Ian Cheeseman presents Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio, which is packed with great guests and theatre music. You can read his latest column here.
‘There’s no business like show business’ is the song I open up my radio show with every week.
That’s a line that resonates with me every time I play it. ‘There’s no people like show people, they smile when they are low. Yesterday they told you, you would not go far, that night you open and there you are. Next day on your dressing room they’ve hung a star. Let’s go on with the show.’
I love that song and those sentiments, they sum up theatre perfectly.
I walk away from every show I attend and every performer and creative I meet in awe of their talent and endless motivation.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the most gifted, rewarded and decorated or those who do it all just for the love of it, it’s very rare I’d give a negative review of what I see and listen to.
This week I had the pleasure of witnessing an amazing opera, Madama Butterfly at Manchester’s Opera House. It was the first opera I’ve ever attended. From the first moment to the last I was engrossed in the story and the amazing singing talents of those on stage. I can only imagine the hours of dedication and sometimes even heartbreak that have been with them on their journey to reach such perfection.
The show was performed by the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre from Kyiv, with mezzo-soprano Natalia Matveeva playing the part of Suzuki, the maid of the lead character Cio-Cio-San (Madam Butterfly), who was performed by Korean soprano Elena Dee. Most of the performers were Ukrainian, so as they took their much deserved bows, they produced a Ukrainian flag and sang their national anthem.
My wife, who was alongside me, has family in Ukraine and tears started to role down her face and I started to well up too!
With Ukrainians facing so many challenges right now, my admiration for what I’d just seen knew no limits.
The day before my trip to the opera, I interviewed local girl Alison, who plays Anita in the upcoming production of West Side Story, by Hyde Musical Society, which will run from March 29 to April 1, at Hyde Festival Theatre.
Alison told me about the financial commitment that those involved make just to be in such a production.
“We have to buy the rights to the show, we have to sell the tickets, we have to buy access to the theatre and a rehearsal space. All the cast are paying to be there, they’ll chip in for costumes too,” she explained.
All the performers in these wonderful Am/Dram shows put their heart and soul into keeping the community alive in Tameside and all around the North West.
Alison trained to be an actor at university alongside a media degree which initially led to a career in PR within the theatre industry. These days she expresses her passion on stage. I asked her what it was like to stand on stage at the end of a show as the audience shows their appreciation.
“There’s nothing like it. Our last show was pulled after the dress rehearsal, as we went into the Covid lockdowns. In 2022 we finally did the show in front of sell-out audiences and there’s no other feeling like that.”
You’ll hear my interview with Alison, and director Daniel, in an upcoming edition of Break-a-Leg.
This week my special guest will be Mossley-born Gerard Kearns who has starred in everything from ‘The Mark of Cain’ for Film4’s story of British soldiers’ abuse of Iraqi prisoners to BBC1’s daytime show ‘Moving on’. He’ll soon be at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester playing Danny in a comic play called ‘Beginning’ which runs from February 16 to March 11.
You can join Ian for Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio 103.6FM every Sunday evening from 7pm to 9pm and Wednesdays from 9pm to 11pm. You can also catch up on previous episodes here.
