This is me

I may not have the look of a movie star

Or a model in a magazine

I may not have a the voice of a music star

Or have a song on the music scene

I may not have a house with an extension

Or have a castle for my queen

Chorus

But what I’ve got money can not buy

I’ll tell you the truth; I will not lie

I’ll keep you warm when you are cold

I’ll keep you young when we’ve grown old

I’ll be loyal and stand by your side

I’ll make you the perfect bride

I may not be able to give you money

Or a life beyond your dreams

I may not be the dare devil you want

Or give you life’s extremes

I may not drive the latest sports car

Or be in your daydreams

Bridge

This is me, this is who I am

I’m not materialistic, I am who I am

A time to act

I woke up this morning and heard the awful news

I was in shock; I didn’t know what to say

Cried on my way to work listening to Radio City 2

A bomb explosion; another hate filled day

A tragedy in Manchester that didn’t have to happen

Innocent lives lost, many families effected

Many young children attending their first ever concert

The whole world left feeling dejected

We can’t let hatred win and we can’t live in fear

We have to stand together; be strong

Now is the time to love thy neighbour more than before

Show the world that hate is wrong

There may be more darkness on the horizon ahead

We must be the light in people’s lives

Love must conquer over evil, for our future generations

Or the world no longer survives.  

Lead us

In a world of war; we are looking for our saviour

Someone to guide us to a new promised land

Too much hatred towards people who are different

Too different for them to understand

In a world of war; we are looking for our saviour

Someone to challenge the established few

A new way of thinking; a new way talking

Someone who is truthful to what they will do

Chorus

Lead us away and save our souls

Lead us away from this hatred inside

Lead us to peace and a time to reflect

Lead us to our paradise

Lead us glory and a new dawn ahead

Lead us to share and believe in each other

Lead us to our community and spread the joy

Lead us to a new kind of love

In a world getting smaller; we’ve lost our community

A sense of belonging got lost along the way

Kindness and generosity no longer the norm

Greed and power has sadly become the way

In a world getting smaller; we’ve lost our community

Someone needs to restore our faith in humanity

Love thy neighbour is no longer the mantra

Please restore the world’s sanity

Bridge

Throughout these dark times there has t be a light

A leader to make the dark world once again beam bright

Beauty And The Beast

We’ve ran out of time

Nothing left to see

Started out as mates

Then went on some dates

True love completely

Changed after one night

Simply had a feast

I had curly fries (French Frank)

I went super size (Potty Pots)

Beauty and the Beast

Never be the same

I still need a bride (Gaston)

Opened a new door

This I never saw

Standing side by side

Story should be told

Love that conquers all

Change to make it right

Romance is in sight

Feeling ten foot tall

We’ve made some new friends

Friendship at the least

We’ll all say goodbye

Love you can’t untie

Beauty and the Beast

We’ll all say goodbye

Love you can’t untie

Beauty and the Beast

St Helens Theatre Royal – Beauty and the Beast

It’s Easter time again and that can only mean one thing…Panto!  St Helens has delivered another hit with their interpretation of Beauty and the Beast.  The tale as old as time has been reworked and given the St Helens touch.  Audience of all ages gathered to be entertained once again, by a now regular cast and a couple of new faces. 

One of the new faces to appear was the dazzling Amy Thompson.  Amy plays Belle with a charm and beauty Walt Disney himself would adore.  I didn’t know much about Amy before the panto as I’m not familiar with her show (Milkshake).  I would, however, gladly tune in to see her and that ‘Disney’ smile.  Another new face taking the stage was ‘Big Brothers’ Nikki Grahame.  Nikki plays the Fairy in this production and delivers her lines with enthusiasm.  She is first on stage, which is always difficult on your own, and needed to get the crowd warmed up better before the first song.

Now with any pantomime you need to have a comedy duo, enter Simon Foster and Liam Mellor.  Liam and Simon have worked together on many occasions and have natural comic timing and a look of mischievousness that tells the audience to watch as something might happen that shouldn’t!  The best part, for me, is when the two of them adlib a couple of lines and try and catch each other out.  They have a great connection with the audience and Liam, in particular, loves to pick on the adults in the audience – The frog scene a perfect example!

The ‘Baddies’ of this panto were Phillip McGuinness and his mum Hannah Potts.  Phillip played Gaston perfectly.  The difficulty in this role is to over act enough for the character but not to over act too much so the audience don’t respond.  Phillip had the balance just right.  His physicality is a massive plus for this role and he never comes out of character once.  He has good chemistry on stage with Hannah.  She has the traditional ‘baddy’ laugh down to a tee and performs a couple of songs with ease.

Now the Beast / Prince – Richard Hazlewood – plays both roles very well but he is at his best as the Beast.  His voice is perfect for the Beast and the use of some special effects makes it even better.  There are some great directional pieces when he changes from the Prince to the Best and back again. 

Special mention to two groups of people that are often neglected but without them the panto doesn’t happen.  First, the set design and costumes were first class.  The attention to detail in the set design with the candle lights slightly flickering shows the amount of work that is generated in this production.  The second group – The Dancers.  These young dancers were outstanding throughout the show and a credit to their choreographer.  They had the energy the show needed and some of the lifts were sublime. 

The pantomime wasn’t perfect and no pantomime should be.  No pantomime should be polished.  There should always be room for some ‘mistakes’ and ‘adlibs’ as this keeps the cast fresh and the audience feel like they are the first to see or hear that part.  The first half of the show was a little short for me (Around 45 minutes) but the second half lasted about an hour.  The dialogue is as corny as it should be with jokes you know are coming and you laugh anyway because of the delivery.   Slapstick is massive in any pantomime and again Beauty and the Beast delivers.  Songs were well chosen and the cast sang them well, particularly Amy.

I presume copyright reasons were the reason the famous ‘Tale as old as time’ song couldn’t be used but maybe comedy lyrics could have been written for the double act ‘French Frank and Potty Polly’

All in all a great day out with my niece saying that it was the best panto she had seen and wanted to go again, so if you want to escape in to a land of make believe to watch a classic tale, then St Helens Theatre Royal is the place to be!

Our Park

A beautiful day and not a cloud in the sky

People greeting each other by simply saying hi

A walk around the park and a breathe of fresh air

Something we all need to cherish, we all need to care

A family sitting together reading a children’s book

Dad failing to light the BBQ trying to tell them he can cook

The dog running around trying to catch a thrown stick

Mum watching everything she never misses a trick

A courting couple lie together underneath a tree

Whispering sweet nothings and him touching her knee

Their lips touch, a gentle kiss and their fondness sealed

It won’t be long now until their love for each other is revealed

A single queue forming at the local ice cream parlour

Lots of options to choose from but you have a favourite flavour

One scoop or two is always a difficult decision to make

You eat the two scoops as you walk around the boating lake

People exercising alone while others workout together

The park brings everyone out in this glorious weather

So whether you are young, old or somewhere in between

Get out in the park; you’ll know why once you’ve been

I fell in love

I can still remember the day we met

Our first date was a trip to the coast

I don’t remember much in life

But this day I remember the most

It started off early when I picked you up

Our nerves broke by the radio

Although I was driving I couldn’t take my eyes of you

The silence we would soon outgrow

We arrived mid morning and parked by the beach

I looked at you and slowly took your hand

You smiled that million dollar smile at me

And we walked as one towards the sand

We laughed together as the waves lapped our feet

Leaving footprints in the sand behind

We etched our initials with our fingers in the sand

As a stick we just couldn’t find

We set down our blanket and set up our picnic

Then we lay down side by side

I carefully placed a single red rose on your lap

My feelings I could no longer hide

In the afternoon we played a game of crazy golf

I laughed as you missed the hole

As you looked at me with those sparkling eyes

Your heart was my ultimate goal

We got to the last and you asked me for help

Wrapping my arms around your waist

I hugged you close and carefully kissed you cheek

Your perfume I could taste

As we drove home I didn’t want the night to end

A shooting star pierced the sky

The radio was playing and you gently fell asleep

I can’t believe I’m this lucky guy

We arrived at your house and you kissed me goodnight

Sending shivers down my spine

How long do I wait to tell you my feelings?

I hope one day that you will be mine

Friday Night Kiss

I remember the start of the working week

That Sunday night feeling

Five long days in work and life seemed so very bleak

It didn’t seem appealing

But knowing you were there at the end of the line

Gave me strength to continue

I wanted to tell the world that you were mine

I only needed you

Chorus

That Friday night kiss

I didn’t want to miss

Your lips tasted so good

That Friday night kiss

I didn’t want to miss

I’d bottle I if could

That Friday night kiss

I didn’t want to miss

Takes me to another place

That Friday night kiss

I didn’t want to miss

You, I‘d never replace

I remember walking home in the pouring rain

I didn’t feel drop

I would walk a thousand miles to see you again

I promise I wouldn’t stop

Longing for that moment our lips finally met

I’ll never forget the taste

My life now worth living, I owe you that debt

A moment I won’t waste

Bridge

I wish everyday could be a Friday night just the two of us alone

It’s true, I’m not going to lie, my mind you’ve definitely blown

Station Girl

I was waiting at the station

It was a quarter to 10

Standing waiting for my friend

Then you walked by again

Your wore a white coat

With bags on your shoulder

I couldn’t stop staring

I was hit by a boulder

You walked in to the coffee shop

My eyes still fixed on you

I didn’t know what you ordered

But I wish it was for two

You sat perfectly in the window

Staring into the unknown

I wanted to come over and join you

My confidence needed growing

You came out and looked at me

Not confident so I looked away

You began to walk towards me

Was this going to be my perfect day?

I could smell your perfume getting close

My thoughts were filled with you

You just walked on by like I was a ghost

My lonely heart sank

My dream had gone

I over play my thoughts

Thinking you were the one

My head was down

You walked back out past

I looked up and you looked back

Giving me a smile I knew would last

Review: Brick Up 2 – The Wrath of Ann Twacky

They say if the first one is a hit; don’t do a second!

That can be said for many sequels both in film and theatre but I have to say it certainly doesn’t apply to this stage show.  The writers (Dave Kirby and Nicky Allt) have spent the last 10 years saying no to a sequel but in the end what the public demanded they got!  The familiar characters returned to the Royal Court with all the swagger and confidence they left with all those years ago.

The Royal Court Theatre has become the Mecca of scouse comedy plays over the years with the same ‘rep company’ of actors delivering high quality shows, full of local jokes and quips, that only people living in and around the area can associate.   That can often limit the audience attraction but again not in this case as fans continue to flock to see this sequel.

This show centred on Ann Twacky, played by the wonderful Eithne Browne, who time after time, delivers lines perfectly, each syllable, in every word, tuned to give the maximum impact.  She is able to swap between posh Wirral to scouse with ease.  She has a great singing voice for the theatre and owns the stage.  Eithne had one or two issues with a wig on stage but that just added to the comic value, as she was finally defeated by the wig! Ann Twacky’s nemesis is Dickie Lewis, played by the ever popular Andrew Schofield.  ‘Drew’ has been a popular actor as far back as I can remember (Scully being a highlight of my youth).  He has a delivery of lines that is rarely seen in comedy, just a pause before the line gives the audience the anticipation that this could be great, and he never disappoints.  His ‘Bin Laddin’ song, written by him I believe, was a definite highlight of the show and made me check my own shed when I got home! Dickie’s gang consisted of Gerard Gardiner, played by Paul Duckworth.  This is the second time I had seen Paul at the Royal Court.  He has a great voice for the theatre and is a perfect partner for ‘Drew’.  To finish the trio is Nick Walton (Carl Chase).  His deep voice and laugh is instantly recognisable and narrates part of the story with ease.  The ever suffering husband of Ann Twacky is Dennis (Roy Brandon).  However, in this sequel he has become a beer drinking, gangster imitating, adopted scouser.  To finalise the main cast is the talented Suzanne Collins.  She plays Maggie or Margaret if you live on the Wirral.  Maggie exchanges the scouse café for a ‘better’ life on the other side of the Mersey.  Suzanne trades a scouse accent for a more affluent accent you would find with someone with a Cheshire postcode.  She has a beautiful singing voice and superbly plays opposite Gerard Gardiner as the romantic angle in the show. 

The supporting cast, lead by the hysterical Liz Card (Francis Tucker, who also plays the drums in the show), give fantastic performances.  Francis looks awkward in a dress but that is the point of his character, a sex driven Wirral ‘Lady’.  His scene behind the café worktop with Dickie Lewis is hysterical and I’m sure Dickie adds a few lines in just to spice up the scene!

As soon as I went in to the Theatre I felt part of a family and the cast continued that feeling, coming out afterwards to talk to the audience.  A superb show that I’m sure will return and maybe, just maybe, in a couple of years we will be watching Brick Up 3! 

My Secret Valentine

My secret valentine

Say you will be mine

And we can walk hand in hand

Your smile I always miss

You lips I long to kiss

Together we can head to another land

They way you softly talk

Elegance as you walk

We can travel the world together

My heart skips a beat

Make my life complete

This new chapter will last forever

Time is now on our side

You’ll make the perfect bride

Our future is there for everyone to see

Let one become two

Happiness you are due

All you have to do is say yes to me

The Fight

I will fight for today

So I can live for tomorrow

I’ll always keep laughing

For I don’t need any sorrow

This illness inside keeps attacking my body

Everyday and every night

But I won’t give in

Because I don’t want to lose this fight

Trying to go on as normal

Going a much slower pace

Walk around town quietly

With a simple smile on my face

People walk past not knowing my position

Say hello and say goodbye

They go on their way

Inside I just want to break down and cry

Now another day over

I sit on my lonely chair

Thinking about the past

And the people who showed me care

I’m fighting for them and fighting for the future

Helping to find a cure

So I won’t give in

For my love for life is pure