Work is up and running on a series of shows aimed at families for the new Dubai Community Theatre in the United Arab Emirates, the first being ‘The Adventures of Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves‘.

Taken from the legendary book of 1001 Nights, Ali Baba takes us upon a magical journey back in time to the mysterious Persia of old.

The Book of 1001 Nights tells the story of a Medieval Persian Queen, Scherherezade, who must relate a series of stories to her husband to delay her imminent execution. The stories were told over a period of 1001 nights, each tale ending with a suspenseful situation, therefore, forcing the Sultan to keep her alive for another day.

One of the most popular tales from the famous book, Ali Baba is brought to life in this exciting production of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

The story begins with the Sultan of Baghdad and his medieval Persian Queen, Scheherezade. As night falls, Scheherezade begins here tale of Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves…

Just outside the Gates of Baghdad lives our poor yet happy hero, Ali Baba. One day on his way to chop wood in the forest at the foot of the mountains, he witnesses a band of thieves hiding treasure in a secret cave. He over hears the magic password, ‘Open Sesame!’ and decides to help himself to just a small amount of the treasure.

Unfortunately, Ali Baba has a wicked, greedy brother, Kassim, who, upon seeing that Ali has such riches, wants lots for himself. Unfortunately, Kassim is found by the thieves and killed. When the thieves find out that Ali Baba also has some treasure, they hatch a plan to kill him too! However, good will always overcome evil and Ali’s faithful servant saves the day.

With this performance up and running and with future productions in the pipeline, Make It So have been engaged to produce quality drama, comedy, music and dance together with a lot of fun and audience participation. This well received show begins a series of classic stories which continues through the summer with ‘The Adventures of Sinbad‘. This venture is a joint collaboration with Make It So & The Great Entertainment Company, in Dubai.

Watch this space for more information, Media and Reviews to follow soon!

Links:

The Great Entertainment Company
The Dubai Community Theatre

Paul Arden-Griffith, known to one and all as “Pag“, has hit the front page of The Stage website for his appearance in The Good Old Days at the City Varieties Music Hall, in Leeds. The Stage is considered in the United Kingdom to be the number one place to find news, reviews and features on every aspect of the arts and entertainment industry.

The Stage’s review of this excellent production describes how Paul Arden-Griffith is both a “fine tenor” and how he also makes an ”inspired contribution to the first of the autumn series of The Good Old Days”. The review should be in tomorrow’s edition of the printed newspaper but those eager to read it in full now may click here to read more.

The image to the right shows a screenshot taken of The Stage’s website taken on the day of the mention (click it to enlarge) and an archive of The Stage’s review can also be read from our website by clicking here.

The final stages of rehearsal are currently taking place for Make It So and The Worthing Musical Comedy Society’s full scale production of Guys and Dolls which runs from the 30^th of October until the 4^th of November at The Connaught Theatre, Worthing, England.

The show is packed with spectacular song, dance and quirky comedy from its energetic ensemble cast of fifty plus performers from the Sussex area of the south of England.

The rehearsal period has included master classes in voice work, singing technique (under the expert supervision of Paul Arden-Griffith), character development, fight technique and performance skills from its director Trevor Nicholls and high powered dance from its choreographer Terri Moore.

Stephen Holroyd is currently working on the productions intricate lighting design, bringing his own artistic vision to a show which will entertain with its humour, emotion, song and energy packed thrills. More information about bookings and the production itself can be found from our partner’s The Worthing Musical Comedy Society’s website at www.wmcs.org.uk.

Paul Arden-Griffith is delighted to have been invited to join the cast of The Good Old Days at the world famous Leeds City Varieties. The Grade ll* listed theatre is the finest surviving example of a Victorian music hall in all its original glory. Dating from 1865, it was an addition to the White Swan public house, purpose-built to house the most up-to-date popular entertainment of the day. Great stars to have “trodden the boards” there include Lily Langtry; Harry Houdini; Bud Flanagan; Marie Lloyd and, before achieving Hollywood eminence, Charlie Chaplin. The venue shot to fame when, between 1953 and 1983 it hosted the BBC television version of The Good Old Days, chaired in inimitable alliterative style by Leonard Sachs. Although no longer televised, the show lives on at the theatre, and to be a part of the cast is considered to be one of the highest accolades of achievement within the world of variety entertainment.

Paul said: “There is an enormously rich and colourful history surrounding variety theatre and traditional music hall in Britain. It is an important part of the development of our theatrical heritage, as is this wonderful old venue. I feel very proud to have been asked to perform there”.

The performances in which Paul will be appearing are on Friday, September 29th at 7.30pm and Saturday, September 30th at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are obtainable from The Box Office, The City Varieties, Swan Street, Leeds LS1 6LW. Tel: (0113) 243 0808.

Make It So and Parexel Medical Marketing are to stage a medical drama with patient and doctor enactments on the fight against Breast Cancer for Pfizer inc.

The enactment will be dramatised by Trevor Nicholls and directed by Stephen Holroyd. This will be an exciting corporate partnership to produce a realistic and informative performance on the study of Breast Cancer and will be presented to specialists at meetings in Copenhagen, Paris and Sydney in 2006.

Paul Arden-Griffith writes:

“For some time I have been toying with the idea of putting together a programme of music associated with the “Oscar”, the film industry’s most prestigious award, and I am delighted to say that this idea has become reality. The first performance of Songs From The Oscars will be presented at St. Paul’s Church, Grove Park Gardens, Chiswick, London W4 at 6.30p.m. on Sunday, June 18th with a cast of six West End singers and two top international Musical Directors playing two pianos!”

“Every item in the programme has won - or been nominated for - an Oscar, with music chosen from the finest film scores to have graced the golden age of Hollywood. My fellow singers are Mary Carewe; Sarah Payne; Anne Skates; Dean Collinson and David Combes, and we are honoured and delighted to have enlisted the services of Michael Reed and Paul Bateman to be our two-piano orchestra. This concert will be repeated on August 6th in Wiltshire to raise money for From Cradle To College, a charity to support vocational training for young people, established by the celebrated stage, film and television actor, George Baker.”

“For further information, and to book tickets for the performance in Chiswick on June 18th, please visit www.grovestock.co.uk. Information regarding the performance in Wiltshire on August 6th will be published here on www.makeitso.gb.com in the near future. I very much hope you can attend one of these performances, enjoy the wonderful music and support two very good causes.”

Performances run from Monday the 30th of October until Saturday the 4th of November, Nightly at 7.30pm with Matinees on Wednesday and Saturday starting at 2.30pm.

Advance bookings open on the 10th of July. Tickets can be booked via the advance booking line on (01903) 247999.

More information can be obtained shortly from the The Worthing Musical Comedy Society’s website at www.wmcs.org.uk.

By arrangement with Musicscope and Stage Musicals Ltd, New York.

…A journey through space and time to solve the mysteries of Brighton!

Trevor Nicholls is directing a community devised drama project in the grounds of Preston Manor House in Brighton, East Sussex.

Dates are from Tuesday the 15th of August to Saturday the 19th of August with a performance open to the public on Saturday the 19th August in the afternoon.

A devised workshop runs from 10am until 3pm and tickets will sell at £60.00 for the week per person. To order tickets please call Preston Manor Bookings on (01273) 292770.

The event is for children ages 8 and over and is being organised by Brighton & Hove Museums and Libraries and staged by Make It So.

Make It So and the Worthing Musical Comedy Society (W.M.C.S.) have teamed together to stage a full scale Worthing Community Theatre Production of Guys and Dolls at The Connaught Theatre in Worthing, West Sussex, in the United Kingdom from the first week in November this year. The production is to run for one week.

Directed by Trevor Nicholls
Choreographed by Terri Moore
Production Designed and Lighting Designed by Stephen Holroyd
Produced by the Worthing Musical Comedy Society (W.M.C.S.)
Staged by Make It So

More details to follow soon…

STOP PRESS! Paul Arden-Griffith, known to one and all as “Pag“, will be appearing in London’s West End, opening at the Trafalgar Studios (formerly the Whitehall Theatre) on April 25th. He has won a prestigious contract to join the Pocket Orchestra in a brand new production - The Pocket Orchestra - The Unlikely Lives of the Great Composers. Pag says “Pocket Orchestra is a company of extremely versatile performers, all of whom play instruments; sing; dance and act. I play keyboards and percussion in addition to singing tenor, and other members of the cast play strings, woodwind and brass. The cast includes Sylvester McCoy - one of Dr. Who’s several incarnations - and the show itself is an irreverent and hysterically funny trawl through the development of classical music: from the bangs, scrapes and farts of the ancient civilizations to the bangs, scrapes and farts of today’s classical outpourings, not neglecting the Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire along the way!”

The Pocket Orchestra - The Unlikely Lives of the Great Composers will play at Trafalgar Studio 2, 14 Whitehall, just off Trafalgar Square, from April 25th until May 20th. Tickets can be obtained from the box-office: Tel: 0870 060 6632. After the four-week run at Trafalgar Studio 2, it is intended that the production will relocate to one of the Ambassadors Theatre Group’s larger West End venues for a further six months.

For more details, please visit:
http://www.theambassadors.com/trafalgarstudios/sp_p2699.html.