May Gossip Hoover
Here are the May morsels of meaningless tittle-tattle from the mystery writer, who hoovers up all the show business gossip from the UK scene. Enjoy!
The recent Blackpool Clubland command show came and went unnoticed yet again by the wider UK show business fraternity. For reasons best known to themselves, the organisers of this annual cabaret jamboree and stage the show in the atmospheric Blackpool venue, The Horseshoe Bar, do not wish for any record or review to be taken or published within any nationally circulated publication. Weird!
We hear a whisper that globe-trotting cruise ship cabaret star Luke Murgatroyd might just be up for a major role in a huge theatre show in Paris. Luke seems destined for West End leading man status before much longer. The Gossip Hoover is sure that young Luke and his remarkable voice will knock the ‘luvvies’ for six and might even receive a mention within the hallowed pages of The Stage. Of course if The Stage had any grasp of grass-roots show business at all, they would know the humble show business roots that Luke has risen from.
Resurgent entertainer Duncan Norvelle stepped in at the eleventh hour on a date on the Joe Longthorne tour itinerary last month. The much loved and admired Mr Longthorne was suffering from a chest infection and had been ordered to rest. Duncan showed that you can’t keep a great comedian down by storming the pace with laughter and music.
Inexplicably, West Country comedian Herbie Adams spent years building up an excellent name in the field of comedy and then promptly changed his stage name. After such an aberration, Herbie returned to his original moniker and hopefully the change came and went without too much damage. I’m sure that Herbie’s decision could have been related to his up-coming parenthood. After all, someone has to pay for the nappies!
UK Cabaret subscriber and Elvis tribute artiste Tony Fletcher declared recently how much he was looking forward to King of Britain completion. This event hopes to unveil the best British ‘Elvis’, so one would imagine such an event being staged in London’s West-End or perhaps is the cabaret Mecca of Blackpool. Apparently not, it seems that a venue in downtown Barnsley, in South Yorkshire will look for the new King. Well, Tony only lives up the road, so at least he will be on the A61 instead of getting his kicks on Route 66.
UK Cabaret online content manager Martin Brown seemed to be happy in providing his lovely tiny-tot daughter Laila with oodles of presents on her recent birthday. Young Laila loves going out to see the acts on the club scene, so maybe a future in show business is coming along?
Competition is fierce on the pool table as Yorkshire entertainment agency clients of The Crossland Agency and the neighbouring Ashley Wheelhouse entertainments are set to hold a pool tournament in Leeds. The intrepid cue-men are all Equity members, so the Gossip Hoover presumes that Yorkshire Equity leader Valerie Mann, who acts as referee, won’t show any bias. The fact that Mr Wheelhouse is in fact her son, may lead the Crossland contingent to observe Valerie’s green baize decisions.
Magician Thomas Anthony, AKA Antonio Zip, took in a trip to Loch Ness whilst on his recent Scottish holiday park tour. Hopefully Nessie appeared by magic for this rising star on the UK speciality act scene.
Finally for this week, here is a question. Whose word do you trust, Sir Cliff Richard or the South Yorkshire police? Hmmmmm!
We’re back next month with more gossip folks. If you are a professional entertainer, entertainment agent, producer or supplier, you could fall victim to barbed comments, brickbats or bouquets.
