Sandra Mangan, Author at Blackpool Social Club

09 Feb

Puppini Sisters set to swing into Lytham

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

Their fanbase includes Michael Buble, Cyndi Lauper and even Prince Charles – and you can see what all the fuss is about when The Puppini Sisters stop off at the Lowther Pavilion on March 4. The girls will be releasing a new album, ‘The Highlife’, on March 11 which features a combination of their own arrangements of classics from the Thirties to the Fifties (Tico Tico, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive), jazzy reinventions of pop hits (Changes, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun), and self-penned original songs including the first single Is This The High Life. The Puppinis – Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins and Emma Smith – premiered a selection of…

27 Jan

Heart-throbs and heartache in Jackie the Musical

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

Do the names Cathy and Claire mean anything to you? If you're a woman of a certain age then the answer will be a definite yes! Once upon a time there were no mobile phones, no apps, no texting, no e-mails and no Twitter. Angst ridden teenage girls waited with bated breath by the letterbox for their weekly issue of Jackie Magazine... unless their big sister got there first! Jackie accompanied millions of girls through their teenage years in the 1970s and 80s, years of boy trouble, pop pin-ups and problem solving from resident agony aunts (the aforementioned Cathy and Claire). The magazine…

27 Jan

True stories from a golden career

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

He's been in a top pop band, won acclaim for his acting on both telly and the big screen and even directed for the cinema, now Martin Kemp has a new challenge – facing the searching questions of a Lowther Pavilion audience on May 15. Tickets are now on sale for what promises to be an amazing event with the multi-talented actor and performer. And Martin is up for the challenge. “I am really looking forward to appearing at The Lowther Pavilion in Lytham and being interviewed about my career,” he said. He is currently rocking a recurring cameo role in the cult TV comedy…

25 Jan

Kick off your Sunday shoes at the Opera House

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

Gareth Gates and Maureen Nolan will head the cast when Footloose: The Musical comes to the Blackpool Opera House this autumn as part of a major new UK Tour. Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, it tells the story of city boy Ren, who moves to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren rebels and soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let's Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, tickets go on sale on Wednesday for this brand…

14 Oct

Fleetwood date for folk royalty

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsMusic & Gigs

They've been described as 'the best live band in the country' – and you can judge for yourself when Lau visit Fleetwood next month. The three-piece comprises Martin Green on accordion and electronics, Aidan O’Rourke a nimble fiddle player and singer and guitarist Kris Drever and they've won a hatful of awards and plaudits for their innovative take on folk music. Lau are coming to Fleetwood's Marine Hall as part of their latest album tour in a gig presented by Band on the Wall and Root Music. Regarded as one of the UK’s most inventive bands, their dazzling performances have captivated audiences across the…

01 Oct

Curtain up on a Grand show of quirky art

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitions

This autumn, the Grand Theatre's Stage Door Cafe Bar is being artfully transformed into a gallery, showcasing the work of an acclaimed local artist. Until Sunday, November 8, the vibrant works of art by Fylde-based and nationally and internationally exhibited artist, Alistair J. Parker will adorn the walls. Alistair’s work is described as "modern art an archaic twist". Fusing photographic, digital, and experimental mixed media techniques, his unique method produces an unconventional, even eccentric, style. The pictures currently on display at The Grand's free exhibition depict scenes of some of Blackpool’s most treasured landmarks, including the theatre itself, and depict the town with…

02 Sep

Projects to focus on the art and soul of Wyre

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News, Visual Arts & Exhibitions

The jaded image of a lonely, impoverished artist, stuck in a dingy garret, desperately seeking inspiration is about to get a 21st century reboot – thanks to LeftCoast and Wyre Council. Five Wyre-based artists are to take up residence in some of the borough’s more unlikely spaces – ranging from a motorway service station to a river bank. The residencies, funded by LeftCoast and facilitated by Wyre Council, are to take place over the coming months with the artists escaping galleries, studios and their usual haunts to embed themselves in their chosen spaces. They will be creating new work in…

04 Aug

Low ticket sales blamed for festival cancellation

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News, Music & Gigs

The plug has been pulled on the New Fylde Folk 'n' Blues Festival, planned for September 4-6, with organisers blaming the cancellation on low ticket sales, lack of take-up of sponsorship opportunities and the ill health of one of the Directors. A joint statement said: "It is with deepest regret and sadness that the Directors of the New Fylde Folk ‘n’ Roots Festival have made the difficult decision not to go ahead with the festival. "Along with the committee and with support from local venues, businesses and many volunteers, we have worked tirelessly over the past several months to put…

29 Jul

Tommy is back – just like that!

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performance

Comedy legend Tommy Cooper visited Blackpool many times during a long and illustrious career – including summer seasons here . He even mentioned us in one of his jokes: I went to Blackpool on holiday and knocked at the first boarding house that I came to. A woman stuck her head out of an upstairs window and said 'What do you want?'. 'I'd like to stay here' 'Ok. Stay there'. OK, so it doesn't sound so funny in print, but told in the man's deadpan voice, it would be hysterical – honestly! Now the legend returns, with The Tommy Cooper Show playing at the…

14 Jul

Curtain up on a cracking new season at the Grand

Sandra Mangan0 CommentsLocal News, Theatre, Dance & Performance

It was a sunny July day as I trotted on down to the Beach House for a glass of fizz and some lovely canapés. OK, I'm lying about the weather (it was peeing down, British summers, eh?) but the rest of the sentence is true. This early morning foray down the prom was in response to an invite from those grand marketing folk at the Grand Theatre, excited about their shiny new programme and keen to share it with all and sundry. The promise of fizz and nibbles was enough to pique my interest – but then I read further.…