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As the Dunkirk Spirit once again shines bright amongst the great British peoples during these harden
Added: (Tue Nov 18 2008)
Issue date: 18th November 2008, Blackpool up-ends the hour glass, raises its glasses and turns up the houselights at the start of the New Year, when The Forties Razzle Dazzle Experience raises its curtain on a live tribute to the greats of 1940’s, including famous sons of Northern comedy including authentic replications of George Formby, Frank Randle and Robb Wilton plus many more.
Rehearsals have begun on this non-stop riotous comedy extravaganza by Gerry George and Vince Powell, who is regarded as one of the Godfathers of British situation comedy. This interactive show-within-a-show has authentic treatments of the life in the air raid shelters and of popular TV and BBC Radio shows from the 40’s through to the 90’s – which will be played-out across the vast arena of the Savoy Hotel, Blackpool, where both cast and audience are the stars, from beginning to end.
The Savoy which has been exclusively commandeered for this grand occasion, between the 4th and 9th January 2009, will be turned into a virtual TV set, resembling the early years of the burgeoning BBC and Granada television studios, where Savoy Hotel ticket holders can be filmed alongside the cast as the comedy tidal wave sweeps up performers and spectators alike into a vortex of endless hilarity.
Manchester based, Royal TV Award Winner Mike Blakeley and his crew will film the guests encounter with the cast, coupled with their own unique New Year message, the video recording will then be streamed across the Internet so that their friends and family across the world can watch them on the Channel 2 TV video link.
Directed by Gerry George for Channel 2, the production will fondly mirror the early and most successful days of the ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’, the big difference being that this mirth-filled marathon runs for five days and four evenings, and includes first-class accommodation, breakfast and dinner at the Savoy, and that the cast in their various characters will be in-and-around the halls of the Savoy, virtually non-stop throughout, performing solo spots and comedy sketches.
In support there will also be ‘Come Dancing with the Stars’- style ballroom dancing lessons, and the ‘Best of British Variety’ contest with big prizes, cabaret and amazing talks about the Stars from Vince Powell, who has created and written some of the most successful televisions sitcoms in TV history.
There will also be a loyal replication of the successful BBC steam radio production of ‘Have a Go’ (presenting the people, to the people), as originally presented by Wilfred Pickles, and a tribute production of BBC Television’s long-running surprise celebrity show ‘This Is Your Life’.
Blackpool is the first stop on this on-going Gerry George Productions rolling road show, and impresario and director of Channel 2, Ray Smith is confident that they have miles to go before they sleep.
"There are five days of laughs and entertainment and more jokes than you can shake a sausage at!" says Ray, "There has been a lot of interest in this production from right across the country with people prepared to travel hundreds of miles just to recapture a taste of the Dunkirk Spirit and a feel good factor. Nostalgia was never more popular than it is today. People are now so fed up to the back teeth with doom and gloom, bust banks, credit crunch and leadership challenges that they clearly get a kick today, out of living in the past...and ‘The Forties Razzle Dazzle Experience’ has never been needed so much as it is today, with a panacea that will bring optimism and splendour for everybody as we round of the last night in jubilant mood – raising the roof with Sir Edward Elgar’s - Land of Hope & Glory”.
ends.
(photo caption: Gerry George as Capt. Mainwaring, Viv the Spiv and George the 1940’s copper)
Contact details:
Please contact either Gerry George or Ray Smith for additional commentary
Gerry George I Gerry George Productions I Mobile: 07956 183888
or
Ray A Smith I Creative Director I Channel 2 I Mobile 075 446 702 11 Office: 01273 803001
Channel 2 I NEC House I Denton Island I Brighton I East Sussex I BN9 9BA
smithr@channel2.org.uk
Web Content:
www.theforties.channel2.org.uk