Author: Andrew Taylor

Tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment

THE volunteer gardeners at Chequer Mead theatre are appealing for plants to restock the front flower beds and garden.

The grounds, which have been cleared of old, woody and overgrown shrubs, now need an injection of new life and colour, and the gardening team hopes that donations from the town’s green-fingered residents will replenish their stock.

So if you have any thornless, low-maintenance evergreen or flowering shrubs, lavenders, irises, ornamental grasses or bulbs please put them into pots and take them along to the theatre.

The team are also keen to get their hands on some bird boxes and large containers – even if these need a bit of refurbishment – fertilizer and compost.

For more information, or to lend a hand with the gardening, contact Gill Astley on 01342 317856 or email her at gillastley@hotmail.co.uk

SUSSEX POLICE have reported the following Crime Figures for 2013/14.

The figures in the last column show that the police recorded 944 offences in East Grinstead, compared with 1158 in Burgess Hill and 906 in Haywards Heath.

Figures for January this year were unusually low, probably due to the bad weather, but there are continued increases in thefts from motor vehicles which the police hope to tackle with an ongoing campaign.

Sgt Graeme Prentice, who left the East Grinstead Neighbourhood Policing Team at the end of February, has been replaced by Sgt Angie Stanton.

Crime type	Ashplats	Herontye/ AshurstWood	Imberhorne/ Baldwins	Town Centre	2013/14 Totals
					East Grinstead	Burgess Hill	Haywards Heath
Burglary	12	27	33	19	91
Theft	49	43	80	146	318
Criminal Damage	25	28	48	45	146
Total violent crime	31	25	42	84	182
Total drug offences	8	4	5	19	36
Domestic abuse	31	44	49	47	171
Total Crime:	156	171	257	360	944	1158	906

The Town Mayor, Councillor Mrs Belsey, invites you to join her on Tuesday 25th March (details as attached) – this event is in aid of two charities – the Macmillan Information & Support Centre in East Grinstead and the East Grinstead Council for Voluntary Service.

ST Catherine’s Hospice is looking for runners to join their fundraising team at the Brighton Marathon on Sunday 6 April.

To find out more see www.stch.org.uk/brightonmarathon, or ring Jen Wickham on 01293 447364.

JOHN Dabell won last month’s by-election for the Town Ward for the Conservatives, describing himself as  “not a professional politician, just someone who loves his country and his town, and is keen to be of service to both”.

“I have lived in East Grinstead for 23 years and I regard our lovely town very much as ‘home’,” said John,  a former Royal Navy flyer, who subsequently worked for over 30 years in the food business, finishing his career at Nestle.

A committed Christian and member of St John’s church in Felbridge, John has a 34-year-old daughter Jenny, who teaches at Halsford Park school.

His son 26-year-old Adam died from an undiagnosed heart condition while playing five-a-side football in 2004, which resulted in the setting up of an annual Memorial match between the town’s two 6th Forms,  which have become a well known event.

After retiring, John was encouraged by his daughter to begin a very rewarding ‘second career’ as a study supervisor at Imberhorne School, where he is also actively involved with the careers programme, a job he loves.

“I had had a long involvement with young people through youth and church groups and Jenny said to me that I’d love it – and she was right.”

He is also a governor at the Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust, and at Felbridge Primary.

“In my opinion, a good councillor is a good listener first and that is what I intend to be. My chief concern for our town is to see the best of East Grinstead conserved, and new opportunities created for local residents.”

For more information about any of the shows listed below ring the theatre box office on 01342 302000

Richard Digance –  Live on Stage:  Thursday 6 March at 8pm

RICHARD Digance is not just a singer/guitarist he is also one of the country’s most celebrated comedy entertainers. A BAFTA nominated performer,  acclaimed poet, author and artist,  his UK tour features a wealth of new songs and anecdotes.

Tickets £16.50 / £14.50

Cold Place – Coldplay tribute band: Saturday 8 March at 7.30pm

FORMED by and for Coldplay fans,  Coldplace are a band whose experience on the tribute scene is second to none with

more than 400 gigs under their belts, and an act that captures all the atmosphere of a live Coldplay performance.

Tickets £10/ concessions £9.

Joe McElderry –  Live and Unplugged: Wednesday 12 March at 7.30pm

X Factor’s Joe McElderry rose to fame when he won the sixth series of the ITV show  in 2009. Joe’s first single The Climb reached number one in the UK and Irish singles chart, and was soon followed by the release of his debut albumWide Awake.

Joe returned to TV in 2011 when he won the second series of ITV’s Pop Star to Opera Star, winning 80% of the votes throughout the series.

Tickets £20.

Only Fools And Boycie – an evening with Only Fools And Horses actor John Challis: Thursday 13 March at 8pm

JOHN Challis, best known as Boycie in BBC1’s Only Fools and Horses will reveal secrets from the set with stories and anecdotes from his long career.

He’ll be spilling the beans about co-stars like Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst and friends and fellow performers including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Oliver Reed and George Best, as well as recalling tales from his time in Dr Who, Coronation Street and other TV classics.

The show will also celebrate the launch of the second volume of his autobiography, Being Boycie, and John will sign copies during the interval and after his performance.

Tickets, £15/ £13 concessions.

The Buddy Presley Show – Friday 15 March at 7.30pm

THE Buddy Presley Show returns to Chequer Mead with a nine piece band fronted by Dave B, former Observer Search for A Star winner and winner of the BBC Buddy Holly competition on the TV Show Whatever You Want.

Tickets £13/ £11.

Essence of Ireland: Tuesday 18 March at 7.30pm

SET against a backdrop of Ireland, England and America in the 20th century and inspired by true events, Essence of Ireland tells a story of the happiness and heartache endured by Cora McGowan and Sean Dempsey as they are separated by emigration from each other and their beloved homeland.

Told through music, song and dance, the production is a celebration of all things Irish featuring original choreography and music, as well as classics such as Galway Girl, Irish Rover, Song for Ireland, Danny Boy, Carrickfergus and Ireland’s Call.

Tickets £21.50/ family ticket £55.

Emma Johnson’s Clarinet Recital: Wednesday 19 March at 8pm

EMMA Johnson is one of the top clarinet players in the world.  Accompanied by the acclaimed pianist John Lenehan, she will be giving a recital in aid of The Loiyangalani Trust which supports and educates villagers in the far north of Kenya.

Tickets £17.50.

Elio Pace performs the Billy Joel Songbook: Thursday 20 March at 8pm

IN September 2013, Elio was invited to ‘fill Billy Joel’s shoes’ at two very special reunion concerts in New York and Philadelphia where Joel’s original 1971-72 touring band recreated the historic Sigma Sounds live recordings

Elio Pace is now touring a celebration of Billy Joel’s hits including Uptown Girl, Just The Way You Are and My Life as well as favourites such as Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Goodnight Saigon and Piano Man.

Tickets £18.

Chequer Mead Friends present Private Collection’s Summer Fashion Show: Tuesday 25 March at 7.30pm

HAVE a great night out with a glass of complimentary wine whilst previewing the looks for summer from Private Collection in Forest Row.

Clearance items will also be available on the night (cash/cards only).

Tickets £10 (in advance only) to include a £5 voucher off a purchase over £40 in store (terms and conditions apply).

Bullfrog Productions presents The Little Mermaid: 29 March at 2pm and 6pm

IN a magical kingdom fathoms below sea level, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home for the world above. But first she’ll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince Prince Eric that she’s the girl with the enchanting voice.  This show features the hit songs Part of Your World, She’s in Love, and the Oscar-winning Under the Sea.

Tickets £12/ concessions £10/ family ticket £38.

Ariel Drama Academy Showcase: Sunday 30 March at 7pm

ARIEL Drama Academies are delighted to exhibit an evening of song, dance and drama with the students from their East Grinstead branch.

Established in 1991, Ariel is widely recognised within the industry as a leading modern theatre company. As such, Ariel draws upon unparalleled experience in generating memorable creative entertainment for its audiences with primarily modern musicals, concerts and plays such as their last sell-out show at Chequer Mead Les Miserables.

Tickets £10.

ACT One Beginners’ production of Our House was the perfect vehicle to showcase the drama school’s talented company of young performers.

With music and lyrics by Madness and based on a book by playwright Tim Firth, the show features the band’s many hits woven into a story of love, family values, and the choices life can throw at people as they grow up and make their way in the world.

With echoes of Blood Brothers, and Sliding Doors, it explores the consequences of a single night when Camden lad Joe Casey decides to impress his girlfriend Sarah by breaking into a building development overlooking his home on Casey Street.

Things take a turn for the worse when the police show up – but as the show unfolds we see two versions of what happened that night.

In one, Joe stays and faces the consequences, which include a stay in a detention centre, his social exclusion on release and the difficulties of getting a job.

In the second he escapes and embarks on a successful career based on dodgy deals and quick fixes which eventually ends in tragedy.

Lead Jack Marshall perfectly captured his many-faceted role Joe as he veered between swaggering Jack-the-lad self-confidence, and despair as his life went off the rails.

With a fine voice, Jack made intelligent work of the often witty Madness lyrics – which were good to hear afresh divorced from their original pop videos –  and his sheer likeability kept the audience rooting for him even when things looked blackest.

Kristina Hewitt was a winning Sarah who brought real integrity to her role as Joe’s serious-minded girlfriend determined to rise above her humble background, and their duet It Must Be Love was one of the show’s many highlights.

Another was Hannah Collins who played Joe’s mum Kath with warmth, maturity and a voice which captured all the heartbreak of a woman struggling against the odds to make the best of a life gone sour.

At just 19, Tim Hewitt was the ‘old man’ of the  production having been invited back specially to play the role of Dad, convincingly haunting the plot and drawing its diverse threads together as he watched Joe make his choices in life.

Matthew Harvey and Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Joe’s mates Lewis and Emmo, and Victoria Hawkins and Holly Thayre as Sarah’s besties Billie and Angie injected much-needed comic relief into the often dark themes of the musical, and played their support roles with some deft and neatly-observed touches which earned them well-deserved laughs.

While John Bennett was impressively seedy as the feral bad-boy Reecey.

Special words of praise are also due to the well-drilled company who swapped between the chorus and a myriad of minor roles at a dizzying pace throughout this hugely enjoyable production – and to the dads who manhandled the car and played a couple of very convincing heavies.

It is a tribute to the enthusiasm of the school and its many supporters that they were able to put together a show like this in just six weeks.

But they pulled it off with impressive aplomb.

And they did themselves – and Suggs – proud.