Mon 27 Oct 2008
Have you been involved with The Potato Room Players in any capacity in the last 20 years?
If so, we are hoping that as many “old” potatoes as possible will join us at the THURSDAY 20th NOVEMBER performance of The Wizard of Oz!
Further details from Brian and Christine - Email: bacastle@btopenworld.com
Fri 11 Jul 2008
We are looking for a dog to play TOTO in The Wizard Of Oz! Must be obedient, well groomed and fond of Munchkins.
Dog auditions are SUNDAY JULY 20 and will be judged by GEORGEY SPANSWICK of BBC RADIO LEEDS. Email wizard@potatoroom.com for details
Mon 12 May 2008
The Potato Room Players have another hit show performing Crazy For You this week.
This fabulous Gershwin musical comedy boasts one of the most delightful scores ever written for one show. Familiar music such as - They Can’t Take That Away From Me; Nice Work If You Can Get It; They’re Writing Songs Of Love But Not For Me; Embraceable You; Someone To Watch Over Me and the show-stopping I Got Rhythm add to an unforgettable evening of Song, Dance and Comedy.
Who Could Ask for Anything More? Tickets are available for all performances, so please come along.
Thu 31 Jan 2008
We are delighted to be reviving one of our greatest successes to delight and thrill a whole new generation of children. We shall be holding auditions for ALL major roles! Children wanting to be Munchkins should audition on Wednesday May 21st at 4.15pm at The Alwoodley Community Centre, The Avenue, Alwoodley, LEEDS LS17 7NZ. If you would like to be a part of this show, email - wizard@potatoroom.com.
Fri 23 Nov 2007
John Burland’s review of The Full Monty on the BBC website states “I feel I must highlight one or two of these principals in particular for their outstanding performances. Firstly there is David Kirk (Jerry Lukowski), whose singing and acting are both excellent. He is ably supported by Jonny Tate as Dave Buckatinsky, and by Joey Taylor as Nathan, Jerry’s son.
However, this is a show that gives every member of the company, 30 in all, a chance to shine. Every single person has either a funny one-liner, an attempted strip, or a cameo performance.
The music by David Yasbek takes a little getting used to at first but soon grows on you and there are some catchy numbers as the musical progresses. One humorous one, towards the end of the first half, is Big Black Man, when Noah (Horse) Simmons, played by Robin Reid, comes along to audition for the troupe. I particularly liked the ballad You Rule My World which is the penultimate song in the first half.
I felt that situating the orchestra above the actors at the back of the stage was a good move and under the direction of Jim Lunt, performed extremely well and allowed the performers to shine.
The final number, which brings the house down, Let It Go has the audience joining in the chorus, Hey, hey whadda ya say, Buffalo men go all the way!
But do they? That is the question. To find out you will have to get along to the show and find out for yourself!
This is an excellent show from the Potato Room Players, and is extremely well directed by Stuart Woolf. Considering the limitations with the size of the stage at City Varieties he has done a tremendous job with the various changes of scene. Also mention must be given to Jacqui Drake-Sweiss, choreographer of the show, for the dancing numbers and her ability to accommodate a large cast on the stage.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW
Tickets are still available for this weekends production of The Full Monty. Please come along and enjoy a wonderful evening’s entertainment.
Sat 13 Oct 2007
We are now looking for Dancers and Singers for CRAZY FOR YOU. Tap dancing would be an advantage, as would be a good singing voice. The show is in May 2008 at The Leeds City Varieties, with rehearsals starting in the New Year. Go to http://www.potatoroom.com/prp_joining.html for information!
Tue 31 Jul 2007
As you may know, Ruth is expecting a baby, and is unable to play VICKIE in The Full Monty. Ruth is a difficult act to follow BUT we believe we have found a replacement! Say a big HELLO to GEMMA! Gemma will be playing VICKIE for us next November. She has an excellent pedigree having played many leading roles - and is a friend of our own ROBIN! What more can anyone want?!
Sat 19 May 2007
The Company is experiencing unprecedented demand for THE FULL MONTY tickets, which do not go to the box office until early August! You can provisionally reserve tickets NOW however via the PRP booking system. Just call 0845 23 00 321.
Sat 19 May 2007
Two guys who you’ll be seeing more of in THE FULL MONTY are Fraser and Andrew, who join us taking the roles of ETHAN and HAROLD next November. Both are hugely experienced and seasoned performers, having worked extensively at the major theatres in and around Yorkshire. We welcome them to PRP and can guarantee them a great fun show with lots and lots of laughs along the way!
Mon 7 May 2007
Tomorrow is the opening night of Buddy the Musical at Leeds City Varieties and tickets are still available. The show is going to be one of Potato Room Players best. It’s got everything…a great cast, fabulous music and a true love story. You will want to dance in the aisles, and I don’t know many people who won’t get a lump in their throat when Buddy sings “True Love Ways” to his young wife, the night before he dies. It leaves you feeling the enormous loss for the young talents that were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. I am sure you will be humming these songs for many weeks to come.
Review: In this terrific production Stuart Woolf has drawn on the talents of half a dozen professional or semi professional performers to play the lead roles of Buddy, Joe Maudlin, Jerry Allison, the 4th Cricket, J P Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens. When I spoke to him at the halftime interval he made no apologies for this. “The audience expect a professional performance these days, even from amateur societies like ours, and therefore it has been necessary to bring in music students and professional musicians to play these demanding roles.”
Richard Aldham who plays the title role is certainly a very accomplished musician – both vocally and instrumentally. He is extremely well supported by Jonny Hick as Joe Maudlin. Jonny is a professional base player and I was knocked out by some of the sequences he produced. In the introduction to this review I mentioned Sir Paul McCartney and it is appropriate therefore that James Newton, playing the role of Jerry Allison the drummer in The Crickets, should be studying at the Paul McCartney Institute in Liverpool at the moment. I thought his drumming was great, particularly on “Peggy Sue”. Another great performance came from Joe Gallagher on lead guitar whose licks were note perfect.
Jonathan Tate and Johnny Rookes were also outstanding as The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens respectively, as was David Kirk, a regular member of the Potato Room Players, whose Texan accent was perfect in the role of Hipockets, the local DJ in Lubbock. Others providing excellent support were Katrina Wood as Maria Elena (with a very seductive Spanish accent), and married couple Raymond & Mollie Williams in the roles of Norman Petty and his wife Vi.
No successful show can operate without a great production team and this is certainly true in this case. Stuart Woolf the Director, Jim Lunt the Musical Director and Jacqui Drake-Sweiss the choreographer make up a trio that is second to none in the theatrical world in this area. Their combined talents, with over sixty years of theatrical experience between them, ensure that although the society may be amateur in status, it is truly professional in all aspects of performance.
Read John Burland’s full review