Troupe Sees No Pointe in Slimming ; A Winning ‘Dusty Springfield’ and Ballerinas Each Tipping the Scales at More Than 17st Will All Be Topping the Bill This Autumn in Scunthorpe.

A Winning ‘Dusty Springfield’ and ballerinas each tipping the scales at more than 17st will all be topping the bill this autumn in Scunthorpe.

These are just some of the exciting prospects in store for North Lincolnshire theatregoers, in a package which has now been unveiled at the Plowright.

The line-up, a blend of professional and amateur shows, will culminate in a fine, sparkling festive pantomime run of Jack and the Beanstalk, presented for the second year by Tony Peers Productions.

Making his third appearance in town as the panto Dame will be the hugely popular Darren Johnson who, since making his debut at the Plowright, has won over a legion of fans.

However, the locally-based Laughter Through Tears Theatre Company will get the autumn season under way next month with a three-day run of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, followed by the group’s presentation of the Willy Russell evergreen, Educating Rita.

Europe’s most authentic live tribute to the music of Pink Floyd comes to the Plowright at the end of next month, and this will pave the way for a 10-day staging of the Wilton Production presentation of Singin’ in the Rain.

Hull Truck Theatre returns with Ladies Down Under, a follow-up to the Amanda Whittington comedy Ladies’ Day.

There will be more amateur shows from the Hospital Players, who are staging Home Is Where Your Clothes Are, and also from the town’s Little Theatre Club presenting Henry V.

More harmony is on the cards with a return visit in October of Talon and their exciting evening of Eagles’ music.

Later, audiences will again put out the welcome mat for Ireland’s Dominic Kirwan, who returns to Scunthorpe with his special guest Chip Hawkes, from the Tremeloes.

And a show which emphasises the fact size really does matter will have the Plowright’s stage groaning under the weighty Big Ballet. This has just got to be one of the highlights of the forthcoming season, and promises ballet like no other ever seen before in the UK.

Amande Concerts presents The Big Ballet, made up of 16 corps de ballet dancers each weighing no less than 17st – and with no interest in losing weight!

Wherever they have appeared – often before sell-out houses – these dancers have proved that grace, elegance, charisma and nimbleness is not the sole domain of the thin brigade. They will be pirouetting around the stage in style at the beginning of October.

A Norman Robbins comedy murder thriller is the choice of local amateurs Group 62 for their autumn production, and later, an Evening with Gervase Phinn and Steve Smith will hope to repeat their sell-out performance of last year.

Scunthorpe’s Laughter Through Tears will be teaming up with its sister group of the same name from the Isle of Wight, to present four of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues.

Towards the end of October there will be more music from The Searchers, followed a couple of evenings later by award-winning British jazz vocalist Clare Teal.

And guaranteed to get you dancing in the aisles will be the Jive Aces, with their uptempo swing music.

Early in November will see the spotlight trained on more local talent when, as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Scunthorpe Operatic Society, it joins forces with the town’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society to present a colourful presentation of The Mikado.

Two more amateur productions will see Appleby-Frodingham Theatrical Society and members of the Broughton Drama Group taking to the stage with their respective shows – the Brian Clemens thriller, Shock, and the adult show, Audacity.

But, before the curtain goes up on these productions, theatregoers will want to reserve their seats in plenty of time to see Katy Setterfield as Dusty Springfield.

Viewers will remember Katy as the winner of BBC’s TV’s The One and Only show, and now she is making a triumphant return from Legends in Las Vegas to embark on her first solo UK concert tour.

Katy, who for eight years featured in the rock ‘n’ roll show That’ll Be The Day, will be performing all Dusty’s classics, backed by a seven-piece band.

Tickets for the new season’s shows are now on sale at the Plowright Theatre’s box office on (01724) 277733.

(c) 2008 Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.