Arts Diary with Will Marriott

Chris Monks, the artistic director up in Scarborough, was very excited telling us about his production of a play about Marlene Dietrich recently.

He said: “Dietrich is a fascinating character: globe-trotting star of film and cabaret, and at the same time the German hausfrau. She was the epitome of 20th-century woman: bold, independent and combative; she created her legend and kept her iconic image in the public eye for 50 years.”

Which goes some way to explaining why there are two productions about the icon this summer in Yorkshire. Gloves Off Productions is bringing Me and Marlene to Halifax’s Square Chapel Centre for the Arts on Friday May 20, while Monks’s production Marlene, runs at Scarborough Stephen Joseph theatre from May 26 to Sept 3.

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We wouldn’t normally feature a story about amateur dramatics – not that we’re guilty of artistic snobbery, just that there’s so much going on. However, Sheffield’s The Midland Players have been in touch to say that their production of Ray Cooney’s It Runs in the Family, at Sheffield University Drama Studio May 4 to 7, features a professional who has stepped in at the last minute. Sheffield-based Mason Tyree is filling in for an old friend in the amateur production. He emailed us to say: “It brings together the amateur and professional world of theatre and should be a talking point for years to come,” and says that he has over 20 years of professional acting credits. Info for the show is on 01142 361186.

We were a little disturbed when we first received an email from the Yorkshire Museum, asking us to tell people to “Love Your Museum”.Turns out it’s all part of a bid for the museum, in York, to win a £100,000 Art Fund Prize. Yorkshire Museum is among 10 institutions long-listed for the accolade of Museum of the Year. During this weekend the museum will be asking the public to comment online in support of its bid to win the prize. Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said: “Love Your Museum Weekend is especially important to us this year as we try to spread the word about the £2m refurbishment of the Yorkshire Museum. We hope as many people in York and beyond will come and see the fantastic changes and take part in the activities, as well as helping us in our bid to make the short list of the prestigious Art Fund Prize.”

Good on Opera North, who announced this week that it has appointed the man to lead the children’s choir. Justin Doyle is the man charged with leading 90 – yes 90 – young people aged between seven and 11-years-old in the Opera North Children’s Chorus. The company has been working with local schools to select the lucky youngsters who will perform three concerts per year in the Howard Assembly Room. Good luck to Justin, a braver man than us. He said: “Numerous outstanding opera singers began their careers singing in a chorus like this. I can’t wait to start working with them all.”

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