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Television's Hairy Bikers, the golden days of rock and roll, Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) and shambling sleuth Columbo are among the latest line-up of Blackpool Grand Theatre shows announced this week.
Lieutenant Columbo is back on the case from May 11 to 15 when Dirk Benedict from The A Team and
Battlestar Galactica stars as the iconic shambling sleuth alongside Patrick Ryecart in Prescription: Murder – the first case ever written for Columbo and the original stage play which
became the pilot episode for the legendary TV series.
Also just announced is the welcome return of opera to the Grand with the Co-Opera Company bringing
Puccini's La Bohme on November 12 and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro on November 13.
The emphasis is on fun with the
already announced hilarious holiday camp antics of Hi-de-Hi starring
original TV cast members Barry Howard and Nikki Kelly (May 17 to 22) and Dad's Army Marches On starring Leslie Grantham (June 21 to 26).
They are joined by the musical adaptation of the best-selling picture book The Gruffalo (July 27 and 28); a new stage production of TV's hugely successful social comedy Keeping Up Appearances with an all-star cast to be announced (July 19 to 24); Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine (November 16 to 20); a whistle-stop tour of the greatest tap dance
moments in show business history with Tap Dance Fever (June 1 to 3) and the domestic comedy Wife Begins at Forty starring Vicki Michelle, Mark Curry, Anita Graham, Trevor Bannister, Brian Godfrey and Damian Hunt which opens at the Grand prior to its
national tour (April 27 to May 1).
Murder and mystery fans are catered for with Nightfright starring Paul Opacic and Ben Roberts (June 7 to 12) and Murdered To Death starring Graham Cole and Sandra Dickinson (June 28 to July 3)
One night stands include the musical rock theatre spectacular
Vampire's Rock starring Steve Steinman (November 11); the Hairy Bikers Big Night Out with Simon King and Dave Myers cooking up a storm live on stage (May 9); blues guitarist Tom Doughty (May 14); celebrity psychic Sally Morgan back by popular
demand direct from her new smash hit TV series Psychic Sally On The Road (June 6); One Night in Vegas (June 5 )and the brand new singing and dancing stage family show The Little Big Club starring Barney, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Pingu, Fifi Forget-me-Not and
Fireman Sam (June 27).
Blackpool Operatic Players are back with the musical love story Mack and Mabel (April 14 to 17); Blackpool & Fylde Light Opera Company present Disney's Beauty and the Beast (May 25 to 29) and UK Productions return with Rodgers and Hammerstein's barnstorming musical Oklahoma! starring West End legend Marti Webb and Mark Evans (August 10 to 14) and the full production rock and roll revival show Rock Around The Clock making its resort debut (August 5 to 8)
Grand Theatre general manager and chief executive, Neil Thomson, said: "Finding a balance which will appeal to as many theatre goers as possible is getting more difficult.
"Economics dictate that there are some shows which we would love to have but we just can't accommodate them.
"There's a void in big productions because producers can't afford to send them out with no guarantee of a return. Of the ones that are out there we've pretty much had them all so the swing these coming months is towards plays which are less costly to tour.
"There are still plenty of gaps to be filled in our programme - but it's the same with every other theatre. I think it will remain difficult for the next 18 months – a night at the theatre is a luxury item when people are watching their disposable income.
"I am very grateful that so many people still visit us as often as they do."
For full 2010 show information and bookings please call the Grand Theatre Box Office on 01253 290190, click on the website www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or visit the Grand Theatre information sales point in the Houndshill Shopping
Centre.
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Weather for Blackpool
Wednesday 30 May 2012
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