Meet Our Music Maestro - An Interview With Kim Ball

Kim Ball is a well-known name across Island Theatre groups, performing in plays and musicals, playing in orchestras, conducting orchestras and being musical director for shows. 

Kim is also a highly-valued member of the Wight Strollers, who makes arrangements specially for us - some have no sheet music and are sometimes from a song found on YouTube, but wherever the song is from each arrangement is as gorgeous as the last!  Meet our Music Maestro! 

Starting simply - How did you first get into the Wight Strollers?

I was MDing (musical director-ing!) the musical Oliver! for the Island Savoyards, and Emily and Sarah (Scotcher) were in it. I think they had sized me up and eventually asked me to MD for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat for the Strollers. And that, as they say, is where it all starts!

And how do you find MDing pantomimes instead of musicals?

It's a completely different type of challenge, because it means finding the music and making arrangements. Usually if Emily is around, it involves doing it from a video, which is a huge challenge, but one I definitely enjoy!

Do you have a favourite arrangement or song we've done that you always go back to?

Gosh, that is just so hard! Off the top of my head, I genuinely enjoy villainous songs like the song 'Evil Like Me' (Jack and the Beanstalk 2017). I've got a soft spot for 'Happy', used for the opening of the same show. Primarily because it was the first one I taught to the Strollers and I still love it! 

Obviously I loved playing 'Spell on You' for Sleeping Beauty (2020) and I enjoyed the performance. That was one where I got to watch the dance too, so it was a win-win!

What about a favourite moment off-stage?

'I do have one...and it relates to my daughter, Becky! It was the first dress rehearsal for Priscilla: Queen of the Desert which subsequently was the first time she ever performed 'Pop Muzik', as she stepped in last minute! The band had struck up and Jamie (Woodford) decided to do it at 3 times the normal speed...! Becky came running off, poked her head round the curtain and said "what was that?!" - It's a moment I remember fondly.

Now turning the tables to difficult shows! - have you found any show you've ever done challenging?

My mind immediately goes back to one of the very first shows I did as a student. It was Kleine Mahogany and the music for that is immensely challenging. More recently, as I've gathered experience, all my memories as MD have been nice rather than challenging!

Let's talk about musicals in the future.. - is there a dream musical that you'd love to MD?

Hmm.. Priscilla was the one I've always wanted to do and I was lucky to do that with the Strollers. I also have to say, I'd love to MD Chicago, because I love the show so much!

Talking from personal experience, why is music so important?

Oh wow. Music is a language that speaks to everybody. It doesn't matter what language you speak, you can all enjoy listening to music and you can take something from it. The sharing of emotion without the need for words is so important. For me, music is just in my blood. 

Beautifully put. As a talented musician, you must have some inspirations - can you tell me some of yours? 

This is a funny one. If I go back and look at where it first came from for me, there are two people that come to mind. One of them was a friend called Jacqueline, who played the piano prodigiously. She used to sit at my house, playing our piano and I was always so impressed and so wanted to be like her. 

The other was my Grandmother, Nanny Maud, who played the piano for silent movies. She always played at family Christmases whilst singing Gilbert and Sullivan and music was always there for her. She always had life in her and the music genuinely came through my bones. She was just such an inspiration.

And to finish, why is Strollers so special?

Oh dear...wow. I'll try to put that in a sentence! I think because we know why we're there, to raise money for Island Charities, and to do that as well as we possibly can. The combination of having the drive to raise money as well as the desire to do our very best is just beautiful. I think it's the people, I really do.

Kim, you've arranged some beautiful pieces of music, as well as creating some unforgettable harmonies, and we could not be more grateful to you for that, and for being such a wonderful presence. Thank-you for everything, and for being a part of our family!

Our Fundraising Queen - Judith Day

Judith Day has been with the company for 28 years, producing pantomimes, painting scenery, making props, joining in on-stage and more impressively organising nearly all of our fundraisers!

From car treasure hunts, to concerts, to beetle drives, to dog shows, to cream teas, Judith really is our Fundraising Queen!

Let's start with an easy one! How did you first get into The Wight Strollers?

'I had retired from Ryde Carnival when myself and my husband had bumped into Jose Wellspring in Ryde High Street in 1992. She asked if John and I were interested in doing any publicity for The Wight Strollers and we immediately said yes. That's where it all started.'

And when did you first make your debut on-stage?

'I didn't start treading the boards until 1995, which was Crispian and the Magic Sword. That's when I first ever sung!'

Amazing! - is there a particular proudest moment? 

'Well.. I just love the strollers and we have come so far from our pantomimes. And I think to actually perform Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was one of the highlights. Another was definitely Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. I just absolutely loved that. It's something to be so proud of.'



Following on from that, is there a favourite pantomime that you love being involved with?

'I enjoy all the fun that goes into the pantomimes, but a real favourite has to be Cinderella. It's so magical and a classic fairytale. Definitely one for all the family.'


Great choice! I know you've shared the stage with every one of your three granddaughter's, what makes that so special?

'Very proud. Although I've never wanted them to do it because I'm in it, I am very proud of all three for giving it a go and definitely proving good at it!'


As one of our prop-extraordinaire's - is there a prop you found challenging?

'Oh yes! When we did Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 2002 , I had this vision of all the little animals to be based upon Beatrix Potter. I had this mad brain that I would paper mâché and make and paint these animals heads! Geoff (Cox) helped me too and we did a frog, a hedgehog, a rabbit and many more. It was just wonderful! I love a challenge!'

Continuing on from props, what does a 'typical Sunday' look like for you during pantomime season?

'Very hectic! I try to get to the scenery store at 9:30am on a Sunday and help paint and build scenery, make props and do whatever needs doing. I then pop home for a quick cuppa and then go and watch the dance rehearsals, which I enjoy greatly. I just love to get involved with all aspects of the Strollers.'

Fundraising is at the heart of what you do - where do those incredible, yet slightly crazy, ideas come from?

'What I try and do when I think of these ideas is to invite people who aren't part of Strollers. Although Strollers come and support them, which is wonderful, it brings a whole different group to contribute to our cause and have fun with it! For example, when I have a dog show, it brings other people into the family that is Strollers. The whole idea is to support Strollers.'

Wow! What inspires you to fundraise?

'It's really to try and help some of the costs, which in turn boosts up how much we can give away to our charities. Which means we don't have to ask our brilliant members for too much money, as we all pay for our costumes anyway. It creates a bit of money in the bank account if we wanted to have something special, like our wonderful 40th Anniversary finale.' 

 To end our questions, why are you so passionate about The Wight Strollers?

'Because of the people. We are all in it for the same cause, we are like an extended family. It is something special. When new members have joined us and every single member has stayed it really shows what we are like as a group. It's all so worthwhile!' 

What a brilliant interview, and thank you so much Judith for all you do and have done for The Wight Strollers. An inspiration to all and a well-loved member of the company. Again, thank you!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2020, and to the fortieth anniversary of The Wight Strollers in their current form...and we're going to be celebrating in style!

The celebrations begin with our annual February Half Term pantomime at Medina Theatre.

This year, our chosen fairytale is Sleeping Beauty and it has again been co-written by Sarah Scotcher and by yours truly, tailored to the cast and crew and with all the traditional elements of a family pantomime with plenty of jokes and musical numbers and slapstick to make all ages laugh.

The set and costumes have all been designed and made in-house by Geraldine Tulloch (also our chairperson!) and her wonderful team, the music has been arranged by our supremely talented MD, Kim Ball, and the choreography is in the expert hands of Cheryl and Izzi Rudd.

The cast is filled with Strollers faces new and old, with the principal character list boasting several members taking their very first speaking roles within the company...and we just know they're all going to smash it!

Tickets are on sale now from Medina Theatre either by phone on 01983 823884 or online, or in person at the Box Office - don't miss out, and come along to what is going to be a truly spectacular show, all in aid of Island charities - more about them later.

We will then be entering the IW Music, Dance and Drama Festival in the Senior Musical Theatre Vocal Group Class - wish us luck!

Following this, we will be staging The Wind in the Willows this summer, the musical that took London by storm a couple of years ago. Directing this will be Andy Ball, who many of our loyal supporters will remember as 'Bob' in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical in 2018 or perhaps even as Rancid in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2017....or maybe even as that squeaky-shod guard in Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood in 2019 - I wonder if he ever did get that shoe fixed?

The Wind in the Willows is the tale of Toad of Toad Hall and his compatriots, Ratty and Mole, and it's based on the beloved children's classic by Kenneth Graham. The music is gorgeous, and we can't wait to share our production of this exciting show with you all.

Tickets will be on sale from February 14th - so watch this space!

To finish our fortieth 'season', we will once again be parading the streets of the Island as part of the summer carnival season. The theme will top secret until our first outing - as always - so you'll just have to wait and see. Suffice to say, it's going to be colourful, hilarious and great fun, and we can't wait to see you all there.

The benefit of producing two shows in a year is that we can support double the number of Island charities, and we have decided on these, too - an announcement will be forthcoming soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

That's about it from us for an update for now...so hop on over to the Medina Theatre website and book those tickets for Sleeping Beauty! Go on...you know you want to!

Team Robin Donate to Island Charities

We met as Team Robin for one final time last night, to give away our proceeds from the pantomime - this is why we do what we do...and last night just cemented for all of us how worthwhile every ounce of hard work is that goes into our shows.

We are thrilled to announce that this year we are donating £8,025 split across seven Island charities and good causes, each so very worthy of support.

All from the proceeds of Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, we are giving £2,200 to the IW Alzheimer Cafe, £2,000 to the IOW Food Bank, £1,000 to WightSAR, £1,000 to the IOW World Scout Jamboree Team, £1,000 to The COOK Project, £300 to the 1st Ryde Brownies, and £525 to Ben Rothwell.

To every single person who supported our 2019 pantomime, from all of us here at The Wight Strollers...thank-you, from the bottom of our hearts.

This brings our grand total over the last financial year to over £22,000 given away to Island charities from this pantomime and from last summer's Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical. We could not be more proud, or more grateful to the Island community for continuing to support us so that we can keep doing what we do.

Stay tuned for more news from us as the year progresses...and look out for us this summer at the Island's carnivals once again!

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Auction Extravaganza A Huge Success!

It's a rare thing for The Wight Strollers to be collectively speechless, but that's exactly what we are...

Following our Charity Auction at Shorwell Parish Hall on Saturday 28th May, we are over the moon to be able to announce that we have raised a whopping £7,157!

This total far exceeded our expectations and we're still reeling - what can we say that quite covers it? Not much! But there are a few thank-yous that must be said...

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Tim and Sue Smith for their exceptionally hard work in the months leading up to the auction - this simply would not have happened without them, and we consider ourselves lucky indeed to count them members of our company.

Tim and Sue - thank-you so much, we cannot express enough how grateful we are to you both.

We would also like to thank all those members of our company who assisted with approaching local businesses, donated items or promises themselves, spread the word about the auction, and helped to set up and keep the evening running smoothly from running the viewings to running the bar.

We couldn't have done it without you all!

A massive thank-you goes to all the wonderful individuals and Island businesses who so generously donated vouchers and goods, and we have listed them all here as they appear in our catalogue, because they deserve a major shout-out - we were blown away by the level of support we received:

- The Essex, Godshill
- Three Buoys, Ryde
- Yates Brewery
- Leslie's Service Station, Northwood
- Louise Aitken - Massage Therapist
- Paul Corbett
- Jean Corbett
- Pauline Watson
- Jo Hogan (and Hercules!)
- The Cow Shed
- Island Food Services
- Isle Jump Trampoline Park, Lake
- Anna Hadden, Unique Holistic & Beauty
- Amazon World, Nr. Arreton
- Hong Kong Express, Newport
- Cineworld
- Red Funnel
- Superbowl, Ryde
- Gossips Cafe, Yarmouth
- Mr Sid Brown
- Judith Day
- John Woodford
- Watersedge Beach Cafe, Gurnard
- The Barber Cube, Newport
- Burrs Restaurant, Newport
- IOW Steam Railway, Havenstreet
- Mrs J Mew
- Tapnell Farm Park, Freshwater
- Busy Bee Garden Centre, Ryde
- Mike Squibb
- Bonny
- Besty and Spinky's Cafe Bar, Ventnor
- The Body Shop, Newport
- Isle of Wight Tours, Lake
- New Holmwood Restaurant, Cowes
- TLC Beauty Lounge, Freshwater
- Fitness at Gurnard, Cowes
- Royal Retreat Beauty Salon, East Cowes
- Jireh House, Yarmouth
- Bartletts Green Farm, Ryde
- Jo & Paul Richardson
- The Model Village, Godshill
- Mrs S Lambert
- Donald Keene
- Bearnes, Hampton & Littlewood Auction Rooms, Exeter
- Field Cafe, Niton
- Christine Smyth Acupuncture, Cowes/Ryde
- The Old Barracks, Puckpool
- Eldridges Solicitors, Freshwater
- Westridge Gold Centre, Ryde
- Wight Karting, Ryde
- Yelfs Hotel, Ryde
- Leslie's Motors, Cowes
- Karen Cassford
- Alan Vince
- The Griffin, Godshill
- Appley Manor Inn, Ryde
- The Captain's Table, Ryde
- Izzi Rudd & Emily Scotcher
- Blackevedesgins, Ryde
- Reynolds & Read Ltd.
- Summer Lilly's Florist, Newport
- Double Take
- Hungry Bear, The Lavender Farm, Newport
- The Duck Restaurant, Ryde
- Vikki Colenutt
- Julie Russell
- JR Zone, Newport
- Wight Gold Coins
- Angela Sowden - Artist
- Kwiksnip Beauty, Ryde
- Nicola Steedman
- Trumour Feeds
- The Sun Inn, Hulverstone
- Asda
- Tesco
- ADA Meze Restaurant, Carisbrooke
- Shannon Crouch
- Brian Atkinson
- Isle of Wight Council (1Leisure)
- Scotcher & Co, Newport
- Off The Rails, Yarmouth
- Take Two, Newport
- Eldridges Solicitors, Newport
- Pete Attrill Garden Services
- The Wheatsheaf, Newport
- Ken Page
- Over the Garden Wall Emporium
- HRD Auction Rooms, Brading
- Seabreeze Cottages, Brighstone (David & Leslie Kast)
- West Wight Valeting, Freshwater
- Sainsbury's, Newport
- Julian Occomore
- The Blacksmith's Arms, Newport
- The Isle of Wight Ambulance Training & Community Response Service
- Andy & Kim Ball
- Stag Lane Motors, Newport
- Baywatch on the Beach, St Helen's
- Hover Travel, Ryde
- Ashey Road Garage, Ryde
- Stan & Caroline Brading and Bill & Linda Wakefield
- Debbie Fitzgeorge & Geraldine Hanley
- Thread the Needle, Dave Kennett
- Wight Ironing Services
- Rachel Roscoe
- I&J Cantelo
- Ainsley Bennett Photography
- The Owl & Monkey Haven, Newport
- R. Hunt Ltd. Agricultural Engineers, Rookley
- The Orchards Holiday Park, Newbridge
- Medina Valley Centre, Newport
- Blackgang Chine
- Southern Vectis
- Isle of Wight Studio Glass, Arreton
- Mike Edmundson
- Jane Dunn
- Pauline Watson

And last, but certainly by no means least, we want to thank every single person who attended and bid on lots - a charity auction only works if everyone enters into the spirit of the evening and it's safe to say that we had an absolute blast of a night with a room packed - it was standing-room only! - from start to finish.

And a final special mention to Steve Staff, the winner of our mystery lot - two tickets to Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical and a unique (and highly collectible!) prop from our pantomime...the Storyteller's popcorn!

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To support The Wight Strollers and their chosen charities for Summer 2018, book your tickets to Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical by visiting the Medina Theatre website, or by calling 01983 823884, or by popping up to the box office in person.

It's jam-packed with floor-fillers, such as 'I Will Survive', 'Hot Stuff', 'It's Raining Men', 'True Colours', 'Colour My World' and 'Boogie Wonderland'.

Trust us...you won't want to miss it!

Cinderella's Magic Continues With Charity Donations

What a whirlwind few months it's been for The Wight Strollers - in the best possible way!

Our production of Cinderella was almost sold out, but for a few tickets on the first Saturday night, and the feedback that came in was nothing short of glowing from curtain up to curtain down. Our cast and crew worked their socks off, our audiences were warm and appreciative, and the reviews from Sardines and IW Theatre were fantastic.

As most of you will know, The Wight Strollers give away the proceeds of each show to Island charities and good causes - since 1981, we have raised over £215,000 and we're showing no signs of slowing up!

This year, at our AGM on Wednesday 18th April, we donated another £7,245 and we couldn't be more proud of everyone who helped us to raise this sum, be it on stage, backstage or by buying a ticket to see our magical pantomime.

We gave £2,500 to our main charity for Cinderella, KissyPuppy, who have undertaken their biggest Island project to date, a refurbishment of Oak House costing a total of £1.5million, to which KissyPuppy have pledged £300,000 in support.

"Thank-you so much to all of The Wight Strollers for this donation." said Aaron Rolf upon receiving the cheque. "We've done so much since we started KissyPuppy, but this is our largest project to date. The Mountbatten Hospice is the first adult hospice in the country to take on people under 18, and we want to make sure that continues long into the future."

We also donated £1,300 to Medina House School to assist with the transportation of their specialist equipment to enable their students to compete in the annual Rock Challenge event on the mainland.

"Medina House's travel costs are considerably higher than most other schools," said Elisa Jones, a member of the Strollers' committee, who nominated the school as a recipient.

"They need to take hoists and wheelchairs and all sorts of other equipment just to get the enable the children to get to the challenge and compete. This donation is amazing, and it should help them to participate for at least the next couple of years."

£1,000 was given to the Isle of Wight Fire Brigade Benevolent Fund, and representative Kev Ellis sincerely thanked the Strollers and said that the money would go towards the organisation's continuing work to support firefighters both past and present in times of need, whether that need be financial, medical or otherwise.

We also gave £500 to Wild Bird Aid, a charity run by just two people to care for sick and injured birds.

Vicky-Marie Hogan, one of the founders of the charity, attended the AGM to receive the cheque and said: "We rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured birds - last year we took in 1,000 and we currently have 200 in our care, including 25 permanently disabled birds. This charity is run by just the two of us, and this money will get us a good way through the nesting season, so thank-you."

£500 to Newchurch Cubs and Beavers, who - as Lewey Way, a member of the Newchurch group, said - are very much in need of some new camping equipment as the summer approaches!

And last, but by no means least, we have donated our seventh Public Access Defibrillator to the Isle of Wight.

This particular defibrillator is set to be sited at St Thomas of Canterbury Primary School following a letter to the company from the parents of one of the pupils there who suffers with a serious heart condition. PADs are so important - defibrillation within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest can improve a patient's chances of survival from being less than 7% to up to 74%.

Thank-you so much to all the charity representatives who attended our AGM, and thank-you again to everyone who supported Cinderella in any way. It's moments like this that often remind our hard-working team exactly why they do what they do, and why they give so much of their time and talents to ensuring that our shows are a success.

Everything we do is done with our chosen charities for each show in mind. All the hard work that goes into our productions both on and off stage, all the fundraising we do to ensure we can continue to keep our donation levels high even as production costs continue to rise, and every community event we attend from carnivals to school fairs, it's all done so that we can  stay true to the ethos of The Wight Strollers: raising as much money for local charities as we can, whilst having as much fun as possible!

With that in mind, prepare for a shameless plug!

We have a Charity Auction coming up this Saturday 28th April at Shorwell Parish Hall, starting at 7pm - entry is by catalogue (£1) and there are over 275 lots, including meal vouchers, entrance passes to Island attractions, promises of cakes and meals made by our members, beauty vouchers, antique furniture, collectible film posters and scripts, gold and silver jewellery and even a date with our very own miniature horse, Hercules!

Viewing is from 5-8pm on Friday 27th, and from 10am-1pm and 6-7pm on Saturday 28th, so you can come and have a look at what's on offer before attending the auction in the evening, where refreshments will be available and the one and only Tim Smith will be banging the gavel!

The auction is to help fundraise towards our summer donation to the chosen charities that will benefit from Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical. 

These are Breakout Youth IW, Break the Cycle CIC, the Wessex Cancer Trust IW Branch and we will also be donating our eighth Public Access Defibrillator.

All worthy causes, so please do make sure you attend the auction, keep an eye out for other fundraising activity and book your tickets for Prsicilla: Queen of the Desert - The Musical by phoning 01983 823884 or by visiting the Medina Theatre website or by popping up to the Box Office in person...we'll see you in Oz!

Banter With Buttons...

Michael Mullin has been with The Wight Strollers for over four years now, and in that time he's been lucky enough to take on a range of roles, from Judah in Joseph to Jack in last year's Jack and the Beanstalk. 

This year, Michael is playing Buttons, the head servant at Hardup Hall - well, actually, he's the only servant at Hardup Hall! Best friend to Cinderella, confidante to the Baron and loved by all the villagers, Buttons is a long-standing favourite with pantomime audiences all over the country, and we have a feeling Michael's Buttons will be up there with the best of them!

So what is it that makes Buttons so loveable?
"What makes him so lovable? He's the real hero of the story! He's lovely, he's adorable, he's funny...and he should get the girl! It's not fair!"

O...kay...I think I've touched a nerve there! We'll move on! What are your two favourite moments of the show so far? 
"I love the little scene between me and Cinderella where we're sitting on a table and Buttons is convinced she loves him. As for my favourite scene that I'm not in, it would probably have to be the scene where she turns into a princess. That's a really key moment, too."

You've been with the company now since September 2013...
"Has it been that long?"

It has been that long! What's been your most memorable moment with The Wight Strollers so far?
"My most memorable moment would probably be the very first time I was on stage with the company as Man Friday, in my little loin cloth, facing off with Sarah Scotcher for the first time!"

That's a baptism of fire!
"It was, absolutely. I've never forgotten it - and I probably never will!"

Before Robinson Crusoe, you were a relative newcomer to pantomime but you'd performed in many other genres, and have done since, too. What makes pantomime different?
"It's totally insane! Everything about it is just geared towards having fun - the people on stage are having fun, the audience is having fun, and it's just unique in that it's totally focused on achieving that. There's no other aim except for everyone to enjoy themselves."

Cinderella is certainly going to be a lot of fun - and it's a firm favourite in the panto world, as a story. But what's your personal favourite of all the pantomimes?
"Oh, it has to be Mother Goose. I've never actually seen it, but I just think a pantomime based around a goose sounds great!"

That's got to be the most unusual answer I've ever had to that one! Turning back to Cinderella, why should people come and see the show?
"It's what I said before, about pantos just being unadulterated fun. That's just the feeling in all of The Wight Strollers' shows, they turn that idea up to eleven every single time and it's just rad. You'll have a good time whether you pay attention to what's going on in the story or not - the atmosphere is just brilliant."

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Catch Michael as Buttons in Cinderella, this February Half Term at Medina Theatre. Tickets are still available and can be purchased from the Medina Theatre website, by phoning 01983 823884 or by visiting the Box Office in person.

Cinderella's Chosen Charities

As anyone who has ever seen a Wight Strollers production will know, we donate our proceeds to local charities and good causes, with every single penny staying on the Island to help our community.

Since 1981 we have raised well over £200,000 and have helped hundreds of Island charities, good causes, community organisations and individuals.

From purchasing numerous Public Access Defibrillators to replacing Scouting equipment lost in a fire, we consider every single application for funds that we receive with the utmost care, and our committee have now chosen four more thoroughly deserving causes to benefit from our Cinderella proceeds.

This year we will be donating our proceeds to Wild Bird Aid, the Newchurch Beavers & Cubs, the Fire Brigade Benevolent Fund (IOW Branch), Kissy Puppy and St George's School and Medina House School to assist with the specialist equipment required to transport their students to the Global Rock Competition.

We will also be purchasing our seventh - that's right, seventh! - Public Access Defibrillator for the Island, which it is hoped will be hosted by St Thomas of Canterbury Primary School in Carisbrooke.

We hope you'll all agree that these are four very worthy recipients of our proceeds, and we look forward to presenting them with donations at our AGM in April.

In the meantime, to help us to help these wonderful causes, all you need to do is book a ticket to come and see Cinderella on February 10th, 11th or 17th at Medina Theatre, and spend an afternoon or evening laughing, crying, shouting, booing, cheering, applauding and generally having a wonderful time at a magical show!

What could be easier?

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Tickets for Cinderella are available from the Medina Theatre website, by phoning 01983 823884 or by visiting the box office in person, and are £9 per adult and £8 per under 14. 

Of Defibrillators and Donations...

What a day we had yesterday!

Some of our members visited Island Car Centre in Rookley, the site of our sixth Public Access Defibrillator, which within a week of its installation has already been used to help someone.

Louise Walker - head of the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Training & Community Response Services (and mum to one of our junior dancers!) - joined us for the visit and had this to say:

"Once again thank you so much to the Wight Strollers for supporting our Community Defibrillator programme, your passion and drive to raise money for local causes is highly commendable and so very much appreciated.  I look forward to seeing you all in the Island carnivals this year!"

A defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by a member of a public in the event of cardiac arrest - it analyses a casualty’s heart rhythm and will shock them if needed.

For every minute that passes without defibrillation and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), chances of survival decrease by around ten per cent.

The idea behind PADs is that when someone calls 999 the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Service will make the caller aware of the nearest Public Access Defibrillator - and it could be what makes the difference between someone making it to hospital or not, between someone living and dying.

They're an invaluable piece of kit, that's for sure, and the scheme to get PADs set up Island-wide is one we hope to continue to support - we've purchased six for the Island so far, and counting!

But that wasn't all that happened on our visit to Rookley...

Whilst we were at Island Car Centre, the staff there came out to chat with us about who we are and what we do, and then disappeared...when they returned, it was to present us with a cheque for £100 towards our fundraising efforts for the local community.

We were truly touched, and would like to thank Island Car Centre for both their generosity in making a donation and also for agreeing to be the guardians of our latest PAD.

Everything we do is for Island charities, all our donations stay on the Island, and every penny makes a massive difference to Island people. So, from all of us here at The Wight Strollers, we'd like to say a massive thank-you to Island Car Centre, to Louise and the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Training & Community Response Service and, of course, to you - our supporters - for making all this possible.

A Quick Catch-Up!

Firstly, our apologies for the radio silence - things have been rather bonkers behind the scenes of late!

However, to make up for it, we have a bumper edition of news and updates, starting with Jack and the Beanstalk...

We were blessed with an entirely sold out pantomime run, a first in Strollers history! Normally, for reasons unknown, the first Saturday night is slow to sell and never quite makes it to full - but not this year!

Our cast and crew were chuffed with the result, and as such it's meant we've been able to give another fantastic set of donations to Island charities and good causes.

At our AGM in April, we donated £2,500 to The Bus Shelter IOW, £2,300 to the 1st Newport Scouts, £1,000 to the Isle of Wight Society for the Blind, and we purchased our sixth Public Access Defibrillator for the Isle of Wight - wow!

We also had a our committee elections at the AGM, with our chairman, Mike Sutcliffe, standing down after 12 years of service and our treasurer, Brian Whitewood, standing down after 9 years.

"Every year I report that we have had a pretty successful 12 months," said Mike in his final chairman's report. "I can't do that this time round because the last year hasn't been pretty successful - it's been ruddy amazing."

He went on to praise the work of the cast, crew and committee, and the loyalty of our audience members old and new in helping us to continue to play to sell-out houses.

"I always end my report with the same words, because I can't think of better ones," he finished. "The fact that we have staged two amazing productions and that we can donate so much to our good causes...is down to all of you, who give so freely of your money, your time and your various special talents. So, on behalf of our audiences, our charities, the committee and myself, I sincerely thank you all."

Both Mike and Brian have been absolutely incredible and there aren't words enough to thank them for everything they've done for the Strollers. It's safe to say they will be missed on the committee, but their successors are worthy ones and the new committee is looking forward to continuing the wonderful work done under the guidance of its predecessors.

Taking the reins from Mike is Gerry Tulloch, one of the founding Strollers and a former member of the Nesta Meech School of Dance, from which the company originated.

From dancing to directing,  performing performing to creating the most spectacular costumes (including last year's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!), Gerry is part of the very fibre of The Wight Strollers and the company could not be in safer hands.

Joining her on committee is Leslie Kast as Treasurer, along with the confirmed director of our next two productions, Sarah Scotcher, with Judith Day reprising her role as Secretary.

Mike Squibb and Emily Scotcher (yours truly!) were both reelected, whilst Nicola Steedman, Aly Keele-Toms and David Kast also continue to serve their terms on committee, and the company also elected two new members in Elisa Jones and Andrew Wilson-Jenner.

In more Strollers news, we will once again be appearing at the Island's carnivals this summer; although our theme, as always, is top secret for now, we can promise that it's going to get the crowds buzzing!

We have also been able to announce our next two productions, our February 2018 pantomime and our July 2018 musical.

On February 10th, 11th and 17th, we will be returning to Medina Theatre to perform Cinderella, one of the best-loved pantomimes and a firm favourite with many of the cast. The script is underway, the casting process has started, and the production team are starting to put together ideas to make this our most magical pantomime yet!

Following that, on July 6th, 7th and 8th 2018, we will be performing our second musical when we tackle the fabulous Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It's colourful, it's fast-paced, it's funny and it's packed with floor-fillers like 'I Will Survive', 'Go West', 'It's Raining Men', 'Hot Stuff' and 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' - it's one you won't want to miss!

Phew! It looks like we're in for our biggest and most bonkers year yet, if all that is anything to go by!

We'll be back again soon with carnival updates, pantomime news and a few sneaky hints at how our planning for Priscilla is going...

...It's good to be back!

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Summer with the Strollers

What a whirlwind of a summer we've had!

We've been super busy, so busy that we simply haven't had time to blog about it, so we'll take you on a whistle-stop tour of what we've been up to...

With Joseph over, we did a top-speed turn-around and launched ourselves into carnival season with this year's entry: Dirty Dancing!

Dressed as cleaning ladies, complete with bright pink hair rollers and carpet sweepers, we danced through the streets to 'I Want to Break Free' and 'Greased Lightning', performing kicks, flicks and hip-wiggles and picking up trophies as we went.

Feedback, as always, has been excellent, and we're already musing on ideas for next year.

We also held our presentation for the proceeds of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and were overwhelmed once more by how much we were able to give away.

We presented a cheque for £3,500 to St Peter's Church, Shorwell, who were our partners for the production, and we presented a cheque for £2,000 to The Joe Ellis Trust.

To top it off, we also purchased our fifth Public Access Defibrillator for the Isle of Wight, which will be placed in the parish of Shorwell.

We've said it a hundred times before, and we'll say it again: thank-you, to every single person who supported Joseph, and to our spectacular cast and crew, without whom the show simply wouldn't have happened.

So, with the carnivals over and Joseph nicely wrapped up, we now turn our attention to our 2017 pantomime: Jack and the Beanstalk.

Set to be performed at Medina Theatre on February 18th, 19th and 25th, trust us when we say you'll want to save the dates!

It'll be our 'biggest' panto yet!

Over the summer, we also reached some pretty incredible milestones on our social media pages, topping 200 followers on Instagram and reaching a brilliant 500 followers on Twitter, while our Facebook page continued to grow and is now approaching 1,100 'likes'.

In honour of these awesome achievements, our next blog post will be all about our social media channels, so watch this space!

That's all for now, but stay tuned as we embark on our next pantomime adventure and keep an eye on the blog for more news and updates from The Wight Strollers. As we step into Autumn, we hope to bring you an insight into some of the behind-the-scenes happenings of the company, including our social media, our committee, our costume and scenery teams, and how we go about choosing our charities each year - it's all good stuff, you won't want to miss a word!

For now, though, it's one more big thank-you from us to all our supporters and we'll be checking in again soon.

Notes from the Narrator...

Yesterday we had our band call, and last night I was listening to the recordings, over and over again. And then I had to stop and take a moment to breathe. This is really happening.

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post from my own, personal point of view as a cast member - it hasn't happened since 2015, in fact, when we did Aladdin. 

But today, for this particular show, I'm making an exception.

Joseph has been one of my favourite musicals since I was eight years old and performed it at Brighstone Primary School. Back then, I was a sheaf of corn, a member of Potiphar's household and one of the Narrator's backing singers. I remember it so vividly, right down to the dance moves - in fact, I could probably still perform those routines now!

And I remember watching the Narrator and memorising every single one of their lines, desperately hoping that one day I'd have the chance to play the role.

Who'd have thought that a dream that started when I was eight years old would come to fruition eighteen years later?

I certainly didn't!

But then again, isn't Joseph all about dreams coming true?

So who is the Narrator? What is she? Why does she exist?

The Narrator is a strange part, and a challenging one, largely because she doesn't leave the stage for the duration of the show and there are few numbers in which she doesn't sing - four, to be exact.

She's removed from the story, but at the same time is very much a part of it, interacting with every single character and weaving her way through the plot, acting as a story-teller, instigator, adviser, friend and conscience all in one.

She introduces, she engineers, she antagonises, she influences - in short, she doesn't stop!

It's story-telling with a difference, and I love it. There's something to be said for telling a story through song, and what a privilege it is to be able to tell such a wonderful story as Joseph.

The Narrator's songs aren't the big hits, they're not the iconic numbers of Joseph or the globe-trotting songs of the Brothers...

In fact, with the exception of  'Prologue' and 'Pharaoh Story', she doesn't really have songs at all!

Hers are the little riffs you hum as you leave the theatre; the single lines you can't get out of your head for days on end, the split-second moments you remember even if you can't recall what came before or after!

She's there from the start of Joseph's journey to the end of it...which is really rather apt.

The Joseph journey, for me, began in January 2015, when I began looking into the possibility of performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - now, nineteen months on and less than a week from curtain up, I can hardly believe it's really happening.

Some days, I legitimately have to pinch myself. And if you glance at me during the very first rendition of 'Any Dream Will Do', you will see me welling up every time, without fail.

Because this, to me, is perfect.

How can it not be?

Standing on stage, surrounded by some of the best and funniest and most talented people I know, when those opening chords sound I feel a sense of pride so overwhelming that it catches me off guard at every single rehearsal.

Joseph is, by far and away, the best and most wonderful show I have ever done. It's been a nineteen month rollercoaster from Canaan to Egypt and back, and I - along with the rest of the cast, I'm sure - can't quite get my head around the fact that it's almost over.

All that's left to do now is share the experience with an audience...

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Make sure you're a member of our audience this weekend by booking your tickets! Either phone 01983 823884 between 10am and 2pm or visit the Medina Theatre website to book online at any time!

Closing In On Showtime...

Well now, what a couple of weeks we've had! As many of you, our wonderful supporters, will by now know, online booking at Medina Theatre has been unavailable for the last two weeks, due to a technical hitch beyond the theatre's control.

We are, however, pleased to report that the online booking website is now back up and running, so please do book your tickets!

We'd also like to thank Neil at The Pompey Chimes for his help in promoting the show throughout the diocese, especially whilst online booking was unavailable, and we'd like to give an equally big shout-out to every single person who and gave us support across our various social media platforms. Your support was absolutely invaluable.

Meanwhile, rehearsals have been going swimmingly and cast members are now working with our spectacular set to get used to it ahead of next week's dress rehearsals and performances.

Next week! We can hardly believe it's now so close!

With every single department in overdrive - from costumes to props to publicity - we're pushing harder than ever to reach the sell-out houses our cast deserves.

In a fundraising update, we raised a further £280 towards the cost of putting on Joseph with our quiz night on Sunday 27th June, which was attended by a whopping 89 people.

We recently made an appearance at Shorwell Midsummer Fair earlier this month, too - and not only were we flyering, we also pitted two of Joseph's brothers - Asher and Napthali - against each other on the Gladiator Pole.

There's never a dull moment on Team Joseph, that's for sure!

And, in some very exciting news, we have also chosen our charities and good causes to support with the proceeds from the show.

St Peter's Church will, of course, be receiving some of the proceeds towards getting running water, a kitchen and a toilet installed in the church, and we will also be supporting the Joe Ellis Trust, as well as putting some money towards a Public Access Defibrillator in the Shorwell area.

Now all that's left to do is sell the remaining tickets and introduce you to some more of our wonderful cast before curtain up!

There's loads to look forward to on the blog before showtime: you'll meet Joseph, Benjamin and the Narrator, among others, as well as hearing from some of the production team.

You'll also find out more about the workshops we've been offering to schools and community groups over the last six weeks; and you'll be getting some more sneak peeks of our set and costumes.



Don't leave it to chance - make sure you've got your tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Medina Theatre on July 9th and 10th, either by booking online or by phoning 01983 823884 - it's going to be phenomenal!

Stop. Rewind. Play. Repeat.

"The film's not finished, it's just paused!"

Last week, I heard a child shout these seven words to his friend as they wandered past me during the interval of Mary Poppins at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton...and they broke my heart.

When did technology become so ingrained in our lives that the next generation can't recognise the difference between actors on a stage and people on a cinema screen?

I suppose, in a way, it was a compliment to the show, which was practically perfect in every way; slick and polished, Mary Poppins was the highest class of entertainment. But alongside all the magic I carried away with me, I also carried that little boy's words, stuck in my head long after the final chord.

Since last week, I've had time to muse on it and, not for the first time, have come to the conclusion, that there is one way and one way only to ensure that live theatre is preserved in all its glory.

And that's by supporting it, and by encouraging your friends, your family, your children to support it, too.

You can't pause a live show, you can't rewind the bits you've missed, you can't screenshot it or find it on iPlayer - it's happening, right there in front of you. Characters are coming to life, a story is being told, and every single person doing the telling is doing it as you watch.

Anything could happen...and isn't that a thrill?

No two performances are the same, each audience will see an equally impressive but slightly different show. Each audience member will come away with a different experience, according to what caught their eye.

One may spot Joseph sat on the steps trying to decipher his dreams whilst the Brothers are scheming, another might see the shock of the Chorus as Benjamin is accused of theft, a third might see Joseph and the Narrator dancing together in the background of another number, a fourth could hear an instrumental riff from a different musical creeping into the score...

Hundreds of people watching the same show can see hundreds of tiny details, nuances and moves. Each person will have their own favourite song, favourite character, favourite moment; each of those moments has been delivered by a real person, in real time.

And only those hundreds in the audience will have shared in the experience. It can't be replayed, it can't be replicated. What an exclusive club to join, to be one of only a fraction of the population to have witnessed the magic of a particular show, with a particular cast in a particular place.

Don't underestimate the sticking power of such memories.

For a family of four to see Finding Dory in 3D would cost just 60p less than it would for the same family to see our production of Joseph at Medina Theatre this July (also in 3D, I hasten to add!) with a live band, a live cast of 57 and no DVD option for later!

It's a no-brainer.

We'll see you at the theatre!

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Please Note: Medina Theatre's online booking system is currently unavailable. To book your tickets in the meantime, please phone 01983 823884 or visit Medina Theatre Box Office in person - if the box office is unmanned, pop downstairs and buy your tickets from the Medina Leisure Centre reception.