Last updated at 13:19, Friday, 02 January 2009

The Rosehill Theatre in Whitehaven, which turns 50 in September, has a number of highlights planned for the first half of its golden anniversary year.

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They include the acclaimed, one-man interpretation of Dylan Thomas’s verse play Under Milk Wood. All parts – including the animals – are being performed by Guy Masterson of Theatre Tours International, on January 30.

One week later a teenager who is already an accomplished classical pianist and composer will be appearing at the Rosehill.

Kit Armstrong, now 15, has been performing in public since the age of eight and has won the Morton Gould Young Composer Award for five years in a row. He will be playing works by Bach, Mozart, Mendlessohn and Debussy.

The Rosehill Youth Theatre take on an ambitious musical from February 17 to 21 with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific.

It includes famous numbers such as Happy Talk, Younger than Springtime and I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.

The Theatre by the Lake in Keswick celebrates its 10th anniversary this year – and is staging two world premières to mark the occasion.

Lisa Evans’s specially-commissioned adaptation of Melvyn Bragg’s novel The Maid of Buttermere is the main event of the theatre’s spring season. The story of innkeeper’s daughter Mary Robinson, and of the bigamist and fortune hunter who pursued her, features a cast of professionals and a community chorus made up of 30 local people. It is directed by Ian Forrest and Stefan Escreet.

The play opens on Saturday, March 21 and runs for four weeks until Saturday, April 18.

Also marking the theatre’s 10th birthday is the première in the summer of a play by local author Rick Thomas, entitled For All Time.

It tells the story of the time in Shakespeare’s life when he abandoned writing and returned to his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Rachel Swift of the theatre said it would tie in with another of their forthcoming productions, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Keswick Film Festival marks its 10th anniversary this year in style, with several guest speakers.

Centrepiece of the week-long festival, which starts on February 12 is a retrospective on the work of writer/director Terence Davies.

A brilliant and unconventional film maker, his most famous film is Distant Voices, Still Lives, a harsh, yet loving remembrance of family life in Liverpool in the 1940s and 50s. His latest work is his first documentary Of Time And The City, which was premièred at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews.

The film uses vintage newsreel footage, contemporary popular music and a narration by Davies himself in a bittersweet commentary on his hometown of Liverpool in the 1950s and 60s.

The documentary, Distant Voices and Trilogy will all be screened and it is hoped that Davies will be able to appear at the festival in person.

One man who will definitely make the journey up the M6 is acclaimed scriptwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce.

He worked closely with Bourne director Michael Winterbottom, providing screenplays for Welcome to Sarajevo, The Claim, 24 Hour Party People and Code 46.

He wrote the screenplay for Hilary and Jackie which is being shown at the Festival and co-wrote Grow Your Own with Carl Hunter who returns for a second year with the film, following their success last year.

As usual, a handful of films will get their first cinema showing on UK soil, including a documentary on iconic American composer Philip Glass – Glass: A Portrait of Philip in 12 Parts. Among the foreign films lined up for the festival are two other UK premières: Kautokino Rebellio and Ramchand Pakistani.

Again, there will be a strong musical theme to the event with the Argentine Tango movie, Orquesta Tipica; the documentary Patti Smith Dream of Life; the Romany Music film The Pied Piper of Hutzovina and the heavy rock mockumentary Anvil! The story of Anvil.

Festival co-ordinator Ann Martin said: “Our 10th anniversary festival this year is going to be fantastic. We will be showing a Terence Davies retrospective, including his Trilogy films, Distant Voices Still Lives and his new documentary Of Time in the City.

“We are hoping Terence will be able to attend, but Frank Cottrell Boyce (24 Hour Party People, A Cock and Bull Story, Welcome to Sarajevo), probably the best scriptwriter in the UK is definitely coming. We will be showing some of his films and also the usual UK premières.”

Whitehaven Civic Hall is also promising laughs on March 15 when Dave Spikey visits.

The co-author and co-star of Phoenix Nights is coming to Whitehaven as part of his “Best Medicine” stand-up tour.

The eclectic Brampton Live music festival will be marking its 15th anniversary this summer, and is running at the William Howard Centre from July 17 to 19.

No acts have been confirmed so far but in the last two years musicians such as Richard Thompson and Steve Earle have played there. Ken Bradburn, one of the organisers, said: “We are hoping it’s going to be of a similar standard.”

The following weekend, the Netherhall rugby ground will again be the venue for Maryport Blues Festival.

Again no-one has been confirmed to appear yet, though last year’s festival featured Chuck Berry and Jools Holland, and organiser Eleanor Carr said: “We are going to try and attract some more big names this year.”

That same weekend one of south-west Scotland’s biggest festivals is due to take place, when the Wickerman is held at East Kirkcarswell Farm near Kirkcudbright. Like the other festivals, the line-up has not yet been finalised, but founder and director Syd Ambrose said: “Over the last eight years it has become much more family-oriented, so we are trying to be one of the most eclectic festivals.”

Eclectic musical tastes are also being catered for in Carlisle. The Sands Centre plays host to Lemar, playing hits If There’s Any Justice and It’s Not That Easy at the Carlisle venue on March 16.

From March 30 until April 4 Fame – The Musical is being staged at the Sands Centre. The story of the aspiring stars at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts features Beverley Trotman, who appeared on The X Factor, in the role of teacher Ms Sherman.

Big-name comedians are also on the programme for the Sands Centre. On February 12 Jimmy Carr is appearing while Ross Noble follows on April 19.

The programme for The Brickyard, in Carlisle, includes possibly the most famous rappers from south Wales, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, appearing there on March 15. Freaky Detroit rockers Electric Six (Danger! High Voltage, Gay Bar) play on Friday, March 6. Tickets for both cost £10.

First published at 11:23, Friday, 02 January 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk