A Round Up of Joyous Christmas events to bring cheer to the weary heart by Annie Clarke

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Digital:

Much-loved company Sleeping Trees will bring the magic of panto to your living room with their epic Christmas adventure The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington. Streaming throughout December, this exciting production, filled with original music, will ensure the whole family has a whale of a time. Available from 1st December  – 5th January

Tickets:  here

Polka are giving a free gift to give to their supporters this Christmas with a digital family reimagining of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Created by the team behind the lockdown hit I Want My Hat Back, comes a visually imaginative short film made almost entirely from recycled and recyclable Christmas materials!

Available from 19th December to those who sign up to the Polka newsletter: here

Social Media: @ polkatheatre

 

Constella aim to raise money with their upcoming Christmas Gala to continue their incredible Connecting Stars initiative which provides free one-to-one virtual performances to isolated care home residents. Constella’s Christmas Gala will see the musicians enter a Christmas wonderland. Since their launch earlier this year, they have reached over 50 care homes and over 2,000 residents with 150 virtual performances; the Gala will bring festive joy to even more residents, and raise money to continue this vital programme. Available from 8th December.  Tickets and further information here

London’s Old Red Lion Theatre’s first piece of digital work will be a brand new filmed production inspired by Bob Cratchit. Written and directed by artistic director Alexander Knott, December will be filmed on the theatre’s stage and will be available to watch online this December.

In Person

Throughout December the crème de la crème of London’s Queer cabaret scene, Ginger Johnson, Bitten Peach, Pecs Drag Kings, and the Cocoa Butter Club, are taking over the Pleasance’s transformed auditorium for some festive fun – ‘tis the season to be Queer! The venue will follow up-to-date safety regulations with e-ticketing, enhanced cleaning and table service with drinks and pizzas from their neighbours, The Depot.

More information here.

 

The thrilling adaptation of Joan Aiken’s classic children’s novel, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, brings festive magic south of the river. Injecting some Christmas joy into the local community, the production will see the return of Greenwich’s favourite panto villain Anthony Spargo (Horrible Histories). With unforgettable characters, snowy wastelands and ferocious wolves, this promises to be a winter adventure the family won’t forget! Available from 18th December – 10th January.  Tickets and more information here.

18th December to 10th January 2021

Come along to the Old Royal Naval College this Christmas to celebrate the festive season with pop-up festive theatre performances for children in the beautiful riverside grounds, a local arts and crafts market and live-streamed and in-person carol services. Admire the magnificent Christmas tree with a glass of mulled wine and explore the beautiful Wren architecture illuminated with colourful lights and projections.

 

For unique and special gifts this Christmas season, go straight to Shapero Rare Books – the internationally renowned rare and antique bookshop. Gift buyers can head online to their bookshop for the ultimate gift. Their incredible and wide-ranging collection has beautiful and unusual books on every topic, for everyone including beautiful first editions of Beatrix Potter, Winnie the Pooh and Dr Seuss, as well as favourites like Charles Dickens to Daphne Du Maurier’s thrilling Rebecca, to Ernest Hemingway.

More information here

 

5 Books That Changed Me by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

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It is no secret to those that know me that books hold a special place in my heart. I enjoy being able to escape to a different world, a different time, a different place. With the stresses of everyday life I have been reading more and more over the past few years and I thought that now would be the perfect time to look back and reflect on the books that have changed me.

First up is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone by J K Rowling. I have very fond memories of this book, my mum used to read it to me and she would speak in different voices for each of the characters which would always make me chuckle. I was fascinated with the world of magic and imagination that J K Rowling has. This book kickstarted my love of the Harry Potter books, i would insist on having the latest one as soon as i possibly could. I remember when I was 15 and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had just been released and that summer me and my family went on holiday to the south of France and instead of lounging by the pool all day I would stay inside and read. Yes I did finish it within the two weeks we were away. To this day I am a huge Harry Potter fan and so is my daughter who i now read the Philosophers stone to.

Next up is the Diary of Anne Frank, i read this for the first time when i was in secondary school around the age of 14. It opened my eyes to not only the cruelty and horror that Jews were subjected to just because they were Jews but despite it all Anne Frank remained  positive and extremely brave “I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”. Anne Frank received her diary as a present for her 13th birthday and i was reading her diary when i was of a similar age and i remember thinking that i would not be that brave and it put things into perspective for me. The diary of Anne Frank is one book that will always remain on my bookshelf and one that i will turn to when i feel that i need to be brave or strong or positive. 

At Long last love by Milly Adams was a book that was given to me as a gift from someone who knows that my favourite genre to read is historical fiction. This book changed me in a different way to the others listed because even though I absolutely adored reading it and I went on to buy two more books written by Milly Adams because i enjoyed it so much, it is the events that followed reading this book that changed me. At the time I was writing my own blog where I would write book reviews and interviews with authors among other things. When I finished At long Last Love, i reached out to Milly Adams and asked if she would be willing to answer a few questions for my blog. She kindly agreed to do so. I went on to learn that Milly Adams is in fact a pen name for Margaret Graham who is a editor for Frost magazine, I must have done something right as to my amazement Margaret asked if i would like to write reviews for the magazine. Fast forward almost 3 years and I am now the West Country Correspondent for Frost Magazine and my confidence in myself and in my writing has improved drastically all thanks to Margaret Graham and the Frost Magazine Team. 

There are very few books that I have read as many times as A Christmas Carol by Charles dickens. This classic book did – as corny as it sounds- teach me the true meaning of christmas, it isn’t about what gifts you get but who you spend the time with, how you treat others, how you value and appreciate them. Over the years i have watched many film adaptations which i enjoy with my children, our personal favourite is ‘A Muppets ‘Christmas Carol’ which again has become a tradition to watch at least once over the festive period. 

Last but by no means least is a book that I read last year, The Lost Girl’s of Paris by Pam Jenoff. Up to that point I was blissfully unaware of women’s involvement in world war two. This taught me a lot about the German occupation of France, the resistance and the missions and sabotage that they carried out which would have absolutely contributed to the allied victory. I knew that back home women  worked in munitions factories risking life and limb.  However I did not know about Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive or SOE, where women would be taught sabotage and survival skills and would be parachuted behind enemy lines where they would face capture, torture and execution. These women were smart, courageous and ruthless. They were heroes. 

 

THE CULTURED COLLECTIVE KIMCHI

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The Cultured Collective kimchi range is expertly crafted in the Cotswolds using the highest quality, 100% natural ingredients in an environment powered by sustainable energy and presented in easily recyclable materials.  Offering unbeatable quality and great taste, it’s the most awarded Kimchi range in the UK!

LIVING WELL BEGINS WITH EATING WELL

The Cultured Collective stays true to the traditional ingredients of Chinese leaf cabbage, mooli radish, spring onion, carrot and an aromatic spice blend which form the basis of the Classic Kimchi. Three further kimchis, have individual, balanced flavour, character and crunch.

kimchi, live, cultured,

IT’S ALIVE!

Unpasteurised with no artificial preservatives, each jar is loaded with healthy, living, good bacteria – or probiotics – responsible for the fermentation process. Alive and thriving, they boost immunity, energize the body and help to keep the digestive system healthy.

Studies have shown that gut flora (the bacteria that live in the digestive system) have a huge impact on the health of our immune system (over 70% of which resides in the gut).   Eating unpasteurised fermented foods such as Kimchi is a natural way of getting probiotics into your diet.

Another bit of good news; over 90% of serotonin – the so-called ‘happy hormone’– is synthesised in the gut and some recent studies have shown that probiotics may have a positive effect on conditions such as depression and anxiety.

THE CULTURED COLLECTION KIMCHI RANGE

Classic Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE 

The best-selling traditional style Classic Kimchi remains true to Korea’s national dish.  Piquant and spicy with moreish umami notes and a satisfying crunch

 Turmeric & Ginger Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE  |  VEGETARIAN  |  VEGAN

Flush with the vibrant golden glow of turmeric and ginger along with a pinch of fiery cayenne and savoury sea greens, this will get your senses singing. Circulation-supporting ginger and cayenne, together with turmeric (a natural anti-inflammatory) and wakame (a sea vegetable rich in iodine) are added for unique flavour notes and more wellness benefits.

Zesty White Kimchi – RRP £5.45 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE  |  VEGETARIAN  |  VEGAN

White kimchi is a traditional variety of Korean kimchi made without chilli flakes.  Non-spicy and fragrant with warming ginger and subtle savoury notes.

Vegan Classic Kimchi – RRP £5.79 for 250g – GLUTEN FREE  |  VEGETARIAN  |  VEGAN

The Classic Kimchi is reimagined in this plant-based version: piquant with subtle savoury notes and a satisfying crunch.

LIVE, GUT-LOVING ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR EVERY OCCASION

Kimchi is traditionally eaten as a condiment or used an ingredient in cooking, however it’s equally enjoyable forked straight from the jar!   Add to sandwiches, salads and wraps or spice up stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes – kimchi is not impeded by country specific cuisines!

“Gut health is a very simple practice that may help support your immune system. Eating live foods such as kimchi which is packed with good bacteria helps to create a healthy microbiome.  The Cultured Collective kimchis add tang to meals AND come loaded with healthy live bacteria”

 

Jeannette Hyde
Nutritional Therapist & author of The Gut Makeover

 

The Cultured Collective Kimchi range is available from fine food delis, Ocado.com, Planet Organic and WholeFoodsMarket.com

theculturedcollective.co.uk

 

@the_cultured_collective    #theculturedcollective

 

CELIA ANDERSON ON CELEBRATING ROMANTIC FICTION

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When I was approached back in 2016 with a view to taking over the organising of the Romantic Novel Awards from Nicola Cornick, I have to admit my knees began to shake. Nicola followed a long line of equally super-efficient coordinators, all of whom had helped the system to grow and develop in different ways. It’s been a fascinating few years though, learning the ropes, meeting hundreds of writers, agents, publishers and avid readers online and experiencing the amazing diversity of romantic fiction as it is today.

These RNA awards are unique in that eight of them are completely reader-judged by up to 300 volunteers who are passionate about reading romantic fiction. Every spring, the regular panel of judges are re-recruited with some additions, and once the books begin to flood in (all ebooks now, which has been a blessing in this year of being extra-aware of passing on germs) the organiser is responsible for allocating batches of books to readers for a set period. We close for business on September 30th or when the cap of 500 entries is reached, whichever comes first, but allocation and judging continues way into the autumn until every book has been read and scored.

In addition to this, my hard-working colleague Laura James will be publicising and collating votes from librarians, book bloggers and book sellers as they nominate their favourite book of the year for the Popular Fiction Award which is presented at the same time as the other category prizes for Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Debut, Fantasy, Shorter Romances, Historical, Saga and Thrillers. We endeavour to promote diversity and inclusion so that romance in all its forms is fully represented.

The results are strictly confidential until careful moderation of the judging process by a panel of experts has been completed, after which short lists are consolidated. Even then, only those on the lists are notified and asked to keep the secret until the announcements are formally made in February. In early March at a glittering ceremony and party in the heart of London, the final results are revealed and the trophies presented by a different celebrity each time. The final presentation is always the Outstanding Achievement Award, won in 2020 by the wonderful Milly Johnson who brought the house down and reduced everyone to tears with her moving and encouraging speech.

This showcase event is an ideal way to promote all genres of romance, to give members the chance to mingle with publishers, agents and fellow authors and to highlight the fact that romantic novels become more popular with every year that passes and that writers of romance should be celebrated for bringing much needed joy into the world of books. In this time of pandemic troubles, the format for the 2021 event will need to be carefully considered but rest assured, the winners and short-listees will still be celebrated with as much pomp and ceremony as we can safely achieve. They are all stars.

 

Celia Anderson was a primary teacher and assistant headteacher before deciding to leave it all behind to write full time. She has been an enthusiastic member of the RNA since 2011, having graduated through the wonderful New Writers’ Scheme and made many good friends along the way. With Harper Fiction she has recently published The Pengelly Series (59 Memory Lane and The Cottage of Curiosities). There are more to come…

 

 

 

 

Michael Rowan gets a taste of some of Kent’s finest food and drink, delivered to his door by Produced in Kent www.producedinkent.co.uk

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Produced in Kent is a comprehensive, reliable, and exciting go-to resource for finding the best local food and drinks producers in Kent. It is a dynamic network of the best independent food and drinks entrepreneurs in the county and they have come up with the imaginative ideas of the virtual hamper.

There is something about a hamper that appeals to my inner child. Maybe it is the array of delectable goodies that I wouldn’t necessarily treat myself to, maybe it just appeals to my inner glutton. Whatever it is, a hamper of whatever content, is a very welcome gift in my household.   However, come the New Year, there is the problem of what to do with the empty hamper. Too nice to throw away and too big to store.

Fear not, because those wizards of ‘Produced in Kent’ www.producedinkent.co.uk have come up with the perfect solution. Thanks to their scheme it is possible to order exactly what you want to make up your own hamper or even cut out the Hamper and fill a box or bag of your choice, maybe re use an empty hamper after all it is the contents that we are mostly interested in. Here is the perfect way to fill a virtual hamper. Follow Produced in Kent (PinK) on Instagram Twitter or Facebook.

                             

I began with the Fudge. Until now I have always maintained that fudge is fudge, very pleasant, but one piece is as good as another. I don’t know quite how to explain this, but this fudge really does taste of Christmas and my wife agrees. I mention this because I stupidly said that she could try a piece. It was whilst she was waxing lyrical about the fabulous flavours that I realised that we had different definitions of ‘a piece.’  The Luxury Fudge Kitchen Christmas Crackers: £3.50 each come as three generous squares contained in a Christmas cracker shaped box. With Sea Salted Caramel, Chocolate Orange and Speculoos : https://www.fudgekitchen.co.uk/en/products/luxury-red-and-bronze-christmas-crackers-set-of-6

If we are going to avoid the divorce courts, we are going to have to buy much more of this before Christmas.

If you are Vegan and cooking for yourself then I can thoroughly recommend the Vegan mixed herb mayonnaise to enliven anything and everything that is served for lunch or dinner.  If you are invited to dine away from home, then I would most certainly have this stored upon my person. This would be fantastic with salads, nut roasts and vegetarian wellington – so versatile and so tasty and even as a stocking filler for the vegan or vegetarian in your life. A Little Bit Food Co Mixed Herb Vegan Mayo £3.75 https://alittlebit.co.uk/products/mixed-herb-vegan-mayo

I suspect that this is a Christmas must have and I will be serving this chilled to anyone who doesn’t like alcohol and anyone who needs a rest from alcohol. I would be very happy to toast Christmas with this rather than a fizzy wine. It is crisp, refreshing and tastes as if each glass is crammed with fresh apples. It feels suitably celebratory, not too sweet and not too fizzy. This 100% sparkling apple juice is the first of its kind! Made using 100% apples with a light spark https://biddenden.myshopify.com/collections/juices/products/biddenden-sparkling-apple-juice. Sparkling Apple Juice from Biddenden Vineyard: £43.32 Case of 250ml x 24 bottles. Cheers.

                                        

Even as a lover of cherries I was a little perplexed at how I would use 1 litre of Dalloway’s Kentish Cherry Juice, but I needn’t have worried, as Shakespeare might have said ‘let me count the ways.’ Certainly, at Christmas there is a preponderance of heavy, rich foods, and quite right too, but equally at times there is the desire for something light, fresh and tasty. Poured over vanilla ice cream, the effects are transformative, added to tonic water or sparkling water will provide a delicious non alcoholic drink and added to a cocktail, will provide a delicious alcoholic one. I have yet to try adding to fruit destined for a crumble or pie, but it is only a matter of time. It could also be drunk neat, to get the full benefits of the juice of 3 kg of pressed cherries with nothing added, because the flavour is perfect. The cherry juice comes in 1 litre bottles Dalloway’s Kentish Cherry Juice. £7 https://rentacherrytree.co.uk/farm-shop/cherry-juice

It seemed strange to be trying the Macknade Christmas Pudding: £7.75 450g in November but I was very glad that I did. This is the traditional Christmas dessert, classic, delicious and jam-packed with vine fruits, generously soaked in rum & brandy. I have to confess that after just one mouthful I was well and truly in the Christmas spirit and you will not be at all surprised to learn that I didn’t stop at one mouthful. https://macknade.com/shop/macknade-larder/macknade-christmas-pudding/

If anything, I probably associate hops with Kent, more than anything else, so I was looking forward to trying the Foundry Man’s Gold – Flagship Golden Ale-£21.99 per case of 12, £13.99 for 6 or £10 in beer gift packs. 500ml bottles. Made from hops named Cascade and Magnum, this ale has the taste of spice, some citrus and grapefruit and is finely balanced with a subtle low-level bitterness with biscuit and caramel flavours. This ale will be great for Christmas but equally tasty throughout the year. Loved it. https://www.thefoundrycanterbury.co.uk/beers/foundry-gold/

I am of all things an aficionado of Gin, but like any aficionado I have my trusted favourites and am content not to interfere with the pecking order. That is, until I tried George Bishop London Dry Gin by Maidstone Distillery:  £39/£15/£5 which is a perfect balance of 15 exotic botanicals, warm Mediterranean orange combined with delicate spice.  Sweet citrusy notes from coriander and air-dried peels are balanced with the tangy piquance of tellicherry pepper, ambrette (musk mallow) and perfumed chamomile. This gin is delightful with a mixer, or in a cocktail. Each bottle is finished by hand, with handwritten batch and bottle number. https://themaidstonedistillery.com/george-bishop-london-dry-gin/

Produced in Kent www.producedinkent.co.uk have worked a Christmas miracle, bringing the Garden of England to the Christmas Hampers and Christmas Stockings of England and, I for one am rather glad that it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

 

 

SISTER SCRIBES: JANE CABLE ON THE START OF A NEW ERA

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This will be the last time I sharpen my pencil to write a Sister Scribes article for Frost. There is no great drama, and next year will bring an exciting new group of writers to the magazine, but for now Sister Scribes has run its course.

When we started two years ago our writing careers were in very different places. Not all of us had publishers or agents, although some of us had indie published very successfully. We all had the luxury of a little more time. Now we find ourselves working on multiple projects, often for more than one publisher, and even with five of us in the team, producing a weekly article just isn’t tenable.

Of course it doesn’t mean we won’t remain friends – the connections between us are too strong for that. We have been through the best and worst of times together, and that forms incredible bonds. As we have said so many times before, writing can be a lonely business unless you have buddies.

I don’t think our positions are unusual. Everywhere I look around me, there are writers juggling tasks, deadlines looming over them, professional reputations on the line. It seems to me that once you are lucky enough to break down the doors to the publishing world, you can quickly become in great demand, while equally talented writers who perhaps don’t have the confidence, or the perseverance, or the luck of the right book landing on the right desk at the right time, look on from the outside, waiting for their turn.

But enough of this philosophising. We are close to the end of a year that has been frankly terrible for many, so let’s look forward. Let’s be positive and hopeful as we stare down the barrel of 2021.

Sister Scribes will be replaced in Frost by two elements, brought to you by the same team. Our ever popular monthly Reading Round Up will become Cariads’ Choice, and fortnightly we will bring you Welsh Writing Wednesdays.

The team is broadly the Cariad Chapter of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with a few other Welsh writers, or writers based in Wales, added for good measure. Although I live in Cornwall, because I am from South Wales, Cariad feels as though it is my natural chapter, and lockdown has made attending events so much easier; just a quick link onto Zoom rather than a three hour drive.

I met my first Cariads, Sue McDonagh and Jan Baynham, at the RNA Conference in 2017 and two years later they shared a flat with the Sister Scribes. I knew Jill Barry by email, because we were both signed to Endeavour at the time, and added Evonne Wareham to the list when we did a library talk together in Cardiff. Former Frost ‘Take Four Writers’ contributor Lucy Coleman is also a member, as is Sister Scribe Kitty Wilson, as she only lives just over the border in England and has become a Cariad too.

We have a private Facebook group and monthly Zoom meetings, and through this I have come to know the other members of the chapter, and I am sure you will enjoy doing the same next year. The articles pledged will be wide ranging, but inevitably landscape will feature more than once, as will Dylan Thomas. And I just know you are going to enjoy them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living with Alzheimer’s – Bob has Covid by Chris Suich

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chris-bob-suich-living-alzheimers

The phone rang loudly punctuating the silence in the house. My stomach lurched wondering if this was the phone call where I would have to jump in the car to get to Bob as quickly as I could. A solemn voice softly spoken, ‘Duty to inform . . . Bob has tested positive.’ How awful. So he’d got it anyway and I never got to comfort him because of this threat.
It has been 252 days since I hugged my husband Bob. I have never felt such a mix of emotions. I have been rendered utterly powerless.  I have tried everything I can to have some contact.

At the beginning of this nightmare I stood in the street shouting up to the first floor window whilst two carers walked with him towards it. Then we progressed to bringing him downstairs to the Reception area where he sat in the wheelchair looking out at me through a closed window. Then I moved him to a care home that didn’t charge nearly a thousand pounds extra third party top-up fee which, as a part-time teacher, I couldn’t afford.

It was July. There was now a chance to see him outside for thirty mins under a canopy but strictly 2 metres apart – and definitely no touching. But then the carer was OK to touch him without PPE – but not me. I asked why ? I was living on my own, avoiding shops, summer holidays (so off work) but my hands were not deemed safe to hold my husband’s hands. He stretched out for them. He’d shout ‘Chris, Chris,’ and try to stand up in his wheelchair to get to me. I had to watch  from 2 metres  away, getting more and more upset. I begged for another visit at the weekend. Thirty minutes once a week was not enough. I was granted another visit at the window on a Sunday.

I read everything I could about the government guidance and wondered why things were not changing. Our son, Joe, a Covid doctor felt if I saw Bob outside in PPE (and as a frontline worker I was permitted a test which was always negative), I could mitigate the risk.  That wasn’t accepted either.

Meanwhile, Bob’s health and well-being was impacted. He became very sleepy. I’d visit at 11.10 am but he was often still in bed asleep.  I changed the time to 2.10 pm but he often was sleepy then. He wasn’t responsive, barely knew what was happening, and couldn’t focus on me or follow a conversation. He looked clean and tidy but his personality had gone. Bob had disappeared he was a shell of himself.

I wrote letters, several citing new guidance, the breaking of laws such as the Equality Act or Human Rights Act – the right to a family life. My local MP wrote to the regional manager and I wrote to Helen Whately, Minister for Social Care. I wrote to author, Nicci Gerrard after reading her article in the Observer one Sunday evening. She invited me to join a closed group, John’s Campaign set up in her father’s name. The carers on there became a great source of information, comfort and support. I was phoned up by the BBC’s Alison Holt who was doing a piece on how this nightmare had affected me personally. My name had been put forward, would I do a story? Yes,  I certainly would, and I had some film to show my trauma when Bob would scratch the window or shout for me to come in. The article was shown on the main BBC news at 6pm and the 10 o’clock news. Bob would have been so proud of myself and our son, Joe.

Over the past few weeks there seems to be a sea change and up and down the country managers are trying to include visitors safely, in sanitised rooms, pods, using Perspex screens or even plastic overalls. But the way forward for visitors is fragmented; it is pretty much up to the care home . The new guidance is exactly that, guidance. I rang Public Health England asking if they had sent information regarding visiting protocols to Bob’s home. No, not at the moment, they should follow government guidance. So I wrote to the regional manager myself to ask that. It was then that I found out there was a Covid outbreak.
How did that happen? No visitors still. So all that time, when I wanted to see Bob and hold his hands in the summer –  when the R rate was low and I was told I was a risk, it didn’t matter anyway because he was destined to get it from within the home. I know it spreads like wild fire. PPE protocols must be rigorous.
It is now a waiting game. Can Bob get over this? I hope so but I am worried, he is fragile, has impaired health already and respiratory illness.
Joe knows this disease, he has been on Covid wards since this it started. It might start mild but it can turn very quickly.
I have been told I can see my husband at end of life. What a shame.  We have lost so much time and all in vain.

ONLINE PLAY: Falling Stars at www.stream.theatre 22-29 November 2020 reviewed by Paul Vates

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“If songs from roughly a hundred years ago are your thing – this is a show for you!”

If songs from roughly a hundred years ago are your thing – this is a show for you! Conceived and written by the brilliant Peter Polycarpou, Falling Stars is a jam-packed hour full of songs familiar and, perhaps, unknown from the 1920s – many written by Charlie Chaplin! There are also numbers by Irving Berlin and Meredith Wilson, plus many more.

Peter (best known to fans of Birds Of A Feather as Chris Theodopolopodous) is joined by Sally Ann Triplett (most recently seen in Viva Forever! at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End). Together and individually they embrace the songs with gusto and style. Full of factual information in-between the numbers, the production is directed by Michael Strassen, keeping a tight rein on the whole event. The show was originally planned as a live experience, but during lockdown a decision was made to create this filmed version – which can be viewed by following the links on www.stream.theatre.

Planned and executed over three days, with only one day of rehearsals, the show is a little rough at the edges, but more than makes up for it in energy. For all its bravado, for me the highlight is Peter’s touching rendition of Rose Of Picardy. However, the two do perform Yes, We Have No Bananas where the song actually makes sense!

Although thoroughly enjoyable, I feel this show really needs a live audience to respond to. However, at the moment, we’ve all gotta take what we can get!

.Photography Paul Nicholas Dyke

Producers Ginger Quiff Media and Union Theatre

Writer Peter Polycarpou

Director Michael Strassen

Music Mark Dickman

Running Time 60 minutes

Tickets www.stream.theatre

Shows Sunday 22nd to Sunday 29th November 2020 at 7.30pm

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November 2020 at 2.30pm

Price £15 (plus booking fee)

Twitter @Gingerqmedia, @TheUnionTheatre, @stream_theatre

Instagram @Gingerquiffmedia, @theuniontheatre