80 years young...

by John Goodwin, The Bob Hope Theatre

This year, ever yone at the Bob H o p e T h e a t r e , Wy t h f i e l d Road, Eltham is celebrating our 80th Anniversar y. 80 y e a r s s i n c e , E l t h a m L i t t l e Theatre, as we were initially c a l l e d , b e c a m e a n e n t i t y. F o u n d e d i n 194 3 E LT wa s formed t o promot e drama, music and allied ar ts in Eltham and its immediat e vicinity.

We celebrate by continuing this tradition of spotlighting the many talented local per formers in our varied programme of events.

Following on from our own incredibly successful annual pantomime (Red Riding Hood & the Eternal Winter) throughout Januar y, we are hosting a number of guest and home productions We star t off Februar y with Academy Per forming Ar ts production of Guilty Pleasure Playlist (3rd – 4th) We then welcome Ar tform who will be per forming Stephen Sondheim’s Company (8th – 11th) The Swing Commanders arrive on the 12th with their ever-popular blend of intricate arrangements, and sophisticated vocals

March brings our own BHT Actors’ Company’s production of John Godber’s award-winning comedy Up ‘ n ’ Under, in which we find Pub team ‘The Cobbler's Arms' who have produced the best and most feared amateur Rugby League side in South-East London for the past decade After some goading, Ar thur, a slightly depressed former Rugby Professional, rashly bets his house that he could train a small bunch of underdog players from ’The Rusty Bucket’ of Eltham to defeat the 'Cobblers' in a local rugby tournament. Unfor tunately, he finds them more interested in drinking than playing; but the clock is ticking and Ar thur has just a few weeks to get them out of the pub and into shape The stakes are high: their team pride and reputation and his house. How can he possibly do it? . (15th – 18th).

After this we say hello to DJMJ Dance School’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr (24th www bobhopetheatre co uk

25th) followed by Eldorado Musical Productions’ staging of The Addams Family Musical (29th March – 1st April.)

For the rest of April Bromley Players are per forming Grease the Musical (19th – 23rd), May brings Ferrier Operatic Society staging Gilber t and Sullivan’s classic Princess Ida (25th – 27th) and in June BHT Actors’ Company are back on stage with Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy Round and Round the Garden in which Sarah's desperate attempts to have a nice, civilized weekend culminate, not surprisingly, in disaster Ruth, Norman's wife, is summoned but Norman still contrives to cause havoc involving, finally, all three women Matters are not helped by such events as the slow thinking Tom mistaking Ruth's intentions during a conversation they have together. Eventually the horrific week end draws to a close. All of this plus our popular Music Nights in the BHT Bar, Coffee and Craft Mornings, Classical Concer ts and a host of other exciting events. It’s safe to say that after 80 Glorious Years we ’ re still going strong! Why not come along and be sure of a warm welcome!

As par t of South East London’s amateur network of ar tistic organisations and theatres, we are committed to creating a welcoming and nur turing environment that is accessible to the broad diversity of our local community and beyond Our aim is to deliver a productive and suppor tive atmosphere that provides equal oppor tunities for all.