“The Cemetery Club”

An Hilarious Comedy

by Ivan Menchell

on Thursday 26^th – Saturday 28^th November 2009

at 8.00 pm each evening

Matinee at 3.00 pm on the Saturday

At Trinity Parish House, Southchurch Boulevard, Southend

  Tickets: £6 Conc. £5 

Phone 01702 584201 or 306971 or buy at the door

The cast includes -      Sian Mayoh, Jacquee Storozynski-Toll, Christine Harvey, Chris Hammond and Jean Tyler

The play tells of three Jewish widows who meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husband’s graves.  Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life, Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun, and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene.  He meets the widows while visiting his wife’s grave.  Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida.  They are guilt-stricken when this nearly breaks Ida’s heart.

Yes – that’s right! – Les Miserables – the multi-award winning musical adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo is coming to our fine shores! The award-winning musical with a libretto by Alain Boubilil and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, is being staged by the Eastwood School Performing Arts Faculty where delighted students are singing for joy at the announcement of the school’s inaugural staging of French composer’s Claude-Michel Schonberg’s masterpiece this forthcoming December. But of course the most exciting news is that our very own hobgoblin – that’s right – Haydn Cox – will be taking on the challenge of the lead character Jean Valjean in the portrayal of the story’s central theme of the ex-convict's journey to become a force for good whilst trying to escape his dark past. According to Haydn, this is his all-time favorite musical and a role he’s always wanted to play. He certainly has his work cut out during the incredibly intensive 6 times a week - 8-week rehearsals (and keeping to his SSC commitments of course), as Jean Valjean is widely regarded as one of the most vocally and physically demanding roles in musical theatre. A huge undertaking for any performer - let alone someone of Haydn’s tender years. Set against the backdrop of the Paris uprising of 1832, it seems nothing is being spared on the production values either, with the production not getting much change out of 3k spend for the set alone - an inspiring affirmation on the faith placed on the show’s 108-strong cast. So, in the run up to Christmas what better way is there to relieve the stresses of all that shopping. Why not instead book your seats to come 'hear the people sing' including the poignant ‘bring him home’ sung by our very own ‘24601’ as Haydn and his compatriots man the barricades in what promises to be a truly ambitious and magnificent production. Les Mis is showing on 7, 8, 9 December at the Eastwood Theatre. Tickets are priced £6 (£4 for concessions). Eastwood School reception: 01702 524341. Early booking is advised to avoid disappointment as tickets are limited and not available at the door.