Arts Diary: Will Marriott

FOR a man who had the second biggest selling single of the last decade, fortunes have taken a downturn. Bradford lad Gareth Gates, who was the runner up to Will Young in the first series of Pop Idol in 2002 – the pre-cursor to X Factor – will be performing in a 500 seat theatre on board a P&O cruise next month.

Gates will perform hit singles such as Spirit in the Sky, Anyone of Us, and his version of Unchained Melody – which was the record breaking song of the last decade – on the cruise which departs from Southampton on September 3.

Gareth said: “I’m really excited about performing on board Oceana. I’ve never been on a cruise ship before but always wanted to and so this is going to be a fantastic experience for me.”

SHEFFIELD Crucible is describing its production of Othello as Moor-ish.

With over a month until the production of the Daniel Evans directed show, theatre chiefs have added an extra performance on Monday, October 3 at 7.15pm.

Advance bookings for the Shakespearean tragedy have been flooding in. Evans said: “People are booking from as far afield as Chicago.” The draw for many is probably the cast, which includes Clarke Peters and Dominic West, stars of HBO’s acclaimed TV series The Wire, reunited as Othello and Iago. The cast also includes Colin George, the Crucible’s founding artistic director.

THE South Kirby rehearsal studios LS-Live – which has hosted Kylie, Robbie Williams and Coldplay – has established a new fast-track foundation degree in Live Events Production which has now officially been validated by the University of Bolton. The 15-month foundation degree, which is the only one of its kind, focuses on the artistic, creative and practical use of technology for live events and will be delivered in partnership with the University of Bolton. The course, which begins in November, includes modules on lighting, sound, staging and live visuals. The Backstage Academy is holding an open day on Saturday August 20. Info on 01977 659 880.

IT might not seem like the most obvious partnership, but Yorkshire’s newest gallery has teamed up with a rugby team.

The Hepworth Wakefield has joined forces with Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, so that every booking for one of the gallery’s family workshops or activities will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of children’s tickets to the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats’ final game of the season, at home against the Bradford Bulls on Friday, September 9. To find out more about the family summer programme visit us www.hepworthwakefield.org

WE know he’s good, but somehow Alan Ayckbourn’s new play, Neighbourhood Watch, has already been booked in to a New York Theatre, following its opening in Scarborough. Impressive, given the play’s not been seen by anybody yet. What’s more, the play is about “a crime wave’s latest victims and addresses modern hang-ups such as law and order”. Spooky, right?

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