NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE OFFERS
Here are some more very good offers from the New Wimbledon Theatre. It seems that these don’t attract as much interest from the Theatre Club as our West End visits, despite the convenience and the huge discounts. Still, it’s worth me trying, eh? Particularly since the Group sizes are not very large. Here they are:

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – Friday 6th November 2009
This production, though not the original Disney one from the Dominion Theatre, is based on it, with all the same songs, and is still touring the UK after several years. We have been offered tickets at a hugely discounted price – which probably means it’s not selling very well – and I have reserved 20 in stalls row E at £12.50 (including 50p for Mitre expenses).The full price of these is £31.00. And it’s on a Friday evening, 6th November; strange, but true. Once again there are no star names in the cast – unless you count Ashley Knight, who was in Metal Mickey, and who once went out with Helen O’Gorman many, many years ago! (Sorry, Helen – couldn’t resist it!). Of course, this is suitable for all age groups, but it might appeal particularly to those of you with small children…. I have to sell at least 10 by 6th October to get this rate, so don’t delay.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG – Tuesday 16th March 2010
It’s a long way ahead, I hear you say! Well, yes, it is. I actually reserved these tickets (20 of them) way back in March this year, but have waited until now to publicise them.  Back on 3rd September 2002, we had a party of 34 to Chitty when it was first on at the London Palladium. We each paid £35.00 then. 8 years later, it is on tour round the UK (though in a slightly less grand form, I would imagine) and is landing at Wimbledon for 3 weeks in the spring. Our tickets are for Tuesday 16th March and are £20.50 (including 50p for Mitre expenses), reduced from the full price of £37.50. Please register your interest soon, as I need to pay for a minimum of 10 tickets by the end of September. There are no “stars” in this production – apart from the car – but I’m sure it will be of a suitably high standard of production.

AND DON'T FORGET ....

OLIVER! at Drury Lane – Tuesday 10th November
Those of you who attended the Thursday performance of Boogie Nights last week may have noticed that among the Front of House staff was an enthusiastic Adam Roddie.

Adam is currently performing as Charlie Bates in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. We have not yet had a Theatre Club outing to Oliver! as the Group Rate has been a derisory £10.00 off the full price of £60.00.  However, the rate is slightly better now, at £42.50 (to which 75p has to be added as a theatre restoration levy – do we REALLY believe that?) making £43.25.

Having ascertained the performances at which Adam is scheduled to appear, plus the performances at which Jodie Prenger (who won the TV Quest for Nancy) is scheduled to appear, I have reserved some tickets for Tuesday 10th November near the front of the Stalls. Even this was not simple to achieve; my preferred date in September could offer me NO Group discount at all, as the allocation has already been used up!!!

Anyway, I know it’s a lot of money, but I also hope some of us will be prepared to pay it as a special treat…

Please could you let me know if you are interested in tickets? I have 2 weeks to decide whether there is enough demand.

More outings are being planned! Details will follow soon.

Colin Warnock