Author Archives: Rob Spurway

Wellington Arts AssociationArticles Posted by Rob Spurway

Op Soc Plan for Autumn Show

Rob Spurway Uncategorized February 13, 2021 4 Comments

We are delighted to bring to your attention the plans for the next show at the Arts Centre. No date is decided obviously but this does not mean we will not be ready to roll out this production as soon as it is safe and secure to do so.

The production is open to all members and new members, people who would like to rejoin or join the Arts Association.

We hope this information will encourage you all to look forward to another show stopping evening in the revamped/refurbished/redecorated Arts Centre.

A WALK WITH LLOYD-WEBBER

Please find here the proposed play list for the ‘autumn’ show. It is not definitive and if you wish to choose a different song from a particular show you are welcome to do so. However, even if your audition is great it does not mean that your choice will take precedent over the choice of the Director.

The YouTube versions are for you to hear each song as some of them are lesser known. These will not necessarily be the versions used, it will depend upon the accessibility of backing tracks.

Where no song is identified from a specific musical it is because it will be dependent on the person auditioning (male or female), and those can be decided by the auditionee.

Auditions will take place at the end of MARCH via the internet and so feel free to choose a backing track yourself.

Please notify me BEFORE March 20th of your choice for audition. I will then schedule Facetime/messenger/WhatsApp auditions accordingly.

Successful auditionees will be notified by the end of April. You will then be notified of the backing track to use and will be expected to learn your song(s) by the end of August.

The intention is that as soon as the A/C is available we can then start rehearsing choreography and production without having to spend time on solos and duets – company numbers will obviously need time when we are all together.

This show MAY not happen in the Autumn, however, we intend to have it ready to roll out as soon as we can, not having to wait but getting something on the stage at the earliest opportunity.

Thank you for your interest,

Nancy Powell-BraceDirector

All statements of intention should be sent to npowellbrace@gmail.com

1 The likes of Us 1965 L-W & Rice A strange and lovely song Male solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q363JhvFclk

2 Joseph 1968 L-W & Rice Any Dream will Do Chorus and Genesis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfNMhu9wdl0

3. Jesus Christ Superstar 1971 L-W & Rice TBC

4. By Jeeves 1975 L-W & Ayckbourn Today Male solo with dance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs9HEnyKTds

5. Evita 1976 L-W & Rice Another suitcase female solo with backing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpmNrFahG2c

6. Tell me on a Sunday 1978 Lloyd-Webber & Black Take that look of your face Female with backing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtxPMvafqbE

7. Cats 1981 Lloyd-Webber & Eliot Memory female Solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm5w7gHEtJI

8. Song and Dance 1982 LW,Black & Maltby Come Back Female solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH6JC7_oU8M

9 Starlight Express 1984 LW & Stilgoe Next Time you fall in Love M/F duet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAFVgMjXOko

10. Phantom of the Opera 1986 LW, Stilgoe and Hart Masquerade Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mON5dbdm63M

11. Aspects of Love 1989 lW, Black and Hart Love Changes Everything Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnOQ1VV3CqU

12. Sunsert Boulevard 1993 LW, Black and Hampton As if we never said goodbye Female solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y-hmaltmxs

13. Whistle Down the Wind 1998 LW & Steinman No Matter What Male ensemble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eul_Vt6SZY

14 The Beautiful Game 2000 LW & Elton Don’t Like you Youth ensemble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbjZ1RB2jRU

15. Woman in White 2004 LW & Zippel I Believe my Heart F/M duet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZG3lRqN6lw

16. Love Never Dies 2010 LW & Slater TBC

17 The Wizard of Oz 2011 LW, Rice & Harburg Already Home Female ensemble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpoeV1wlQLw

18 Stephen Ward 2013 LW, Black & Hampton I’m hopeless when it comes to you Female solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ey5uPehduo

19. School of Rock 2015 LW & Slater TBC

20 Cinderella 2020 LW & Zippel TBC Full Company

Scrubs up at the WAA

Rob Spurway Uncategorized February 1, 2021 Leave a reply

At this time of year, members of WAA would be normally busy making final preparations for the annual Pantomime at the Wellesley, but these are no ordinary times.

This year, instead of sewing costumes, as she has done for over 20 years (and more recently making props), Penny Bradnum, who is also President of Wellington Pantomime Group, has been sewing scrubs.  Just a week ago, she got a call from  WAA members Bridgette Sells and Jane Burt, who had both volunteered as a Covid vaccinators at Taunton Racecourse, to say that they were not being provided with scrubs, and could she help?. Penny had been sewing face masks for a charity during the first lockdown, and hadn’t made scrubs before, but thanks to the Taunton Scrubbers, she obtained a pattern and some material, plus whatever could be found from her own fabric store, and set to work.

So if you are called to the Racecourse for your vaccination, look out for some particularly colourful  scrubs, that might look more at home on the stage than a medical scenario. As Penny says –“ it’s not been so different from making some Aladdin chorus costumes, and I just hope they brighten peoples’ day a bit.”

Many Arts Association members have been busy volunteering during the past year. They vary from being Vaccination Volunteer Stewards, doing shopping,  collection of  prescriptions , transporting people to their vaccinations,, being NHS volunteers as Check-in & Chat reps, producing online exercise videos, sewing scrubs and masks, right up to opening a Community Shop and running a Community Support Group, and creating support software

Wellington Arts Centre has been undergoing a major refurbishment since the Spring, so the members are keen to get back to putting on Musicals, Pantos and Plays, and welcome back the public as soon as they are safely able to.

December Refurbishment Update

Rob Spurway December 27, 2020 Leave a reply

We are writing to update you on the progress being made with the refurbishment of the Arts Centre.

The Sub-Committee has continued to meet fortnightly with Colin, Geoff and Rob monitoring progress on a weekly basis. The project has made significant progress to date but though we planned to complete the work by the end of September, due to the ever-changing issues with the pandemic, we hope to have all major works completed by the end of January with some finishing touches carried out in February.  

Currently we are undertaking the following;

  • New boiler installed 
  • Utility room installed in the shower room
  • Complete rewire of hall electrics
  • Technical gallery construction completed
  • New heater units have been installed (replacing old radiators in the hall)
  • Toilet washing facilities have been upgraded (Non-touch taps and soap dispensers) 

Work will shortly start on the following: 

  • Deconstruct and construct a new porch
  • Install mirrors
  • Decorate interior and exterior  
  • Install roller shutter doors 
  • Install new stage

We are pleased to report that although we have been delayed, the Sub-committee are confident that we will be able to keep to the budget set by the Management Committee. We would like to thank our contractors who have been working throughout in difficult circumstances.

Stay safe and we wish you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and hopefully we can be together at the Arts Centre soon. 

Yours Sincerely 

Arts Centre Refurbishment Sub Committee 

On behalf of the Wellington Arts Association Management Committee