Maureen Sullivan previews theatre performances on the Isle of Wight this July…
First, the students of The Bay CE School in Sandown bring you ‘Legally Blonde Junior Edition’ on the 3rd and 4th of July at 19:30 in the school hall. Based on the award-winning Broadway musical and the smash hit motion picture, Legally Blonde The Musical Jr. is a fabulously fun journey of self-empowerment and expanding horizons. The show’s instantly recognisable songs are filled with humour, wit and sass will leave you seeing pink!
To book your tickets, please go to Legally Blonde The Musical Jr. – Tickets – payment will be by cash on the door. The run time for the production is approximately 75 minutes without an interval. There will be refreshments available before the show, and the school is a cash only venue.
‘Footloose’ is the next show by TheatreTrain, coming to Shanklin Theatre on 5th – 8th July, 17:00. Get ready to be swept off your feet as the talented TheatreTrain students cut loose with their 5-star production of the world-famous musical. Inspired by the true events of a small farming town in Texas, teenager Ren and the classmates of his new school dare to challenge an 82-year ban on dancing, aiming to overturn the outdated rule in time for their upcoming prom.
This electrifying musical features a show-stopping soundtrack packed with chart-topping songs, from Deniece Williams’ ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boy’ to Bonnie Tyler’s high-energy hit ‘I’m Holding Out for a Hero’ and, of course, the iconic title track ‘Footloose’ by Kenny Loggins. With explosive dance numbers performed by our talented cast, Footloose is guaranteed to leave you dancing all the way home. Book tickets at Footloose The Musical – Shanklin Theatre
Over at the Apollo Theatre, ‘My Fair Lady’ will be staged by the Apollo Players from 11th – 19th July (not Sunday or Monday) at 19:30. This is the classic story of Cockney flower-seller Eliza Doolittle who is taught to “talk more genteel” by Professor Henry Higgins so that she may pass as a lady. But it’s not only Eliza who gets an education.
Funny, moving and vivid, My Fair Lady has been acclaimed as the perfect musical, full of unforgettable songs including ‘Wouldn’t it be Loverly?’, ‘With A Little Bit of Luck’, ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and ‘On The Street Where You Live’. Tickets can be booked from My Fair Lady at Apollo Theatre, Newport event tickets from TicketSource or by calling 01983 210010.
And last but definitely not least are Curtain Call Creative- not least because they are producing two separate shows this month. ‘Six – Teen Edition’ will be performed at the Ventnor Exchange Arena @ Flowersbrook as part of the Ventnor Fringe week on 20th July at 13:00. SIX made its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, and after a successful UK tour, ran for 6 weeks at the Arts Theatre in the West End. Now, Curtain Call Creative brings this incredible musical back to the Fringe – but this time it’s the Ventnor Fringe.
At its heart, SIX is about celebrating the talent and individuality of the women and non-binary people onstage. The Queens should therefore be played by cis women, trans women, trans people and people who exist beyond the gender binary in any capacity, who feel on a personal level that this is their story to tell. Cast can be expanded to include backup singers and dancers of all gender identities.
And finally for July, step into the dazzling world of ‘Evita’, as Curtain Call Creative proudly presents this legendary musical in a stunning new production at Medina Theatre from 25th -27th July at 7.30pm (16:00 on Sunday). With professional costumes, bespoke set design, and a full live orchestra, this promises to be an unforgettable theatrical experience – delivering the high production values our audiences have come to expect and love.
From the streets of Buenos Aires to the heights of political power, Evita follows the extraordinary life of Eva Perón. Born into poverty, Eva rises through ambition, charm, and sheer determination to become the First Lady of Argentina, and a saint to the people, before her tragic death at just 33. Set between 1934 and 1952, this Tony Award-winning musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber is both a powerful political drama and an emotional human story. Told through a gripping score and narrated by the ever-watchful Che, Evita features iconic songs including: “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Oh What a Circus,” “Buenos Aires,” and “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.” This is theatre at its most passionate, poignant, and powerful.
