Monday 24 December 2012

Sad news

So sorry to hear the devastating news that Ian Sandy has passed away. The nicest man I have ever had the pleasure to know and work with. My sincerest condolences to his family and many, many friends. The world of theatres loss is heaven's gain ~R.I.P. I appeared in panto with Ian at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Goldilocks and the 3 bears in 1997. I never saw him without a smile on his face. He was also one of the most encouraging people I have ever met.

Sunday 23 December 2012

Panto Fun!

Just when we thought our Panto at the Swansea Grand couldn't get any better, last night's audience were amazing, big belly laughs from the off, Kev Johns and I are having the best time in panto ever! My Shirley Bassey Impression is going done a storm, I have been doing an impression of her for years but never in the clothes she wears and the wig, it really adds to it! Thank you Qdos for having me back, I am loving every second! Christmas Eve is tomorrow and before I go to the theatre via Port Talbot to pick up our fairy the brilliant Di Botcher I have to go to our butcher in Cowbridge to pick up the Christmas 16pound Turkey, I am very excited this year for Christmas as we will have a houseful, will it be stressful, I hope not! Don't forget I have my own show coming to the beautiful Borough Theatre Abergaveny on the 18th January and then back to the Grand Theatre Swansea on the 21st January 2013, then very soon after that I will be flying to the Caribbean to join an old friend of mine P&O Oceana for three weeks, sailing around in the sunshine for a bit then making the trans Atlantic crossing back to her home port Southampton. I have loads of mates on there so I'm really looking forward to going back on her! Thank you for visiting my website and following me on twitter @MikeDoyleComedy and also on facebook Mike Doyle. Massive thanks to my personal manager Ian Parsons for looking after things for me and keeping me focused! I would like now to wish you all a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and a PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!

Sunday 16 December 2012

A Great Saturday Panto Crowd!!

Last nights audience were just fantastic from the moment the lights went down, you could feel the magic straight from the off, thank you so much, we as a cast just loved telling the story and making you and ourselves at times laugh. It's my first time playing Ugly Sisiter and I have to say I am really enjoying it, I thought I would miss playing Buttons but I am just so happy as an Ugly. Playing a part like that is hard work but it has given me the chance to act in a different way, I love being nasty when I tell Cinderella to tear up her Invitation to the Ball, its such a powerful scene and the kids boo like mad, some can't believe I've told her to tear it up! This is a new beginning for me in Pantomime and I look forward to playing Dame now for many years to come, having said that I would love to play the villan one day like Abanazar in Alladin or Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk! I have been in Panto for 22yrs and have played some amazing theatre's like the Hippodrome Theatre Birmingham which is huge, there's 1500 seats in the circle there and 1000 in the stalls its massive, the Lyceum Sheffield is a very nice theatre quite ornate, New Theatre Cardiff is a favourite with the city on your door step, the Mayflower Theatre Southampton is another great theatre it was strange performing there as Southampton is a city I associate with Cruise Ships and I have joined and disembarked ships there for 18yrs, The Lyric Carmarthen is a wonderful theatre to play as its in my home town, I used to go there as a boy to watch films, I even had my first kiss in that theatre, I always think of dear Liz Evans OBE who gave her life to the youth of Carmarthen and she gave me my very first taste of the theatre by giving me the part of Lunta the young lover in "The King & I" and also her husband David, both are no longer with us and are so very much missed, there boys Mark and Wynne I grew up with and they have both done so very well Mark (Mark Llewellyn Evans) has done brilliantly with his albums and even had a part in the lastest Sherlock Holmes film and Wynne (Wynne Evans) a brilliant opera singer and of course his tv role as Go Compare, I have toured around the UK in so many fab theatre's but I have to say Swansea Grand is my most loved and it feels like home, I have had the same dressing room every time I have been there and I love the place. Don't forget I have my own one man show there on th 21st January which is already selling fast and also my show will be at another wonderful warm theatre the Borough at Abergaveny on the 18th January. Thanks for following and visiting the site...see you soon!

Saturday 15 December 2012

PANTO....OH YES IY IS!

Panto is here at last, we had a tough weeks rehearsal and an even tougher tech run, but as if by magic we opened last night to a packed Swansea Grand Theatre crowd who where behind us (oh yes they were) all the way. This is my first time playing Ugly Sister and I have really embraced the role and its great to be playing this role alongside my old pal Kevin Johns. We had one or two tech probs last night but other than that it was a great success, thank you to the management for the after show party, the food was fantastic, we all had a great time. Chicho is having a ball (well it is Cinderella)and loving being back in his country of birth and wants to stay over at our house to see the sights around Bridgend! Today I have to say my legs are killing me, its the heels you see, you poor women what you have to go through! Back to the theatre now for two shows, come and see this panto YOU WILL LOVE IT!!! We are here untill 13th January 2013...see you there!