The Magic Carpet Ride Begins...

It's been two months since we started rehearsals for Aladdin and things couldn't be going better, so it's about time for a long overdue blog post to catch you all up on the latest Strollers news!

Every year, we are fortunate enough to be inundated with applications to join the company; sadly, we can't say yes to everyone, but we try to bring in as many new members as we can - and this year is no exception!

Our chorus, already strong, has grown in number with some fabulous new talents, and we've welcomed a new face to this year's principal cast, too: Nick Weightman will be joining us as Aladdin, and we couldn't be more excited!

Our cast is strong, our script is fab, our dance troupe are shining brighter than ever and our backstage crew are already hard at work creating Old Peking, Egypt and a spectacular Cave of Wonders.

And as for the music?

Well, I can tell you that this year's music choices are going to blow your mind! From classic showstoppers to contemporary tunes, there's something for everyone and the singing is sounding better than ever before.

We'll be meeting some of the cast and crew over the coming months, so get ready for some sneak peeks, handy hints and maybe even a competition or two as we hurtle towards show week. Watch this space!

First on our list of cast interviewees will be this year's baddie, Tim Smith, who recently won the award for Best Performance in a Christmas Production at this year's IW Amateur Theatre Awards, for his part as Precious in Robinson Crusoe. From sensitive pirate to sinister magician, how is Tim handling his newfound villainy?

Check in with us in the new year to find out!

The Strollers have also been getting out and about around the Island in a more social capacity.

Our costume mistress, Karen Cassford, enjoyed a very special birthday a couple of weeks back, and celebrated with a Snow White and the Seven Dwarves themed tea party at The Essex in Godshill.

A wonderful venue and what a brilliant idea - we certainly enjoyed ourselves!

It's been a busy couple of months, that's for sure, but perhaps our most exciting moment so far was the recent engagement of one of our cast members.

A huge congratulations to Nicola Steedman and James Chastney on their engagement - we couldn't be more thrilled!

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On a more sombre note, it is with great sadness that we have to inform Strollers old and new, and our many supporters, that Jose Wellspring, passed away last week.

"Jose was a founding member of The Wight Strollers, a talented director and all-round entertainer. She was an amazing person with a heart of gold, and was well-known across the Island for her charity work," said Sarah Scotcher, Aladdin director.

"I learnt a lot from Jo and consider myself lucky to have shared a stage with her on many occasions. Jose will be remembered fondly by us all, but her time on life's stage has now ended. Our thoughts are with her family and friends - may she rest in peace."

Jose's is a name, a face and a presence that will never be forgotten in The Wight Strollers, and we hope she would be proud of where we are today.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: we are so very lucky to have such a wonderful history, with so many inspirational people who have all shaped the company over the years and from whom our new members, through the decades, have been privileged enough to learn so much.

Jose, from all at The Wight Strollers: Thank-you.

Robinson Crusoe: Rehearsals, Awards and Semaphores!

Robinson Crusoe rehearsals are well and truly underway for The Wight Strollers, with the cast already working hard at getting script and song words down for Act I before Christmas.

The show is still two and a half months away, but it feels a lot closer. Thankfully, with such a strong cast and dedicated production team, we're not too worried...yet!

We've been waving flags, tap dancing, testing out flowery swimming caps, learning how to wield spears and even learning to sing in Swahili - so far, so good.

That's not to say we haven't had our hiccups - we have. Act II is undergoing a makeover, songs have shifted keys and changed in length and characters have been tried, tested, retried and settled on. But this is all part of putting on a pantomime and, for the most part, it's an enjoyable process.

In other news, we've now finished learning almost all of the songs, several of the dances are finished and Act I of the script is shaping up rather nicely. We've also passed 300 likes on Facebook this month, and we're thrilled. And the good news from November doesn't stop there!

On November 19, Patrick Barry - our Robinson Crusoe - won the IW Amateur Theatre Award for 'Best Performance in a Christmas Show', for his role as Prince Rupert in Sleeping Beauty. John Hannam, the man who decides on the winners and presents them with their, quite frankly, beautiful glass trophies, described him as 'energetic, enthusiastic...everything a pantomime prince should be.'

We couldn't agree more, and Patch deserves a huge congratulations for all his hard work last year. He earned extra brownie points, of course, when he brought the award to a panto rehearsal and asked for a photo of the company with Sleeping Beauty director Sarah Scotcher holding the trophy - the award belonged to everyone in the photo, he said. What a sweetheart!

In the meantime, tickets for Robinson Crusoe officially go on sale from Medina Theatre Box Office on January 3 - phone number 01983 527020 - and the charities we'll be supporting will be announced in the new year.