... Kirov Ballet COLISEUM THE SLEEPING Beauty, coming after the Kirov Ballet's Le Corsaire and Swan Lake, seemed a lesser production. With Beauty we are accustomed to shows of dignity that regard whatever historical period is chosen as the reason for grandiose celebration, but Oleg Vinogradov's production plays ceremony and context. His idea is apparently to present as much display dancing as ...

... Win a pair of tickets in our ice competition FANS OF champion Olympic skating duo Torvill and Dean have the chance to scoop a pair of free tickets to their ice dance show at London Earls Court before it sells out. The twosome, appearing with Soviet skating troupe, the Russian Allstars, have already outsold the Rolling Stones during their Glas gow season and are well on the way to breaking the ...

... Circuses accuse animal protestors By BRIAN ATTWOOD ANIMAL rights supporters were accused this week by circus bosses of waging a 'dirty tricks' war against Big Top shows. The charge came from the Association of Circus Proprietors after revelations that a leading company has been forced to warn customers to ignore bogus cancel lation notices which opponents could b.e planning to deliver to ...

... BMHS returns home THE BRITISH Music Hall Society is set to return to its old home with its monthly profession al shows early in the New Year. It will stage its first comeback production at the Central Conference Centre theatre on January 8 shortly after taking up residence once again at the end of December. The society, which was set up back in 1963, has held its regular shows at the ...

... Philip's off to pastures new OUTDOOR shows watchdog, the National Outdoor Events Association, has been left temporarily leaderless following the decision of secretary Philip Deighton to quit for a new job with the National Gardens Festival. Spokesman Stephen Legg, of Events Management, said NOEA member Jamie Hooper has agreed to step in as a caretaker replace ment for Deighton, pending the ...

... Conservationists call for Blackpool bier top enquiry By ROBIN DUKE LEADING conservation groups have moved in to try and save Blackpool's big top. i nc cream oi me couniry 5 heritage groups met in London's Theatre Museum and called for a full public inquiry' into planned changes at Blackpool Tower Circus. Members of the Circus Support Group joined represen tatives from the Theatre Trust and ...

... Proby returns VETERAN pop star P J Proby is making a comeback and he's chosen Blackpool as the place to stan it all. All next summer holidaymakers will be able to hear the former chart top per, bringing back the memories of his Top 20 days, at North Promenade's New Lansdowne Hotel. Fifty two-year-old Proby, who now lives in Bolton, is no stranger to Britain's number one resort having topped ...

... Willetts case delayed PHANTOM of the Opera star Dave Willetts was told this week he must wait a further month before he can fight allegations of illegal flyposting brought by Coventry City Council. Magistrates deferred the case against the singer until December 13 after he appeared briefly in court and pleaded not guilty to a total of 14 separate charges. However, his record company, which was ...

... Crest club up for sale ONE OF Kent's newest and best- known night spots, The Crest Club at Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey has been put up for sale for £1,750,000 only 18 months after it opened. Its owners, Renco Leisure of Romford, are thought to have other business interests and to be looking for a quick sale. The purpose-built cabaret club is said to have cost £600,000 to con struct. Nine ...

... Rescue plan slammed CONSERVATIONISTS in the Isle of Wight have rounded on Medina borough council's rescue plan for the Ryde Pavilion and dismissed the scheme as cosmetic surgery. By BRIAN ATTWOOD Architect, Peter Cradock, said the proposal to restore the building and incorporate it into an ambitious new leisure complex, was merely an attempt by the authority to quell mounting opposition from ...

... Clampdown on 'fake' Drifters DERBY-based venue The Top Hat In Spennymore has agreed to withdraw its booking this month for a group billed as The Great Sound of the Original Drifters, following complaints from interna tional manager Faye Tread well. Tread well, who holds the rights to the hit group's name, threatened legal action if the rival band appeared as scheduled on May 26. The club has ...

... Time please CHANGES in Britain's lunchtime drinking laws could spell good news for thousands of variety entertainers. Working men's clubs throughout the country have reported a substantial drop in turnover since the Government agreed to allow all-day drinking in pubs. The change, introduced two years ago, has robbed many small scale venues of much needed lunchtime and evening trade, claims the ...