Contacted Christmas '07 by a wonderful chum who suggested I might stage BEING ALIVE again, as it was 10 years since I first produced the highly successful production at The Grand Theatre.
Having agreed, I approached The Grand Theatre by letter and 2 e-mails. IGNORED!
It was then suggested that I stage it at Blackpool's North Pier, the fabulous management there welcomed me with open arms, giving the theatre free of rent!
I chose The Terence Higgins Trust as the Charity and got to work.
In excess of 900 e-mails, umpteen letters, incessant phone calls, meetings and discussions later saw a truly fabulous High Profile Production to be directed by the brilliant DOUGIE SQUIRES.
Among those umpteen letters, I sent 9 to the top local councillors including the Chief Executive. NOT ONE REPLY!
As for the Press? The Gazette did a rather nice piece in March but simply REFUSED to cover the production again including the prior week. Do I dare accuse the Gazette of homophobia? some do, quite rightly. The Citizen having promised full backing - NOT ONCE was the Production mentioned!
5 Days prior to Curtain Up, 74 tickets had been sold!
To have continued would not only have been insulting to the wonderful artistes who were prepared to give their time, the financial aspect - horrifying and of course, the Charity would have received nothing.
It was with great sadness that we had no alternative than to 'pull' the Production.
Interesting to note that another Charity Show to have been staged at The Grand on the Saturday Night prior was also 'pulled'.
In retrospect, maybe the fact that the Production was to run in tandem with Blackpool's Gay Pride Week-End might well have jeopardized the evening, we will never know. Certainly without the backing from local bodies, such as the Press and indeed the council, no one has an earthly now in Blackpool.
The Opera House is dark more nights than open, the Grand Theatre is struggling, 4 pubs have just closed with more to come thanks to this oppressive government. (Smoking ban? ridiculous!)
Incredibly, after the cancellation, I received vitriolic e-mails and a quite ludicrous anonymous threatening telephone message.
It was even suggested by Gay Pride that due to the cancellation, I might sabotage their week-end, an accusation, which quite frankly I find totally offensive, disgraceful and unforgivable.
Interesting to note that Blackpool's Gay Pride, as far as I am aware is the only one in the UK that does not give to charity.
Maybe we were all well 'out of it'!
Southern friends have said to me that had BEING ALIVE been staged in Brighton, it would have been a complete 'Sell Out'.
Sad but true.
Would the last one to leave Blackpool 'PLEASE TURN OUT THE LIGHTS'
especially the grotesquely hideous ones that are now in place!
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