Parlour, Tours and Pantos

This week was all about showcasing and enjoying Worcester, including our very own Guildhall. Dating back to 1721 and Grade 1 listed, it was once the seat of justice throughout the city and even housed a prison. Today it is home to the Council Chamber, the city’s former Court Rooms and the Mayor’s Parlour.

Visitors from the north of Worcester, south as far as Suffolk and east as far as France are enjoyed tours of the Guildhall this week, including the grim cells below ground and the beautiful Assembly Room, described by King George III as “a handsome gallery” when he visited in 1788.

The “handsome gallery” is the setting for my charity banquet on 28 March and I can’t wait! Some tickets are still available so do contact the Civic Office if you are free on civicoffice@worcester.gov.uk to book your place. The theme is Pride and Prejudice and dressing up is optional, but do watch this space!

It is half-term and Powick Players have put on their annual panto.  Nunnery Wood High School is the venue for Beauty And The Beast with all tickets sold. Bookings are being taken for next year and I recommend purchasing very early for Cinderella next year.

Powick Players is a not-for-profit community theatre-based group and they certainly punch way above their weight. The production was exceptional. The choreography and the costumes were outstanding. The vocals were faultless and the acting spot on, on many levels, for a panto.

A tale as old as time, it will make many of us think of the 1991 Walt Disney animation and its 2017 live action version. Written in 1740 by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, Beauty And The Beast reminds us that beauty lies within. The Powick Players’ production is a delight to watch on many levels.