Harrogate Theatre (From The Northern Echo)

Harrogate Theatre

10:46am Tuesday 29th December 2009 in

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WELL-KNOWN faces from Emmerdale, The Bill and Brookside will be on stage at Harrogate Theatre in the new year.

They star in a revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy Absent Friends, opening in February.

The play finds five old friends rallying round to support Colin (David Crellin, who played Billy Hopwood in ITV’s Emmerdale) after the sudden death of his fiance. The aim is to cheer him up with a gathering of old friends, although his behaviour isn’t exactly what they’re expecting.

Steven Pinder, best known as Max Farnham in C4’s Brookside and recently seen in the stage version of Last Of The Summer Wine, stars alongside Samantha Giles, who played barmaid Bernice in Emmerdale, and Kerry Peers, recognisable from her role as Suzi Croft in The Bill.

The co-production with Oldham Coliseum is directed by Yorkshrie-raised Nikolai Foster, whose recent productions include All The Fun Of The Fair, Bollywood Jane, The Witches Of Eastwick, Animal Farm and A Christmas Carol.

The play, which Aybourn counts as one of his favourites, was premiered in Scarborough in 1974.

Other drama in the new season includes Alfie, remembered more as a film starring Michael Caine as the cockney Lothario than Bill Naughton’s original stage play.

This production, from Blackeyed Theatre, shows why Alfie finds chatting up “birds”

irresistible.

Idolrich Theatre Company provides the February half-term offering Forest Of Fables, a puppet extravaganza bringing the world of Aesop’s fables to life.

Audiences will meet loudmouthed Lion, who has a gnat in his ear, a Fox who’s searching for cheese and a Spider who knits.

Count Arthur Strong returns to Harrogate to remind everyone what they’ve been missing since his last television series, The Robin Hood Club, was axed in 1960-something.

Last year’s show proved a sellout performance.

Bradford-based South Asian and collaborative arts company Kala Sangam is presenting three performances featuring storytelling, vocalists, musicians and dance in Kala Kahani: Artistic Tales.

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, voted the best big band in the land for the 11th consecutive year, and Fairport Convention are both booked for one-nighters.

And there’s a chance to pull on your nun’s habit or Nazi uniform (but not if you’re Prince Harry) for Sing-A-Long- A-Sound-Of-Music, where the audience get in the mood by dressing up and singing along with the film starring Julie Andrews as the novice nun who become nanny to the Von Trapp children and falls for their dad.

Amateur productions include the Cole Porter musical High Society, staged by Harrogate Phoenix Players, and Terence Rattigan’s drama The Deep Blue Sea from Harrogate Dramatic Society.

WHAT’S ON AT HARROGATE THEATRE

The pantomime Aladdin continues until January 16.

Sing-A-Long-A-Sound-Of Music, Jan 22.

Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Jan 23.

Kala Kahani: Artistic Tales, Jan 23, Feb 27 and March 20.

Fairport Convention, Feb 3.

Count Arthur Strong, Feb 5 and 6.

Forest Of Fables, Feb 16-20.

Alfie, Feb 18-20.

Absent Friends, Feb 25-March 13.

■ Tickets: 01423-502116 or online at harrogatetheatre.co.uk