Welcome to the Friends’ newsletter which under the rules of our new constitution will be my last as Chair.
During my period in office, or previously as a committee member, the Friends have been involved in fundraising which led to our contribution to the purchase of the shops; the reseating and carpeting of the auditorium; improvements to the canopy; and the Sir Ken Dodd bust, with regular donations to the theatre as and when help was requested. We also celebrated our 50th anniversary by watching a show in the theatre followed by a ride on a vintage tram to the White Tower where we enjoyed a splendid meal. I filmed or photographed many events in the theatre, copies of which are in the archives.
The changes to the constitution will also include the departure of Christine Watkins and Ann Royle. Many of you will remember Christine as one of the early Friends who later became a member of staff dealing with Friends’ memberships for many years. Before Ann became our secretary she volunteered on the mailing team and took over the management of the Friends’ coffee bar.
My thanks go to Christine, Ann, the current committee members and all others who have given their time and expertise to our work, past and present. Thanks to Adam our CEO for his ready advice and support, to Andrew Howard and the marketing department for all their efforts on our behalf and also to Shaun Gorringe and his staff for their practical help with our fundraising activities, especially coffee mornings.
In order to move on with our work, we need to elect some new committee members. Can you help?
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Friends Monthly, Thursday Coffee Mornings.
10.30am in The Space, Blackpool Grand Theatre. Doors open 10 15am, enter via Matcham Court
The Friends Committee are delighted to present our list of Brilliant Speakers who have kindly offered their services to speak at the Friends of The Grand Coffee Mornings.
Come and chat with other Friends of The Grand old and new over refillable drinks of tea and coffee, an assortment of cakes and biscuits and our usual raffle.
April 16
Beryl Johnson
‘Thanks for the Memory –Palladium Nights’
May 07
Friends AGM 2pm in The Space
May 28
Mykey Young Artistic Director
June 18
Hillbilly Heaven Musical Entertainment
July 16
Captain Neil Airey My Three and a Half Years with the Sultan of Dubai
August 20
Speaker TBC
John Grady | Chair, Friends of The Grand
SPRING
2026
September 17
Cheryl Fergison Star of Stage and TV
August 20, October 15 & November 19
Speaker TBC
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MAY 7TH 2026 2PM IN THE SPACE
All members will be very welcome.
PANTO WAS A GREAT SUCCESS
Hi All, It’s lovely to speak to you again. What’s been going on since our last Newsletter?
Well the Theatre’s got a beautifully lit up Grand sign which you can’t fail to notice if you’re in town in the evenings. Thanks to your loyalty to the Friends we were able to support this happening as well as many other projects the Theatre requires funds for.
The Panto was a great success and my family can’t wait for this year’s panto season to see Jack and The Beanstalk starring our very own Britain’s Got Talent, Blackpool Treasure and Patron of the Friends STEVE ROYLE. Incidentally, at the Friends’ November Coffee Morning Steve was our Guest Speaker – he had us in stitches and laughing our heads off.
What about Grease the Grand’s exciting co-production with Pitlochry Festival Theatre shown in May – did you see everyone dressed in style and the pink Cadillac parked outside the Grand? There were lots of selfies taken with that.
Isn’t it great how The Grand Theatre encourages younger people into all aspects of the performing arts? Experiences I think will remain with them for the rest of their lives. My early musical and theatrical experiences from Gorton Mount Juniors and Spurley Hey Secondary school in a very working class area of Manchester gave me values which I carry forward today.
Blackpool Grand’s Young Theatre’s Wind in the Willows directed by the Theatre’s Creative Programme Producer Mykey Young was put on last summer and was an amazing show with the audience all on their feet applauding and cheering. The production was attended and supported via the Friends of the Grand by Lady Anne Dodd, who is a trustee of the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation and benefactor to many wonderful and deserving causes.
I’m looking forward to The Blackpool Grand’s next co-production, this time they’re joining forces with the world famous Sheffield Crucible Theatre to bring us the hit filled musical Summer Holiday. Your membership and continuing support of the Friends of The Grand has enabled the Friends to be able to be a Sponsor towards this production.
Congratulations also to The Grand’s CEO Adam Knight on his appointment as a trustee of ‘Theatre’s Trust’ and also being named by ‘Stage’ as one of the top 100 theatre people. He has certainly programmed a terrific range of shows for the coming year.
Thank you for being a Friend of The Grand and please attend the AGM in May if you’re able to.
Geraldine Porter Friends of the Grand | Vice Chair
Above: The Auditorium shown in preparation for the exciting Derren Brown Show last month
A GRAND JOB!
I started working as Friends’ coordinator in 1990 in the office at the top of Matcham Court, but the magic really started at my interview. Whilst waiting my turn outside the general manager’s office in the upper circle one weekday afternoon, the Liverpool Phil were rehearsing for their evening performance playing Eric Coates’ London Suite – what an introduction!
Based in the office which had been a printer’s shop, I dealt with new memberships and renewals (pre-computer), as well
as organising events such as our huge Christmas Fair and many celebrity lunches with stars of the shows such as Jimmy Osmond, Sheila Ferguson and Christopher Timothy to name just a few!
Our membership soared to five and a half thousand in 1994, when her Majesty the Queen visited Blackpool and joined us for afternoon tea in the dress circle bar!
I worked from the gallery bar for 10 months during our first huge renovation, and a workman persuaded me to peep inside
the dome climbing from a ladder balanced on the top of the bar to just inside the dome itself. I think of that adventure frequently when looking up from Church Street. When the studio was completed, Brian Matcham, Frank Matcham’s nephew, came along to speak and read from his uncle’s diary. “Hooray, off to Blackpool!” which was met with cheers from the audience!
Over the (almost) 20 years that I was the coordinator, there have been so many changes- The Friends became computerised
and memberships could be processed via the box office. We held many events from dinner dances at the Cliffs Hotel, coach trips to other theatres, pot fairs to coffee mornings, all to support our beautiful Grand.
Having been a committee member for many years I shall retire at the next AGM but continue to be a staunch supporter and Friend.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE MAGIC POSSIBLE...
As a Friend of Blackpool Grand Theatre, you play a vital role in everything we achieve –and I want to personally thank you for your continued support. It’s because of you that we’re able to bring ambitious, high-quality work to our stage and create the kind of shared experiences that make this theatre so special.
I’m delighted to share our 2026 musical season with you – a programme that truly captures the very best of live theatre. At its heart is our major summer co-production, Summer Holiday The Musical (Wed 29 Jul to Sat 08 Aug), arriving as a true centrepiece for Blackpool. Built around Cliff Richard’s iconic hits – including Summer Holiday, Bachelor Boy, The Young Ones and Living Doll – it’s a vibrant, feel-good celebration of youth,
freedom and adventure. It’s exactly the kind of large-scale, joy-filled production that feels right at home here on the Fylde Coast in summer, and one we know audiences will return to again and again.
Alongside this, we welcome much-loved titles and exciting new voices, from the sharp, cult energy of Heathers The Musical (Tue 27 to Sat 31 Oct) to the uplifting,
word-of-mouth hit The Choir of Man (Tue 17 to Sat 21 Nov) and the ever-popular 9 to 5 The Musical (Tue 21 to Sat 25 Jul).
Our Summer Youth Production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat showcases the next generation of talent, giving young people from across our community the chance to step onto our historic stage. For many, it’s a transformative experience – building confidence, creativity and a lifelong connection to theatre – and I know how much our Friends value and support this work.
Alongside this, our brilliant local companies, including BFLOC and Blackpool Operatic Players, continue to raise the bar with productions that rival the very best touring work.
We also have some truly special events to look forward to, including John Barrowman’s My Life in Musicals (Wed 30 Sep) and concert experiences such as Dreamcoat Stars (Sun 11 Oct) and The Phantoms (Sun 25 Oct), alongside The Picture of Dorian Gray – The Musical (Sat 14 Nov), which offers something more intimate and thought-provoking.
Your support helps make all of this possible. You are part of the story of this theatre – not just as audience members, but as champions of what we do. I look forward to welcoming you back to The Grand very soon.
Christine Watkins Friends of the Grand | Committee Member
Adam Knight Blackpool Grand Theatre | Chief Executive
FRIENDS OF THE GRAND GENERAL MEETING
Ann Royle Friends of the Grand | Secretary
The AGM will be held on Thursday May 7th at 2.00pm in The Space and all members are very welcome to attend. There will be refreshments waiting and please arrive in good time to read through the paperwork and nominations. Last year’s AGM and this year’s accounts can be found on the Grand’s Friends’ web page www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/ join-and-support-us/friendsof-the-grand by mid-April. If unable to access them online, you can contact the theatre Tel: Box Office on 01253 290190 and request a paper copy; in any event copies will be available before the start of the meeting.
There will be a number of vacancies for members of the Friends of the Grand committee in 2026/27. The committee usually meet monthly and our aims are to support the Grand Theatre. Election to the committee is for an initial period of four years but it is possible to leave earlier by choice. Those standing for election need to
attend the AGM in person and be paid up members of the Friends’
Please note that we cannot accept nominations during the AGM itself. The constitution requires candidates to give prior signed notice of their willingness to stand with the signed support of another member. Applicants are requested to submit around 150-250 words about what they feel makes them a good candidate for the Friends’ Committee (it will be available to be read and visible to all members in attendance at the AGM; as voting to elect new committee members is carried out by the members of The Friends of The Grand in attendance at the Meeting).
If you believe you can contribute to the development of the Friends of the Grand, please return the completed form by Wednesday 22nd April 2026
WIN A SUMMER ESCAPE
WITH SUMMER HOLIDAY THE MUSICAL!
Get ready for a sun-soaked escape with Summer Holiday The Musical – this year’s feel-good smash-hit at Blackpool Grand Theatre (Wed 29 Jul to Sat 08 Aug).
Packed with Cliff Richard’s most iconic songs, including Summer Holiday, Bachelor Boy, The Young Ones and Living Doll, this vibrant musical follows a group of friends on an unforgettable European adventure. Full of laughter, romance and irresistible music, it’s the perfect celebration of freedom, friendship and the joy of live theatre – and we’ve got a pair of tickets waiting to be won!
Friends of the Grand Committee Nomination
Competition Question: In Summer Holiday, what type of vehicle do the friends use to travel across Europe?
A) A red London bus
B) A yellow campervan
C) A vintage car
Send your answer, along with your name and contact details, to:
Blackpool Grand Theatre, Box Office (COMP), 33 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 1HT
Closing date: Sunday 31 May 2026, 12 noon.
Good luck!
CHAIR SECRETARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Proposed by: (PRINT)
THE COMMITTEE OF THE FRIENDS OF THE GRAND. The application form below will also be available online from the end of March on the Friends’ web page shown above. Signature
All new applicants and proposer must be members of the Friends
Please return to:
The Chair, Friends of The Grand, The Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT
