SIDETRACKS & DETOURS featuring PASS IT ON NEWS 11 1 2026

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS featuring PASS IT ON news

NEW YEAR NEWS

Sunday 11 1  2026

CONTENTS

1 The Office by Peter Pearson

2 Folk Music News from Sound Roots

3 Folk Music UK CHarts from Folk Expo

4 Music In Portsmouth from Iain &Margaret

5 A Night At The Theatre by Norman Warwick  

6 Ribble ValleyWish You  A Happy Jazz And Blues New Year 

Jazz In Reading

7 Rochdale Round Up for all across the arts

8 PANTOMIME POPS UP IN PLAYA BLANCA

1 THE OFFICE

where there´s always a good tune

says Peter Pearson (right)

I was saddened by how cruelly the old year stole away with three musicians, all of who whom were revered in our Sidetracks & Detours offices in the UK and The Canary Islands.

Brian Wilson´s passing was widely covered on TV news and in the press in the UK but surprisingly there has been no TV programmes shown of him or the Beach Boys. He died in June which is usually a quiet time in the TV schedules, so a change to the schedules should not have caused any complaints from viewers.

I heard about the death of Joe Ely and immediately dropped an e mail on to our editor´s office in Lanzarote and he responded with his tale about how Joe introduced him to Tex Mex food, and on being hit by yet another Americana death at year end, we both agreed how surprised we each were to realise how much we will miss that great voice of Raul Mola and infectious enthusiasm of a Maverick artist who stepped lightly across musical borders.

Nevertheless, I was excited by the start to the Songwriter & Invisible Angels series published a couple of weeks ago.  The series is going to be posted one chapter at a time, three times a year, and so will continue to the end of 1928.  I have virtually finished the second chapter, Bill Morrissey, and am just about to send text and photographs over to what Norm calls The White House ! Actually, by governmental decree all houses in Lanzarote are painted white, a reflection of the late visionary artist, Cesar Manrique. Our Head Office is actually merely a house, painted white to avoid legal proceedings !!

I am thinking of bringing forward the Dave Alvin piece as I have been listening to his albums recently. Readers of Sidetracks & Detours might be aware that his West Of The West album was a tribute to California singer songwriters of which he himself is one. The album kicks off with John Stewart’s California Bloodlines and the liner notes to the CD expand on his inspirations for the album. If you have not seen the liner notes -they make for interesting reading. I sent a pdf copy to Norm, who is a fellow fan of mine of the late John Stewart, but is sometimes too busy writing to have time read !

I have also just read news that Kathy Mattea has been added to the Transatlantic Sessions line up so with her and Darrell Scott. I’m looking forward to the gig much more than in recent years.

Celtic Connections, the annual folk festival in Glasgow, has a stellar line up this year and what usually happens is that those USA artists appearing there who would like extra dates but don’t want the expense and bother of arranging additional solo gigs, team up with the Transatlantic Sessions tour. Mattea and Scott have done that but Lucinda Williams, who is at Celtic Connections with her own band, has arranged her own separate tour. She has a new album to promote, scheduled for release in February. I will be seeing see her at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester at the end of this month, a few days prior to the Transatlantic Sessions gig at Aviva Studios just off  Deansgate.

The Transatlantic Sessions are back with a rich celebration of musical traditions that connect Scotland, Ireland and the US.

With its roots as an award-winning TV series and an annual focal point of Celtic Connections, Transatlantic Sessions presents an exclusive line-up of guest singers and a stellar house band. I anticipate the usual mix of original material alongside age-old tunes and songs as they explore shared roots and find new common ground between today’s finest Celtic and Americana musicians.

Featured vocalists include Grammy-winning country, bluegrass and folk music star Kathy Mattea, Nashville’s finest multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Darrell Scott, Scotland’s extraordinary folk singer Karine Polwart, who is fast becoming a national treasure, and West Kerry’s multi-award-winning singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.

The show’s seasoned house band, guided as ever by Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas,features renowned Celtic and Americana roots musicians John Doyle, Michael McGoldrick, Tatiana Hargreaves, Allison de Groot, John McCusker, Donald Shaw, James Mackintosh and Daniel Kimbro.

Transatlantic Sessions at Aviva Studios has become the ultimate back-porch session and I look forward to sharing with Norm and the Sidetracks & Detours readers my thoughts on the gigs I see at Aviva and elsewhere throughout 2026.

That is not as easy as it once was !

Those artists we would normally see at venues such as Bury Met, like Tom Russell, are just not visiting my local area, even when they do come across the pond. In days of yore we were blessed with promoters like Stampede, run by Ian Johnson, and Mr. Kite and John Graeme Livingstone´s Stillwater Tours, to name three music-lovers who brought country and Americana musicians to the North West here in the UK. Without them artists like John Stewart, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. And just as importantly, in these days of Transatlantic sessions UK artists such as Julie Matthews and Gary Hall, Norm´s next choice for  an

2 FOLK MUSIC NEWS

delivered by expo folk

PETER´S FIELD MUSICAL

Peter’s Field is an epic musical chronicle of one of the most significant days in working-class history and this spring embarks on its first nationwide tour.

On 16th August 1819, 60,000 peaceful protesters gathered in Manchester to hear radical speaker Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt call for the vote for the working class. Magistrates responded by sending in cavalry, killing at least 18 people in The Peterloo Massacre.

Commissioned by Sound Roots and Rochdale Development Agency, Peter’s Field features nineteen original songs by Sean Cooney of The Young’uns, performed live with Rowan Rheingans and Sam Carter. 

The show brings history vividly to life through powerful songwriting, striking harmonies and radio-ballad-like storytelling and has been described as “a passionate performance… evocative and haunting” by Songlines.
 

Tour Dates – March 2026

10th March 2026  Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon
11th March 2026The Fire Station, Sunderland

 12th March 2026 Rochdale
 13th March 2026  Upper Chapel, Sheffield

 14th   March 2026  Conway Hall, London
 15th March 2026  The Music Room, Liverpool Phil,    Liverpool

16th March 2026  Live to your Living Room (Online)

The eagerly anticipated album and book release will be available to pre-order later this month and will be released by Hudson Records on February 2026, featuring Sean Cooney alongside Sam Carter, Eliza Carthy and Jennifer Reid.

Secure Your Trade Stand for EFEx 2026

Trade stand bookings are now open for music organisations and artists who want to showcase their work to the English Folk Expo 2026 industry delegation and artists in Manchester. This opportunity is open to both showcasing and non-showcasing artists, as well as organisations, represented or not at EFEx

Numbers are limited, so if you work in the music industry and want to connect directly with industry delegates and showcasing artists, an EFEx 2026 trade stand offers a focused, high-value networking opportunity.

Trade stands are priced at £180 + VAT (£216 total) and include a professional trade stand, table, tablecloth, power supply, chairs, a printed name board and a listing in the EFEx delegate app.

As 2025 drew to a close, we were treated to some truly breathtaking standalone Manchester Folk shows from Sam Lee (see left), Windborne, John Smith, Penguin Cafe and many more

Now, as we step into the new year, we’ve got an exciting run of one-off shows ahead with The East Pointers, Red Sky July and Peter’s Field – not to mention the much-anticipated return of “the UK’s leading urban folk festival” (Mark Radcliffe), Manchester Folk Festival on Thu 19 – Sat 21 March 2026.

Explore some of our festival highlights and secure individual tickets for these headline concerts, or our final remaining three-day  festival wristbands and Check on line for Saturday Festival Day Tickets,

Seth Lakeman was catapulted into the music mainstream when he was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for his album ‘Kitty Jay’. His performance at the Festival will be supported Ellie Gowers

Inspired by the legends and stories of Dartmoor in the Westcountry where Seth grew up, it was produced by his elder brother Sean Lakeman and cost just £300 to record in his kitchen in a Dartmoor village.

Multiple albums, tours and high-profile collaborations later, the acclaimed folk artist released his latest studio effort The Granite Way, in February 2025 on his own label, Honour Oak Records. This is a collection of songs recorded alongside a group of long-time collaborators of Seth’s, staying true to his roots and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West Country storytelling.

In recent years Seth was delighted to be asked to record on Van Morrison’s album ‘Moving On Skiffle’ and he collaborated with Public Service Broadcasting. Seth has also previously worked and toured extensively with Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) with his band the Sensational Space Shifters.

Thu 19 March | Hallé at St Michael’s

photograph Rachael McShane is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle and viola player from the North East of England. She gained fame as an original member of the award-winning folk big band Bellowhead. 

McShane is also leader of The Cartographers, a band that have garnered a loyal following thanks to their impressive live performances and critically acclaimed debut album, When All Is Still.ea

Thu 19 March | Band on the Wall

Sheelanagig have been stomping, roof-raising, high-energy live folk for twenty years. In 2025, they celebrated this milestone anniversary with the release of St Congar’s Walking Stick, a bold new chapter that found them embracing a more folk-rock flavour, while staying true to their signature sound of break-neck bangers with thoughtful takes on traditional tunes.

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3 UK FOLK CHART

delivered by Sound Roots & Expo Folk

The highest new entry in the December 2025 chart was Kate Rusby with her festive album 20 Christmas Is Merry, entering at No. 4. This album features seventeen stunning live tracks recorded in several venues over the past five years, as well as five new acoustic re-workings of Kate’s most beloved Christmas songs, showcasing her unmistakable voice. 

Currently at at No. 6 is newcomer Dove Ellis with his debut album Blizzard. Ellis is a seemingly elusive character, without a biography and preferring a limited social media presence. Nevertheless, he has recently returned from a US tour, supporting cult favourite Geese. Sonically compared to the likes of Tim and Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainright, Blizzard has found its way onto several Albums Of The Year lists, despite being released in 2025’s final month

The Magpie Arc’s Gil Brenton entered the charts at No. 7. This seven song/forty minute album features five re-workings of traditional songs and two original compositions firmly rooted in the English folk tradition. An entirely independent endeavour, Gil Brenton possesses all the hallmarks of the folk rock genre, wrapped in inventive present day production with electronic soundscapes that beautifully enhance the songs.

Coming in at No. 11 was Keaton Henson’s Parader. In twelve tracks, Henson unravels an introspective autopsy of time as it distorts and folds to inhabit the songwriter’s present. Merging folk with the grunge-fused sounds of his youth, Parader melds emotional darkness, melancholy and seething frustration as Keaton reckons with the hauntings of his past.

Brightly Shone The Moon by the internationally acclaimed composer and performer Laura Cannell comes in at No. 21. Recorded in Laura’s home studio, the album offers alternative Christmas music for those who love and mourn in a season where darkness is everywhere. In these nine tracks, Cannell highlights where joy and heartache interweave with tradition and winter leaves its mark. 

Featuring a perfect mix and balance of both traditional carols and original new seasonal songs, Flakes & Flurries by St Agnes Fountain stood at No. 32. Teeming with nostalgia, joy and tradition, there is something for everyone on this album. These eleven tracks are brimming with the artistry, musicianship, writing and harmonies St Agnes Fountain have been producing for over two decades.

photograph Standout song-writing talent Michael McGovern’s album Thin White Road  joined the chart at No. 39. Drawing inspiration from literary voices like Laurie Lee, Hunter S. Thompson and T. S. Eliot, this album honours McGovern’s signature fingerpicking style whilst expanding sonically into full band arrangements. The captivating track ‘Evelyn’ has inspired widespread online covers from fans.

On this month’s Official Folk Albums Chart Show from Folk on Foot, host Matthew Bannister reveals how you can win exclusive tickets to the Folk Album of the Year Award gala at Rochdale Town Hall on March 17^th. There’s also music from Kate Rusby, Magpie Arc, Laura Cannell, St Agnes Fountain, Skinny Lister and Michael McGovern. Lucy Shields previews Celtic Connections and latest releases. 
 
The show launches at 1900 GMT on theFolk on Foot YouTube channel  and podcast or at www.folkonfoot.com.

4 MUSIC IN PORTSMOUTH 2026

pointing in the direction of a great web site

by Iain & Margaret

Music in Portsmouth is kept fully up to date with all the details you will need to find out about performers and venues. You can see what each group is planning to perform and in which venue. You can switch to the list of venues and see which groups are appearing in each of them.

By subscribing to the newsletter, you will receive a monthly list of the forthcoming concerts in the area. This is also sent to media contacts and other organisations such as libraries, civic offices and tourist information offices each month.

Use the menu along the top of web site screen to view the member groups and venues.

A noticeboard covers news about performers and performances, previews and reviews.

Music In Portsmouth posts to Facebook, Instagram and (occasionally) X to let you know when there’s an update on the Noticeboard, with an easy hashtag. being used

Music In Portsmouth invites  any  musical group interested in joining them to join in and tsake advantage of the benefits of inclusion and publicity.

You can read a profile of Music in Portsmouth (PDF).

If you have any questions or feedback,  you can also tweet to @MusicPortsmouth.

This excellent site is sponsored by 

Ackerman Music, Venn Pianos and Gerontius 

(choirs, concerts and choral music resources)

5 A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE UK

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME THEATRE

Don Quixote preview shared by Norman Warwick

Carlos Acosta’s sparkling new 21st-century production of this 19th-century masterpiece

Thu 12 Feb – Sat 21 Feb

Tickets from £25

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta promises entertainment for all ages when he brings an explosion of Spanish sunshine, spectacular dance and vivacious comedy to stages across England.

In this production created especially for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Don Quixote introduces us to Cervantes’ famous knight himself, lovers Kitri and Basilio, and a host of supporting characters. As the Don sets out on a quest to track down his true love, with his loyal friend and servant Sancho Panza at his side, he finds himself embroiled in an unlikely adventure of love and dreams.

See the first UK revival of Acosta’s sparkling 21st-century production of this 19th-century masterpiece.

MANCHESTER ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE

Whilst Don Quixote is riding through Birmingham, Meanwhile, Manchester´s Royal Exchange Theatre will be launching its themed 2026 season. Under a given collective title of features productions like Jim Cartwright’s Road, Noël Coward’s Private Lives, a world premiere of Even These Things, musical Fun Home, Shakespeare’s King Lear with David Threlfall, and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, running from February 2026 into early 2027, celebrating their 50th anniversary with immersive shows in their unique in-the-round space that is The Royal Exchange.. 

Key Productions in 2026:

• Road (Feb 13 – Mar 14, 2026): Jim Cartwright’s contemporary play, featuring Lucy Beaumont, Shobna Gulati, Johnny Vegas, and Tom Courtenay on film.
• Private Lives (Mar 27 – May 2, 2026): A dark comedy by Noël Coward.
• Even These Things (May 15 – Jun 15, 2026): A world premiere by Rory Mullarkey.
• Fun Home (Jul 3 – Aug 1, 2026): A musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel.
• King Lear (Oct 2 – Nov 15, 2026): A new adaptation by Matthew Dunster, starring David Threlfall.
• A Little Night Music (Dec 5, 2026 – Jan 30, 2027): Stephen Sondheim’s musical, kicking off the next year. 

The Season Theme:

• “A Homecoming” marks the  50th anniversary, of The Royal Exchange, focusing on artists returning to their creative home for bold, immersive productions. 

Tickets & Passes:

• A special “Homecoming Pass” for £50 offers early access and perks for the season. 

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JAZZ

6 HAPPY NEW YEAR IN RIBBLE VALLEY

News and Previews

from the marketing team

In 2026, Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues is taking a short break from its big festival in May and instead, is running a more compact June Jazz Weekend event over the weekend of 5th-7th June 2026. Put the dates in your diary. We are excited about our line-up and we’ll be announcing it soon when all contracts are signed. Hopefully the event will bring people into the town ready for accommodation, food and drink.

The June Jazz Weekend will be centred exclusively around St Mary’s Centre.

We want to assure everyone that the club itself is strong and looking forward to the future, and we will continue to work with many venues to host lively lunchtimes and evenings of live music over the coming year.

As always, we are open to new ideas of partnership with venues so live music can continue to be heard throughout the year. If you would like to discuss this or any other matter, please feel free to contact us on marketing@rvjazzandblues.co.uk

photograp

Maxwell’s

We launched our Maxwell’s Sunday afternoons at the back end of last year and we have another two booked for Jan 25th and Feb 22nd this year. See poster below for details. We recommend booking a table because they’re busy events

Jazz at Progress

JAZZ AT THE PROGRESS
Friday 30 January 2026

JOSEPHINE DAVIES´ SATORI QUARTER

Josephine Davies tenor & soprano saxophones
Alcyona Mick piano
Dave Whitford bass
Jay Davies drums

Winner of the 2019 Parliamentary Award ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the year’, Josephine Davies is a saxophonist, composer and bandleader at the forefront of the UK contemporary music scene. She has four album releases on Whirlwind Recordings with her trio/quartet Satori, and is known for her melodic focus, versatility and unique style as an instrumentalist.

Now becoming equally known as a composer, her unique sound is a blend of jazz, folk and classical music, creating an intensely dynamic sound infused with the Nordic quality of her Shetland roots.

Josephine was resident composer and tenor player for the London Jazz Orchestra from 2012-2018, leaving at that time to form her own 17 piece orchestra, The Enso Ensemble. She was chosen to be one of the South Coast Radar Jazz Composers in 2020 and commissioned at that time by NYJO to write a piece for their album ‘She Said’, featuring music solely by female composers.

Returning to the studio for the much-anticipated 4th album from her band Satori, Josephine Davies has composed an exquisite album of pieces inspired by her Nordic roots in the Shetland Islands. The superb partnership of bassist Dave Whitford and drummer Jay Davies once again creates the perfect bedrock for Josephine’s sinuous saxophone lines. Joining the original trio to become the current quartet is the innovative pianist Alcyona Mick.

The intricate compositions, coupled with the thrilling interplay between these four musicians, evokes the interconnection of Shetland sea, land, sky, and ever-present wind. At times stark and unsettling, and at times light and joyous, their latest album “Weatherwards” is a unique and magical offering from one of the UK’s most dynamic ensembles.

“Satori is among the most engaging young bands on the British scene… Cerebral, nuanced and reflective.” All About Jazz

“Davies weaves a continuous thread of shifting feelings through the set.” London Jazz News

“The powerful combination of fearless free improvisation and melodic empathy from these gifted players creates a powerful and timely statement.” Jazz in Europe

“A terrifying level of proficiency with an insatiable appetite for improvisation.” Rhein Main Magazine

7 PENNINE AND POETRY NATURE EVENT Saturday January 24^th 2026

with Poet Laureate Sammy Weaver and guests

Preview: Steve Cooke

An event to look forward to at Wardle Library with an afternoon of poetry and spoken word inspired by the Pennines and the stunning nature that surrounds our local area. From the Pennines to the page (and microphone!) 

This nature-inspired event will see words bloom, with Rochdale’s very own Poet Laureate Sammy Weaver as host.

Think local voices, big energy, and stories that fire up your imagination. 

The event, part of a series of five events around the borough, will showcase a mix of performers around the theme of nature (but leaving room for an array of perspectives and styles). 

It’s all about sharing great writing and celebrating the amazing talent right here in the borough. 

Confirmed performers include Clare Shaw, award-winning poet, Zaffar Kunial,  Liz White and Seamus Kelly.

The Rochdale in Rhyme – Greater Manchester Town of Culture poetry exhibition will also be on display, giving you time to explore and enjoy work by more local writers. 

This event is delivered in partnership between Rochdale Libraries, Rochdale Borough Council, and Rochdale Development Agency, funded by Arts Council England and Flexible Funds, and forms part of Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture programme for 2025/26. 

• Saturday January 24 2026
• The event will take place from 2.30pm to 4pm.Wheel chair/pram accessible
• Free/Pay What You Want, reservations available here
• Wardle Library, 448 Birch Rd, Rochdale, OL12 9LH

FOOTBALL ART PRIZE

In Rochdale

preview by Dteve Cooke

This prestigious competition invites artists who explore the passion, drama, and unity that football inspires across the world.

Open to anyone aged 18 and over, working in any two-dimensional medium (including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and moving image) the prize welcomes diverse and creative interpretations of how football shapes our lives, identities, and communities.

For its second edition, the shortlisted works will form part of a prestigious regional touring exhibition, opening at the Millennium Gallery (Sheffield Museums Trust) before travelling to the National Football Museum in Manchester – all during 2026, the year of the next iconic World Cup.

All shortlisted artists will also be featured in a virtual gallery and a fully illustrated print catalogue, with the award winners announced at the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

Entries are open internationally and submitted online, making it possible for artists everywhere to share their work with a wider audience.

Be sure to read the entry details carefully before submitting your work and take your shot at being part of this celebration of football and creativity.

Find out more and register on https://artopps.co.uk/checkout/116

• Submission deadline of April 7, 2026 at 6pm.

8 ALADIN IN LANZAROTE

Oh No He Wasn´t,…..OH YES HE WAS!

and he was seen by Norman and Dee Wawick and friends

When Dee and I were invited to join our Lanzarote friends and Lanzarote nieghbours, Linda and Mike, my first thought was I´m not flying out to England to watch a pantomime, no matter who the stars of it might be ! I was reassured though when Linda expained that it was to be a pantomime performed for charity, in our home town of Playa Blanca, in a hotel only a only a short drive away. So only a couple of nights later we set off to see the show, and because the road to the magic lamp was so awkward and convoluted and hilly and bendy and pot-holed it was downright dangerous even if camouflaged in a masterpiece of a sunset, I temporarily forgot my misgivings about how a full blown pantomime could be staged in any building that wasn´t bespoke for the purpose ! And there surely wouldn´t be any star names in trhe cast.

After we had dropped the ladies off at the entrance to the Sandos Papagueyo Hotel Mike and I drove around scouting the area for a parking space but having found one we were scared to death by a dashboard reverse mirror as we found ourselves being told off in loud, SHOUTY words typed out on an instructing screen by some artifical intelligence (for that read no intelligence at all !). Glad to get out of this bad-tempered vehicle of human emotion, we set off on what we both agreed would be a short walk back to the venue. However as if by some trick of pantomime our road down turned into a route UP Everest that I had to climb almost on my hands and knees. At the summit, though, the entrance to the hotel / theatre seemed as brightly lit as the pearly gates I had been fearing when halfway up and halfway down that hill !

Meanwhile our spouses had done some investigating and found that to reach the theare we could walk round the side of the SANDOS PAPAGAYO hotel. Only a few steps later we were being ushered into the theare by an usherette who checked our tickets and pointed us to our numbered seats, and we realised we were only four rows from the front of what was a huge stage, full of mis en scene of furniture, dance area, techno stuff like mic stands and speakers and mixing desk, lighting pieces and what looked like a couple of fairly massive water pistols. Another doubt crept to mind,….sitting here, would be in danger of getting a soaking from pantomime pistol-shooters? Still, at least we would be able to throw some retaliatory popcorn at them, or or splash them with our drinks standing on our reassuringly placed table. There was also what looked like a magic carpet and a lamp but I wasn´t sure what they were doing there.

So, bring it on !!

The curtain (there wasn´t one) was swept back and well known stars (there weren´t any) were on stage in in exotic costumes, singing and dancing to a hit song of the day. I didn´t know it because it was of the modern era. I eschewed all this noise and drums when The Beatles broke up and Tamla Motown melted, but to my suprise I loved the song. I also loved the the artistry and the anarchy of the dancing and the lift of energy and excitement and the sparkle in the eyes of each actor / character as the chaos began. This was going to be good, I reckoned and after 2 hours and a few minutes I had been proved right.

The cast had delivered a perfect pantomime and they had clearly enjoyed it as much as we had in the audience. There was a tangible chemisrty, mixed into mutual respect and support between all the players. There were some really funny, new (but never too rude for the kids) jokes, some delivered with perfect timing and all hit thier target. We were all in stitches at little ad libbed asides of the Eric Morecambe variety, and the never-too-naughty nudge, nudge, wink, wink, elbow, elbow of Eric Idle of Monty Python vintage. The call from the stage and the response from the audience is a constant ´to me, to you , to me´ that always brings a chuckle (brothers) and the audience took part in the practice of booing the baddies and warning the goodies that baddies were behind you.

Aladin (Anibal Pino Perez) was perfectly played, Pike-like Soppy, but of course he became the true happy ending of the story, Wishy Washy (Gary Baker) was deliciously cheeky and enjoyed a wondeful rapport with all of us in the audience. Genie (Karen Cooke) played Genie as world weary woman but she it was who saved the day. Jasmine, (acted by Sally Sheriston) definitely lent an air of royalty to her role as a princess..Genie (Karen Cooke) seemed to be a Joe Brand replica, griping at everyone but always a figure of common sense. Squeezy and Peasy (Michela Apedu and Billie Deacon) reminded me of the great tv series of the eighties, about the two American police women, Cagney and Lacy. These two pantomime stars somehow created a sublime comedy scene with a malfunctioning microphone that couldn´t or wouldn´t talk.

ADULT CHORUS: Sarah Hall, Marlene Gilroy, Julia Harrison, Valentina Rodriguez

CHILDRENS´S CHORUS: Abi Sheriston, Lily Malisz – Larcombe, Abbie Wynne, Ayda Wynne

SPECIAL APPEARANCE: Lily Malisz – Larcombe

Widow Twankee (Dave Poxon) was presented as a tattoed lady, loud and locquaious , flashy and flirty and sure of herslef. Abanazer (Peter Aschcroft) loved to hate the world and his disdain for all the other characters was clear to see in his boasting and bribing and his fearsome, cackling laugh. He was a perfect pantomime villain, scaring the adults in the audience but laughed at by their children, who seemd to find him ridiculous. Slave Of The Ring (Tracey McNeil) was a cleverly created character, subdued most of the time but fiesty when when necesary. Emperor (Matt Taylor-Lund ) was ambassadorial and amicable with just the right air of emporiial entitlement. Mandy (Zuzanna Malisz) seemed to be a lady-in-waiting always there in the right place at the right time.

This had been the third annual pantomime held in Playa Blanca, and the organisors are grateful for the suppport of various volunteers and, of courses, to very receptive audiences, although do ask those audience members not to throw food at the actors. It is an amateur performance after all,… and the actors would only throw it back.

It takes a lot to deliver a pantomomie performance what with flying carpets, magic lamps, and plots and pitfalls, heroes and villians and so the organisers are also grateful to their creative team of

Stagehands,Luouis Ronan, Sean Ronan and Nicola Hardwick who also served as prompts, hardly troubld as the cast were damned nearly word perfect,…OH YES THEY WERE,

Temo and Freya Fincha had done a secure job as seamstresses, and the props and wardrobe department, staffed by El Atico, Finchy Fitness community, Karen Cooke and the ubiquitous Freya Finch.

The Lighting and Sound Crew were Matthew Hardwick and Echedey Caceres Finch nad the poster designer was Nicola Hardwick.

As if to prove her ubiquity the director, writer,and choreographer was the indefatigueable Freya Fich.

The Front Of House Staff wouldn´t yield their names, preferring to be described as änyone´s husband who had nothing else to do

Because of the hard work of all the afore-mentioned, cast and crew and the generosity of the hotel, Sandros Papagaya, a lot of people enjoyed laugh knowing that as they did so they were contributing to worthy charities

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL

from

SIDETRACKS AND DETOURS

coming soon to

SIDETRACKS AND DETOURS

A BUMPER BUNDLE WEEKEND

Saturday 31st January

LOOKING OUT ALL ACROSS THE ARTS

s

Sunday 1st Feruary 2026

FESTIVE FARE A HUGE SUCCESS

Monday 2nd February

HUNDREDS OF MUSICIANS TOUR EIGHT ISLANDS

featuring

exclusive interview with Duo Opus 22

concert review of the live music of the wonderful Lula Mora at Naturaleza Senora

comprehensive coverage of the 42nd Canary Islands International Classical Music Festival 2026

Sunday 5th April

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS

will publish chapter 2 of

SONGWRITERS & INVISIBLE ANGELS

Sunday 5th April 2026

featuring

BILL MORRISEY & GARY HALL

by

Peter Pearson and Norman Warwick

++ you should also be aware that we also publish occasional Sunday Editions of

PASS IT ON

containing news, previews, interviews and reviews

so why not log in each Sunday if you wish to catch up

++