stalbanslife

Yes the circus is in town! My kids may be teenagers, but I knew they would still enjoy a trip away from their PlayStations and laptops – and so it proved! We went on the first night and although the crowd was a little sparse, the performers did not let it affect their enthusiasm and energy. The days of animals at circuses are long gone, so the show had to rely on human performance, in particular clowns, acrobats and trapeze artists, and they did not disappoint.

The level of professionalism and athleticism was exceptional. The trapeze artists used every inch of the big top in their routine and the acrobats were slick and faultless. But best of all was the clown. He had a real gift of engaging with the audience and keeping the show moving during set and prop changes. If we are to keep live shows coming to St. Albans it is important to give those that do our support. Definitely better than watching the X-Factor!

St Albans families are in for a huge treat when one of Europe’s biggest circuses comes to town.

The Netherlands National Circus will set up its Big Top at WESTMINSTER LODGE, HOLYWELL HILL for performances from TUESDAY 24th to SUNDAY 29th APRIL.

The huge all-human circus will be in Hertfordshire as part of a major British Tour. The Dutch believe their national Circus company is simply the best – so much so that it’s claimed to be every Dutch child’s dream to star under its magnificent Big Top! The Netherlands National Circus has been the pride of Holland since it was established in 1948. The Circus’s public facilities are more like a portable Theatre than a circus, and the performance standard maintains the high level you’d expect from a respected national institution.

A circus spokesman commented: “It’s marvellous to be on tour here with such a special show. This Circus is from Holland, but the idea of circus performance was a British invention, and the circus is close to people’s hearts everywhere”. He added: “We’re helping families fight back against the cost of living — seat prices are competitive, and travel costs are low because WE come to YOU!

There are no animals, and innovation and quality are at the top of the agenda for the international company of human performers.

The NETHERLANDS NATIONAL CIRCUS 2012 features:

Nice and funny – Clown ANGELO
Princess of Balance DESIRÉE
The FLYING ACES triple-level aerial daredevils
Springboard acrobats the CRETZU TROUPE
Stylish elegance: CAROLINE on the swinging trapeze
DAVID ROBERT defying gravity on the rola-rola
Unique unicyclists THE JACKSON FAMILY

and a full International supporting company in a dazzling show for all the family.

FOR INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS, contact CHRIS BARLTROP on 07836 573600 / press.here@barltrop.com

The NETHERLANDS NATIONAL CIRCUS performs under the Luxury Theatre Big Top at SAINT ALBANS, WESTMINSTER LODGE (by the Leisure Centre), HOLYWELL HILL AL1 2DL

FromTUESDAY 24th to SUNDAY 29th APRIL
BOX OFFICE on site daily 10am to 8pm, or ring 0844 415 5228
Early bookers’ DISCOUNT at www.netherlandscircus.eu

A St Albans-based theatre director and magician has spoken of the ‘tremendous success’ of his latest endeavour, which appeared on Primetime TV on Saturday night.

Tony Middleton, AKA Sonic, has worked closely with world-class magician Chris Dugdale for many years, and the two performed an astounding feat on ITV’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Sonic was particularly pleased with the reaction they got from Jonathan Ross, who hosts the program. He said “The show was a tremendous success. Jonathan Ross couldn’t believe his eyes, and Penn & Teller said they would be very proud to perform the trick in their own show.”

The trick involved Chris Dugdale directing two volunteers in a prediction routine from a projected screen, only to reveal he was one of the selected volunteers and was wearing a mask and disguise. According to Penn, this trick was “worthy of Mission Impossible.”

Although the routine did not win a trip to Las Vegas, it won critical acclaim on, among others, social media site Twitter. Users praised the original routine saying “wow”, “unbelievable” and “best trick of the whole series.”

The duo are now opening a show, “2 Faced Deception”, in the Leicester Square Theatre in London’s West End, running from 13th September to 1st October. Director Sonic is also completing his book for magicians entitled ‘Performing Magic; a Handbook on Performance for Magicians, with a forward by veteran magician Paul Daniels.

Until then, Sonic can be seen every Sunday from 1pm at the Veer Dhara Indian Restaurant in St Peters Street, St Albans. These weekly spots are growing ever popular so don’t miss out!

For more information or to book Sonic for your private party, wedding or corporate event, please visit www.sonicmagic.co.uk

St. Albans is rapidly acquiring a reputuation as a good venue for comedy gigs. The Alban Arena frequently gets national names to visit and perform. We now even have our very own comedy ‘festival’ annually, with Laughs in the Park. Now I wouldn’t say it is anywhere near Glastonbury’s exalted position in the national psyche, but as it’s only the second year of existence, it still has time.

Like last year, the main attraction is Eddie Izzard, but this year ably supported by Ross Noble and Tommy Tiernan. The compere duties were given to Ross Noble on the day we attended, which worked well as his surreal take on life enabled him to run with ideas and events thrown at him and then bring back ideas and references into later material.

First of the ‘main’ acts was Tommy Tiernan, one of Ireland’s top comedians, but little known over here. A high energy performer that enjoyed running with ideas at breakneck speed. Lots of laugh out loud moments and an impressive set. The usual topics of family, aging and religion got the Tiernan treatment. He wouldn’t be an Irish comic if he didn’t rip into the Catholic Church. Easy target these days, but he was still able to find a few new twists.

Last up was Eddide Izzard, fast becoming a national institution after his marathon heroics of a couple of years ago and all-round nice guy persona. I saw him back in the 90s when he was somewhat infamous for his cross-dressing and surreal humour. I really like Eddie Izzard, but like his 90s shows, I rarely had laugh out loud moments. Very amusing, but not memorable.

Finally we had the fireworks, withh all the acts wandering through the crowd to get a prime view. They were not disappointed. So overall a good evening out at an event with a lot of potential for the coming years. Food deserves a special mention, varied choices and my burrito was fab. Looking forward to next year already. maybe my namesake Tim Minchin could be added to the bill?

The name Battle Proms comes from the Battle Symphony by Beethoven.  On an annual basis, this popular event takes place on the grounds of 400 year old Hatfield House, home of the 7th Marquess of Salisbury.

The whole concept of ‘Prom’  is to increase the popularity of classical music by playing at an informal setting, in which crowds can move around, eat, dance or whatever they choose. I performed all four actions last Saturday as I absorbed myself  in this charismatic event for the third time.

The crowd varied from young children to 90 year olds. We enjoyed everything from the beautiful orchestral pieces of music, the Napoleonic camp, the traditional fairground, a Diablo winestand but my personal favourites were the Infantry Displays (truly outstanding and a must-see) and the ever amazing 1812 Overture with its live canon fire.

The Sailor’s Hornpipe and Jerusalem brought a huge reaction (and maybe a joyfully patriotic tear or two!)  from the crowd, as did Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No 1.  The Grace Spitfire (which served in World War II) did acrobatics overhead as the orchestra played appropriate music in the background. I am not a fan of warplanes but this Spitfire experience sent shivers down my spine. And did I mention the fireworks? I must have taken about 50 photos of them in my desperation to capture the brilliant effect!

My children are pop music fans but have always enjoyed the Battle Proms, especially when the sun sets and little lights appear everywhere. My 12 year old said ‘I love  the sense of community and the way the crowd is so enthusiastic.’

If you want to share your experiences of Battle Proms, please add your comment below.

To note;  Hatfield House is twenty minutes from St Albans town centre. Good bus connections. More information on www.battleproms.com and Hatfield House events; www.hatfield-house.co.uk