Spoof on at Tettenhall College

s the traditional dark period in professional theatre from July to September approaches, it would appear that am dram is carrying on, larger than life throughout the summer. If you have a production, please let me know, because you just might attract some theatre-goers who just cannot wait for the new season and need a theatrical fix.

Comedy is as popular as ever and from July 18-20, you can catch Secga Theatre Company's production of Peter Gordon's Murdered to Death, at the Towers Theatre, Tettenhall College.

This is a hilarious spoof in the Agatha Christie style and takes place in a country manor house in the 1930's (don't they all?) with an usual array of peculiar characters, including Bunting the Butler, and English Colonel, a shady French art dealer and a bumbling police inspector, aptly named Inspector Pratt!

Following the death of the owner of the house, it becomes increasingly apparent that the murderer is intent on disposing of the visitors one by one, but this is a farce remember and so the lead up to the final conclusion is peppered with lots of laughs along the way.

For tickets, £7 each, contact 0121 561 1854 or visit www.secgatheatrecompany.vpweb.co.uk Tickets can also be purchased from Tettenhall Green Post Office. On July 19, Willenhall Musical Theatre Company is holding an open audition for new members, specifically for their winter panto, Aladdin, which the company will perform at Coppice Farm Performing Arts School from December 3-7.

The audition will be at St. Andrew's Church Hall in Willenhall and anyone aged eight years old and above is welcome. For more information visit www.willenhallmtc.co.uk

South Staffs Musical Theatre Company is on the lookout for a female dancer to play the role of Louise in a production of Carousel at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in October. If you are aged 15-18 and trained in contemporary and ballet dance, please call 07886194144. They would love to hear from you!

The summer schools for performers are really beginning to fill up, so get your place booked quick!

Reach for the Stage Musical Theatre School, based at Tettenhall College, is preparing for their summer programme, with a week of hard work and plenty of fun, ending with a production of the schools' version of the West End smash hit, We Will Rock You, from August 5-9.

Principal of the group, Anna Vickers said, "We are setting a group of youngsters the challenge of a lifetime – to create a show stopping performance in just one week!"

With a professional team of directors, choreographers and musical vocal coaches, they cannot fail.

For more information, please contact Anna on 07826879554 or visit reachforthestage.co.uk

Similarly, Pink Productions, who perform at the Mill Theatre in Sedgley, is holding a fun packed week of acting, singing and dancing from 19-23 August, for anyone aged between four years and 35 years old.

The week will include workshops in all three aspects of performance, culminating on the Friday evening with a show called In the Pink, so that participants can show off the skills they have learnt during the week.

And remember, this is the group that produced Liam Payne from One Direction. Budding pop stars please apply.

For more information, contact Jodie Richards on 01902 682087 or visit www.jodierichards.co.uk

Finally, on July 16, Deansfield Community School is presenting an evening of musical theatre favourites at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton. With a host of toe-tapping show tunes, you'll be dancing all the way home!

For tickets, priced at just £3, call 01902 321321 or visit www.wlv.ac.uk

That's all for this week, keep those emails coming to a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk or call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton

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