... Sooty girl in prison drama BRENDA Longman, the actress picked to play Australia's hardest woman prisoner in the British stage version of Prisoner Cell Block fi, leads a secret double life she's been Sooty's girlfriend for the last eight years. Producers Charles Haley were so impressed with her audition that they chose Brenda for the part of hardcase inmate Bea Smith for the touring show which ...

... EMI sends Danes packing THE INTERNATIONAL music industry celebrated a major victory in its fight against piracy this week when a Danish recording company was found to be in breach of copyright laws for exporting Cliff Richard records to EC countries where they are still bound by copyright. Recording giant, EMI, took its case to the European Court of Justice when it discovered that the ...

... Tear gas attack at 'revolutionary' show By DIANE HILL in Paris THE FRENCH singer Helene Delavault was attacked by a shaven headed, masked band purporting to be Royalists during a performance of her one-woman-show La Républicaine at the Théatre de Bouffes du Nord in Paris. Compiled to celebrate the bicenten ary of the French Revolution, the show is made up of an international pot pourri of ...

... Isle of Man boss sacked By CHRIS PRICE Connolly goes as police probe financial irregularities at Villa Marina GORDON Connolly, the Entertainments and Publicity Manager for the Corporation owned Villa Marina complex in Douglas, Isle of Man, has been sacked. His dismissal iollows allegations of financial irregularities at the seafront venue last October, when Connolly was suspended by the ...

... Alive and kicking IMAGINE the surprise singer and producer Peter Firmani had last week when his home was suddenly swamped with wreaths and letters of condolence from people commiserating with his wife over his death. Firmani, who has been touring The Mario Lanza Story with his wife Jackie since 1979, had already made arrange ments for his 1989 tours, and was all set to embark on a new tour ...

... Max dates FOLLOWING his pantomime season at the New, Cardiff, Max Boyce goes straight into a tour opening at the Willows, Salford on February 8. Subse quent dates are at Hull, Hatfield, Milton Keynes (Stantonbury Leisure Centre), Corby, Buxton, Preston, Wol- verhampton, Kenil worth (Chesford Grange), Newcastle, Gallashiels, York, Chatham, Fareham, Crawley, Nor wich, Gorseinon, Usk (Sawas), ...

... Laughter Pils BRITAIN'S FIRST international comedy festival will be launched in February, with the aim of discover ing new British and international comic talent. Sponsored by Holsten Pils, the Holsten Funny Business Festival will open in London on February 24 and is being hailled as London's answer to Montreal's Just for Laughs festival. Running until March 1 1 the festival will be held in ...

... Over to Mum's place HUNSTANTON'S Princess Theatre, the first theatre in the country to be named especially in honour of the Princess of Wales, received a visit from Princess Diana herself, with Prince William and Prince Harry, and the Princess Royal and her two children, when a party of 14 motored over from Sandringham to see a matinee performance of the pantomime Cinderella. It was a private ...

... New beginnings JANE HARRISON, the 25-year- old soprano who was the winner of last year's Bob Says Opportunity Knocks, has signed a worldwide recording contract with Stylus Music, who released her first album, New Day, on December 12. Since her win the Royal North ern College of Music graduate has been busy with solo recitals and has sung at the Barbican with the London Symphony Orchestra. ...

... Wombling around THE WOMBLES are not seventies relics but proud survivors, and to prove it Mel Harvey, celebrating his 20th year in the children's entertain ment field, opened a nationwide tour of Wimbledon's best-known inhabi tants at the Secombe Centre, Sutton,, this week. Appearing with Great Uncle Bul garia, Tobermory, Orinoco and the rest is Mel Harvey's own creation, Presto the Magic ...

... Dancers watch out for third Digital Partners Programme DANCERS across the country are pinning their hopes on the re-emergence, for the third year running, of the Digital Partners in Dance Programme which offers £1.3 million in sponsorship to new talent, the largest UK sponsorship of a single performing art. The Digital Partners in Dance, launched in 1986, has already been awarded the ...

... Cedric says boo hiss to Thanet THE PANTOMIME dame accused by council watchdogs of putting children at risk has furiously hit back and claimed: Oh no, I wasn't! Ugly sister Cedric Jemmett said he was amazed when a Thanet district councillor and child abuse expert, Sid Farmer, warned the Granville Theatre that the Cinderella show was endanger ing youngsters by offering them sweets on stage ...