Leisure

Office politics take a dramatic turn at the Abbey Theatre Studio next week, with their production of Bull, a powerful play about workplace bullying, written by Mike Bartlett. Three colleagues, Thomas, Isobel and Tony, gather together before an important meeting with their manager, Carter. The company is downsizing, and one of the three is about to lose their job. It soon becomes apparent that Isobel and Tony have decided Thomas will be the sacrificial lamb, as they begin a barrage of insults, innuendo and uninvited physical contact, aimed at undermining and overwhelming him.

Another strong production by The Company of Ten. Well acted and staged. High quality theatre. This is a play that The Company of Ten should be highly suited to and indeed they are! All the main characters are credible and well-acted by the cast. The costumes and scenery are spot on in achieving a look and feel of a pre-war English country house. A very enjoyable and entertaining evening. Highly recommended, running till October 20th.

In his new show 50 Things About Us, Mark Thomas combines his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom. Mark picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel.

'Verdi's highly dramatic requiem demands a big choir and orchestra and the St Albans Choral Society will join forces with the City of Canterbury Chamber Choir and the Bushey Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 2nd July to perform the popular world at Bushey Academy' SACS

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Red Hot Chilli Dancers come to St Albans – Alban Arena on Friday 14th June 2024. In 2023 and 2024 the Red Hot Chilli Pipers will embark on a world tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The tour will be accompanied by the release of a first Best Of Live album in the Spring of 2023, featuring new recordings of all their best loved tunes and songs. The Pipers will be accompanied on the tour by the amazing Red Hot Chilli Dancers….It really is a sizzling show!

With sensational vocals, choreography, costumes and an awesome live band, The Best of WHAM! is an authentic musical journey that truly recaptures the full WHAM! experience. This non-stop 80s party will get audiences singing and dancing to all the greatest hits including ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘I'm your Man’. Can it really be 37 years since George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed one of the most enduring pop groups of the 80s? In four short years WHAM! sold more than 28 million records, topping the charts with three albums, four number one singles and eleven top ten hits.

Hugh Cornwell is touring the UK in November 2019 to promote his new album 'Monster'. I was lucky enough to be able to speak with him for 20 or so minutes to ask a variety of questions about his musical influences, his career as part of The Stranglers, his solo career post-The Stranglers, the state of music and plans for the future. Also whether a reunion of The Stranglers original lineup could ever happen.

Next Saturday, I will be enjoying 'old meets new' when the St Albans Symphony Orchestra, performs a musical journey under their new conducter Bjorn Bantock. The orchestra will play well-known and loved pieces like Dvorak's Symphony No 9.....

On the Saturday 8th March 2014 Think Floyd will be coming to The Radlett Centre, show starting 8pm. Tickets are £20.00 and £18.00 and you can book on 01923 859291. I interviewed Lewis Hall of the band about the show, why a Pink Floyd tribute and and lots more. You can hear the interview below.

If you were at the St Albans' Market last saturday, you may have found yourself seduced by the tunes of one of the top musicians of the West End.