Underground Man

The second part of the Underground Man tour (Nottingham Playhouse/AJTC Co-production) will start later this month. Thursday 26th at Barnsley Civic Theatre.

The play had fabulous reviews on it’s opening in Nottingham last September.

Look at AJTC website for tour details.

Underground Man

Just been offered and accepted the job as musician and composer for Nottingham Playhouse/AJTC coproduction of Underground Man. It’s a play about the life and decline of a great eccentric character who built a series of tunnels under his house in Nottinghamshire. The play starts with a two week run in Nottingham in September before going on a national tour. More details soon!

Musical Weekend

Just had a busy weekend playing various sorts of music. Friday 20th was a Beaujolais Nouveau evening in Muston near Filey. This village is best known for it’s wonderful scarecrow festival in late summer. On Sunday lunchtime I played klezmer and swing music with Stephen Shulman (violinist, Opera North) in Heptonstall Church followed in the evening by a free for all jam session with him and others in the Shoulder of Mutton in Hebden Bridge. Lots of people there which was great!

Royal Academy of Music

Great that there is another Accordion Department open day at the Royal Academy of Music today. There are some excellent concerts there throughout the year  by students of Prof. Owen Murray, the academy’s accordion teacher. If you live in the London area don’t forget to look out for them.

Teaching

It’s early October and I’m hoping to get a few more students to learn to play the accordion. There’s been more interest in the instrument since Martynas was in the classical music charts playing this great instrument. Don’t be shy, get in touch if you are interested in the accordion!

Ampleforth College

I have just been appointed as the accordion teacher at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire. I’m currently teaching in St Martin’s School but the post covers both that school and the college. I am hoping that more accordionists will apply to the school or be inspired to take up the instrument!

Bin Men

Just finished a tour of Mike Kenny’s play called Bin Men. It’s a great bit of theatre for children, really the story of Don Quixote. I wrote and performed the music for accordion and dustbin! Visit ajtctheatre.co.uk for more information on this joint production with York Theatre Royal.

What I’m up to…

I am currently touring AJTC’s ‘The Gardener’ by Mike Kenny again (Oct 2012-March 2013).  Yes, Grumpy Granny is on the road again! There are only a few dates on this tour as it’s covering a delayed project called ‘Bin Men’. This is another Mike Kenny play for which I am composing and performing the music. Almost certainly acting in it too. It’s a collaboration of AJTC and York Theatre Royal starting in April/May 2013.