Autumn Report

Trip to Ronda is booking really well which isn't surprising as it is exceptionally good value at 35 euros to include a coffee stop at a mountain venta and lunch. As of yesterday morning there were five places left on the coach.
Lunch. Our last lunch was enjoyed by all who went so if you would like a sociable time come along to the desk on Moday, Wednesday or Friday and book for Casa Rustica on November 8th. It costs 11 euros.
Booksale: The Booksale last Saturday raised over 200 euros for the theatre. Thanks to everyone who came along and said hello and especially to those of you who either bought books or brought along new stock. There was some good stuff. Our next forecourt event will be the Christmas Bazaar on December 8th. If you can help in any way, say by producing something which you enjoy as a hobby, please come and talk to one of the Committee at the desk.
Christmas Cards. Our most successful fundraiser is David who is now selling his recycled Christmas Cards in the bar. They are very attractive and very reasonable which is an important consideration with the high postage cost of staying in touch with friends in England. He can even organise special cards and personalised ones for you but don't leave that too late.

The theatre is now in the middle of a sellout run of 'Evita' - lots of disappointed customers yesterday, when I was on the desk, who had thought it was just hype when full house for the run was posted. I was there for the first night and was delighted with a really good show. It was especially pleasing to see some new, and very good, faces in the cast. Life on the coast for thirty somethings can be hard going if you are trying to fit in rehearsals with family and work so fingers are being crossed that these performers can keep going.
The next show is 'Pack of Lies' which is performed by the Ubiquitous Theatre Company who have visited us in the past. It is the true story of the Krogers, Russian spies at the centre of the Portland spy case, and their neighbours. It is a play frequently performed around the world mainly because it is totally absorbing. Ubuquitous have well earned reputation to live up to so a good evening is in prospect. For trivia enthusiasts and Gardeners World watchers one of the central characters in the story is a young girl who grew up to be the gardening presenter Gay Search.
Don't forget we are looking forward to seeing you!

Trip to Ronda

October 25th

Our first Autumn trip takes us by coach to Ronda. We stop on the way for a breakfast break high up on the mountain and then on to one of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia. With only a short stop and with so much to do it's up to you how to spend the time. Particularly special are the bridge and the adjoining terraces for more coffee or the bullring and museum where many believe the modern corrida began. If neither appeal we'll have some other ideas for you.
Then it is lunch which is included in the price. The high point of the trip comes next with the spectacular train journey to Algeciras through the mountains and valleys, white villages and woods, a journey thought by many worthy of inclusion in the 'Great Railway Journeys of the World'.
The coach will then pick us up just outside Algeciras to bring us back to Fuengirola.

We are only charging 35 euros for all this - check commercial operators on Google and you will see that not only are you up for a fantastic day out, it is a bargain and you are helping to keep English Theatre going on the Costa del Sol.

See us Monday Wednesday or Friday on the theatre forecourt.

Autumn is almost here

It is over 30 outside my little air conditioned bubble but summer is almost over and it is time to think about the Autumn. The theatre is getting off to a 'new' start. John and Dan have been working hard to redecorate the inside and hide some of the tubes and cables that we don't want to look at when we sit there waiting for that famous announcement telling us to switch off our mobile phones. Much has also been done in that funny box on the balcony which we seldom think about and would be completely lost without, so with even better sound and lighting and visual appeal we have a good start to the season ahead. Rehearsals are well under way for Evita and the box office opens next week.

Next Monday, too, our FOTA desk opens and we will be delighted to see you.

Our first offering is a lunch at 'Antonio Verdera' on October 4th We went there last year and the reviews were unanimously good. It is important to get our lunch season off to a good start and we are confident we will.

Then on October 25th we have our first trip. We leave Fuengirola by coach for Ronda and then take the train through the countryside towards Algeciras. The journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes and according to the pages I found in Google is really something special. This should take you to one of them http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/home.htm

Our remaining event for October is a Book Sale on the theatre forecourt on October 13th.

Here's to a good year

Next Season

While I was away in Santiago de Compostela (wet, since you ask) next season's programme was announced. We have two visiting productions with 'The Sunshine Boys' kicking off things in September. This was a wonderful movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau, written by Neil Simon (remember The Odd Couple?). It was originally a Broadway hit in 1972. Then there is 'Pack of Lies' by Hugh Whitmore. This is the true story of the friendship between an English couple and their neighbours - in Ruislip -who turned out to be Russian Spies. It has been a huge hit as both a stage play and a film. As someone who worked in Ruislip and was in the play in Brighton I shall look forward to it.
Then the theatres 'own' productions with 'Evita' and 'And Then There Were None'. If you haven't been back to the last two posts you have missed - well go and look. 'And Then There Were None' is an Agatha Christie and will intrigue you. Always difficult with Agatha to say very much and I can't even tell you whether I did it!!
The next biggie is really intriguing. It's 'Evita' again, this time in Spanish. With the cast being bi lingual it is both a brilliant opportunity to brush up on our Spanish and do something to entertain the locals.
Then there is the panto. This year it is 'Babes in the Wood'. With some of the musical weekenders planned as well this gives us all a lot to look forward to.
Our own FOTA programme will be announced soon and we are kicking off with a trip to Ronda and then by the special train to Algeciras. Should be a really good day out and we will look forward to seeing you on the theatre forecourt to talk about it.

The AGM (and Chita Rivera in Evita)

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The draft minutes from the AGM are done now. The meeting was very unSpanish in that it only lasted 26 minutes partly because there wasn't anything controversial. We had a good year with just over 5000 euros raised from our activities but more importantly a lot of people enjoyed themselves on the trips and at the lunches. Next week we will be having at least two meetings to discuss what the options are for spending some or all - or even maybe a little bit more - of it. The AGM came up with a couple of ideas so we'll see.
Last night there was a fiery display of Spanish dancing from Azabache, a flamenco school in Fuengirola. We kept to Spanish time - scheduled start at 9.30, actual start at 10 to 10 and finish at 12.15. It was really worth the late night and I can thoroughly recommend the show if they do it next year. The theatre was about half full and the languages in the bar showed what a mix of nationalities there are in this part of Spain.
Now to the nerve wracking bit. If you read the last post you'll know that auditions for Evita are next weekend. You will also have noted that there two posts of Antonio Banderas from the film. I don't know how I managed to get two and I couldn't find the way of deleting one of them. If you know please get in touch! Anyway here is another try. This time it is Chita Rivera singing 'Buenos Aires' from the Tony awards show in 1985.

A Special Treat

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The theatre's big musical production in the Autumn is to be EVITA . The auditions are on Saturday and Sunday June 9th and 10th and Peter Mitchell will be conducting a workshop on the Friday before, June 8th, at 7 p.m. to discuss the production, music and characters. So as a special treat here is local boy, Antonio Banderas (who unfortunately won't be in the show) singing from the film.

Trip to Nerja

May 24th we have our trip to Nerja. I've just come back from a couple of days staying there. It is very different from our part of the Coast retaining still a feeling that it really is a Spanish town with it's typical narrow streets. Spoilt a bit by far too many estate agents and restaurants clearly demonstrating that English is the local language. We walked over to Burriana Beach but the Cafe del Mar was closed up for the week. Unfortunately the weather was pretty bad so although the beach looked good it was deserted and very out of season. I am sure it will be very different at the end of May.

JUNE 7th a date for your diary. We set off for a picnic in the Lake District of Málaga Province. Away from the Coast is a whole experience quite different from the sort of thing that you think of when someone says Costa Del Sol. The coach leaves Fuengirola and next stops at Álora after passing through Orange growing country beyond Cartama and Pizzara. At Álora there is a stop for coffee and if you are lucky you can see the Ostrich farm over the road. Then via the gorge where Von Ryan's Express was filmed, to the lake where you will be able to enjoy the picnic you have brought with you (there is a restaurant if you prefer). The scenery is quite spectacular and after the recent rains the lake level should be better than it is in the photos, which were taken last September. When the reservoir is full the water should be up to tree level- not likely - but will be high enough for a refreshing dip.
Now for the bad news. Blame global warming, well everyone does, but with winter residents heading north earlier this year we couldn't get a coach together for the trip to Jaen. Everyone who booked has been told but if you are now feeling disappointed let us know and we'll rethink it for next year.
Last Saturday saw a satisfactory return on our efforts with the book sale. What was particularly nice was that so many people took the opportunity of coming to say hello, not just to us but to each other so it was a good social occasion.
Our next event is lunch on May 3rd. Come along to the desk to confirm the venue.
Finally a note for your diary. The AGM is on May 22nd. All the retiring members of the committee are willing to stand again if you want them and there will be one vacancy caused by a member of the committee 'retiring' by non attendance.

I thought that you would like this photo. it shows two of our stalwarts as they appeared in the recent production of 'The Dancing Years'. On the left is our President Gina and with her a long time member and fundraiser (remember all her fashion shows?) Maggie. More 'Dancing Years' photos are on the Salon Varities website www.salonvarietestheatre.com as will be some of 'Anne of Green Gables' which we saw this week. The audience was disappointingly small for this effort. Doubly disappointing because the cast were mostly young performers who showed a lot of promise and gave a good evening's entertainment. Let's hope that in the future we can say 'I saw ..... when they started out'!
Don't forget the trip tomorrow and the book sale a week on Saturday.
Enjoy Semana Santa

Update on programme for rest of season.

Our programme for the rest of the year was finalised at our last committee meeting (fingers crossed!) and, in the hope that there is something that you will enjoy, here it is:

March 29th a trip into Granada province to the Cueva de Ventana. With the provinces mountains rising to the highest point on the peninsula you can be assured of some spectacular scenery.
April 5th we are back to the very popular Campesino restaurant in Fuengirola for a lunch
April 14th there will be a book sale on the theatre forecourt
April 17th -19th is our postponed trip to Jaen,Ubeda and Baeza. This is a world heritage site with magnificent Renaissance squares and Palaces and some outstanding areas of great beauty on the way. a very different aspect of Spain for those of us living on the Costa del Sol.
May 3 Lunch at Antonio Videro restaurant
May 12 a fashion show on the theatre's forecourt. Bring your wallet, there has been some real bargains in the past for both sexes.
May 24th a trip to Nerja. On the way there is an outlet shopping mall - don't worry about the non shoppers, there's plenty for them to do whilst the serious business is taken in hand. Then lunch at Burriana Beach where the reataurant is run by some old friends of the theatre and an optional excursion to the famous Caves.
June 7th our popular outing to El Chorro lakes. Whenever I take visiotors out there they are amazed by an aspect of Spain so close to the beaches and so different. We usually go swimming and this year is a 'bring your own picnic' day. There is a rstaurant at the lakes if your prefer that but a picnic in the pine woods which stretch down to the water's edge sounds nicer.

Well that's our programme but don't forget the theatre has a programme too. Opening this weekend is a Peter Mitchell production, 'The Dancing Years' by Ivor Novello. Starring Sian Hopkins and Peter Height with a cast that is going to make the dressing rooms very cramped it is so large, this promises to be a very entertaining night out. Already some nights a almost fully booked so move quickly (Box Office 952 47 45 42).

We shall look forward to seeing you on the FOTA desk on Monday,Wednesday or Friday mornings.

A Good Week in Fuengirola

We have had a very good week this week. On Tuesday I went to see the Music Hall at the theatre and as it often does it got me musing on the very English concept of AmDram. The theatre was packed and the audience loved it. The audiences we get here are used to high standards for free. There are many bars you can go to where, for the price of a drink you can watch professional entertainers, many with a background of training and performing going back a long way and yet 300 people every night sat in our theatre having paid 12 euros for the privilege and thought it worth every penny. This particular show depended very heavily on one performer who was not only pivotal since he was on stage all the time but also set a standard the others had to reach if they weren't to seem, well - amateur. The Chairman wasn't the only performer on stage who has been a professional and however much it showed I have still heard, then and later, 'superior' remarks about amdram. When I last visited the States even the small towns we went through had a theatre (in the British English sense of the word) and some had several. Whether the performers were getting paid or not the description of the theatre was usually 'Community Theatre' and this is what we have in Fuengirola. The theatre is a serious community resource not just for the expat English here and the many visitors who have been attracted to Fuengirola's tourist industry but also local Spanish people who are using the theatre to improve their language skills or surprise, surprise - enjoy themselves. So if you are involved with the theatre no more negative 'amdram' comments and if you aren't then come along and find out if you agree with me. Let me know - there is a comment button.
The next bit of good news this week has been the weather (until today). I arrived at the FOTA desk on Wednesday in hot, by English standards, summer sun and was told that the trip to Motril and Salobrena was fully booked. I have put our latest programme at the end of this blog so leaving things to the last moment can be avoided. Let us hope the weather is kind to all on Thursday.
Today we had the auction on the theatre café forecourt and every seat was taken. There was some enthusiastic bidding but some incredible bargains were to be had too. All told we raised nearly 250 euros for our funds. Leaving the auction I bumped into the cast of 'The Heiress' which opens this Friday, February 23rd at 8.00. Normally a cast shows signs of quiet desperation at this stage but there was a confidence that the show will be a good one. I stayed on to sit in on a rehearsal for 'The Dancing Years' . All I can say is that I wish I could pick up a routine as quickly.
FOTA's Programme:

Here are the dates for your diary:

March 1st: Lunch at Casa Rustica

March 29th: Trip to Cuevas in Granada Province

April 5th: Lunch at Meson La Costa (just up from the Horses' head roundabout)

April 26th: Trip to Nerja, the Caves and Burriana Beach

May 1st: Lunch at Antonio Verduras

June(date TBA): Trip to the Lakes with a bring your own picnic.

We shall look forward to seeing you at the desk on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings.

Town Crier article

If you've come to us because you saw the piece in the 'Town Crier' then you are very welcome. The picture they used is a little further down the site as it was taken at the Christmas Bazaar. My camera is off to Barcelona to be repaired so no pictures of the auction this Saturday on the theatre forecourt. Join us at 12.00 and you may find a terrific bargain.
Yesterday was a good day at the theatre, not only did we have the publicity in the 'Town Crier' but also Mary Harboe at REM radio gave the current production a rave review. Tonight is the last night for this but Lizz Freeman is already working on a new show for May so watch for the latest information. The FOTA desk was busy too - and even if a lot of it was gossip that is covered by our 'social' tag! - so the coach outing next week along the coast to Motril and Salobrena is getting very full. If you've been hesitating book now as they say.
The last committee meeting decided to postpone the planned trip to Jaen but we definitely hope to do it a bit later in the year. Our other social events are now a bit up inthe air because of that but we are thinking of a 'blossom route' trip for March and a visit to Nerja and the caves for April. This would include lunch in a very nice beachside restaurant we know. Then we look forward to a picnic in a local beauty spot in June. As ever if you have any ideas let us know either here or at our desk at the theatre on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. We shall look forward to seeing you

Jaen, Ubeda and Baeza are the destinations of our three day trip scheduled for Tuesday March 27th.
Jaen was a strategic stop on the moors caravan route from Castille to Andalusia. The old part of the town has the cathedral and the Barrio San Juan with the houses of the gentry in long winding streets. Smart shops are in the city centre where the narrow streets near the Plaza de la Constución also house the tapas bars and are wonderful for people watching.
The real jewels though are Ubeda and Baeza, both World Heritage sites. Although both towns have a rich Roman, Visigoth and Moorish history (conquered by Castille in 1226) it is as Renaissance towns they they are celebrated. You will see magnificent houses, palaces and churches built with the spoils of Empire by one of Italy's greatest architects Andrés de Valdevera.
The cost of the trip will be 280 euros.

We are booking well for the trip to Motril and Salobrena which goes on February 22nd. Further details of both trips can be had from our desk.

Happy New Year

It's been a beautiful Christmas here and today the sun was out and a walk on the seafront could be done in shirtsleeves. We even saw a FOTA member off to the beach with full sunbathing gear to hand! So far Christmas at the theatre has been good too. The panto has had really good (read sell out) audiences who have joined in and made a lot of noise, the cast have enjoyed it and I am sure are looking forward with confidence to the performances commencing January 3rd. The audiences particularly fell for the kids in the cast - don't they always?, there is also a big contingent of younger cast members who are doing a terrific job so the theatres future looks promising. All we need to do now is to get them to join FOTA.
The panto finishes on January 7th and the next production at the theatre will be a the farce 'Holiday Snaps' which runs from January 19th to 24th.
The next FOTA event is on February 1st when we have a lunch at the Europa in Fish Alley and then we are off to Salobrena and Motril for a day out on February 22nd. We'll look forward to seeing you at the FOTA desk soon.

Merry Christmas

All of us at FOTA wish all members and other friends a very Merry Christmas and we hope for a very Happy New Year for all. It could get off to a good start with the panto - oh yes it could. We have had two nights so far with really enthusiastic audiences taking a full part in the show. The pre Christmas run is fully booked but we are back on January 3rd and although some nights are fully sold out there a few tickets left so if you want to come the message is book now.
The FOTA desk is open again in the New Year and we hope to see as many as possible of you then.

New programme.

The captions didn't come out quite right on the last picture blog but I'll try and work out what went wrong when I can.
In the meantime here is our forthcoming programme. We hope that there is something there you like but if not let us know. We can't rely on guesswork!

Lunches:
February 1st at the Europa
March 1st at Oscars
both of these restaurants are in 'Fish Alley' so quite close to the theatre.

Trips
February 22nd we are going along the coast to Salobrena and then inland to Motril..
March 27th - a Tuesday- we are planning a longer trip. Staying in Jaen for three nights we will be exploring Baeza and Ubeda which are both beautiful World Heritage sites.
Come and see us at the desk for more details.

Pat is getting in the mood

The cake and marmalade went well too












Every bazaar needs a well run tombola! 

Christmas bazaar

David and Arthur with the cards 

Theatre's AGM

Anyone who has ever been to a meeting in Spain will know how long they can last and how undisciplined they seem to an English eye. It is not uncommon for an owners community meeting to start at 10,break for lunch and finish at 8 with not all agenda items covered so it was rather nice to go to the AGM of the theatre and have it all over in 16 minutes. It was quite a tribute to prior organisation and communication. Important stuff covered included information on the work being carried out. Fingers crossed all the electrical work except for a minor item is going to be finished by the time the panto opens on December 21st. FOTA's contribution of 13000 euros was acknowledged. Problems still remain with the building which is getting towards the end of its life but there is now a breathing space in which the future can be considered. FOTA member Gloria Harding was elected to the board of SALVA and we all wish her well. Continuity of the theatre management was assured when the current President told us that she would be handing over the running of the theatre gradually to the Vice President, whilst still making sure the buck stopped with her.

See you at the Bazaar

We've got into a rhythmn with the Autumn programme. Tomorrow the coach trip to the white villages goes with a good number of passengers and next Tuesday we will have our final committee before the Christmas Bazaar on December 9th at the theatre. Ideas and anything we can use to raise funds are both equally welcome.
The theatre is in full swing too and it doesn't look as if it will have to close to get the final electric work done. 'Witness For The Prosecution' was a great success at the box office (and with four FOTA Committee members in the cast we hope it was a success in other ways. The audience seemed to enjoy it each night of its run). Now we look forward to Lizz Freeman's Christmas Cracker which is a mix of 'turns' and audience participation. These shows are always very popular and I am not sure which side of the curtains enjoys itself most. The panto comes next and that has an enormous cast of children and adults. Rehearsals are well under way and tickets were going well at the theatre this morning. This year it is 'Aladdin' . The script calls for some exotic locations but I can't imagine Peter Mitchell not being up to the task of making it magic.

FOTA memberships fall due in January and now is a good time to let us know what is going to make you renew your membership - or perish the thought what we are doing that means you won't renew!