The Commitments - how I got to tread the West End boards.....

IF I was to ever draw up a bucket list, performing on the West End stage would be right at the top. It's something I've secretly been secretly wanting to do since I was very young but as I've no particular aptitude for acting it's alluded me.

That was until a few weeks ago when to my surprise an email arrived in my inbox with an "it's too good to be true" request to fulfil this long held dream.

The PR company that looks after the award-winning West End show The Commitments, currently playing to packed houses at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, asked if I would like a walk on part in it.

Thinking it was a wind up I ignored it for a day or so before inevitably curiosity got the better of me and I replied asking for more information.

On further investigation and to my utter astonishment it was no wind up - in fact it was very much for real.

And so, never one to turn down an opportunity of a lifetime on Saturday, August 8 I arrived at the theatre's stage door to meet stage manager Marcus Watson who was to show me the ropes.

For those who've not seen the production or know the story it is based on the 1987 book by Roddy Doyle.

It follows the fortunes of a group of young unemployed but musical unknowns from north Dublin in the 1980s.

They were led by Jimmy Rabbitte who helps friends Derek Scully and "Outspan" Foster create a band who will be the saviours of soul music.

Through an advert in the local rag Jimmy recruits a motley crew of singers and musicians to form the band which he names The Commitments.

But just as they are beginning to gel and get established with a series of gigs and a possible record deal it all starts to go wrong.

Sparks fly, and fights ensue when lead singer Deco announces he's applying for Eurovision - without the band - the ageing trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan is seen kissing Commitmentette, Imelda and sax player Dean starts flirting with jazz.

The show itself is an absolute belter - performed with gusto, passion and a serious energy by the 27 strong hugely talented cast of actor musicians, most of whom hail from the Emerald Isle, and are supported by the 30-strong backstage crew.

The music is as impressive and as glorious as you would expect it to be with all the old classics such as Mustang Sally, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and Try A Little Tenderness.

So you won't be surprised to learn that there was more than a little trepidation on my part about what was to follow.

Given my previous "acting" experience was limited to playing Mr Bumble in a school production of Oliver Twist when I was about nine and a truly forgettable performance as Gwendoline Fairfax in The Importance Of Being Ernest at university I was hoping that my appearance would not require any acting ability - or more importantly that they'd regret their invitation!

Fortunately for me - and the audience - Marcus explained that all I had to do was to follow one of the ensemble characters on to the stage in the given scene, sit by the bar, chat to the bar manager, drink a pint of fake Guinness, watch the guys play darts and then leave at the end of the scene.

What could be easier than that?

First things first though, I had to get acquainted with the stage.

Marcus took me onto it through the wings and showed me where I would come on, where I would leave at the end of the scene and what I'd be doing.

The stage itself is small because the theatre is tall and narrow. As a result there isn't much room at the back or sides of the stage for the sets. It's down to the talented crew to negotiate their way around the actors as they change the sets at the end of each scene.

It's all very compact but looking out to an empty auditorium with its hundreds of seats on four levels, with all the stage lights on was both surreal and exciting.

But there was no time to admire the view, or get stage fright because I was needed in wardrobe.

There I met Wendy Phillips who dresses the cast. She has been working in costume departments in various London theatres for more than a decade so knows her stuff.

She soon found me a very 80s brown patterned dress, a pair of rather orange tights and a pair of brown shoes to wear.

A quick visit to wigs and I was done. It was there I met John McLarnon who plays guitarist Outspan who was having his hair done.

"You will be amazing," he smiled reassuringly. "We really love having people on - we've had other journalists and also competition winners. It's really fun for them and for us.

"It’s such a fantastic show that you can't help but have a good time doing it and you get a real buzz. You'll love it - so don't be nervous!"

Words of encouragement too came from Padraig Dooney who plays Sap, and who I was to follow onto the stage, as well as Daniel Lloyd who I was to follow off.

As I waited in the wings to go on I met Brian Gilligan who plays the quick tempered but vocally gifted Deco, the star of the show.

"Enjoy it," he said. "You will love it - good luck!"

And then I was on. Marcus led me under the stage and to the wings before I stepped out onto the stage.

It was all a bit of a dream and a blur but I had a chat with the bar manager, played by Christopher Fry and pretended to get enthused by the game of darts being played by Daniel while the main action was taking place in the centre of the stage.

I tried to take a peak of the audience but the lights were too dazzling to see properly.

All too soon though it was time to come off stage, get out of my costume and take my seat in the auditorium to watch the rest of the show - which is toe-tappingly terrific and well worth seeing.

As well as the excitement and utter thrill of being on stage it was fascinating to see at first hand how the show is put together backstage and the work that goes into getting ready.

Sadly I don't think there were any casting agents, directors or talent scouts in the audience that night to capture my brief appearance but it was the most unforgettable and brilliant experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Commitments is on at the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue until Sunday November 1. Visit www.thecommitments.london/ for full listings.

INTERVIEW - Tommy Steele

IT’S been 70 years since Glenn Miller vanished over the English Channel as he flew to Paris to entertain the troops during the Second World War.

No one knows what happened to the man whose music defined an era but his disappearance stunned the world.

Now the story of one of the most iconic musical figures of the 20th century will be brought to life in a brand new theatre production, led by one of South London’s favourite sons – Tommy Steele.

And according to the 78-year-old Bermondsey-born entertainer, the Glenn Miller Story promises to have audience on their feet jiving, be-bopping, swinging and jitterbugging while taking them back to the big band days of the 1940s.

“The story is solid gold,” he tells me. “It’s such a great story – a real adventure in music that will get your toes tapping away – and it was that that made me want to do it.

“It’s got great music of course and singing, dancing and with a full and spectacular 16-piece orchestra, it will really wow audiences.

“It’s got the heritage of the story and the sound. People will come and enjoy the music, the dancing and the splendour of it all.

“Glenn Miller died right at the top of his profession and it was only after his death that he became such a hit. It’s very sad.”

It was while Tommy was talking to friend and producer Bill Kenwright that the idea for this production came about.

Bill discovered that his love of Elvis Presley was equal only to Tommy’s adoration of Glenn Miller and his orchestra and thus the seed for a musical collaboration were sown.

“Glenn Miller was the most famous big band leader and I’ve always loved his music – I’m a huge fan,” says Tommy.

“He changed the face of popular music from 1939 to 1943 and he was the most popular recording artist in the world.

“Bill and I were talking about the James Stewart film The Glenn Miller Story and he got really excited about the possibility of telling the story as a musical.

“But there was an obvious problem – although I am fit and healthy and an ‘eight shows a week’ song and dance man, I’m a pensioner from Bermondsey – I’m too old!

“However with a bit of theatre magic we’ve made it work and I’m delighted. It's full of drama, so an actor's dream and it’s going to be wonderful to sing all those amazing songs. And we’ve got some fabulous dancers – the choreography is stunning and it will take everyone back to the big band days of the 1940s.

“It will be wonderful and I can’t wait.”

The show is about to start a 12-week UK tour and will come to the New Wimbledon Theatre next week. It is a theatre Tommy knows well and he tells me it was where he performed Half A Sixpence many years ago.

“It was the first theatre I performed in,” he says. “I remember it was Half A Sixpence and the producer said we didn’t have a good enough number for the second act. So we all got together with the composer who said he’d written this song, Flash Bang Wallop. It ended up being one of the biggest songs of the year!”

So how will he cope with the rigours of the 12-week tour I ask.

“I work out five days a week and have done all my life,” he chuckles. “I’ve always tried to look after myself and I run a lot. I go to bed at 1am because usually I’m doing a show – if I'm not doing a show then I get really fidgety!

"But I love every second of it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

It wasn’t always like this though. In fact Tommy had no real ambitions towards stardom when he was growing up.

He had a number of odd jobs before enlisting with the Royal Navy at 15 but it was whilst in America that he heard the sound of Buddy Holly and a spark was ignited.

When he got back to the UK he began singing and playing his guitar in Soho coffee shops while on leave, was discovered, and shortly afterwards he had made his first record.

His subsequent career in entertainment is legendary – singer, songwriter, actor on both stage and screen, author and even sculptor, he is regarded as one of this country’s best-loved all round entertainers.

Indeed his CV includes more than 20 hit singles, 12 hit films and numerous award winning stage musicals.

“I like showing off,” he laughs. “That’s what it was all about really. I had no idea I was going to go into showbiz. I took up playing guitar and went on the stage. Someone asked me to do panto and I thought it would be a bit of fun and it was – I realised I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

“I’ve worked hard but had a ball along the way and I would love this to last forever.”

And when he wants to relax a bit he says he writes, paints or does his sculpting.

“All that is done over a period of time but it’s a way of relaxing,” he says. “I like to be busy – it’s what drives me and keeps me young.”

He also likes his pie and mash and makes a weekly trip to Manze’s Pie and Mash shop in Tower Bridge Road when he’s in London.

“I live in Lambeth so it’s very quick to get there,” he says. “It’s a great place and has been there since my dad was a little boy. I love it.

“My wife and I used to live in Richmond but when our daughter moved out we were just rattling around and I decided and I wanted to come back here.

“It’s got everything you need – great theatres, the Thames and wonderful buildings. If it was good enough for Shakespeare it’s good enough for me!”

The Glenn Miller Story is on at the New Wimbledon Theatre between Saturday August 28 and Saturday, September 5. Tickets from £21.40. Visit www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon or call the box office on 0844 871 7646.

INTERVIEW - Young Jean Lee, appearing at the Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre

MONDAY sees the start of this year's Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre.

It is being curated by pop music legend and Talking Heads frontman, the multi award-winning David Byrne. He follows in the hallowed footsteps of the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Ray Davies and James Lavelle who have all directed the annual festival in the past.

Over the years Meltdown has given these guest curators the chance to pick their favourite artists to play or exhibit their work at Southbank Centre resulting in a varied and vibrant programme of events. This year is no exception.

For the 22nd Meltdown, David has chosen an eclectic line up of artists that span a wide range of musical genres as well as stretching beyond the musical realm into dance, theatre and film.

Among those taking part are musicians Bianca Casady and Anna Clavi, Spanish flamenco star, Estrella Morente, singer Petra Haden and post punk band, Young Marble Giants.

It also features Brooklyn-based playwright Young Jean Lee who will take to the stage with her band Future Wife to do her OBIE award-winning show, We're Gonna Die.

It is a performance made up of songs and monologues inspired by the death of her beloved father and was first performed four years ago in New York.

"I was consumed with grief after my father died and ended up writing this show," the 41-year-old tells me.

"I wanted to write something that would comfort people who were grieving, myself included - not just those who had lost someone but about any awful things in life - whether it be ageing, sickness, love or loss.

"All the stories I tell in the show are true but not all of them happened to me - some did but there are others that happened to my close friends which I incorporated into it.

“It's all very personal though and was really hard to write especially as I tell the story about how my father died. It was the most traumatic thing that ever happened to me and it was tough to get through.

"Writing about it was definitely a cathartic experience and has helped me with my own grief.”

Despite the sadness and the pain, Young Jean Lee insists that the piece is full of humour and fun.

“It sounds like it could be a depressing show but it’s definitely not,” she says warmly. “The way I tell the stories is in a lighthearted way.

“I wanted humour in the show, that was very important and so it ended up being quite comic. It’s the same with the songs and although there is a real mix, most of them are quite poppy and upbeat.

"However, it was even harder to perform than it was to write especially singing the songs because I'm not a performer normally and it’s not natural for me – in fact it was almost torture!
“But every time I've done the show, and had an audience there, it's always incredibly cathartic and is a bit of a healing experience. It’s got a bit easier to do, though it’s still very emotional.

“People come up to me afterwards, share their experiences and say how it’s helped them which is really good."

For Meltdown though she won’t be singing the songs – that will be down to her special guest, David Byrne.

“In the original show I sang the songs and did the monologues so that it was part of a continuous story,” she says. “In this version I tell the stories and David sings the songs.

“He came to see the original production in New York and really liked it. He invited me to do the show in its original form for Meltdown but as I hadn’t done it for a while I wasn’t sure.

"The most stressful part is the singing and as I was reluctant to do it again I said I’d find a singer but he offered to do it instead.

"It is a very surreal experience to see and hear David Byrne singing your songs – there is nothing like it!

“When we did rehearsals it was a very weird experience because I got way more emotional than I would normally. He really infuses so much energy and emotion into the music so it was hard to keep my emotions in check.”

That it was difficult to both write and perform should not be a surprise to those who know Young Jean Lee’s work.

She says she does things “that would be my worst nightmare” because they will take her out of her comfort zone.

Her work is unashamedly unorthodox and previous pieces include Untitled Feminist Show in which the cast perform nude, an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear and identity plays such as Straight White Men.

“When I start a play, I ask myself, ‘what is the last show in the world I would ever want to make?’ and then I force myself to do it,” she says.

"For me it's all about struggling to achieve something in the face of failure, incompetence and not-knowing.

"That’s my inspiration really. It’s so uncomfortable, there is nothing easy about the process and it’s always a nightmare but it gives my work an energy, I learn new skills and I always get a real buzz doing it.

"Since I've been writing I've found the only way to make theatre that gets the audience thinking is when I feel uncomfortable creating it. So my work is uncomfortable and hard for me to write but it takes me out of my comfort zone, is always a challenge and makes me stronger.

"There is a level of terror that never goes away though,” she adds. “Each show I do the stakes get higher.

“We're Gonna Die was definitely the worst to do because I perform in it. Nothing can top that terror! It was and is the most terrifying experience and I used to shake throughout the entire show.”

Despite the terror, she says she’s looking forward to coming back to London, a place she’s performed at before and to be part of the festival.

“I’m so excited,” she enthuses. “To perform on stage with David is definitely going to be a career highlight – I can’t even process it!

“It doesn’t seem real especially as I’ve never performed to that amount of people before. I’m very nervous about being on stage with such a superstar and as part of such an important festival but I’m really excited to be in London and hanging out here.

"It’s going to be very special.”

Young Jean Lee's We're Gonna Die is on at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre as part of Meltdown Festival on between Thursday August 27 and Sunday August 30. Tickets from £20. Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk or call the box office on 020 7960 4200 for full Meltdown Festival listings.

Go Ape review

ANYONE with young kids will know how much energy they have – they are like dogs, they need to run and bound about. They are also for the most part pretty fearless.

So, what to do when you’ve exhausted all the parks, adventure playgrounds and soft play areas?

Well, help is at hand in the form of Go Ape. For those not familiar, Go Ape is one of the country’s leading forest adventure companies where days out are about having fun and living life at full throttle with family and friends.

There are 28 Go Ape adventures dotted around the country all set in one of Britain’s many and spectacular forests.

They consist of assault courses complete with zip wires, rope ladders, wobbly crossings, bridges, tunnels and swings and all about 10m off the ground.

No two courses are the same, they can vary between an hour and three hours long and all have height and age restrictions. What they all promise though is the wow factor and an adrenaline rush unlike anything else.

The Go Ape adventure began in 2001 when founders Tris and Becs Mayhew were on holiday in France with their six-month old baby. They came across a French family swinging through the trees and from the looks on their faces, it was clear all of them were having the time of their lives.

It inspired Tris and Becs enough to quit the London rat race and Go Ape was born. Now, 28 locations later they are still adding adventures including Forest Segway Experience safaris, Zip Trekking Adventure and Tree Top Junior courses for kids.

It was this last activity that I thought might be good to try out and so last weekend husband Martin and I took our two kids, Lucy aged 10 and Tom aged six to Bedgebury Forest near Tunbridge Wells to see if we could entice them up into the trees for an hour.

The Tree Top Junior course takes kids on the same kind of adventure as the adult version but specially tailored to their abilities.

First up we had to read the safety instructions very carefully – we were tested by one of the instructors before we were allowed up the steps – and then we were given harnesses. Onto this was fastened a wire with a metal trolley which ran along the zip wire - that was our safety net.

Then, when we were ready to be let loose, we were allowed up the steps and into the trees to begin our adventure.

There were two routes to go round - the first was designed to be short enough to ease us in and get us used to it, the second a bit longer and slightly more challenging.

Looking from the ground up it didn’t seem too bad – indeed it looked like a piece of cake. What could be difficult about stepping off the small circular platform that surrounded the tree and onto a series of planks that seemed an alarming distance apart from one another before reaching the next tree and its circular platform?

As it happens, in my case, quite a bit. I made the fatal mistake of looking down and had a really bad case of vertigo.

Knees quaking, hands sweating and practically frozen to the spot, I ended up retracing my steps and spending most of the rest of the hour on terra firma - much to my embarrassment and annoyance.

Lucy was also very nervous at first and almost followed me down the steps. However, to her credit, she was coaxed round the course after a pep talk by Tess, one of the brilliant instructors. Before long she was up and around both the routes like a pro.

Despite Tess’s valiant efforts, she couldn’t persuade me to take my foot off the platform and although I did try again, it just wasn’t to be.

Tom however had no such problems. He may be small but he was very agile, like a young gazelle, nimbly negotiating his way round both routes. The first was a short route to get to grips with the wobbly nature of the crossings. Most consisted of planks of wood attached to wires although one was made up of just a net – had that been the first one I’d come across I might just have had more confidence to give it a go. The final leap into the unknown was the zip wire which looked a lot of fun and the kids gave it a great big thumbs up.

The second route was a bit more challenging and included a single wire much like a tightrope between the trees which you had to walk across. To help you do that, grab ropes were suspended from another wire at regular intervals - it was by far the most tricky to negotiate and wasn't for the faint hearted!

This route was about double the length of the first and also finished with the zip wire.

Tom was a natural and he raced through in no time at all. Indeed I lost count of the amount of times he went round both routes.

Martin was initially a bit unsure and nervous but he too got round both routes although he admitted the tightrope wa a bit hairy.

Most of the kids there were having a great time – and the amount of laughter and squealing with delight, particularly when they’d got round was great to hear.

One mum told me that she comes fairly regularly because she wanted to get over her own fear of heights and not pass it on to her children.

And although I was not brave enough to do it - for which I'm somewhat embarrassed about - it was a great day out nonetheless and I would heartily recommend it. The hour zipped by all too quickly but there was no reason to rush off because Bedgebury Forest offers so much else to do so you can make a whole day of it.

There are plenty of walks for various abilities, bikes can be hired to ride on specific routes and there are two adventure playground areas as well as a lovely cafe.

As for the Go Ape challenge, I am determined to conquer the fear and one day hope to do the adult course which is also at Bedgebury and which appeared to have plenty of happy customers.

And as for the kids, at the end of the hour both Lucy and Tom got a certificate to show they’d conquered the course, and both immediately said they wanted to do it again. Praise indeed.

Go Ape has adventures all over the country. Visit www.goape.co.uk/ for full listings and prices.

REVIEW Heresy of Love, Globe theatre

FOUR STARS

ON the face of it a play about a 17th century Mexican nun who wrote plays and was persecuted for it doesn't sound like desperately exciting. However, I urge you to give Heresy Of Love at the Globe a chance.

Written by Helen Edmundson it is set in a convent in Mexico in the late 1600s. There a gifted, intelligent and progressive writer, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, pens her poems and plays.

She is celebrated by the Court, her fellow nuns and also the Bishop Santa Cruz who are all beguiled by her wit, wisdom and intelligent argument.

However when Archbishop Aguiar y Sejas takes control of the church he demands she stop writing fearing that she is a danger to society.

At first the other nuns and bishops try to persuade him to be more lenient but he has an iron will and is good at blackmail and in the end she is forced to stop. Her downfall is hastened thanks to a jealous fellow nun and her erstwhile friend Bishop Santa Cruz.

It is a fascinating commentary on the society at the time - how women were perceived both in and out of the church - and how women are still fighting for equality in all aspects of their lives.

The acting is first rate with a very powerful performance from Naomi Frederick as Juana. She is more than ably supported by Anthony Howell as Bishop Santa Cruz and Ellie Piercy as the Vicereine, with whom Juana has a close friendship.

But perhaps the star of the show was really Sophia Nomvete as the nun’s maid Juanita. Her witty repostes and saucy asides had the audience in stitches.

Brilliantly and beautifully written by Edmundson, it is a wonderful play – thought provoking, intelligent, passionate and moving and in its own way really quite gripping. It is also funny and tragic and the ending is full of sadness but also of hope.

You can’t really ask for more.

The Heresy Of Love is on at Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside until September 5. Tickets cost from £5. Visit www.shakespearesglobe.com or call the box office on 020 7401 9919.