... Smart move for Orchestra By BRIAN ATTWOOD HALLE Orchestra general manager Clive Smart announced this week his company has slashed its deficit by more than a quarter of a million pounds in just one year. Figures out for the financial year to March 3 1 reveal that the Halle is now only £3,500 in the red, compared with £264,000 in 1989. This follows a massive boost to the orchestra's earned ...

... 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 ...

... Hot Ice extra Blackpool's annual ice show is to have an extra three week boost next year. The Pleasure Beach Hot Ice Britain's first ever and longest running ice spectacular will open next season three weeks earlier than ever before. The decision to open Hot Ice '91 on May 26 is due to the success of this year's show with its new look formula of six matinees plus six evening shows a week. It ...

... Tennents LAughs in Dublin THEY'RE laughing, not crying, in their beer in Dublin these days. Tennents LA, the low alcohol lager, is providing substantial sponsorship for efforts to establish an alternative comedy circuit in the city. The brewery has dubbed its spon sorship Tennents LAugh. A spokes woman explained: Tennents LA is new in Dublin and so is alternative comedy. The project is an ...

... Comic in cash row with Virgin By HELEN GOULD COMEDIAN Lennie Windsor, who abandoned his show when he suffered a soaking at the hands of Richard Branson, has called in Equity after the Virgin empire boss allegedly balked at paying his bill. The multi-millionaire booked Windsor's spoof game show for a company party at Torquay's Palace Hotel. But the comic called it a night when Branson, dressed ...

... Bill rocks pop Music industry fears Government trade ban By HELEN GOULD Weeks of intense lobbying by the music industry failed to stop the House of Lords amending the Bill to include a controversial definition of pop, which effectively outlaws bids from the business for one of the two new commercial music stations. The government-inspired clause labels pop as rock and other strongly rhythmic ...

... Hancock reveals huge debts THE IMPRESARIO who prompted the ill-fated 1 987 version of the musical Cabaret revealed debts of more than £5.5 million at London Bankruptcy Court last week. William Hancock, 50, said he was an alcoholic and blamed drink for his downfall. Later, speaking outside court, he insisted his bankrupt cy was the best thing that has happened to me. He was now working for a ...

... Circus Tavern take over AARON Paul Stone is the new owner of the Circus Tavern at Purflcct which went into receivership six months ago, shortly after Bob Wheatley's sister venue, Caesar's Palace in Luton, also called in receivers. Andrew Passer, of London accoun tants Harris Lipman. who are acting for both venues, said: The problem at Purfleet was falling attendances. Since we were called in ...

... Digital honours By STAGE REPORTER MERCE CUNNINGHAM has won the 1990 Digital Dance Premier Award for his outstanding contribution to British dance, pipping to the post three British nominees, John Ashford, Dick Matchett and Nadine Senior. But the £30,000 prize awarded to the American choreographer, and given at a ceremony at the National Theatre, will go back into British dance in order to ...

... c SAY No to Drugs.Say Yes to Life, r and take it from one who knows I Elvis, alias Ramsgate police I inspector NEIL DUNCAN, here I pictured leaving the London I Palladium audience all shook up I during a turn at Westminster I Council's anti-drug show. I During my 18 years with the police I have seen the damage that drugs can do to young peo ple and their family and friends, said Duncan. ...

... Sixties boost for cancer appeal By NATASHA FIELDING AN ORGANISER of a Midland cancer appeal is staging a Sixties Dance Night to help raise much needed cash for research into secondary brain tumours. Management of The New Kings Cabaret Theatre in Birmingham have donated the auditorium and are fund ing the show on behalf of a cancer suf ferer, who is paying a personal thank you to her specialist ...