Upcoming Events

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens

The Point, Eastleigh

"An amazing and passionate performance"

4 stars

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens features a song cycle and monologues inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt and Edgar Lee Masters spoon river anthology. The show beautifully illustrates that being a victim of AIDS is not subjected to any particular gender, age, race or sexual orientation.

The monologues are in place to tell the story of the different characters that have died from AIDS which the cast speaks the words in a manner that follows its meaning rather then its rhyme.

To get past the current restrictions due to Covid, these are performed via videos that are projected onto the stage. Besides a couple of technical difficulties with this, the idea behind it was smart and effective.

Telling the individual stories of the friends and family members and the way they deal with their loss are told through the beautifully written songs by Bill Russell and Janet Hood.

Performed by a very talented quartet involving Tyler Convery, Kiean Jones, Holly Standfield and Summer Hughes. These four produced an amazing and passionate performance. With incredible vocals and gorgeous harmonies balanced with a simple but effective band lead by Nigel Finch. The songs ‘and the rain keeps falling down’ and the finale number ‘learning to let go’ were particularly brilliant! Special mention goes to Kiean Jones who at last minute had to step into the role as Doug and astounded with his beautiful tone and enthusiasm.

The lighting by Becky Starks with the Pride rainbow colours at the end was very powerful and deserves a mention. Centrestage Productions and the two directors Mike Mullen and Will Jones should be proud of all cast and all the production team involved. I think we can all agree that it is amazing to be back at the theatre.

Well done to everyone at The Point who made the audience feel incredibly safe with socially distanced seating and one-way systems.

Although very moving and at times sad, the performance was also uplifting. Well done to all those involved.

5th August 2021 - Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens - Centrestage Productions, Eastleigh.

A most interesting evening and a true and magnificent example of 'the show must go on'!

Despite many, many difficulties the cast and crew together with substitutions and understudies (not that you would have know unless you had been told) performed this interesting piece.

Great performances and enthusiasm for the project was tangible.

Well done to all concerned.

Elegies for, Angels, Punks and Raging Queens

Centrestage  Youth Theatre.     The Point Eastleigh   7^th August 2021

Elegies by definition is ‘a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead’. An elegy is there to express feelings of something or someone you have lost. So, here we follow the elegies of those who have passed due to HIV/AIDS, all those Angels, Punks and Raging Queens.

The show, with book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Janet Hood.

Russell’s speech is so poetic and lyrical, magical at times. There is so much dialogue to enjoy. And Janet’s music is just so beautiful; the amount of emotion within her score is tear jerking, as well as being uplifting in places.

I’m a bit of an aficionado on Elegies, having lived through this period in the 80’s. Elegies is one of my top 10 musicals, having seen it so many times, the first being the original on the west end stage in the 80’s. Since then I have seen it in London twice, in the back of a pub, and the Union Theatre recently.

Centrestage’s Youth Theatre production of Elegies this week at the Point Eastleigh, is one I will add to my list. Co-Directors Will Jones and Mike Mullen’s direction is thought provoking and imaginative. I loved the concept in the way it was performed and staged.

We see just four chairs and various sizes of projection screens. Simple but as the show progresses nothing else was needed. All the prose was performed by 27 young actors, telling their own story’s on camera and projected onto the various screens…Perfect.

Soloists Kiean Jones, Tyler Convery, Izzy Li, and Lily Rochard, all gave us solid performances, with good voices to match.

Nigel Finch as Musical Director gave us a superb quality of sound from his band and just the right volume for the venue, excellent Nigel.

Praise must go out to all who made this production of Elegies happen, from stage management to lighting and sound, I enjoyed it immensely. Well done to all of you, and also for making me so welcome, it was worth the journey.

Good luck in all future productions.

Gordon Harris

Reviewed for Mark Allen

NODA SE

District 5

There's still time to join us for our Funday tomorrow!

Sunday 1st August - Itchen Valley Country Park (by barn) 11am

Come and join us for a few hours in the sun (hopefully).

Bring your own food and drink (picnic style)

 - Face painting / glitter tattoos

 - Treasure Hunt

 - Rounders

 - Wet sponge the Chairman

plus much more!

Don’t forget loose change for the stalls

FREE tickets here:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cpyt

Or just turn up!

See you there x

🎭Break a Leg and Congratulations to our ex CPYT member Joey Warne for your role as Ugly in Honk! 🎭

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the passing of Sue Hearn.

Sue returned home on Mon 12th July after making positive steps in her recovery from a stroke. Unfortunately she suffered another stroke on 16th July which she could not survive.

Sue has always been an incredible support to CPYT both as an organisation and to individual members over the years. An incredible lady with a heart of gold and she will be so very badly missed by us all.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Colin (our president), Derek, Brian and the rest of her family.

Mike

Chairman

We are delighted to publish our newsletter covering everything in June, July and August.  We hope you enjoy the read and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you have.  

Come along and learn the audition music with our MD - Nigel Finch.  

This is a non-compulsory session and is not part of the Audition process.  

1400 - 1420 - Brian

1430 - 1450 - Doug

1500 - 1520 - Judith

1530 - 1550 - Angela

We are so excited to announce that CPYT will be returning face to face at The Arch from Monday 19th April 2021.  COVID precautions will remain in place throughout the upcoming term.  

To re-launch the return of CPYT post-COVID, we are delighted to have secured two workshops with a West End industry professional.  

Saturday 17th April will see participants take place in a Matilda workshop from 10.30am - 4.30pm.  

Sunday 18th April will see participants take place a Hamilton workshop from 12.00pm - 6.00pm

There are only 20 places available per day.  

The full cost of the weekend to CPYT is £1100 which works out to be £27.50 per person.  However, CPYT are all too aware that this past year has been incredibly challenging for all with furlough, redundancies etc and we would hate for young people to miss out due to financial pressures.  Therefore, we are asking for donations..

To secure your place, please visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/cpyt

As we head into 2021 and look forward to the opportunities that may come our way once again - CPYT are looking to expand and develop the way it operates. 

Part of this work is to develop a Business Team - this is a team made up of parent and supporters of CPYT who will co-ordinate some of the workload required throughout the year.

Even if you only have a small amount of time to give, your help and support would be greatly appreciated .

If you are interested and would like to know more, then the first meeting is taking place on Thursday 14th January 2021 at 7.30pm. This will be online via Zoom so please email cpytchair@gmail.com for the meeting link.

There is no commitment by attending at this stage.