... Taking flight Life as a dancer is seldom an easy one, but if things seem tough here in Britain, they are decidedly more adverse in many other countries. Not only do dancers have to struggle with their bodies, the unstable political situations make daily living an obstacle course in itself. During the last eight years. Eastern Europe has suffered a succession of dev astating wars, and the ...

... The Good Old Days with Bernie Clifton Leeds A party atmosphere prevailed for the last music hall bill of the autumn season at the City Varieties, with the one and only Bernie Clifton. Making several appearances, he created mayhem early on when he rode on astride Oswald the Ostrich, the latter more frisky than ever someone hav ing popped it a Viagra pill. He appeared later, heavily padded, as a ...

... All American Solid Gold Rock'n'Roll Show '98 Portsmouth/Touring Take Good Care of My Baby, Lets Dance, Sealed with a Kiss, The Locomotion and Running Bear have long since become rock'n'roll standards and Flying Music's inspired coup of repackaging all the original artists for a British tour is selling out theatres everywhere. The music of Bobby Vee, Chris Montez, Brian Hyland, Little Eva ...

... The Eddie Cochran Show Bury St Edmunds/Touring During two hours of rock'n'roll-- some 40 or more three-minute items during which the human brain was never asked to count to more than four, lyrics that would not tax an octogenarian dormouse, wacky words like 'Bee I Biccy Bup Yo Yo Yo' (I think), all performed by two young British artists pretending to be American fifties icons such is the ...

... The right Brand of rude humour Newark/Touring Jo Brand UK Tour 1998 Jo Brand packs 11 widely-separated venues into a fortnight for her 1998 tour, which began before the ecstatic faithful at the Palace. They loved her even before she came on and doubly so when she had finished. It was typical straight from the shoulder stuff though the shoulder was about the only part of the human body which ...

... Sold out on going it alone Emma Manning visits Peter Schaufuss deep in the Danish countryside-- the setting for the pioneering dance company that bears his name So what happened to Peter Schaufuss? After a less than amicable departure from his post at English National Ballet, the Danish-born dancer went on to direct the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and subsequently the Royal Danish Ballet, but ...

... Thoughts of Chairman Alf York/Touring There is something quite energising about a live Alf on a big empty stage and ripe for a challenge to his views. He or she may dare, but they can never beat the Bard of Bigotry. A few tried and were put in their place, a bonus to a glori ous evening. Warren Mitchell as Alf in his dotage has space to waddle about and stagger even more hilariously in the ...

... RIAS Big Band/BBC Big Band Liverpool It was during the BBC Big Band's very successful spring tour of Germany that the invitation was made to the RIAS Big Band to make a reciprocal visit to the UK during its 50th anniversary year. Not only was the tour set up in double quick time but both bands were booked to appear on the same bill. The RIAS band RIAS stands for Radio in American Sector and ...

... Let's Twist Again, and again, and again BY LISA MARTLAND It is not so surprising, I suppose, that the social significance of the twist has rarely cropped up as a topic of conversation over dinner or down at the local hostelry. But Twist and Shout (R2, Saturday, October 31) has changed all that--I never knew the dance's gins were so interesting. There have, of course, been countless trends ...

... Simply Barbra--The Wedding Tour Jermyn Street Theatre Before Steven Brinberg begins his off-the-wall celebration of all things Streisand, it is easy to assume that he will turn out to be just another sycophantic female impersonator, vainly attempting to look and sound like the lady in Question. But not Brinberg for although the writer/performer does not physically resemble the star, his ...

... A stand-up and proud of it Playhouse Jackie Mason--Much Ado About Everything Looking back at it now, I suppose that Jackie Mason was the first 'alternative' comedian save for Lenny Bruce, and his renown was based largely on his language and subject matter. Bruce, moreover, was seen, on his only appearance here, in a small club the Establishment, and was already a cult figure. Mason, on the ...

... Danny La Rue Brick Lane Music Hall This year marks Danny La Rue's half-century in showbusiness, and as far as I know he has no intention of giving it up yet. And no news is good news to all those who have followed this extraordinarily charismatic performer during his 50-year career. He will, I am sure, excuse me for saying that he has slowed down just a touch, inasmuch as he does not make a ...