university. He also enjoyed meeting local actors from across the Darlington area, and felt very privileged meeting the very talented director Eduard Lewis in his audition. After being cast as part of the ensemble a week later, he began rehearsing the show in September and has since made many friends from the cast members, with whom he enjoys working in rehearsals. He describes the three directors in the show ( Eduard Lewis , Katy Weir and Kane Husbands ) as ''very inspiring' and says, "it's an honour to work with such talented and inspirational directors like them. And of course working with cast members who are equally as talented in such an amazing show as A Tale of Two Cities'.  He hopes to continue a career in theatre after A Tale of Two Citie s and hopes to work with many of the cast members in the near future. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/08/mob-instinct/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/08/mob-instinct/ Tue, 08 November 2016 09:55:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/02/the-best-of-times/ Graham R. Rispin, who plays  Stryver, Defarge, Gabelle, and French Aristocrat 2, tells us about his experience on  A Tale of Two Cities so far... Graham is from Bishop Auckland and studied with BATH (Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans). He has been a vocalist in a number of sci-fi punk bands and also performed in Kynren - An Epic Tale of England which led to him being cast in A Tale of Two Cities . He has enjoyed the rehearsal process, which has been a huge learning curve and which has rekindled his passion for theatre. Playing four characters has been a challenge, especially as Graham works shifts, including nights. But he’s enjoyed rehearsals so much he has decided sleep is for the weak. Vive la révolution! When I auditioned for A Tale of Two Cities I didn’t really know what to expect. I studied drama as a youth so I was somewhat prepared for the audition process which was a lot of fun and brought back a few memories. Even though I was performing in the night spectacle Kynren in front of nearly 8000 people per show I was still very nervous. I really wasn’t expecting to be offered the roles I have been offered, which left me somewhat taken aback when I first got the script. The first two weeks of rehearsals were spent with Katy and Kane . We played a plethora of games that included tongue twisters, word games, ball games, running with our eyes shut and pretending to be animals with ulterior motives - it was lots of fun. I feel those first weeks were the most important part of the rehearsal process so far as it helped the cast as a whole to bond and start to get to know each other in preparation for working with each other in the coming weeks. After the first two weeks we were split into two groups, the acting company and the ensemble, and we were put to the task of running the scenes and transitions working for the first time with director Ed . The first thing the acting company did was read through and run scene one, the first trial of Charles Darnay in the Old Bailey. We were put through our paces and honestly I struggled on the first run through however once Ed got some of the acting company in on the action playing the parts the ensemble play heckling the witnesses I found my feet with the character Stryver, because of this it really hit home with me how important the ensemble are in this production: their interactions and transitions bring the scenes to life and drive the whole play. After a few weeks of rehearsal, Ed left us in the hands of Katy , who has diligently run us through our scenes week by week over the last month, helping us to further understand our characters' relationships within the story and running us through the play, integrating the transitions between scenes performed by the ensemble. We are now in Central Hall in the Dolphin Centre which is an amazing space I had never seen before. Being in the space for the first time was great. We are in our final few weeks running up to the shows and needless to say I think we are all abuzz with nervous excitement. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/02/the-best-of-times/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/november/02/the-best-of-times/ Wed, 02 November 2016 09:46:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/26/all-together-now/ Since the beginning of September, Millie Hall has been rehearsing as part of the Ensemble for our community production of A Tale of Two Cities, which takes place on 19 and 20 November at Central Hall. She tells us about her experience so far.    "I first heard about A Tale Of Two Cities , when my friend pointed out the poster and persuaded me to audition. I was really nervous but the auditions were great fun and I was over the moon to be chosen for the ensemble. "When rehearsals began, I immediately fell in love with the people involved and the play- I just knew it was going to be brilliant. At first, we played games and got to know each other, doing small activities to try remember all the new names. In the ensemble, we discussed how important it was that we worked together in order to carry the show along as one, this was definitely true, as rehearsals have progressed the bond between us has improved and so has the work we have produced. The rehearsals where everyone is called are the best, it's there that we begin to see everything coming together. "I feel so glad my friends pushed me to audition, so privileged to be involved and so excited for what's to come!" See  A Tale of Two Cities  at Central Hall, Dolphin Centre, on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/26/all-together-now/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/26/all-together-now/ Wed, 26 October 2016 11:39:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/17/chantelles-work-experience/ Last week Chantelle Woodley, a student at Darlington College, carried out a work experience placement at Hippodrome HQ. She tells all us about her experience.  Due to already having an interest in marketing, and knowing that it is what I wish to study at university I was delighted when receiving the news I had been given the opportunity to gain work experience with the marketing team at Darlington Civic Theatre. Fortunately I was given all required information before-hand so I knew exactly where I was going, when and what I would be doing during my time with them. On the first day I was excited, however it’s always a bit nerve-wracking meeting new people, thankfully I was greeted by a warm, welcoming team who made me feel extremely comfortable. After being introduced to each member of staff I was given the task of reading through and signing agreements to the employee health and safety regulations. After that I was given a pack of press releases for A Tale of Two Cities to read through to help me gain an understanding of the play and how it has already been promoted. I was then asked to consider the potential audience for the show and what would be the best way to engage with different types of potential audience groups, I then discussed with Julian, one of the marketing officers, what I think. Lastly, I was shown the venue where the production will be held and the current Dickens exhibition in the library. On the second day I was given the task of manning an information table in the Dolphin Centre from 10am to 1pm, giving out information about A Tale of Two Citie s and encouraging people to enter a free prize draw for tickets. Although not too many people came to the desk, it is a task I rather enjoyed as it was practical and allowed me to engage with people. After lunch, Julian and I went to local venues, such as the Premier Inn Hotel, another two local hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and bakeries, to ask them if they could up posters and/or display leaflets for their customers to see or take away. We also asked the three hotels if they would consider placing a special two-for-one ticket voucher in each of their rooms. Overall it was a mainly positive response, most venues accepted our requests. Then, while at home, I designed the hotel two-for-one vouchers, to print off the following day. On my final day I came in and showed Julian the voucher I designed for him to print off. Then I was asked if I could consider what would be the best ways to promote A Tale of Two Cities to Darlington College students, as I am currently a student there. I came up with as many appropriate ways of promoting in the college and discussed them with Julian before requesting to the college if the promotion ideas would be possible – such as sharing on their social media platforms, on the plasma screens in the College foyer and utilising the College radio station. While waiting for a response from the College I was given the task of writing a press release, similar to the ones I looked at on the first day, but writing it in a way that would appeal to college students. I enjoyed this task as along with marketing, I have long been keen on journalism and generally just writing too. My last task was to design a poster for the writing competition ‘A Tale in 500 Words’, for Theatre Cloud, I again enjoyed this task as it gave me the chance to be creative and explore my ICT skills. Overall I am very grateful for the enjoyable and educational opportunity of working with Darlington Civic Theatre, it gave me a good insight into the day to day tasks and jobs of a real marketing team. I would advise other students to definitely take the chance, if offered, to work with Darlington Civic Theatre, as it really helped me decide that marketing is what I want to pursue as a future career and study at university next year. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/17/chantelles-work-experience/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/17/chantelles-work-experience/ Mon, 17 October 2016 11:00:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/10/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-movement-director-kane-husbands/ Introducing Kane Husbands, associate director of our community production of A Tale of Two Cities, which takes place in November at Central Hall, Darlington, where Charles Dickens himself read in 1858. Kane Husbands is a theatre director specialising in movement, physical theatre and choreography. He has his own company The Pappy Show, and is an associate for National Youth Theatre and Squint Theatre. He is currently a part of Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and Re:Bourne, 2016/17 Overture cohort. In 2012 and 2014, Kane choreographed the London Olympic, Paralympic and Glasgow Commonwealth Team Welcoming Ceremonies. Kane has choreographed dance-theatre pieces that have toured China, directed mass-ensemble site-specific performances and developed regional community theatre performances. Kane has worked with the National Theatre, Old Vic New Voices, MAC Birmingham, Sheffield Crucible, SCOOP Outdoor Theatre, Rose Bruford College, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, National Youth Theatre, King Abdulaziz Centre  for World Culture, National Theatre Scotland, Tricycle Theatre and others. Kane is thrilled to be working with the Darlington Civic Theatre on this Community Retelling of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities , of which he says:  I guess I was excited to work on A Tale of Two Cities  for a number of reasons. I haven’t worked that much in the North-East before so I was really curious to spend some time in this part of the UK, and because of the fact this is a community piece spanning a couple of months, I felt I'd really get to know Darlington and the people. The story is an absolute classic, and comments a lot on our current times and the extremes we see in everyday society; the gap between the rich and poor, themes of love and heartbreak, life and death, betrayal, and sacrifice are all thrown in there. I was excited by the epic scale of the piece and I knew an ensemble would really have their work cut out for them in a performance of the scale. In this sense the challenge excites me. Finally, the team show absolute promise. I hadn’t worked with many people who are on board and I knew this would be a really great opportunity for me to work with a whole heap of fantastic and talented people. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/10/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-movement-director-kane-husbands/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/october/10/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-movement-director-kane-husbands/ Mon, 10 October 2016 16:08:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/26/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-associate-director-katy-weir/ Introducing Katy Weir, associate director of our community production of A Tale of Two Cities, which takes place in November at Central Hall, Darlington, where Charles Dickens himself read in 1858.  Katy is Joint Artistic Director of Darlington-based Odd Man Out . She has been an associate director with the National Youth Theatre for eight years. She also works closely with the Shakespeare Schools Festival, Barnstorm Theatre and Odd Arts (Criminal Justice System). Recent directing credits include The Duke in the Cupboard (The Customs House) Mike Kenny's The Messenger (research & development, Barnstorm Theatre) and From There To You, From Here To Me (Northern Stage, Odd Man Out). Katy has recently been in South Africa directing at The Market Lab, part of The Market Theatre's drama programme. She has also been commissioned by Barnstorm Theatre to make a new piece of work to tour nationally in 2017. In July 2016 she was part of the Assitej On The Edge:Next Generation programme, supporting future theatremakers for young people's work on a world stage. Born in Carlisle, Katy grew up in Durham and studied with the Northumberland Theatre Company in Alnwick. Now based in Durham, she is 'so excited to work on a project based in the North-East', adding: Cultural engagement is so important and to work with such a great creative company is an exciting project for the next two months. I think this is such a brilliant novel and the play really captures the essence of Dickens' writing. We are living in a time in which people do seem to want to speak up, young people want to decide their future, and all of this parallels with the story. See A Tale of Two Cities on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/26/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-associate-director-katy-weir/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/26/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-associate-director-katy-weir/ Mon, 26 September 2016 10:09:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/21/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-director-eduard-lewis/ Introducing Eduard Lewis (top left on the photo above), the director of our community production of A Tale of Two Cities , which takes place in November at Central Hall, Darlington, where Charles Dickens himself read in 1858. Eduard was Resident Assistant Director at the Royal Exchange in 2013 and trained on the MFA for Theatre Directing at Birkbeck University (2011-2013).This year he has been long listed for the Old Vic 12 and the inaugural RTST Director’s Award. Directing credits include Maggie and Pierre (Finborough Theatre) Reap (Playwrought - Arcola) Caught (Pleasance Theatre) A Tale of Two Cities (BRIT Programme) Pick One (Theatre Uncut) Bruntwood Prize Ceremony, Crap Dad Island (Royal Exchange Theatre) Daisy Cutter (Warwick Arts Centre Studio). Associate/assistant directed The Lorax (Old Vic) King John , Much Ado About Nothing , A Midsummer Night's Dream , Holy Warriors (Shakespeare’s Globe),  A Tale of Two Cities (Royal & Derngate), Talk Show (Royal Court), Brilliant Adventures , Cannibals , To Kill a Mockingbird , Orpheus Descending , Accrington Pals (Royal Exchange Theatre).   Eduard arrived in Darlington at the beginning of September to lead the cast in an intensive rehearsal process. Along with associate director Katy Weir, movement director Kane Husbands, and designer Sarah Booth, he will be bringing to the unique setting of Central Hall Dickens' story which is as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1859. He says: Dickens masterfully sets a love triangle to the backdrop of the most bloody revolution of his era, the French Revolution. He says in the opening of the novel that ‘the times were so like our own as to be almost indistinguishable from them’ and looking to Syria, Turkey and even the Black Lives Matter movement in America we can see that this is truer now than it ever has been. Revolution is a part of the fabric of human society, when we see injustice in the world people rise up and stand against it. Mike Poulton’s exceptional adaptation takes the core dramatic elements of Dickens’ novel and condenses it into an action packed two-act play. I could not be happier to be bringing this epic story to the unique setting of the Central Hall and to have the privilege of making it with the people of Darlington, for the people of Darlington. It’s a process that Dickens himself, a great lover of the theatre, would be proud of. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/21/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-director-eduard-lewis/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/21/spotlight-ona-tale-of-two-cities-director-eduard-lewis/ Wed, 21 September 2016 15:22:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/20/a-tale-of-two-cities-set-for-success/ The extravagant set and costume designs for a community cast production of the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities were revealed at a meeting held at Hummersknott Academy in Darlington on Monday 19 September. Twenty local volunteers who answered the call to become involved in the production of costumes were presented with detailed sketches and ideas by professional theatre designer Sarah Jane Booth who explained her vision for one of Dickens’ most famous stories. Sarah also revealed her set design model to the thirty-strong community cast along with the production’s director, Eduard Lewis. The multi-layered set will encompass the entire floor-space of Central Hall in the Dolphin Centre, Darlington, and is designed to transport the audience through the story jumping between London and Paris during the French Revolution. Community cast member Laura Morrison said “The set design is absolutely amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s made me even more excited about being in the production, and I can’t wait to get my fabulous costume.” https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/20/a-tale-of-two-cities-set-for-success/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/20/a-tale-of-two-cities-set-for-success/ Tue, 20 September 2016 12:49:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/13/volunteers-required-for-costume-making/ Handy with a needle and thread? Have a few hours to spare? We are looking for volunteers to assist with the creation of costumes for the forthcoming community production of A Tale of Two Cities , which will be performed in the Dolphin Centre’s Central Hall in November. We are looking for those with sewing skills of all levels and or knitting skills. The work will involve making period garments and altering contemporary clothes. Making will include full-length skirts, bustles, waistcoats, cockades, as well as dirtying down costumes and carrying out alterations of garments to fit our cast. All volunteers will work alongside an experienced wardrobe supervisor during the sessions. Anyone interested should email lyndsey.middleton@darlington.gov.uk or call her on 01325 405510. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/13/volunteers-required-for-costume-making/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/september/13/volunteers-required-for-costume-making/ Tue, 13 September 2016 14:39:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/26/scaffolding-our-future/ On Tuesday last week, the Civic Theatre team (now based at Hippodrome HQ on the Horsemarket) was lucky enough to be given a tour of the Hippodrome site by Sean McNicholas, Operations Manager for Willmott Dixon. The construction company are also running these tours for members of the public. Indeed the first tours proved so popular they were fully booked within a week – so watch this space for news of more! Arriving at the site office, we are all issued with boots (mine were on the roomy side; if you have small feet, bring thick socks!), hi-vis jackets, gloves, and helmets. So far, so fetching, but essential when we are going to be show around a working building site, so we all don our outfits willingly. I do, though, make the mistake of putting on my gloves back-to-front, a schoolgirl error that our Director of Fundraising and Development points out in whispered tones so as not to embarrass me in front of the seasoned building site stalwarts from Willmott Dixon (or indeed any of the more practical-minded of our own theatre staff). First, we’re shown into the outside space between the Hullaballoon and Hippodrome sites – what was the courtyard and the Civic Theatre’s conservatory bar, which has been knocked down. It feels huge and it’s thrilling to imagine what it’s going to become. On the other hand, without the red plush seats, the stalls feels smaller, and it takes all our imagination to conjure up a vision of what it used to be like, let alone how it’s going to look when it’s finished. Then we go through the function room and along the dressing room corridor, stopping in number five -  Signor Pepi’s flat - to pay our respects. For the last eighteen months before the theatre closed for refurbishment, Pepi’s ghost shared this room with the marketing and audience development staff, and I find myself squatting in the place where my old desk and chair used to be. After that, we visit what until recently were the quarters for the rest of the theatre’s office staff. The roof has been removed and all the walls have been pulled down. The hot sun beating down on our hard hats, everyone marvels at this bare, open space where there used to be offices, desks, photocopiers, toilets. When the theatre re-opens this will be a glass atrium where the audience will enter the building and be able to access all floors by stairs or lift. After that, we proceed to Pepi’s Bar. Instead of being a place for audience members to sip wine and beer before the show and during the interval, this large space is going to be a dedicated education centre. But rest assured the theatre won’t run dry: other spaces are set to become bars. We end the tour on the scaffolded stage, looking out into the shell of the auditorium. Following in the footsteps of Anna Pavlova, Tommy Cooper, Dame Vera Lynn, Sarah Millican and so many other performers who have graced our stage during its history, it’s fascinating to imagine what they would think about what we are seeing now. The gilded plasterwork is covered with protective board and the orchestra pit has filled with an inch or so of water. The auditorium looks small and bare. With a final glance it’s time to say a silent farewell and move on. We can’t believe how quickly the work had progressed so far. Our beautiful theatre has been stripped right back to its Edwardian timbers. But we don’t feel sad to see it like that. The feeling is of excitement, as we began to imagine it full of people of all ages from all over the region: watching shows, drinking coffee, participating in workshops, and enjoying the theatre for another century and more. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/26/scaffolding-our-future/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/26/scaffolding-our-future/ Fri, 26 August 2016 13:40:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/01/and-now-for-something-completely-different/ When DarlingtonOS first heard the news that Darlington Civic Theatre - the performance venue we call home - was likely to be out of action for up to seventeen months it was not a case of alarm bells ringing, more an opportunity to look at different options in terms of shows and venue. No idea was discarded - not even the thought of presenting Barnum, the circus musical, inside a real circus big top in South Park!   Every conceivable performance venue was taken into consideration with visits to schools and colleges in and around Darlington. Few proved to tick all the boxes required to meet our needs in terms of production values as well as the public facing element of putting on a show. Add to that the financial costs against the projected income and the shortlist became.... well, very short.   Determined to ensure that DarlingtonOS would still present shows during the exciting restoration period a new venue was found just a short distance out of town - the Princess Alexandra Auditorium.   The Princess Alexandra Auditorium is a stunning 750 seat performance venue situated on the banks of the river Tees in the grounds of Yarm School. Completed in 2012, the new theatre space looks not unlike the Sydney Opera House with a double height entrance foyer maximising the views over the river.   So, once the venue had been chosen, what shows would we offer? Again compromises had to be made. While the facilities for audiences at the new venue are top class there are limited backstage facilities - there is no scope to fly and scenery, there is little wing space and the dressing room areas are underneath the stage. All of these factors (and more) had to be taken into consideration when choosing potential shows.   While the overall costs are still high - we are looking at a total show budget at Yarm to be in the region of £65,000 - the break-even point in terms of ticket sales is slightly lower than the norm, so we were able to look at shows which may not be as well known to north east audiences, shows where we could potentially create a simple set ourselves and also produce our own costumes to help keep costs to a minimum.   So, our first venture out of the Civic Theatre will be Spamalot - the hilarious musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the classic film Monty Python and The Holy Grail. A set has been designed and is currently under construction, our talented costume team are hard at work creating a set of costumes based on the West End designs and a talented cast of performers is having an absolutely side-splitting time at rehearsals to ensure this laugh-out-loud musical comedy reaches the dizzy heights expected of our audiences.   We hope that the loyal followers of DarlingtonOS will travel the short distance to support us in Yarm. We can assure you a fabulous night out at the theatre and we look forward to welcoming you to our temporary home.   For full details about Spamalot please visit www.darlingtonos.org.uk https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/01/and-now-for-something-completely-different/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/august/01/and-now-for-something-completely-different/ Mon, 01 August 2016 11:07:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/27/take-a-hippodrome-hard-hat-tour-this-summer/ Contractors Willmott Dixon are holding hard hat tours where you can see the progress of the development, including the heritage restoration works. The first tour dates are: 19 August 16 September 14 October The tours will start at 1pm and 2.30pm on each day and last approximately 1 hour. Minimum age 16. Places on the tours are limited and booking is essential; contact  clair.dolan@willmottdixon.co.uk https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/27/take-a-hippodrome-hard-hat-tour-this-summer/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/27/take-a-hippodrome-hard-hat-tour-this-summer/ Wed, 27 July 2016 15:16:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/19/a-tale-of-two-cities-auditions/ It's not too late to audition for A Tale Of Two Cities, says Katy Weir, Associate Director On Sunday the creative team for Darlington Civic's A Tale of Two Cities were waiting in anticipation at The Quaker Meeting House to meet our first cohort of auditionees. At midday an array of bright and enthusiastic people of all ages turned up to audition for a part in this Darlington Civic community production.  After introductions, the group did a movement workshop with acclaimed movement director Kane Husbands, the group created some exceptional work and enjoyed working in such different ways. There was a lot of laughter in the room and it meant for a promising afternoon. In the afternoon, we split the participants into groups and worked on various scenes with them. They worked together in groups and then when they came into the audition panel, Director Ed Lewis, Associate Katy Weir, and Movement Director Kane Husbands. The wealth of talent in the room was fantastic and I am so excited that people in Darlington are embracing this opportunity to work on such a brilliant show and receive a great actor training in the process. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/19/a-tale-of-two-cities-auditions/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/july/19/a-tale-of-two-cities-auditions/ Tue, 19 July 2016 11:10:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/16/civic-theatre-fundraising-boost/ May has been a fantastic month for The Darlington Civic Theatre Foundation (the Theatre’s charitable fund).  The team has been celebrating being awarded two major financial grants. In early May The Gillian Dickinson Trust pledged £50,000 towards the capital costs, with funds being used to create a dedicated learning space for young people at the restored Darlington Hippodrome.  Gillian Mary Dickinson had a passion for the arts, the sector in which she worked for the majority of her life. The Gillian Dickinson Trust offers grants to small registered charities in Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear. The Trust aims to promote creativity in young people and to help those affected by deprivation whether through disability, illness or circumstance. Funding is intended to support projects that promote excellence primarily through the promotion of creativity, particularly in the young and disadvantaged. James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive of the Trust, says, 'the Trustees of the Gillian Dickinson Trust are delighted to support this major project to restore and develop the Darlington Hippodrome which will so inspire and benefit future generations.  This is such an iconic cultural centre right in the heart of Darlington and we look forward to seeing young people benefit in so many ways from all that will be achieved.' We have also been celebrating the news that The Garfield Weston Foundation has pledged £100,000 to the capital costs.  The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making trust which has been supporting charities across the UK for over 50 years.  From small community groups to large national institutions, its aim is to support organisations that have effective solutions to helping those most in need. The Foundation supports a broad range of organisations and activities that share a commitment to making a positive impact to the lives of the communities in which it works, communities which are driven by a desire to achieve excellence. The Theatre team is delighted to be working with the two trusts and looks forward to welcoming more on-board in the coming months. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/16/civic-theatre-fundraising-boost/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/16/civic-theatre-fundraising-boost/ Thu, 16 June 2016 10:35:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/10/live-at-the-hippodrome-my-view-from-the-wings-and-beyond/ Tuesday 31 May 2016 saw the curtain fall on Darlington Civic Theatre. Rest assured the theatre will re-open in autumn 2017 as Darlington Hippodrome, the name reverting to a version of our original name as a nod to our roots as a variety theatre. Indeed, when the curtain was lowered by our fly-man Nick, with a show of considerable strength he was able to fix it so that the plush hem stopped short of touching the stage: a theatrical tradition passed down to us from former director Peter Tod. The curtain will rise again. The gala had been planned by the minute. The whole team had pulled together to make it happen, performers from near and far had lent their talents, and loyal audiences had flocked to visit their theatre one final time before its restoration. But best laid plans often go astray… Northern Echo journalist and local historian Chris Lloyd had agreed to give a version of his talk, Of Fish and Actors, focussing on Anna Pavlova and Signor Rino Pepi (for more on this, read this previous blog post ). I had sourced him a Pavlova – a talented student from The Tiffany School of Dance. Their slot was early in the first half of the evening. Both are seasoned performers, but still, nerves jangled. I tried my best to offer reassurances, safe in the knowledge that they would both be wonderful; that I could watch the magic unfold from the safety of the wings and share vicariously in their tour de force.     The appointed time arrived. Through the tannoy, we heard the wonderful comedy magician Matt Edwards – Buttons in our 2016/2017 pantomime – sing a song ‘Tequila’ which he had told me signalled that the end of his act was near. After that, there was only one act keeping Pavlova and Chris from the stage. We made our way to the wings, trying to assume an air of calm and professionalism to suit the hushed atmosphere awaiting us. Six minutes to spare. In a dark corner, Christopher Biggins sat on a stool, sparkling in his sequinned suit, watching intently as our ArtsSpark Youth Dance performed their moving piece ‘Chaplin’. Five minutes to spare. Then my state of tranquillity – already tenuous; put on like a costume – was put under threat. A colleague was at my shoulder. There was salt, she told me, on the stage. I must have misheard her. ‘Salt?’ It turned out that the lovely Matt had performed a magic trick involving salt. A lot of salt. Which was now all over the stage, little mounds of it glowing white in the darkness and being spread still further, kicked and tramped as the tenacious dancers moved across the floor. Our ArtsSpark dancers, barefoot, were coping admirably with this unexpected turn of events. But our Pavlova, gliding in her pointe shoes, would not fare so well. In my mind’s eye I could see her, skidding across the stage to land in the lap of someone in the front row of the stalls. Abandoning my aura of calm, I ran to the cleaners’ cupboard. But the brushes and pans had been packed away ready for the next day’s move. There was a dustpan and brush, I knew, under the sink in the staff kitchen. But I also knew that the door would be locked, and that I couldn’t remember the code. So, parting the crowd of DarlingtonOS singers which had spilled out into the corridor, I hurried to our office in dressing room five, where I had the magic numbers written down. How many minutes left? Four? Three? Then back down the corridor, past the assembled singers, down the stairs, round the corner. I punched in the numbers. Miraculously, the door opened. And the brush was still there under the sink. Two minutes? One? I ran back to the wings. The ArtsSpark dancers were leaving the stage. Chris Lloyd was making his entrance. The salt glared under the footlights. I couldn’t do it alone. I would form a double act, or even a trio: another brush had been located and two colleagues were willing to take a turn with me. So it was as Chris Lloyd began to speak to his attentive audience that Julian Cound (also of DarlingtonOS; a man of many talents) and I made our own inauspicious entrance, creeping up behind him to get down on our knees and sweep. And with that, I made my own farewell appearance on the Civic Theatre stage. Julian, it should be recorded, later returned to the spotlight in a more conventional manner, to dazzle the audience singing the songs from the shows. Pavlova performed sublimely and Chris, he later assured me, barely noticed the scrape of nylon bristles against the floor as he regaled the audience with tales of the theatre’s past. Will my own impromptu ‘turn’ go down in the theatre’s history? Somehow I doubt it. But we all have our own unique memories of the Civic Theatre. And the evening of Tuesday 31 May will linger in the minds of many. And when the curtain rises in autumn 2017? Who knows: perhaps you’ll see me on the stage again. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/10/live-at-the-hippodrome-my-view-from-the-wings-and-beyond/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/june/10/live-at-the-hippodrome-my-view-from-the-wings-and-beyond/ Fri, 10 June 2016 11:42:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/may/26/nothing-like-a-dame/ In 2015, national treasure Christoper Biggins celebrated 40 years in pantomime - and it was at Darlington Civic Theatre that he made his first panto appearance. He returned a few years later in 1977-78 to play Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington - the cast list from the programme is pictured above. So when the time came for us to organise our fundraising evening,  Live at the Hippodrome , to celebrate and anticipate our forthcoming restoration, we knew that 'Biggins', with his links to the town, to the theatre, and to the tradition of panto which we so enjoy, would be a fantastic compere. For Christopher, as for many of us here in the town and beyond, this beautiful theatre is full of memories. We're sure that he is looking forward to a final chance to visit us before the curtain comes down. Join him - and us - on Tuesday 31 May for this special event which also stars pop star Mari Wilson and comedy magician Matt Edwards, as well as featuring a host of other acts. To read more about  Live at the Hippodrome , and to book tickets, visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk/whats-on/live-at-the-hippodrome [link removed as event has passed]. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/may/26/nothing-like-a-dame/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/may/26/nothing-like-a-dame/ Thu, 26 May 2016 11:11:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/april/05/lottery-grant-will-see-curtain-rise-on-new-era/ Darlington Civic Theatre has received a confirmed £4.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to transform and regenerate the Grade II Listed building to its former glory. The grant forms a key part of the ambitious £11.7m project that will deliver a restored Edwardian theatre with 21 st century facilities and expanded artistic programme. The theatre will now close at the end of May to allow work to begin and will reopen in the autumn of 2017 with a new name – Darlington Hippodrome. The project will include the restoration of the distinctive exterior of the Theatre and the beautiful Edwardian auditorium; a modern new entrance and promenade gallery, celebrating its heritage; the creation of a stunning vaulted function room in the former water tower, as well as improved seating with more leg room and disabled access; including two lifts, providing access to all levels both front and back of house. There will also be an increase in seats to 1,000, which together with improved back stage facilities for touring companies, will enable larger shows to be accommodated. A new education centre and improved public spaces will support a vibrant new range of daytime learning and engagement activities. The remaining money needed for the project will be raised through a restoration ticket levy and a programme of fundraising, which includes applications to trusts and foundations, corporate sponsorship opportunities, as well as a seat naming campaign and other fundraising initiatives. News of the HLF grant comes hot on the heels of a £1.5m grant awarded by Arts Council England (ACE) to Theatre Hullabaloo, in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, to support its £2.9m project to create a new flagship children’s theatre venue, The Hullaballoon, adjacent to the Civic. The new venue has been made possible in part by a commitment of £800,000 by Darlington Borough Council, and will include a 150 seat studio theatre, family café, creative play spaces plus rehearsal and office space for Theatre Hullabaloo. The Hullaballoon will deliver creative play installations, a wide range of creative opportunities and classes for families and it will be a focal point for creative education. On opening in late autumn 2017, it will be managed through an extension of the Civic Theatre’s operations and will be available to community arts users when not serving its primary audience. Theatre Hullabaloo will also be carrying out fundraising activities to support its project. Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “This project represents the biggest investment in the theatre since it opened its doors in 1907. Together the two projects will see a total investment of £14.6m in the arts in Darlington to create a theatre quarter that will cater for generations of theatre lovers. “We are delighted to have secured the support of HLF to enable this ambitious project to go ahead and look forward to working with our partners, and the people of Darlington to secure the future of the town’s much loved theatre and help create a wonderful new facility for our young people.” Lynda Winstanley, Darlington Civic Theatre Director, added: “I am very proud that the importance and value of the Theatre as a cultural and community asset has been recognised by the Heritage Lottery Fund and I’m very grateful to our audiences and supporters locally and nationally for their loyalty and support.” https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/april/05/lottery-grant-will-see-curtain-rise-on-new-era/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/april/05/lottery-grant-will-see-curtain-rise-on-new-era/ Tue, 05 April 2016 10:02:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/31/plaque-to-the-future/ In 1990/91 we introduced a ‘sponsor a seat’ programme where patrons could name a seat to show their support for the theatre and have a personalised plaque attached to a particular seat. Now, 25 years on, we're keen to reunite these plaques with their owners. As well as many local theatre-lovers, some famous names have also sponsored seats in the past including Ken Dodd, Tom Jones, Cameron Mackintosh, actress Sylvia Syms and Tommy Cooper. Many local businesses and associations got involved too including Cummins Engine Ltd, The Northern Echo, Elm Ridge Garden Centre and Darlington Rotar Club. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to reunite people with their plaques. Many were dedicated to friends and family and their support made the 900 for the 90s campaign possible. With a large restoration on the horizon we feel the time is right to re-unite people with their own part of the theatre. Over 300 brass plaques in total were produced. A comprehensive list of names has been drawn up and is shown below. If you were one of the supporters back in 1990/91 and would like to be reunited with your plaque or collect it on behalf of a family member or business, please email CivicTheatrePlaques@darlington.gov.uk with your name, address and contact details or call Heather Walkington on 01325 406104.  Seat Sponsors, 1990/91 14th Darlington Brownie Pack 8th D'ton (Cockerton) B.P. Scouts - Panther Wolf Cub Pack A Mackenzie A Morgan A. & G. Redhouse Adrian Sanders - Greyhound Alan Stemp Albert Siddle Albert Wales Alex Cartwright Amy Tennant Angus MacDonald Ann D. Chambers Anne Walton Appleton Wiske Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association Art Shop Association of Secretaries (Cleveland Branch) Audrey Baker Audrey MacDonald Barbara Kell Beatrice Cuthbertson Brenda and George Flynn Brian Tennant Brian W Moor Burts Carpets Cecil Bell - 1937-1990 Cinderella Company & Cast 1989/90 Cleveland Shopping Centre Middlesbrough Connie Adamson Cora Reeves Crabtree Security Darlington Cummins Engine Co. Ltd Darlington and District Federation of Townswomen's Guilds Darlington Antique Collectors Club Darlington Civic Theatre Box office Staff 1990 Darlington College of Technology Students' Union Darlington Historical Society Darlington Lioness Club Darlington National Women's Register 30th Anniversary 1960-1990 Darlington Police Welfare Club Darlington Police Wives Darlington Women's club David I. Pedelty David Jay David Plumpton David Swan David W Norris Dennis Eiriog Williams Dennis Robinson Doreen and Stan Dean Dr and Mrs W.A. Henderson Dr Sandra M. Nye Dressers of Darlington Elena Mikaelonva Dankova Ankers Elizabeth Postle Elizabeth Postle Ella-Kate Nye Elsie Siddle Embroiderer's Guild. Darlington Branch Erie Quin Ernie Quinn F.C.;G & J.V. Carter Fernedene Lodge Children's Nursery First Theatre Productions Ltd Florence R Robinson Frank and Friends Frank Brown and Walford Chartered Accounts Frank Wake G.H. Hepple Geoff George E Miller Gillian S . Knowland Gloria Graham Tennant Guisborough Theatre Club Harry Adamson Haughton Le Skerne Women's Institute Henry and Mercy Bartle Hilary and Mike Hughes 2011 Hilary Stemp Hummersknott School I. Hepple Ian Hughes Inkland Ltd J E Nevin J.S. & A. Ellis J.S. Black Jean Hockaday Jean Kendal Caunt Jean Miller Jean Soakell Jeff Hockaday Joan E Day (London) Joan Swan John and Christine Hall John G. Chambers John H. Mason John M & Margaret R Philpot John Tennant Joyce (Joy) Dale Joyce M Jackson Jubilee Theatre Club Judith Cartwright K Home Engineering Ltd Katherine Thurloway Kathryn Anne Smith Kathryn L Hobdell Kenneth Burton Kings C & C Services Ltd Ladies of the Mayor's Charity shop Lamb's Toy Shop Lawrence, Joan & Elizabeth Farey Len Bevis Le-onnie Leven Finance Libby Roberts Liz Duckworth Lona Murray Lumpy and Belinda, Pantomine Ponies 1989/90 Cinderella Lynda Hughes M. & B. Casy M.M. Morrit M.T. Laundy School of Dance Marjorie Cox Marjorie Sanders - Greyhound Marks & Spencer Staff Martin McEvoy Productions Ltd Mary Irving May Judge Mayor of Darlington 1989-90 Councillor Barrie Lamb Mayoress of Darlington 1989-90 Mrs Christine Lamb Michael J Stamford-Bewlay Mike Ringer - 27.4.90 Miss D. M. Hutchinson Monica Graham Mr & Mrs J. H. Eltringham Mr & Mrs R.J. Hall & Mr & Mrs A.R. Leckie Mr and Mrs David Cooke Mr and Mrs E H Gott Mr and Mrs E.W.T. Alderson Mr and Mrs F. Wilkinson Mr and Mrs J A Styobbs Mr and Mrs J Pilot Mr and Mrs J.B.M. Rowatt Mr C.W. Botcherby Mr Donald Henderson Mr E. & Mrs J. Armstrong Mr R Watson Mr Ronald Snowdon Mr W S Townsend Mr W.C. Fletcher Mrs B Fletcher Mrs Cora Epton Mrs D A Townsend Mrs Jessie Nye Mrs Joan E Snowdon Mrs M. Black Mrs Margo Newell Mrs O. Dawling Mrs P Watson Mrs R.B. Botcherby Mrs Sylvia N. Henderson Nan, Lena and Babs Newcastle Breweries Newpalm Productions Nigel J.C. Knowland Niki Payne Niven and Niven Architects Norma Coverdale Norman and Margaret Brookes P.D. & F.M. Banks P.J. Dawling Pannell Kerr Forester Chartered Accountants Paton and Baldwins Patricia V Oldham Paul Farrah Pete Sanders - Greyhound Peter Tod Polam Hall School R., G & E Wootten R.A. (Roy) Chapman R.C. Morgan R.F. Abery Rachel J Green Ralph F Appleton Raymond Baker Renee Stepham Limited Richard Bucklry Robert Spence Roper Insurance Brokers Roseville Nursery S. R. Horner Saltburn and Marske Arts Society Sanderson Townsend & Gilbert Sheila Buckley Sian Jay Sidney S. Nye M.R.C.V.S. Sidney S. Nye M.R.C.V.S. Skippers Trucks Sons of Temperance Friendly Society Darlington District Sons of Temperance Friendly Society Darlington District St Augustine's Repertory Society Stanley Robdrup Stockton Inner Wheel Club Sue and Ken Robinson Ted Cox Ted Judge Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority Teesdale Travel Bureau Ltd. Barnard Castle The Kay Players The National Council of Women Darlington & District Branch The Soroptimist International of Darlington & District The South Durham and North Yorkshire Flower Arranging Club The Theatre Trust Timmie Morrison Tina Mason Upper Wensleydale Ladies Luncheon club Victoria Armstrong W. Boyes & Co Ltd W.A. Newton & S.F. Newton W.E.A. Darlington Branch What's on Round Darlington Magazine Whirligig Theatre William Henry Wallworth William Stokell Wm Cuthbertson https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/31/plaque-to-the-future/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/31/plaque-to-the-future/ Thu, 31 March 2016 16:07:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/04/a-wealth-of-materials/ Katherine Williamson, Local Studies & Reference Librarian at Darlington's Crown Street Library, writes about the wealth of materials relating to the history of this theatre, which are preserved at the library. The Centre for Local Studies at Darlington Library in Crown Street  holds a wealth of material about the Civic Theatre, even dating back to the very early days of the Hippodrome in 1907. The Local Studies collection has in it over 40,000 images, including photographs, watercolours, oil paintings and prints, and obviously only a small percentage of those are of the Theatre but there is a variety of images of the exterior of the building and its place in Parkgate over the decades. There are also interior images of the main auditorium, but also some of back stage areas. A good proportion of the images are of the performers themselves and these are sometimes used for people tracing their family history, if people have ancestors who were performers. Just this week a customer was looking through newspaper reports and old programmes to see whether his ancestors had performed in Darlington and were listed in programmes. Local newspaper listings are often good for this and the Centre for Local Studies has The Northern Echo, Evening Despatch, Darlington & Stockton Times and other less well known titles on microfilm. The newspapers are also interesting to look at to find out about stories relating to the theatre and its history from Rino Pepi, Anna Pavlova, to modern day stories, adverts and reviews. The collection also has plans of the building although those tend to be of more recent times, but early maps of Darlington show the area before the theatre was built with its brick and tile yards, the tannery and fields just across the road! We are always looking for new material to add to the collection, so if you have old programmes, posters or handbills for shows, we would be happy to receive donations, just call into the Centre for Local Studies at the library or email us on local.studies@darlington.gov.uk  The changes to the Theatre now are exciting and old material could possibly be useful in future displays either at the Theatre itself or in Local Studies. Some of our images are now available on flickr via our website at www2.darlington.gov.uk ; just go to the Local and Family History pages. There is also a nice collection of theatre posters on that site – but they are from the Theatre Royal which was on Northgate, unfortunately we don’t have similar posters for the Hippodrome, but if you have one, let us know! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/04/a-wealth-of-materials/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/march/04/a-wealth-of-materials/ Fri, 04 March 2016 14:28:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/whats-in-a-name/ After much consultation, it has been agreed that following the forthcoming refurbishment, the theatre will re-open in 2017 under a new name, Darlington Hippodrome, bringing the theatre full circle back to its origins. How the building became known by its current name, the Civic Theatre, is possibly one of the most unusual periods of its history involving Darlington’s amateur theatre enthusiasts, and is briefly explained here. Like most provincial towns Darlington has a rich history of community arts, passionate individuals bonding together to create art, live music or theatre simply for the love of it. Organised community theatre in Darlington dates as far back as 1912 with a society calling itself the Darlington Dramatic and Operatic Society performing at Feethams Hall. It wasn’t until 1921 that the newly named Darlington Operatic Society first performed at the New Hippodrome with a production of The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan, which was to prove the beginning of a long term relationship between the theatre and Darlington Operatic Society that is as strong today as it was back in 1921. As with all community theatre groups, Darlington Operatic Society has moved through good times and bad, consistently overcoming obstacles through the dedication and perseverance of its members. In 1958 this determination was put to the test when the privately run New Hippodrome closed for the long term following the expiry of the lease with the then Managing Director E.J. Hinge. After lengthy negotiations with the theatre owners, spear-headed by Darlington Operatic Society member Fred Thompson, it was agreed that the Society would be granted a four year lease of the building with the assistance of a £1500 annual grant from the Town Council. A new holding group called Civic Theatre (Darlington) Ltd. was created which would be responsible for the upkeep and day to day running of the theatre, managed by a committee consisting of several eminent Darlington figures as well as members of the Operatic Society, ensuring the theatre was saved from permanent closure and possible demolition. Members of Darlington Operatic Society continued to work on the theatre, getting vital structural work carried out throughout the building, but only so much could be done by volunteers working in their spare time. The Operatic Society continued to use the theatre as its venue, by now presenting two musicals a year, including productions of The Merry Widow, Oklahoma and White Horse Inn. In 1961 several meetings took place between Darlington Operatic Society and Civic Theatre (Darlington) Ltd.as well as the Town Council to discuss the future running and funding of the theatre which resulted in the two committees merging their finances, paying £2,500 on top of £5,500 from the Town Council to purchase the theatre outright. Civic Theatre(Darlington) Ltd. immediately dissolved handing over the running of the newly named Civic Theatre Darlington to the Town Council. The name was changed in 1972 to the less clumsy Darlington Civic Theatre. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/whats-in-a-name/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/whats-in-a-name/ Fri, 26 February 2016 10:11:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/february/12/anna-pavlova/ Anna Pavlova was born in 1881 in St Petersburg on this day, February 12. In commemoration of her birthday, our latest blog post tells you all about her appearance here at Darlington Civic Theatre on what turned out, for more than one reason, to be a momentous day. Anna Pavlova in Darlington On the afternoon of Thursday 17 th November 1927, Anna Pavlova performed at The New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties. This was a momentous day for the theatre – the day an international ballet star, renowned for her solo ‘The Swan’, appeared in our town, arriving most probably at the Bank Top train station - not on the ‘fish and actors’ train but on her own special train - before performing in front of a packed house. It was also the day that the owner and founding director of the theatre, Signor Rino Pepi, died. Signor Pepi had recorded the momentous date in his diary. It might have seemed that most of Darlington turned out to see Pavlova, or at least knew someone who did.  But Signor Pepi wasn’t there. He was at home, and he was dying. As Pavlova made her final révérence and left the Hippodrome to move on to her next engagement in York, Signor Pepi too made his exit. He died that night, aged only 55. A fittingly theatrical exit. At least our founding managing director went out on a high. Pavlova was more than a dancer. She was an icon, a superstar, a celebrity who endorsed brands of shoes and created a frenzy at stations as she arrived and departed on her own special train. Although Russian, she based herself in London and it is in Britain, perhaps, that her legacy is the most widespread and enduring.  About Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlova was born in 1881 in St Petersburg and trained as a dancer at the Imperial ballet school on Theatre Street (now Architect Rossi Street, thus renamed in 1923) . Pavlova came from a modest background; an education at the Imperial ballet school was free (and has remained so, although following the 1917 Revolution the school ceased to be Imperial). Russia had begun to train its ballet dancers in the previous century, and they were initially the children of serfs who, when they weren’t being taught to dance, were also expected to work on the land. The Imperial ballet in St Petersburg was established in the 18 th century at the will of Empress Catherine the Great, and the city’s Maryinsky Theatre was named after the Empress Maria Alexandrovna (wife of Tsar Alexander II). Prior to the Revolution, dancers at the theatre (and students at the school) were akin to members of the Tsar’s court. Pavlova’s background, then, did not deter her from training as a dancer, and indeed many Russian dancers came from modest backgrounds and often from military or theatrical families. Pavlova, instead, was initially held back by her own physique. At the time, the fashion was for small, shapely virtuoso ballerinas, whilst Pavlova’s long, slender limbs and highly arched feet gave her a more fragile aesthetic and a different kind of technique. Pavlova’s talent shone through, and despite her individual style, she graduated from the school to progress into the company where she quickly rose through the ranks. Now a ballerina, Pavlova soon found her way to England and Paris, performing briefly with Sergei Diaghilev’s trailblazing Ballets Russes. Perhaps she was attracted to the itinerant life: instead of returning to St Petersburg, she founded her own company and settled in England. In 1912, Pavlova bought a house, Ivy House, in Golders Green in London, and for a time even set up a small school there.  Ivy House still stands, and during this century it has been used as the premises of the London Jewish Cultural Centre, although in January 2015, following the merger of the LJCC with Jewish community centre JW3, the house was put on the market and is soon to become a primary school. Happily, today Pavlova’s beautiful, light-filled studio – complete with viewing gallery - is still used as a ballet studio by a private dance school. As well as performing in Britain, Pavlova toured around the world, taking ballet to places it had rarely been seen before. Her influence had a great effect on the development of the fledgling ballet in Britain, an art-form which until the inter-war period, was performed in this country only in music halls. Anna Pavlova’s influence on ballet in Britain Born Edris Stannus in Co Wicklow, Ireland, in 1898, before later choosing a more theatrical name, Ninette de Valois trained alongside Noël Coward at Lila Field’s Academy. Having learnt Mikhail Fokine’s ‘The Swan’ - the solo originally created for Pavlova – de Valois later claimed to have danced it ‘on every old pier theatre in England’. De Valois went on to found the Vic-Wells Ballet and the Vic-Wells Ballet School – now the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School. Her life spanned three centuries; she died in 2001. Dame Ninette, or ‘Madam’ as she was known, came to pass on what she believed to be the original version of ‘The Swan’, teaching it to Royal Ballet ballerina Marguerite Porter, who in turn coached Marianela Nunez in the solo, preserving the original choreography for future generations. In 1917 a young British boy, Frederick Ashton (1904 – 1988), saw Pavlova dance in Lima, Peru, where he lived at the time. It was the first ballet he had ever seen. That young boy subsequently became Sir Frederick Ashton, choreographer for Ballet Rambert and what became, upon receipt of the Royal Charter in 1956, The Royal Ballet. Ashton was Director of The Royal Ballet between 1963 and 1970 and his extensive legacy of ballets includes masterpieces such as Façade (1931), Symphonic Variations (1946), Scènes de Ballet and Cinderella (both 1948), La Fille Mal Gardée (1960) and A Month in the Country (1976). Pavlova’s influence on Ashton was so great that many of his ballets include the ‘Fred step’, an enchaînement based on his memory of seeing Pavlova dance in Peru.  A demonstration of this enchaînement can be found on the Royal Ballet’s YouTube channel . What influence did Pavlova have on our audience here in Darlington? Did she inspire a young child to aspire to a performing career? She is part of our history, and part of the history of ballet in Britain, not only as a dancer but as a figure of romance and intrigue. Like Signor Pepi, she died young, aged only 49, on 23 January 1931 whilst on tour in The Hague. Legend has it that, on her deathbed, she requested that her Swan costume be brought to her.  On the day of what would have been her next performance, the curtain went up and a single spotlight scanned the empty stage as Saint-Saens’ music played for her famous solo, ‘The Swan’; the solo she had danced here in Darlington a little over three years before. Like Signor Pepi’s, Pavlova’s exit was fittingly theatrical. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/february/12/anna-pavlova/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/february/12/anna-pavlova/ Fri, 12 February 2016 10:06:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/27/a-place-that-can-take-you-anywhere/ When I arrived at work one morning in January 2016, a mysterious letter marked ‘private’ had been popped under my ‘palatial office-cum-broom cupboard’ door.  I’d been warned to expect it, as it had been left for me the night before with our house manager, by a member of the audience for Beyond the Barricade .  Inside was a little hand-written note and a typed sheet of A4, which was an account of a conversation between a nursery school teacher and a four year old pupil.  The four year old was my daughter Robyn, the teacher was the inspirational Barbara Evans and the conversation had occurred 32 years ago.   And the memories came flooding back… I had begun work at the Civic Theatre in September of that year (1983) and by December I was starting to get the hang of things and was beginning to get seriously bitten by the bug of live theatre.  I have to confess it had been a fair while since I had last seen a panto, possibly not since I was four years old myself and saw Charlie Drake in panto in Coventry, where at some point he picked me up and greeted me with his famous catchphrase ‘Hello My Darling!’. However I digress… back to the 1983/4 pantomime at the Civic Theatre; this was Peter Pan starring David Yip, best known at the time for his role in TV’s The Chinese Detective .  Other members of staff warned me panto was going to be hard work: two shows most days for six weeks, we’d get through thousands of ice creams and fizzy drinks and that this mixed with all the excitement would end with the occasional unfortunate ‘accident’.  Never mind, it was all in a day’s work. They also said it would be tremendous fun and how right they were. The families of Theatre staff were invited along to be a guinea pig audience for the pantomime dress rehearsal and so my four year old Robyn found herself experiencing her first visit to the theatre. And what an impression it made on her.    Here’s Robyn’s account of Peter Pan as retold by Barbara, her confidante and teacher… Nursery conversation with a four year old girl: Robyn to teacher: “Phew! It was terrible all those people injured… it was murder, absolute murder.  It was like murder at night.” Teacher:  “What was?” Robyn: “Peter Pan.  When they learnt to fly Peter said, as the stars went out one by one, it got so black it was just as well they had brought their night lights – and ‘please don’t fall asleep otherwise you’ll fall into the sea’ – I mean lagoon.” Teacher: “And here’s the crocodile, tick tock, tick tock” Robyn: “No, no a clock goes tick, tick, tick… Now Peter fights Hook and is injured twice in the arm and as he lays in bed Hook puts poison in his medicine.” Teacher: “Blackberry juice?” Robyn: “No poisonous berry juice, but Tinkerbell saves him by drinking the medicine herself and dies.  Then when Hook captures them on the ship he fires a canon by lighting the magazine and he makes the boys walk the plank and says to their mother Wendy – ‘Well mother have you anything to say to your boys’ and she says ‘well as you know I am not your real mother, but all I ask is that you die like true Englishmen’ and then he ties her to the mast.  Eventually he’s pushed over the side where the crocodile is patiently waiting and he gobbles him up and eats so much he’s sick and up comes the clock!” Teacher:  “Of course there are no girls in the Land of Lost Boys?” Robyn: “No, well Peter says that was because the nannies never noticed when boys fell out of their prams but girls were far too sensible to do that.” Needless to say Robyn has never forgotten her first theatre experience and I know many, many little people will have had their first theatre experience with us here at the Civic Theatre.  I’m glad to say she grew up to love theatre and the arts and was back to sit beside me to watch this year’s panto, Cinderella, and of course I ‘grew up’ to become the director of the Theatre! We are on the verge of a new era now, as we plan for the restoration of the Theatre and look forward to introducing new generations of theatre-goers to the special magic of live theatre, which can take you anywhere, including Never Land. Keep up with all the latest news about the restoration of Darlington Civic Theatre by visiting our blog spot. With special thanks to Barbara Evans and Robyn of course! https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/27/a-place-that-can-take-you-anywhere/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/27/a-place-that-can-take-you-anywhere/ Wed, 27 January 2016 10:29:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/18/a-message-from-danny-potts-and-phil-corbitt/ We’ve loved coming to perform at the Civic Theatre in its last three pantomime seasons. We are welcomed so warmly, it’s like a family; box office, administration, backstage crew, wardrobe and state management teams. This year as Ugly Sisters we were given Dressing Room One. Not because we’re top of the bill but rather due to the fact that it’s the only room close enough to the stage for quick changes that can house our eight frocks and wigs each. It’s still a tight squeeze. Carrying out quick changes is quite a challenge, with our fantastic, expert dresser Trish trying to manoeuvre us two over-six-footers onto our big frocks and wigs, in a little room, taking great care not to knock chairs over or repeatedly bash our elbows on the shower unit. The fact that the theatre will be equipped with new, more spacious dressing rooms will be hugely welcome for performers like us. There’s no panto here for us next year, but we’re thrilled and excited about the refurbishment. The new theatre will be able to mount bigger shows and give the people of Darlington even more of the top class entertainment they’ve come to expect here and so deserve. We can’t wait to see it and come back to spend time with our family in their new house. Love and very best wishes, Danny and Phil        A note from Rebecca, blog editor When I asked Danny and Phil to write this blog post (which they very kindly did, despite a long run of two shows a day for five weeks) they also let me into their dressing room so I could take a few pictures. This is what their dressing room looked like at the end of the run, when it had been their home-from-home for five weeks. Take a look at the scrolling images below. And remember the beautiful dress Cinderella wore to the ball? Well, it doesn't look quite so beautiful when it's hanging up blocking the corridor! Imagine Danny and Phil squeezing past that in their own massive frocks. When we re-open in 2017 there will be more room backstage, as well as front of house - which will encourage more visiting companies and fantastic actors to treat Darlington's theatre as a home-from-home. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/18/a-message-from-danny-potts-and-phil-corbitt/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/18/a-message-from-danny-potts-and-phil-corbitt/ Mon, 18 January 2016 13:57:00 https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/13/welcome-to-our-new-blog/ New year, new blog! Hello, and welcome to the brand new Our Restoration Blog! We’ve created this space to keep you updated on the progress of our hugely exciting capital campaign for the restoration of the Theatre, as well as sharing lots of fascinating stories and facts about the theatre and its history. The Civic Theatre team will be blogging from time to time to share information about the fundraising plans, letting you know how you can join in and support our campaign.  We’ll have plenty of guest bloggers from architects to actors and heritage experts to volunteers.  We’ll also be tracking the restoration itself, posting photos and videos as we go and hearing from the team that are making it all happen. I’m Heather, Director of Fundraising & Development at the Theatre.  I’ve been part of the team for a year and have been tasked with creating a fundraising plan to meet our fundraising target of £1.6m.  I’ve spent the last year making applications to charitable trusts and foundations as well as building relationships with companies from around the region.  I’ll be sharing our successes with you as and when they’re announced and I’ll also be letting you all know how you can support the appeal through fundraising activities like ‘name a seat’.  The Civic Theatre is at the heart of Darlington’s cultural life and I’m looking forward to involving the whole community in our fundraising to secure the future of our beautiful Theatre.  If you’d like to get in contact I’d love to hear from you;   heather.walkington@darlington.gov.uk / 01325 406104 The story so far Back in July 2014, Darlington Borough Council secured a stage 1 pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to explore the feasibility of restoring our beautiful theatre to its original splendour.  After much consultation and planning we’ve recently submitted our stage 2 plans to HLF in order to unlock the full £5 million funds in late March 2016. The project will deliver a restored Edwardian Theatre with 21st century visitor and behind the scenes facilities and backstage facilities which can offer an expanded artistic programme, significant physical access improvements including two public lifts and wheelchair access to all levels allowing full equality of movement, permanent historical interpretation, temporary exhibitions, public heritage and schools programme, heritage training and volunteering opportunities, offering an all-day experience for the whole community. https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/13/welcome-to-our-new-blog/ https://darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/about-us/blog/rss/about-us/blog/2016/january/13/welcome-to-our-new-blog/ Wed, 13 January 2016 14:05:00