APA Review 2008/09

REVIEW 2008/09

Chairman’s statement 1 April 2008 - 31 March 2009 Key Financial Facts 2008/09

No. of performances No. of paid attendances Gross ticket sales

His Majesty’s Theatre

Aberdeen Music Hall

The Lemon Tree

Total

345

133

132

610

275,316

99,587

18,645

393,548

£4,683,020

£1,159,181

£193,863

£6,036,064

2008/09 has been another exciting and challenging year for Aberdeen Performing Arts (APA), one that takes us to the end of our first five years of trading.

Financially, we have returned a surplus for the fifth year in succession and have now reached the targeted level of reserves that we set when the company was established.

In the earlier part of the year, we agreed to take on The Lemon Tree and successfully re-opened the venue in June 2008. The Lemon Tree programme has been gradually developed through the course of the year and the operation is now trading well and delivering the objectives we set out for the venue – providing an exciting location for contemporary and traditional live music, comedy, dance and small scale drama. One important objective was to promote the venue as a centre for new writing and this is being achieved through the drama programme.

The Lemon Tree has also resumed its former role as an important community resource for companies such as Va Va Voom, Theatre Serendipity and other community arts groups. The weekend lunchtime music sessions have also been revived and a successful catering operation established. However, the operation of the Lemon Tree, with the current levels of funding, remains a considerable challenge and discussions with Scottish Arts Council officials are under way, with a view to securing increased funding for The Lemon Tree.

In a new departure, the company has embarked on the production of plays at both His Majesty’s Theatre and The Lemon Tree. Our first three in-house productions, Sunset Song, Lest We Forget and The Life of Grassic Gibbon were successfully staged and subsequently toured, winning the plaudits of public and press alike, raising the profile of the company nationally and prompting the following tribute from Joyce MacMillan in The Scotsman in December 2008: “This has been a remarkable year for theatre in Aberdeen. The new Aberdeen Performing Arts initiative was launched in September, with a heartfelt production of Sunset Song that toured to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Inverness; the bankrupt Lemon Tree arts centre was taken over and saved, and soon became host to a short season of new writing that should produce some exciting work over the next few years. The City rounds off the year with one of the finest pantos in the season in Alan Cohen’s clever, warm hearted deeply traditional yet bang up to the minute staging of the pantomime version of Peter Pan.” In 2007 we signed a new contract with pantomime producers QDOS and the first year of this three year deal brought us Peter Pan. Record ticket sales for this show and an improved financial arrangement with QDOS significantly increased our revenue for the year. The retained box office margin at HMT throughout the year was also excellent and this too helped ensure that the company made a modest surplus for the year. This gave us the wherewithal to deliver a strong education programme and develop our in house productions.

FUNDRAISING The development department had an excellent year having secured over £100,000 in sponsorship in the twelve months to March 2009.

Income Sources 2008/09

2%

Grant income Aberdeen City Council £1,191,490 Grant income Scottish Arts Council £155,000 Earned income and private sector sponsorship £7,463,900 Total income £8,810,390

The company also negotiated a modest increase in funding from the Scottish Grant income Scottish Arts Council Grant income Aberdeen City Council 84% Earned income and private sector sponsorship Arts Council to programme The Lemon Tree in the coming year, which will allow us to continue to broaden the range of work at the venue. Funding was also secured to adapt and produce Neil Gunn’s The Silver Darlings, which then toured venues across Scotland in autumn 2009.

The potential of the company to lever in funds from third party organisations was one of the reasons that Aberdeen Performing Arts was set up and we are delighted that this aim is now being realised.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES It has been a diverse and exciting year for our education staff with a variety of activities in all three venues. The addition of The Lemon Tree, in particular, has provided us with a host of new projects and opportunities.

Another important factor in making this year so successful has been building relationships with community groups and schools as well as continuing our partnerships with City Moves and Scottish Youth Theatre.

We have expanded our work with young people by starting our own youth theatre outreach programme, working with young people in regeneration areas across Aberdeen. We have also hosted a performance in our education space by The Acting Group at HMT, which was formed from the “moved reading” workshops held the previous year.

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REVIEW 2008/09 We have developed our work with schools and augmented visiting productions with workshops and “page to stage” events, continuing to offer schools discounted prices on performances. We also produced an educational DVD to supplement our production of Sunset Song. This was part of a resource pack that went out free to every school that booked to see the show on its tour, reaching over 2000 pupils.

Our Education Department has continued to offer a wide range of activities for adults. These have included our pre- and post-show talks (where numbers have really jumped), workshop opportunities in drama and clowning and our immensely popular singing classes. We have also worked Audiences 2008/09 closely with community groups such as Challenge Mum and His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen Music Hall Northfield adult learners.

We continue to provide tours of Overall % of capacity attended 67% 60% His Majesty’s Theatre: this year % of retained margin on own promotions and rentals 18% 22% to more than 1250 people.

% of productions which played to 90% capacity or more

39%

22%

The Lemon Tree

Total

46%

64%

24%

19%

8%

29%

PARTNERSHIPS Partnership working is an important part of what we do and adds value to the work of the company. One of the most important of these partnerships is that with the social enterprise organisation The Foyer, which runs the restaurant and café service in His Majesty’s Theatre as part of a three year contract. The Foyer’s profits from this go to their charitable company, which provides accommodation and work opportunities for young homeless people.

One important new partnership forged during the year has been with Jazz Aberdeen, with whom we are working to develop The Lemon Tree as a venue for national and international jazz artists. Our first season of concerts was presented in the early part of 2009.

We also work closely with departments of the City Council: in particular, the Arts Education Service and White Space, which curates Number of bookers by postcode/area a visual arts programme for The Lemon Tree.

The Scottish Theatres Consortium, a partnership of the large scale theatres in Scotland, has worked with us to produce work for our theatres, such as Sunshine on Leith, and to bring international work to Scotland: for example, the Scottish tour by Nederlands Dance Theatre in June 2008.

We have taken a major role in the city’s Cultural Forum and have contributed to developing a cultural strategy for Aberdeen with the other major arts providers, the universities and the local authority.

0-250 Bookers 251-500 Bookers 501-1000 Bookers 1001-2500 Bookers 2501+ Bookers

STAFF The number of staff employed by the organisation has increased during the year to over 250 people as a result of the acquisition of The Lemon Tree.

Temporary work was provided for about twenty actors, musicians and technicians from July to October 2008 to produce and tour the production of Sunset Song. This is an important contribution to the company’s ambition to develop a creative performing arts community in the city.

TRADING COMPANY The trading company continues to generate significant revenue from the operation of the bars, restaurants and coffee shops in our venues, the profits from which are passed to the charitable company.

Aberdeen Box Office is an important part of the trading company and produces a significant surplus from commissions and booking fees. The Box Office provides a service not only for our own venues but also for third party operations such as Aberdeen Arts Centre and a number of small venues in the city and region.

CONCLUSION The financial management of the company remains strong and, despite the economic challenges facing us all, we believe that the reserves we have prudently built up in the past five years will give Aberdeen Performing Arts the confidence to continue to develop the range and quality of the work presented in our venues over the next five.

GRAEME ROBERTS Chair, Aberdeen Performing Arts

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Business Review 08/09 at a glance APRIL Book lovers were treated to an audience with former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell who chatted about politics and his newly-published memoirs, Menzies Campbell: My Autobiography at the Music Hall. Sir Menzies kicked off a season of notable speakers including an evening with Ray Mears who dived straight in to an utterly engrossing and highly entertaining two hours of facts, tales and anecdotes, illustrated with some superb photography. From the tales of Norwegian soldiers who had trained in the Scottish Highlands during the Second World War to teaching indigenous tribes of the Amazon how to start a fire, Ray demonstrated an understanding, knowledge and passion of his subject that was as charming as it was informative. His enthusiasm was almost tangible, and you felt that he would have regaled you all night if he’d had the chance – a wonderful and quite unique evening of entertainment.

MAY Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continued its record breaking run when it came to Aberdeen at the end of May. Packed full of reality TV stars, Welsh singer Tara Bethan played the role of the Narrator alongside Any Dream Will Do star Craig Chalmers who played Joseph.

Also spinning a colourful tale in yarn were The National Theatre of Scotland and Wee Stories who presented The Emperor’s New Kilt, a modern and very Scottish twist on Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairytale. Cleverly staged, the highly-acclaimed show’s dramatic backdrops were all hand-sewn from a collage of fabrics, creating a magnificent tapestry effect.

The Music Hall played host to the internationally-renowned Russian State Symphony Orchestra and a consortium of four companies joined forces to sponsor the performance. McGrigors, Abermed, Kudos IFS and Source People all enjoyed the joint benefits of sponsorship and afterwards played host to the conductor, soloist and other principal performers at a drinks reception.

JUNE June was a significant month as The Lemon Tree was officially re-opened under the management and operation of APA by award-winning Scots actor Alan Cumming. The rebirth of the much-loved Aberdeen arts venue was given some Hollywood and Broadway pizzazz by Alan with significant media coverage of the launch and Welcome Back Weekend as the venue was restored to its rightful place at the heart of the arts scene in the city.

The Welcome Back Weekend featured old favourites Shooglenifty, with special guests The Jani Lang Band, BBC’s Live Floor Show star Craig Hill and King Creosote and special guest, plus a series of lunchtime events with The Pictones, Scottish Cultures and Traditions and Aberdeen Jazz Orchestra.

Both Shell and Belhaven came onboard as launch sponsors for the lunchtime live sessions on Fridays and Sundays and in September the popular Creative Kids Saturday workshops were re-started with the generous support of Argus Care.

In the weeks following the opening, The Lemon Tree Lounge saw comedian Danny Bhoy, off-beat funnyman Pete Firman, Irish folk musicians Michael McGoldrick, John Doyle and John Joe Kelly touring together for the first time, some of the finest up-and-coming comic talents in Edinburgh & Beyond and Australian comedian Tim Minchin all making their mark on the venue. And since its reopening, people have come along in their thousands to see what The Lemon Tree has to offer with audience numbers for the first six months alone standing at nearly 10,000.

Of course, Alan Cumming did not just come to Aberdeen to launch The Lemon Tree (although he was passionate about doing so). He also appeared at HMT in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of The Bacchae, which well and truly lived up to its reputation of being one of the greatest and wildest of the Greek tragedies, albeit with a contemporary take! Playing the iconic and hedonist god Dionysus, audiences were tickled (or thrilled or in raptures) at the bare-faced cheekiness of his memorable entrance at the start of the play. With some amazing special effects and some great soul singing it was a real thrill to see Mr Cumming at his best on stage at HMT.

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REVIEW 2008/09 “This has been a remarkable year for theatre in Aberdeen. The new Aberdeen Performing Arts initiative was launched in September with a heartfelt production of Sunset Song, that toured to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Inverness; the bankrupt Lemon Tree arts centre was taken over and saved and soon became host to a short season of new writing that should produce some exciting work over the next few years. The city rounds off the year with one of the finest pantos of the season in Alan Cohen's clever, warm-hearted, deeply-traditional yet bang up to the minute staging of the pantomime version of Peter Pan.�

Joyce McMillan, the Scotsman, Friday, December 19 2008

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JULY Following on from its well-received first reading at HMT in December 2007 Lest We Forget, a new work by Aberdeen playwright Mike Gibb; commissioned by APA for the re-opened Lemon Tree Studio Theatre, played to full houses during its week long run. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha Disaster, the extraordinary drama told the story of the tragedy, which ripped apart the lives of ordinary people and ordinary families.

Mike Gibb approached Duncan Hendry to write a play on an Aberdeen theme and when he realised that the 20th anniversary of Piper Alpha was approaching, he thought about writing a play that could be a tribute to the ordinary people who were caught up in that extraordinary tragedy. Mike said: “I stripped it back so that the main emphasis of the play was on the relationship of two fictional guys, two life-long best friends. Men who were not ambitious, not career-people – one working offshore because he wants to buy his family a three-bedroomed semi at Westhill and the other simply because the lifestyle suits him. This is their story, set against the background of the world’s worst offshore disaster.”

Other issues raised in the play include the idea of the media creating heroes, and about the devastating guilt of survival.

But it also contained humour, largely centred on the relationship between the two men.

The play was a great success with one audience member saying: “ What a great piece of theatre, it’s highly recommended.

You really connect with the characters and the story of how Piper Alpha changes their lives, it is told with humour and sensitivity.”

AUGUST For the first time APA produced its What’s On guide with all three venues combined into one listings book, allowing customers to see at a glance what’s going on in all three of the city’s main arts venues. And the line-up for the coming season was hailed as one of the strongest we have ever had: with hit musicals including the recently-opened West End productions of Cabaret and West Side Story destined for HMT, top musicians heading to The Lemon Tree including the modern traditional music of Lau, one of Britain’s top jazz and swing singers Todd Gordon and some cutting edge drama with Jordan Young back in Aberdeen to perform in the hilarious and darkly dynamic Slick in the Lemon Tree Studio. The Music Hall boasted a strong line up of comedians including star of television’s Gavin and Stacey Rob Brydon and bands including Travis, Foals and The Feeling.

And in the Rehearsal Studio at HMT, work got underway on our first large scale solo production Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. As the cast gathered, under the direction of Kenny Ireland, former director of Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum and currently starring in the BAFTA nominated television series Benidorm, you could feel the excitement and creative tensions begin to build in the basement of the 102-year-old theatre.

As well as putting together a successful 10-week play season at The Lemon Tree for the autumn, Writers and Actors Collaboration have been holding meetings bringing playwrights and actors based in Aberdeen and Shire together. These meetings involve reading plays and discussing how to develop and produce new work, and will be continuing throughout 2009.

SEPTEMBER The highlight of 2008 had to be our first large-scale in house production, Sunset Song which was certainly one of the things that chief executive Duncan Hendry was most proud of. “It has been a fantastic year and Sunset Song has to be the production that I am most proud of. It really put HMT and APA on the map as a producing theatre.” The adaptation of the Grassic Gibbon classic was cast and staged from scratch by the team at HMT under the direction of Kenny Ireland; a respected and prominent figure in Scottish Theatre. Kenny was delighted to be asked to become involved with the production and was well aware of the importance of the decision that HMT made in shifting from being purely a receiving house of large-scale productions to making work of its own. Speaking at the recent press launch of HMT’s next production, The Silver Darlings, he said: “I was really pleased when I was asked to do Sunset Song, pleased that Duncan was trying to create a producing house at HMT, because I believe quite firmly that we need more producing houses in Scotland and I am pleased to support that in any way I can. Sunset Song amazed me in the support it got, not just in Aberdeen, but all over Scotland. The way audiences are built up in my view, is that you create a habit, so the idea of producing another piece as soon as possible is a good one so that Aberdeen can recognise this as another piece of quality work.”

Alan Campbell who headed up the production team said: “This was a new venture for most of the team and I was particularly pleased by the way everybody accepted the challenge and worked together as a team on the production. Not only did we face challenges in staging the play at HMT, but then of course we had to think about how it would be adapted to work in the other venues. I really want to extend my gratitude to those involved with getting the production underway and to the cast for bringing Sunset Song to life for so many people throughout Scotland.”

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REVIEW 2008/09 ★★★★★ Lest We Forget “A great piece of theatre, highly recommended. You really connect with the characters and the story of how Piper Alpha changes their lives is told with humour and sensitivity. Very well written, directed, brilliant performances and works really well in the Lemon Tree studio. “ Stephanie, 3 July 2008

Evelyn Glennie conveys the magic of music to budding Aberdeen percussionists.

Photo courtesy of RSNO (photographer Tom Finnie).

Historic tours of His Majesty’s Theatre proved tremendously popular in 2008 with over 1250 people taking the tours.

“It was a most enjoyable experience... congratulations to our guides, they were so knowledgeable and professional” Stonehaven Men’s Probus Club

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Sunset Song opened at HMT on September 5 and was HMT’s highest grossing play of 2008, with ticket sales of nearly £100k.

It then went on to tour to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Perth. Thanks directly to sponsorship from TOTAL we were able to produce a DVD as part of this pack, which included discussion of the play with the director and actors, information about the rehearsal process, clips of rehearsals, cast and crew interviews as well as information about the vision behind the production. The production was seen by over 2100 school pupils and 150 DVDs were distributed throughout the country.

Thanks to sponsorship by local company Argus Care, Whitespace began Creative Kids; a regular activities session aimed at youngsters aged between five and 12 every Saturday at the Lemon Tree from 1.30pm to 3pm. So far over 575 youngsters have taken part in Creative Kids and have worked on everything from balloon decorating to badge making!

Aberdeen College drama students participated in two workshops in relation to shows at the Lemon Tree, Vox Motus’s SLICK and SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE interactive. And a group of young aspiring actors took part in a workshop for FLEETO with director Paddy Cuneen and actors Jordan McCurrach and Neil Leiper. This workshop led to the group performing on stage with the company in two performances held at The Lemon Tree at the end of the month. During the workshop and performance, the group explored the issue of knife crime: the causes, the actions and the consequences.

One of the workshop participants said: “I enjoyed the chance to meet and work with professional actors, it was insightful and inspiring. The play was brilliant.”

OCTOBER 2008 saw a line up of big rock and pop bands at Aberdeen’s Music Hall including the Foals, and on October 16 the audience helped the lead singer of top pop-rockers The Hoosiers, Irwin Sparkes surf to the back of the audience before then playing part of their set from the balcony at their gig at the Music Hall. Live music fans have been ecstatic with the number and quality of big name bands and artists coming to the city and which helped to reinforce the Music Hall’s reputation as a top venue for gigs. Programming manager Doug Taylor said: “We now programme three times as many rock and pop gigs as the venue used to do before APA took over its operation. The appetite for live music in Aberdeen is really great and sell outs are the norm.” The gigs line up line-up last year included Travis, Foals and The Feeling while counted among the soloists were Eddi Reader, Seasick Steve, Paul Carrack and Errol Brown.

The Music Hall also played host to the Arts & Business Scotland 2008 Awards on October 21. The evening celebrated some of the many excellent business and arts partnerships that took place throughout Scotland between March 2007 and March 2008. In the Young People Award, Aberdeen Harbour Board’s support of HMT for an education subsidy scheme which enabled over 1000 school pupils from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to attend the theatre and participate in related workshops was shortlisted, and was described as ‘innovative’ by Arts & Business Scotland director Barclay Price. Also shortlisted for the Cultural Branding Award was APA’s partnership with Evening Express through their sponsorship of the 2007 record-breaking panto, Aladdin. “The support and extensive coverage of the panto by the Evening Express enabled us to have our most successful panto ever in the 100 year history of the theatre - a record breaking year in terms of sales,” said Lorna Christie, development manager.

The biggest selling classical artist of the 21st Century, 21-year-old Hayley Westenra wooed audiences when she appeared at Aberdeen’s Music Hall as part of her River Of Dreams Tour. The young classical star has combined album sales of over four million worldwide, has performed for Royalty and the Dalai Lama, duetted with Bocelli, Carreras, Terfel and is UNICEF’s youngest ambassador.

Local youngsters lined up in anticipation of hooking a part in this year’s panto, Peter Pan starring Aussie soap legend Alan Fletcher and Any Dream Will Do Star Keith Jack at HMT this winter, when open auditions were held for the roles of Michael and John Darling. Around 40 youngsters auditioned with the three boys chosen to share the role of Michael being Michael Lewis, Richie Lornie and Cameron MacDonald while John was played by Liam Duggan, Stuart Moir and Darrell Thornton.

Supported by Aberdeen City Council’s Cultural Grants, Outreach YT has been running since October 2008. It has two youth theatre groups, one in Seaton and the other in Northfield. The Northfield group are working with Station House Media Unit to produce a short film and the Seaton group are devising a piece of theatre.

Both groups will have the opportunity to perform in The Lemon Tree in May 09. The project is also working with four trainees who are learning how to deliver youth theatre and community drama projects.

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REVIEW 2008/09

★★★★★ Sunset Song

“Having seen Sunset Song last night I was compelled to write a review. From the outset I was moved and mesmerised. It is hard to believe Hannah Donaldson is only 24 as she played Chris Guthrie with a maturity and compassion well beyond her years.

I found myself living Chris's life and experiences with her throughout the show and was emotionally drained at the end.

The scenery was enigmatic and dark when required and the love making scenes were beautiful. I have never before written a show review but I simply had to on this occasion. Well done to all involved.”

Pamela Gallan, 12 Sep 2008 9

NOVEMBER Staff were invited to take part in our third staff survey, APA People. Totally confidential it offers staff the chance to make their voice heard about how they feel about their job and working for APA. Around 25% of all employees took part and the results show that significant progress has been made in many areas since the first survey in 2006 with the main indicators of commitment moving in a positive direction. As always the results were shared fully with staff and the management team are working together to try and make further improvements and take on board any suggestions and comments made.

Over 50 comedians had audiences in stitches last year and none more so than improv comedian Russell Howard who performed his well-honed stand up routine and web of tales twice at the Music Hall coming to the Granite City in March and then returning in November.

The Panto Roadshow was taken to nine local primaries in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, in the space of a week, all free of charge thanks to sponsorship from First. Almost 1500 pupils got the chance to take part in the roadshow which introduced children to the magic of live theatre with a comedy performance that both entertained and informed. APA Head of Sales and Marketing, Shona Byrne, said: “This is the third year that the Panto Roadshow has come to Aberdeen and the response has once again been overwhelming. The pupils get a chance to see how the magic of panto comes to life from three of the best in the panto business who between them have more than 30 years experience in theatre and pantomime and make formidable Ugly Sisters!”

DECEMBER December was of course Panto month at His Majesty’s Theatre and Peter Pan was flying high with record breaking ticket sales. When the curtain finally came down on the swashbuckling adventure starring Neighbours’ Alan Fletcher, Any Dream Will Do finalist Keith Jack, and Aberdeen favourites Alan McHugh and Jordan Young, it broke all box office records and was the most successful pantomime to be staged at HMT with over 50,000 delighted theatre-goers seeing the stunning performance. Sponsored by the Evening Express the panto proved to be so popular that for the first time in many years the balcony was opened to customers who wanted to get a bird’s eye view of the show. Alan Fletcher, or Fletch as he liked to be known, also managed to fit in two gigs - one at The Lemon Tree – while in Aberdeen he performed his music to nearly 1000 very enthusiastic fans of his band Waiting Room. He departed for home in Australia and his life as Dr Karl Kennedy in Neighbours on January 6, however before leaving he took the time to write to the Evening Express to say how much he enjoyed being in Peter Pan at HMT and said: “Thanks to Qdos Pantomines and HMT for the opportunity and to the Evening Express for its sponsorship of the panto. The real highlight of my stay in the North-east has been the overwhelming support of the people of Aberdeen. I want to thank the wonderful citizens of Aberdeen for giving me the time of my life.”

As part of the festive cheer APA and Qdos Pantomimes also gave local charities and community groups the gift of 500 free tickets to Peter Pan. A total of eleven local groups shared in the free panto ticket spree which allowed groups, who would not otherwise have been able to attend, to see the panto.

Commenting on the initiative APA chief executive Duncan Hendry said “We are delighted to be able to offer tickets to these worthy causes. We have been very moved by their stories and will be very happy to see their smiling faces when Peter Pan and Captain Hook take to the stage!”

Home-Start Aberdeen senior co-ordinator Georgette Cobban said: “Everybody is just delighted – it’s fantastic. We have already allocated all our tickets and everyone is just over the moon, they really are. It’s nice to have some positive news.”

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REVIEW 2008/09

★★★★★ Peter Pan

“I brought a group of Brownies who thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the show, we all thought Peter Pan flying across the audience was great and that Maggie and Smee were brilliant.

Well done for a great show.”

Julie Thorpe on 30 Dec 2008

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JANUARY APA sailed into the new year on an all-time high when Peter Pan flew into the record books as the most successful panto ever staged at HMT, seen by more than 50,000 people. Captain Hook and Neighbours legend Alan Fletcher fronted an improvised band which included fellow panto performers Alan McHugh and Gareth Weedon for an unforgettable goodbyeto-the-Granite-City gig at The Lemon Tree which can still be seen on U Tube.

Our production of The Life of Grassic Gibbon, with Eileen McCallum and Scotland the What?’s Stephen Robertson had a very successful tour of the North-east; WAC (Writers Actors Collaboration) featured some innovative work in their new season at The Lemon Tree and Sunshine on Leith packed them in at HMT. Former Texas frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri launched her first solo UK tour with a sensational sell-out concert at the Music Hall which even had the balcony audience dancing in the aisles.

And the cherry on the January cake, as it were, was when Sunday lunchtimes got a 8/10 thumbs up in an eating-out review in the Evening Express!

FEBRUARY Our record-breaking streak continued into February when the magnificent Calendar Girls - with its Who’s Who cast of British actresses - became the best selling play ever at HMT with more than 10,000 people seeing the production over its five-day run. It was a real triumph for the company, even if it knocked our own production of Sunset Song into a very respectable third place. Wet, Wet, Wet frontman Marti Pellow cast his spell over the devilish role of Daryl Van Horne in the hit musical Witches of Eastwick, and APA also announced our second major in-house production, The Silver Darlings, directed by Kenny Ireland.

At The Lemon Tree, the man who discovered Oasis and put Primal Scream on the world stage, Alan McGee, checked out local bands in an Exposure night and Dundee indie band The View had a headline show at the Music Hall.

APA took over the reins from Jazz Aberdeen for organising live jazz events in the city and when Aberdeen City Council’s leisure services were up for public debate, APA was held up in the press as a shining example of a successful trust.

MARCH The Lemon Tree Lounge was the setting for a blistering performance from former The Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell and a great comeback gig from Edinburgh-born reggae singer Finley Quaye as well as a great set from one of the most inventive bands in the Scottish music scene Breabach.

Comedy was a strong theme at the Music Hall which hosted shows by Geordie-born funny man Ross Noble and goodhearted Welshman Rob Brydon, as well as a long-awaited performance by Scots singing sensation Barbara Dickson and Classic Brit-winning group Blake with the beautiful soprano Natasha Marsh.

At HMT, productions included an inventive and romantic remake of Brief Encounter, young Samantha Barks was a revelation as the iconic Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Caledon broke off a European tour to give a one-night performance in the theatre and the Russian State Ballet captivated full-houses with their lyrical Swan Lake.

Ellen Kent bowed out from touring opera, new sponsors stepped in to save the 2009 student show and HMT’s new policy to allow drinks into the auditorium sailed through its first real test – a packed house for British Pub Landlord Al Murray!

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REVIEW 2008/09

★★★★★

Lunchtime at The Lemon Tree - Hyldie Grinsted and her Jazz Good Friends

“Absolutely fantastic selection of jazz songs and music, magic entertainment.

Will definitely return.“ Ann, 11 Sept 2008 13

REVIEW 2008/09

Sponsorship THANKS TO THESE COMPANIES FOR SUPPORT DURING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE Major Sponsor

Prime Sponsor

Major Sponsor

Shell U.K. Limited

Aberdeen Solicitors’ Property Centre

The Press and Journal

Key Sponsor

Key Sponsor

Honorary Friend

Honorary Friend

Qdos

Rizza’s of Huntly

Robertson Construction Eastern Ltd

ExxonMobil

THANKS TO THESE COMPANIES FOR CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, SUPPORT AND CURTAIN SPONSORSHIP

Argus Care

CURRENT CORPORATE ASSOCIATES

Main cover image and Peter Pan panto pictures courtesy of Aberdeen Journals

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Aberdeen Performing Arts is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC033733

GRAMPIAN POLICE FEDERATION