News

Look who we got a letter from!!!!!

 
 
How do you solve a problem like Ken?

  Dear Friends of the Project,

The Palace 100 community project is ploughing on, all steam ahead. 

We have a cast heading towards the hundred mark. We've accrued a crack creative team of positive, enthused, talented young theatre professionals. We have a script nearing completion, bristling with great ideas.

However, we have a problem.

What we don't have, as yet, is a male lead for one of our key sections.

Most casting gaps we can work our way around, but we can't do this show without a singing male lead.

Meet Ken: it's 1946, and he's around 30, an actor in the Court Players. 

He saw action in the war with the Scottish Highlanders.

He's in love with another actress, but neither of them can bring themselves to admit it, let alone to each other. 

He gets caught up in a love triangle with two actresses

The actor playing him will be playing alongside ... a couple of fantastic actresses

He sings 'People Will Say We're In Love' from Oklahoma

He also sings 'Nature Boy' by Nat King Cole

And some more besides.

In all our auditions, we had over 80 people come forwards, but not a single male singer between the ages of 25 and 40.

Where ARE these men? 

If you know of one, please let us know asap. 

And if you know someone who might know someone, please forward this on!

We start rehearsals in one month's time, and this role will be rehearsed on weds eves and Sat afternoons in Sept and October, with the show from 1st November. 

Your help would be dearly appreciated.

emilym@southendtheatres.org.uk


Great Wakering School Visit to the Palace

As a part of this years celebrations Belfairs School are working with 10 other schools in the area to create a film for schools to use about The Palace Theatre and its history. One of those schools is Great Wakering Primary School.

The school visited the Palace Theatre for a backstage tour and to take a look at the archive as a part of their research.

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The Leda and the Swan

We have found the sculpture which used to be in the outside atrium (now inside) at the Palace Theatre.

The statue now lives in the gardens of Porters, Southend-on-Sea Borough Councils Civic House.

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Family Activity Event

We held our first Palace Centenary family activity event at Southend Central Museum on Wednesday 15th February. The museum had nearly 400 people visit while we were running our workshop so it was a great way of spreading the word about our project.

A big thank you to the museum staff who made us feel so welcome!

Keep an eye on our events page for dates for more of these activities.

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Our Volunteers Visit the Essex Record Office for Archive Training

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Photos from The Palace Cetenary Variety Gala VIP Event

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Thanks to everyone invloved in Saturday night's Palace Centenary Variety Gala it was a great success and a fitting start to what is going to be a great year for the Palace Theatre!

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Variety Gala Night

 

The 1st event of the years celebrations for the Palace Theatre's 100th Birthday is nearly upon us!!

This Saturday, 28th Jan, at 7.30pm we will be holding The Palace Centenary Variety Gala involving local amateur and youth groups taking us back to the Palace's variety roots.

Come along and join us for this fun-filled evening! There are still a few tickets available from our Box Office on 01702 351135.

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