Winter Gardens Archives - Blackpool Social Club

03 Oct

Theatre Review: The Bodyguard

Stephen Dunstan0 CommentsGuide, Theatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, musical, Theatre, Winter Gardens

For those of a certain age mention The Bodyguard and their mind will wander back to the early 1990s Warner Brothers romantic thriller, and in particular Whitney Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, that featured on the soundtrack and spent ten weeks at number one. Since 2012 there has also been a stage musical, and a large audience was in the Winter Gardens Opera House on a damp November Monday evening for the opening night of the current run in Blackpool. They were treated to a polished and engaging feel-good performance with several standout musical highlights.…

27 Aug

Theatre Review: The Addams Family

Stephen Dunstan0 CommentsGuide, Theatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, review, Theatre, Winter Gardens

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] It was a night of contrasts in central Blackpool tonight. As a curtain raiser for the Illuminations brightly lit bikes were taking over the Promenade for Ride The Lights, meanwhile the dark line in humour of The Addams Family started a five day run at the Winter Gardens. The Addams Family has a heritage over 60 years strong including several TV series and four films. Most recently the Wednesday spin off has brought the characters to a new young audience. The current run of the musical lives up to this stellar ancestry with an illustrious line-up. Alexandra Burke…

30 Jul

Theatre Review: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Louise Ashcroft0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, review, Theatre, Winter Gardens

The West End production of the classic tale of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe arrives in Blackpool this week, as part of its UK tour. Whatever your age, it is likely you have some experience of this magical story. Some of us may be familiar as early readers, with late night promises of 'just one more chapter' before lights out, or sneakily reading with a torch under the covers. Others may remember the TV series from the late eighties, introducing us to the wonderful world of Narnia and the terrifying White Witch. A wider audience was further developed…

30 Oct

Print’s Not Dead: Inaugural fair draws together local talent

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart fair, blackpool arts scene, fine art, print fair, Winter Gardens

The inaugural Blackpool Print Fair saw a huge breadth of local talent selling affordable art. We popped along to chat to the artists about their work. On Saturday 28th October 2023 the Blackpool Creative Markets hosted this fine event at the Winter Gardens. I caught the service 61 bus to find out what it was all about. On entering from Church Street and through the Floral Hall, I found the stalls set up and the crowds beginning to build. Blackpool Creative Market is a pop up event that aims to showcase the very best independent artistic talent working on the…

14 Sep

Blackpool to host Word Fest Literature Festival

Linda Hampton0 CommentsLiterature & Spoken Word, Theatre, Dance & PerformanceBlackpool, book, books, bookshop, celebrity, children, Comedy, entertainment, families, literature, podcast, Spoken Word, Winter Gardens

Blackpool is getting its very own literature festival this autumn in Word Fest, a weekend of literary events and spoken word where literary heavyweights and popular authors host events side by side with celebrity writers. Running between Friday 7th until Monday 10th October 2022, the festival takes the form of a series of ticketed events to hear authors talk about their love of writing and their books, answer questions and sign books for fans. Most ticket prices include a copy of the latest publication by the author. Hosted and held in the Winter Gardens and co-produced by Kirkham's independent coffee…

08 Mar

Preview: Winter Gardens Film Festival 2022

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsFilmBlack and White Film, Film, film festival, Winter Gardens, Winter Gardens Film Festival

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] This week the Winter Gardens and other venues across Blackpool welcome back the annual Winter Gardens Film Festival – after an unexpected two-year hiatus. Running from Wednesday to Sunday (9-13 March) the 2022 programme features screenings, talks, discussions and workshops for movie fans and film-makers and this year it’s bringing silent film back to historic Opera House. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Following a screening of Mary Poppins Returns for schools on Wednesday morning, the North West Film Archive will show Blackpool on Film in the afternoon – a fascinating dip into the archive’s collection featuring the seaside town. Wednesday night features a…

19 Oct

Grayson Perry wows the Blackpool audience with solo show

David Simper0 CommentsTheatre, Dance & Performancealanmeasles, artist, Blackpool, Grayson Perry, graysonperry, normalpeople, show, Winter Gardens

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Yes, after I was wondering how Grayson would handle such a show, Grayson Perry wows the Blackpool audience with a solo show, not an exaggeration. Two instagram chums posted their approval too. I have been a long term Grayson fan and absolutely loved his sweet Grayson's Art Club show (come back soon, please; I need some value for the bloody TV licence). Would Grayson do some art on stage? He doesn't throw his pots so I knew that wouldn't happen. No, he basically ruminated through his personal philosophy, gave us some life back story, threw in a few anecdotes…

18 Sep

Review: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis live at the Blackpool Opera House

Blackpool Social Club0 CommentsMusic & Gigslive music, Music, Music Venues, Opera House, review, Reviews, rock, soul, Winter Gardens

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 10/09/2021 PEACE WILL COME An odd choice of venue for Nick Cave and Warren Ellis? Perhaps. This, however, did not deter a large audience in the grand auditorium of Blackpool Opera House with its 2,813-seat capacity. They were dressed to the nines, with some resembling Cave himself! This being the first joint bill tour, Cave and Ellis may have felt they had something to prove, and prove it they did. Pre-show, the stage was impressive even with the house lights up, with its array of musical instruments including a grand piano, guitar, drums, violin and something mysterious in a…

22 Jun

Sensational Smash-hit SIX at Blackpool Opera House

Aishley Docherty0 CommentsLocal Newsdance, live theatre, Music, musical, musicals, SIX, Theatre, Winter Gardens

The international smash hit musical SIX is headed to the Opera House In Blackpool from Wednesday 7th July 2021 as part of a major UK tour. The explosive multi-award-winning show has celebrated huge successes after the release of its soundtrack in 2018 which stormed the charts across the globe. Then followed a UK tour and a period in The west end before Covid-19 forced its closure. The triumph of this incredible sell-out Tudor take-off can probably be attributed to the powerful messaging that underpins its vibrant soundtrack and ball busting girl band format . The show is certainly boundary-pushing, genre-redefining,…

03 May

Derren Brown is Showman

Buzz Bury1 CommentTheatre, Dance & Performanceillusion, mind control, showman, Winter Gardens

Derren Brown’s SHOWMAN tour has been announced for Autumn 2021. With dates at the Opera House Blackpool on 1 and 2 October. Well, if you've seen one of his shows before, listened to or read any of his books, seen his TV shows and developed your own mind mastery, you should have seen this coming. He’s finally back! This October, Derren Brown, the popular multi-award winning master of mind control and illusion, will bring SHOWMAN, his first new live show for six years to the Opera House Blackpool from Friday 1 – Saturday 02 October 2021. As you can imagine like most…