JUICE Comedy are BACK!

On Friday 5th February, Stafford’s longest-running comedy club returns to us!

Started by local comedians Rob Halden and Neil Reading, JUICE Comedy has been bringing laugh-out-loud comedy shows to the county town for over ten years.

Their next show on Friday 5th February will take place at The MET Studio and feature a host of top comedians from across the country. JUICE Comedy shows never fail to offer amazing value for money, featuring a whopping FIVE hilarious comics for a full night of entertainment!

The headline act for the show will be hilarious comedy veteran ANDY WHITE. An energetic, cheeky Brummie, Andy regularly performs for all the top comedy clubs in the country (The Comedy Store, Frog & Bucket, Glee Club). His fifteen-year career has taken him all over the world, performing in clubs from Monte Carlo to Berlin to Dubai.

Acting as host and MC for the show will be the incredibly talented AARON TWITCHEN. A versatile and engaging performer, Aaron is accomplished at stand-up and compere. His mastery of improv comedy means he can engage and interact with any audience in the country to hilarious results.

Also on the bill will be; the brash, bold and anarchic CHRIS NORTON WALKER
the inventive and smart TOM CHRISTIAN and the highly talented JON PEARSON, who regularly performs for The Glee Club, The Comedy Store and Jongleurs.

Tickets for this big show of five exciting comedians are just £12 and can be purchased by calling us on 01785 619080 or by clicking here.

 

Next Rock 'n' Roll Panto announced after record breaking year!

We are thrilled to announce after the record breaking success of Jack and the Beanstalk the next rock ‘n’ roll pantomime will be Aladdin, the “wok ‘n’ roll panto”!

The festive show will open on Thursday 8th December 2016 and run until Sunday 8th January 2017.

It’s time for celebrations in old Shanghai as the Emperor hosts a party to celebrate the engagement of his daughter to the mysterious and slightly suspicious Abanazer. Can the Emperor and Princess really trust him? Our hero Aladdin meets the Princess on the street and falls for her instantly, but knows a penniless boy like him could never marry a princess.

When Aladdin goes on an adventure with his best friend Nanas the Monkey could the discovery of a magic lamp really turn his fortunes around?

This incredible show will be filled with a storming line up of classic rock ‘n’ roll hits from Aretha Franklin, The Monkees, James Brown, The Temptations, The Jackson Five, and many more, all played live on stage by our amazing actor musicians.

The whole family will be tapping their toes and clicking their fingers whilst enjoying all the magic, slapstick and audience participation of a traditional panto.

Since bringing rock ‘n’ roll panto back in 2011, Producer Derrick Gask is thrilled to see such popular demand for the unique style of show which sees all actor musicians play classic rock ‘n’ roll songs live on stage.

“We’re incredibly proud of our rock ‘n’ roll pantomimes, as they are built in Stafford, rehearsed in Stafford, and we are delighted our audiences enjoy them as much as we do!” commented Gask.

“To have broken box office records before Jack and the Beanstalk closes is incredible. We can’t thank everyone enough who has been to see the show, some on multiple visits!” concluded Gask.

The last five rock ‘n’ roll pantomimes (Dick Whittington 2011, Beauty and the Beast 2012, Sleeping Beauty 2013, Cinderella 2014 and Jack and the Beanstalk 2015) have seen phenomenal audience growth for the county town venue, with a whopping 7,000 more people attending rock ‘n’ roll pantos compared the last traditional pantomime at the Gatehouse in 2010. Jack and the Beanstalk has currently sold over 18,000 tickets to date.

Tickets for Aladdin, the wok and roll panto will go on sale on Monday 11th January at 9.30am. Tickets are £18.50 adult / £14.50 concessions / £60 family. First week and New Year saver tickets are available from £13.50 on selected performances and there are school and group discounts available too, full information on these can be obtained from the box office.

Aladdin will also see the return of the ever popular late night adult only performances, which will take place on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th January 2017. Tickets for these performances are £15 and are expected to sell out fast again.

Tickets can be booked by calling the box office on 01785 619080 or by visiting www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

 

A HUGE thanks to everyone who has supported Jack and the Beanstalk!

Scorching hot line up for Très Très Cabaret Christmas special

Get ready for an evening of festive decadence brought to you by Stafford's first, and only burlesque and variety show: Très Très Cabaret!

With a glass of festive fizz on arrival, you'll take your seat in the secluded intimacy of the MET Studio, before sampling the saucy delights that Très Très has to offer. And what a selection:

Kiki Lovechild, photo by Tigz Rice

The first performer to be announced for our festive extravaganza on December 27th is the one and only... SHERRY TRIFLE!

She is back on British shores once again and one of her UK dates is with you, the good people of Très Très Cabaret! So what are you waiting for, book your tickets and serve yourself a great big helping of Sherry Trifle while you can!

ALSO - Stage Door Johnny and Sherry Trifle will be performing one of their legendary double acts! Truly, not to be missed!

We're also welcoming back cabaret clown, furlesque pioneer and Très Très favourite KIKI LOVECHILD, Our audiences still speak of his wonderful performances, and yet again, he's bringing acts never-seen-before on the Très Très stage!







Kiki Deville, photo by My Boudoir

And why have one Kiki when you can have two?! We’ve added singing sensation KIKI DEVILLE to the line-up!
Coming to you from Australia, via L.A. Kiki is now resident in the UK, and we're so thrilled to have her at our show in Stafford! Enchanted by her very presence, audiences the length and breadth of the globe have succumb to the exuberant glamour of the UK's most high profile burlesque chanteuse, and made her winner of Vintage Personality of 2014!

You may also recognise Kiki from BBC's The Voice! Her inimitable style and charisma saw her adopted by the contestants as "Mama Keeks" and left Will-I-Am in tears when he had to send her home. Since then, she has made a splash in the vintage and burlesque world. Be not bedazzled by her glittering smile, or captivated by her comedic timing, yes, a woman of large 'talents' she may be, but don't let them detract from the incredible voice that lies beneath.







Abigail Collins, photo by Mat Ricardo

Returning to Très Très to surprise and delight you, a comedic phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed with the physique of an athlete and the mouth of Joan Rivers, it is of course, super cooper hula-hooper ABIGAIL COLLINS who whipped our audience into a frenzy during her last appearance!
Once seen, never forgotten and you'll soon see why she is a favourite with our audiences and why we had to get her back!

Also on this bumper edition of Très Très Cabaret we have British Burlesque Legend and International Superstar - AMBER TOPAZ! She razzle dazzled her way into our hearts at our July show, and she had such a great time shimmy-shaking for you all that she couldn't wait to come back! Amber Topaz has sky-rocketed her way to international stardom by enchanting her audiences with her hip shaking boundless energy, stunning vocals & saucy comedy shenanigans.

A regular headline act on national and international tours, performing to thousands of people at a time, this is a rare opportunity to watch her weave her magic in the up-close-and-personal surroundings of the intimate MET Studio.




Stage Door Johnny, photo by Cherry
Bomb Rock photography

All of this personally selected for your entertainment by our resident producer, promoter and performer: STAGE DOOR JOHNNY
A flirtatious, lyrical lothario and seasoned comic raconteur with razor-sharp wit, he'll have you grinning, giggling and eating from the palm of his hand - sometimes literally. He can be heard singing everything from Shirley Bassey to Guns ‘n’ Roses as well as ridiculous self-penned medleys to surprise and delight you!

Just when you thought we couldn’t possibly pack any more into an evening’s entertainment: we will have live music for you to dance to after the show by none other than JOHNNY AND THE SPEEDOS!

A late bar, live music and a bumper line-up to kill for!

Do. Not. Miss. It.  Book while you still can!

Très Très Cabaret is at The MET Studio on Sunday 27th December at 8pm. Tickets are £20 and can be booked by clicking here or by calling us on 01785 619080. Please note the show is strictly for over 18s only.

Not your average Christmas celebration

Ah, Christmas! A time of food hoarding, family arguments and bad TV. If you ever thought that some of the Christmas traditions we have here in the UK were peculiar, take a look at three of the most bizarre Christmas customs from around the world.

Alternative Christmas dinner

There's nothing better than settling down to turkey with all the trimmings on Christmas day, right? Actually, for many people in Japan, traditional Christmas dinner is US delicacy Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). It's so popular and well marketed that, in many restaurants, diners have to make a reservation to eat at KFC on Christmas day.

It all dates back to 1974, when KFC began its 'Christmas Chicken' campaign. The whole thing started after a group of non-natives realised that it was impossible to find turkey in Japan, so they took it upon themselves to visit the popular restaurant chain instead.

On December 23rd, 24th and 25th, people queue round the block for a table, with some pre-ordering their tasty drumsticks up to two months in advance. Those who don’t plan ahead may have to wait up to two hours for their meal.

Christmas pranks

Remember a few years back, when you woke up on Christmas Eve to find the last chocolate from your advent calendar gone? You probably blamed one of your siblings at the time, but little did you know that mischievous Danish gnome, Nisse was probably to blame.
 
This roguish gnome is said to live in the lofts of old farmhouses, wearing grey woollen clothes, a red bonnet, red stockings and white clogs. In Denmark, it's a common tradition on Christmas Eve to leave rice pudding or porridge for Nisse so he doesn’t misbehave.

On top of that, children aren't allowed to see the Christmas tree until late on Christmas Eve. Parents decorate the tree in secret with homemade baubles, paper hearts and garlands of Danish flags.
One Danish tradition that I am keen to adopt is having Father Christmas personally deliver all presents. Unfortunately, one of the older, male family members usually misses out on the action, as they're out of the room at the time.

Close the roads 

In the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, it’s customary to attend early morning Christmas mass on December 24. Not too dissimilar from UK traditions, except for the fact that locals are encouraged to roller-skate there. Vehicular access to the city is blocked off in many areas before 8am to allow this unconventional commute to take place.

To top it off, the night before, children will tie one end of string to their big toe and hang the other out of the window, allowing the passing roller skaters to offer a friendly tug as they pass in the morning.

So, the next time you're forced to make small-talk with Auntie Pat before a Christmas dinner piled high with sprouts, count yourself lucky that the UK's Christmas traditions are fairly mild compared to other parts of the world. Then again, I wonder what they'd have to say about the threat of waking up to a sack of coal and the questionable lyrics to Fairytale of New York.

One Christmas tradition that is a must in the UK is a visit to the local panto. This year, we are putting on Jack and the Beanstalk the Rock 'n' Roll Panto, complete with music from the Rolling Stones, Queen and Fleetwood Mac. Tickets are selling fast, so get yours today at www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk, or by calling us on 01785 619080.

Jack and the Beanstalk the Rock 'n' Roll Panto at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Where's Jack? The leek hunt continues!

Well my friends, Advent has started and you can now get excited about Christmas without disapproving looks from friends and family. My house usually looks like Santa's grotto by now, but without my magic leek I haven't been able to do any decorating!

Thanks for your help finding Jack last week. Of course, he was hiding at St Mary's Church. I tried to track him down, but without my magic leek I've had to do all my Christmas shopping on foot this year, so I was just too tired to catch him!

I know December is a busy month, but if you can help me I'll make it worth your while. Jack's hiding at a new Stafford location this week. If you can guess where he is, you'll have the chance to win another pair of tickets to this year's rock 'n' roll panto.

Here's the clue:

Every summer, the home of Shakespeare's play,
With the Gatehouse located a few miles away.
Its high stone walls are particularly sublime,
This structure dates back to medieval times.
You're missing out if you haven't been,
When I last visited I felt like the Queen!

Do you know where Jack is hiding? Comment below with your name and e-mail address to submit your answer and help me retrieve my magic leek.  The winner of the fourth pair of tickets will be announced this Friday afternoon.

After the winner is announced, they will be contacted by our press and marketing officer, Emma Hogan, via email, for further details on claiming their prize.

To find out more about this year’s rock ’n’ roll panto, visit www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk.

Comedy In The MET Line Up 5.12.15

We're all set for another sell-out show tomorrow night and here's the suggested line up*...

Lloyd Griffith

Lloyd is a comedian and a professional choirboy. He took his debut solo show to Edinburgh fringe festival in 2014 to rave reviews. In 2014 he appeared on BBC3’s Sweat The Small Stuff, BBC Radio 1s Live Lounge Comedy Club as well as supporting Rob Beckett on his 2013-2014 sold out UK tour. In 2015 Lloyd appeared on RTE’s Hey Ho Let’s Go and later in the year Lloyd took his second show ‘Great Grimsby’s Big Turn On’ to Edinburgh, again, to rave reviews.

Larry Dean

Since being crowned 'Scottish Comedian Of The Year' at only 23, Glaswegian comedian Larry Dean has performed a number of high profile shows worldwide, including being the support act for Eddie Izzard, and Stephen K Amos and has appeared on BBC Presents: Best Of The Edinburgh Festival 2014 and 2015, along with being nominated for Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer 2015

Sean Percival

Black Country comic Sean Percival is an ex-welder from Dudley whose act is steeped in the traditions of the working mens clubs circuit, but bang up to date with its upfront attitude. Sean’s brand of comedy steers clear of the surreal and confronts realism in an explosively funny way. A festival favourite, he has performed at the Edinburgh, Glastonbury and Reading Festivals, and as a well-established headliner he performs at all major comedy clubs around the UK as well as being a regular host for the Jongleurs comedy clubs.

Tickets for tomorrow's show are sold out but if you're quick you can get tickets for our next Comedy nights on Saturday 19th December and Saturday 23rd January.


*The line up may be subject to change. Comedy in the MET is suitable for ages 16+

Top five ways to get into the Christmas spirit

Sometimes it's hard to get excited about Christmas, isn't it? You've got loads of work to finish before the holidays start, it's a time for spending in excess and the weather is cold and dark. Doesn't sound like it makes for a very merry Christmas now, does it sourpuss? But cheer up, we're here to give you our top five things you can do in your town or city guaranteed to get you feeling more Christmassy than a polar bear in a soft drinks commercial.

1. Watch Christmas films

Everyone has their favourite film they dust off every December to get them in the festive mood. Light the fire, crack out the variety box of chocolates, sit back and enjoy.

However, if you find this isn't doing it for you, here’s an idea: often, cinemas will show Christmas films - you could even get dressed up as Santa or Rudolf (optional). You could even take some friends along with you. Check your local cinema for festive viewings.

2. Carolling

What could be more Christmassy than getting wrapped up warm, gathering friends and having a good old sing song? For the adults, may we suggest a hot glass of mulled wine before you head out, to warm the vocal chords?

Many believe singing is a cure for the blues and it can be a good way to make a bit of pocket money - if you can actually sing, that is.

3. Go to church

It's very easy to get bogged down in the commercialism of Christmas and sometimes it's refreshing to take a step back and remember why we celebrate the holiday.
Going to church is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit; you'll get time to reflect on what really matters and feel a sense of community unlike anything else.

4. Christmas markets

Christmas markets in the UK are now a common sight and they're a great place to get your Christmas spirit on. Do some shopping, eat too much, drink too much and watch the Christmas lights sparkle in the crisp winter air.

Most cities in the UK have their own Christmas market, some more festive than others. If you want to go the whole hog, why not head over to Germany where the tradition started. Fröhliche Weihnachten!

5. Pantomimes

By far the most fun way of getting into the Christmas groove in your town is to go and see a panto. Oh, no it isn't! Oh, yes it is!

Ahem. Pantomimes embody all that is Christmas - togetherness, child-like wonder, singing, family values, the list goes on.

This Christmas, our Rock 'n' Roll panto is Jack and the Beanstalk, running from December 10, 2015 to January 10, 2016. The performance has a rock and roll twist that will have you singing and dancing along in the aisles

So if you're a Grinch looking to get into the festive spirit this year, go to www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk to get yourself tickets for the Christmas event not to be missed. Or else risk coal in your stocking.