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There is still time for you to secure the BEST SEATS for this year’s glittering family pantomime – Aladdin – for just £15!

Our early bird rate is available until September 2nd and this year is sure to be our biggest and most exciting show ever!

Hop on the magic carpet and join us for the adventure of a lifetime!

The production is sponsored by Roger Harrod’s Karpet & Furniture Kingdom.

Fasten your seat belts for a magical carpet ride to Old Peking where soap-sud silliness has got Widow Twankey and her sons Aladdin and Wishee-Washee in a lather! Can the Slave of the Ring and the Genie of the Lamp help our hero win the day?

Aladdin runs at the Marina Theatre for 32 amazing performances full of eastern promise!

The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe will star as the regal and authoritative Empress of China in the spectacular family pantomime.

Outspoken and controversial, Ann is one of the most high-profile politicians of recent times. MP for Maidstone between 1987 and 1997 and for Maidstone and the Weald between 1997 and 2010 she is more recently known for her explosive appearance on the BBC Saturday night favourite, Strictly Come Dancing

Ann will be accompanied on stage by popstar Mark Read, known to millions as a member of hit boyband A1 and for their trio of Number One singles Take on Me, Caught in the Middle and Same Old Brand New You.

With two decades in showbiz among his many credits Mark is set to play the title character Aladdin.

Pantomime Producer Paul Holman said: “I am thrilled to have secured Ann and Mark in what is already shaping up to be the biggest Christmas production Lowestoft has ever seen. With Ann’s charisma and remarkable sense of humour combined with Mark’s exceptional vocals and showmanship, not to mention the warmth and fun of returning comic Terry Gleed this year’s pantomime production really does have something for everyone.”

Alongside funny man Terry Gleed, who will be returning by popular demand to play Wishee Washee, will be Aaron Spendelow as the Genie of the Lamp.

An experienced actor, presenter, puppeteer and writer, Aaron has worked for over 15 years on stage, radio and children’s television.

Also returning by popular demand will be Fenton Gray who will take on the role of Widow Twankey. Mia Richards will be playing Princess Jasmine, Deearna McLean as Slave of the Ring and Darren Clewlow-Smith as Abanazar.

The shows will once again be directed by Richard Cheshire and choreographed by Helen Jeckells and promises to take audiences on an eastern adventure full of spectacle, sparkle and shine.

To book tickets, call the box office on 01502 533200 or click here to select a performance.

They are part of the world-famous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and will soon be returning to Lowestoft for an evening of passion and drama from the world of opera.

Stephen Payne and Benjamin Cunningham are part of the orchestra who will be performing ‘A Night at the Opera’ on Friday, September 1.

Outstanding overtures, poignant arias and beautiful duets from some of the world’s favourite operas by Gounod, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi and more will be showcased.

Maestro John Rigby takes the helm, with highlights including songs from tragic love stories such as Puccini’s La bohème and Bizet’s Carmen, powerful epics including Turandot and Eugene Onegin, and playfully comic moments from operas such as The Marriage of Figaro.

We caught up with Stephen (Tutti Second Violin) and Benjamin (Double Bass) ahead of the eagerly anticipated concert.

1. How did you become involved with the RPO?

Stephen: I’ve been a member of the RPO since May 2011. It was the standard procedure: audition, trial and eventually a job offer.

Benjamin: I was studying at the Royal Academy of Music when I did my RPO audition. My first date on trial was playing the solo bass part in Britten’s War Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall, which was pretty nerve-wracking, and I was offered my position a week after I played my final recital at the Royal Academy of Music.

2. What is the best thing about being a member of the RPO?

Stephen: My favourite thing about the job is the touring – getting to travel the world with such nice colleagues. The schedules are often exhausting, but the way everybody pulls together on the concert platform is really inspiring.

Benjamin: I love the travelling in this job. In ten years here, I’ve seen more of the world than I could have imagined.

3. What inspired you to become a musician as a child?

Stephen: I’d love to say I saw Jascha Heifetz in concert and demanded a violin of my own, or something like that, but I probably didn’t have much say in the matter. I was four years old when I began learning and had to be nagged to practice until I was about sixteen.

Benjamin: After a year or two learning the cello, I played Rock Around the Clock in my school orchestra, which has a classic walking bass line. I was so taken by it and figured that if I played the double bass I could do that funky stuff all the time. So, I acquired a bass from the peripatetic service and began learning.

4. Who have you enjoyed working with the most whilst in the RPO?

Stephen: My favourite concerts with the RPO have been those with our principal conductor Charles Dutoit. Even the rehearsals with him are quite an experience.

Benjamin: I honestly have a bit of a hero thing about Charles Dutoit. His complete mastery of the repertoire, the depth of his knowledge, his energy and his ability to transform the sound of an orchestra means that every day of work with him is like a masterclass.

5. Where is your favourite place to perform?

Stephen: I love playing in the Far East because the food is so nice.

Benjamin: I love going to Suntory Hall in Tokyo, which has to be one of the best concert halls in the world.

6. What has been the most valuable piece of advice you have been given in relation to music, and who was it from?

Stephen: When I was just starting to work professionally, an older colleague advised me that it’s a good idea to learn the notes. It sounds obvious but it really helps!

Benjamin: When I got the job I learnt a huge amount from my bass playing colleagues, including these golden rules: don’t play in the rests, always have a pencil, always take your turn to buy tea and coffee in the break and don’t be an idiot.

7. If you could learn to play another/different instrument, which would it be and why?

Stephen: I would quite like to be able to play the piano, but I was never keen on the sound of it when I was young so avoided learning.

Benjamin: The viola. They get all the best lines.

8. What was the first recording you ever bought?

Stephen: A terrible song called Cotton Eye Joe by the Rednex.

Benjamin: I was going to say Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto as it was the first classical recording I bought, in truth however, I think the very first was Especially for You by Kylie and Jason.

Tickets for the concert range from £27.50- £32.50 with under 25’s and group rates available.
The orchestra will conclude its 2017 Season with The Music of John Williams on 24th November . Hear your all-time favourite film scores performed live by a world-class orchestra, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Superman and Indiana Jones.
Call the box office on 01502 533200 or click here to book!

Final preparations are being put in place before the curtain goes up on a brand new stage show.

The Marina Youth Theatre are busy preparing for their debut production – The Deal Breaker – which will take place on Saturday, July 22 at 7.30pm.

The group, where ages range from nine to 16 years, have been hard at work on the show and are excited to bring their energy, skill and enthusiasm to the stage.

The Youth Theatre covers a variety of performance styles and genres, from musical theatre to improvisation via Shakespeare and creative writing, as well as technical theatre skills.

Will Isgrove, Head of Young People and Outreach at the theatre, said: “This is our first ever production, for some it’ll be the first time on stage, so everyone is very excited and just a little nervous.

“We’ve only been going since January and both groups have gelled quickly, there’s always a positive and creative atmosphere in the sessions and we hope to bring to the stage this Saturday.

“As a theatre group we’re learning as we go and this is a perfect launch pad for our future plans.”

All Seats are just £5 and can be bought by calling the box office on 01502 533200 or by clicking here!