CULTURE
CULTURE NEWS FROM BALLROOM TO BLOOD BROTHERS As a young teenager Perry O’Dea took up ballroom dancing, encouraged by his mother, Mary. Four years later, the former St Ninian’s High School student from Onchan began to acquire a taste for musical theatre after he was selected for a part in Manx Operatic Society’s Back to the 80s production, and he’s never looked back. Now 21 and understudying the part of Mickey in the UK tour of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, Perry said: “With Back to the 80s it’s fair to say I found my voice and, while I enjoyed ballroom, I knew then that musical theatre was what I really wanted to do.” “‘Right from the start, my Mum has been phenomenal, as has my Dad, Paul, in all the support and encouragement they’ve given me. And St Ninian’s was great, too, giving me lots of opportunities to progress my ambition to appear on the stage. Performing in a school production of Grease helped give me confidence to perform in front of a live audience. Then I was in an eight-week summer season of Guys and Dolls at the Gaiety Theatre. It was then that I felt that I had a “real” job. It felt natural to me to be on stage singing and dancing.” Perry received funding from the Isle of Man Arts Council whilst he was at Arts Educational (ArtsEd) musical theatre school in London, a period in his life that shaped his future career. Five years after combining working for his ‘A’ levels with ArtsEd training and studying, he emerged a graduate with a 2:1 degree in musical theatre. He says: “The Blood Brothers tour ends in May, then it’ll be back to auditioning. That’s the thing about being in musical theatre, it’s totally unpredictable. One day you can be on stage, the next you can be working front of house.” Perry has some sound advice for aspiring young singers and dancers. He told us: “Never say no. Give everything you’re offered a try. It’s all good training. When I first started I was doing everything; training, doing two shows and studying for my exams. And in this business you need to get thick-skinned really quickly. Don’t worry about what people say; there was a time early on when I used to get a lot of stick for just saying I wanted to be in musical theatre…but not any more.”
DOUGLAS COUNCIL CREATES LASTING MEMORIALS TO WW1 The sound of a chainsaw in Derby Square recently heralded the start of work on carved poppy seeds and reaching hands in two dead chestnut trees. Well-known local wood carver Gavin Carter has been hard at work creating what is an imaginative lasting war memorial. Poppies are, of course, an instantly recognisable symbol and once the initial chainsawing was done, Gavin reverted to his more usual method of chisel and mallet to create rough hewen flowers, poppy seeds and buds in the larger of the two trees. The second tree, which was about to be cut down for safety reasons, is being transformed into a series of hands. Gavin carved these into what remained of the pollarded branches - a poignant representation of dying soldiers reaching out for help. And up on Douglas Head, gardeners from the Borough parks department have been creating their own memorial - which can seen from as far away as Summerland, as the boat comes in or goes out of the harbour. The idea for a ‘poppy bed’ came from the gardeners themselves who wanted to commemorate the centenary of the start of WW1, and once the plan was approved, they started digging just below Manx Radio earlier this spring. A giant poppy-shaped flowerbed has been cut into the turf and is to be planted with red geraniums for the summer (in good time for the centenary of the beginning of WW1 in August) and then poppies later in the year.
3RD BARBIROLLI INTERNATIONAL OBOE FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION An international music festival held in the Isle of Man has been praised by its artistic director. Mr Neil Black OBE was commenting following the conclusion of the 3rd Barbirolli International Oboe Festival and Competition here on Island following 10-years on the Isle of Wight. More than 20 of the finest young oboe players in the world travelled the globe to reach the Erin Arts Centre for the festival which is renowned as the most prestigious oboe competition in the world. First prize is the Evelyn Rothwell Memorial Prize of £4,000, donated by Jim Mellon. It went to Hannah Morgan, who studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Second prize is The Neil Black Prize of £2,000, donated anonymously, awarded to Samuel Bastos (Portugal) and the third prize, The Jim Mellon Prize of £1,000 went to Nermis Meises (America).
38
The festival, which drew an initial entry of 30 competitors from 19 different countries, including entries from the Far East, Europe, North and South America, also saw a recital by the Barbirolli Trio. Artistic director Neil Black has played in most the world’s great musical centres as a soloist and Prof. Caird has combined a career as an oboist with one as a music educationalist. The festival was welcomed to the Isle of Man by the Port Erin Commissioners. The Isle of Man Arts Council and Year of Culture also contributed while the test piece was funded by Friends Provident International. He hoped that oboe players young and old in the Island would visit the festival and that it would bring Port Erin alive with music for the week. ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE