Silver Screens

Prom-Prom is pleased to announce it’s latest community project, “Silver Screens”.

“Silver Screens” is an exciting new intergenerational, oral history project for Dawlish in South Devon about cinema-going in the 1930s-50s. A group of volunteers – some newly-retired and some young people will learn digital recording & editing skills at Red Rock Centre and then oral history skills with Folk South West. They will then visit three different residential care settings to record the residents’ memories of cinema-going in their youth. They will also watch a period film together. Once all the recordings have been completed, they will be edited into a 45-minute CD that will be distributed to all the participants and schools & museums as a learning tool for the future. It is a project led by Promenade Promotions (Prom-Prom) Limited and supported by The Senior Council of Devon, Time For Life, Young Devon & West Bank Community Health & Care. The project funded by Awards For All.

The Byng Ballads – change of broadcast dates

Due a change of schedule at BBC Radio 4, Tony Lidington’s series “The Byng Ballads” about the female impersonator Dougie Byng as performed by Julian Clary will now be broadcast on Sunday 20th November, Sunday 27th November and Sunday 4th December at 7.45pm and NOT the dates previously published. Remember to tune in!

The Byng Ballads

Tony’s latest Radio 4 series The Byng Ballads about the female impersonator Dougie Byng will be broadcast at 3.45pm on Fridays 2nd, 9th and 16th December.

The series is being performed in front of a live audience in Brighton’s Pavilion Theatre by Julian Clary. It a 3-part story about the life of Douglas Byng – the celebrated female impersonator of the 1920s & 30s. Tony met Dougie in 1986, just before Dougie died at the grand old age of 94 and saw one of his last performances given in the very theatre that Julian will be performing. Dougie was the doyen of the bright young things and a forerunner of glamorous female impersonators such as Danny La Rue or Dame Evadne Hinge. . The evening is by private invitation only but please tune in to The Byng Ballads on Radio 4 at 3.45 pm on the 2nd, 9th and 16th December and feedback to the BBC if you have a few spare moments.


Prom-Prom at Greentop’s Hothouse Residency

Uncle, Bunny & Beeno travelled northwards last week for Greentop Circus’s Hothouse Residency at their community space in Sheffield. We had the chance to meet a variety of practitioners from a broad spectrum of practices including Madame Zucchini and her vegetable puppet theatre.

We’re now in the process of submitting applications to Greentop to continue working on the Residency in the near future to develop some new ideas! Watch this space….

1..2…3…The Pier-We-Goes!

This summer, Prom-Prom collaborated with Folk South West and the Sidvale Association to founde a new Pierrot troupe including pupils from Sidmouth College who could provide entertainment at Sidmouth Folk Week serenading the public with music, gags and routines.
The group, including members of 2010 Pierrot troupe, The Pier-Echoes and pupils from Sidmouth College, participated in a number of workshops with Tony Lidington, founder of The Pierrotters, the last remaining professional Pierrot troupe.
The Pier-We-Goes could be found performing, playing and posturing on park benches, in Blackmore Gardens and in the Youth Showcase in Blackmore Marquee.

Please go to our Links page to find more information about the Pierrotters, the Pier-Echoes and the history of Pierrot and seaside entertainment.

Stopping to help with a crossword

The General offers his hat to a passerby

The Pier-We-Goes Pyramid in Blackmore Gardens at Sidmouth Folk Week

Fully made up, instruments tuned....ready to go!

Tony Lidington’s “The Great Mephisto!” on Radio 4…again!

“Curiosities of the Egyptian Hall” series is to be repeated on BBC Radio 4 at 7.45pm on 31st July and at 7.45pm on the 7th and 14th August. A series of three stories inspired by the Victorian venue in Piccadilly, famed as the home of magic, spectacle, freak shows and pseudo-scientific demonstrations.

The second of the three stories, “The Great Mephisto” was written by Tony Lidington. “A young illusionist from the Punjab takes revenge on his cruel master” Read by Madhav Sharma with Tony Lidington as Alfred, the Custodian of the Hall.

Directed by David Blount

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

Don’t miss it!

Munch & Crunch Goes Live!

Munch & Crunch is an interactive show for ages 3-11 about healthy living. Presented by two young performers, the show can be performed outdoors from our traditionally painted gypsy vardo or indoors from a Punch & Judy style puppet booth. The show is 50 minutes long and features songs, magic, stories, puppets and interactive games all about healthy living (5 a day, hygiene, rest, exercise). Ideal for class sizes of about 30 and we are able to perform the show up to 3 times a day.

Catch us at Sidmouth Folk Week! – we will be performing at 11.15am and 2pm in Blackmore Gardens, Sidmouth on Saturday 30th July.

We are taking bookings for September 2011 and for Summer 2012. If you would like more details about the act or to make a booking please e-mail info@prom-prom.com or 01626 862175.

Last week, Beeno & I embarked on an adventure to Yorkshire for the first leg of our pilot tour!

We set out on the 8 hour journey with our little red gypsy vardo in tow which never fails to attract smiles, waves and bewildered expressions. Countless stops at mind bogglingly depressing motorway services later and we’re all set up in Bradford ready to gig! For both of us it was a first time out touring on our own and with new material in an unknown county performing for dramatically differing audiences in a number of contrasting and unpredictable environments from schools to large scale community events. We learned very quickly how to adapt our material in the moment for the needs of each audience from crowds of hundreds in Manningham Park to  groups of 10 at the Dales School and from 2 and 3 year olds to young people with learning disabilities.

We performed at Springwood School, Born in Bradford in Manningham Park, The Dales School and at a Shakespeare Community Event in Heaton, Bradford.

The show has received some very complimentary reviews from parents, teachers and children alike.

“I liked the bit when Bunny went in the bin because it was funny”. Oliver, 8, Westcliffe School.

“Thank you for providing our Nursery & Reception children with such an educational yet very entertaining performance of ‘Munch & Crunch’. The two performers were very enthusiastic and pitched at exactly the right level for our children. We thoroughly enjoy watching your shows and are looking forward to the next one.” – Libby Glennon, Nursery Teacher, Springwood School, Bradford.

“Munch & Crunch ticked all the right boxes – energetic, delightfully engaging, important messages about healthy living mixed with music, song, slapstick comedy and awe and wonder”. Mrs Lamoon, Westcliffe School.

“I liked the bit when we played the games”. Jessica, Westcliffe School.

Catch us at Sidmouth Folk Week! – we will be performing at 11.15am and 2pm in Blackmore Gardens, Sidmouth on Saturday 30th July.

We are taking bookings for September 2011 and for Summer 2012. If you would like more details about the act or to make a booking please e-mail info@prom-prom.com or 01626 862175.