It strode across a century, enduring wars,

The shifts of fashion and the scorns of time,

A post-war enclave of a simpler age; but

Not the gulf of Covid, short but absolute.

Once, summer evenings in this noon-cool hall

Filled hours with ice-cream, raffles and applause

As year-worn boards upheld performances

And eager actors tried their ways with words

And chill Oct...

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By ghost light, the lonely stage is lit,
no one is there it is lit for ghosts alone,
all of the actors are hiding from the stage,
people in crowds are shunned,
the era is one of fear,
so no one even there comes near,
only the ghost of productions past are there.

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Christmas is for pantomime

that was, until recent events

these days you stay at home

at least if you have any sense

traditional roll-call of villains

fight between good and bad

left you going home dizzy, or

on occasion fearful and sad

magic at the theatre's over

sick panto's in the very air

lungs and nature in conflict

Big Bad Wolf out of his lair

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Old Vic

Once these doors close

The lights are dimmed

They may never open again

The soft ghosts of actors

Fading in our memory

Leaving only distant echoes

The bright gaudy costumes

The greasepaint and powders

All left where they last fell

The empty seats collect dust

The stage becomes a mausoleum

Of tragedy and comedy

Pennies draining ...

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He was a bit-part actor, he never dreamt of commanding his stage

He signed on as a walk-on character, a cameo role in a one-off play,

Each night he learnt his lines, the same words he would speak every day

Rehearsing his part word-perfect, in the hope that his public would pay

No one spelled out his name in neon, the only stars he knew were in the night sky

His costume was neve...

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Before you start reading this piece, I'd like to take your attention for one moment to remember Maggie Turner, the woman whom this piece is about. She was a firecracker of a woman and one of the most inspiring, intelligent, opinionated, caring, compassionate people I've ever known. She said what she thought and wore her heart on her sleeve. Not enough people in this world do that, and I love he...

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The play has just ended,
the curtain dropped
and the applause ceased.
One after the other we get
out of the blue theatre
of this crowded evening.
Everybody will remember
a different story to tell,
according to the seat
of their own
point of view.
And all of us will forget
something: a character,
a cue, the colour of a voice
or the notes in a gesture
we didn’t list...

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When we think about the freedoms

our ancestors thought for,

the cracking of the great enigma.

Futile hopes soaked in apple-core tears

crashing like a faulty application.

Remember, that's so gay.

When you websling like Spidey

page to page.

From songs on YouTube,

to memes about Derp...

remember his hurt.

Remember, that's so gay.

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We’re pleased to announce the following promotions for our 24th September OpenMind event at Fuel Cafe Bar.

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Take a look at the poster for our OpenMind: Slamming September event at Fuel on Monday 24th September.

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'The Men Pomes' by Gerry Potter
8pm, 29.2.12 - 3.3.12
Studio Salford, Kings' Arms, 11 Bloom Street, Salford £7 / 5
Tickets can be bought on the night at the door or bought online http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_northwest&query=schedule&venue=kingsarmssalford&month=1&day=29&year=112&interface=kingsarmssalford

Creator of Chloe Poems and writer of smash hit play 'Miracle', Ge...

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Once-upon-a-time, a barman worshipped the Sun.

Worked nights so didn’t see much of it

but in his head he’d got stories of

the Fire God supreme,

Blaze Lord,

vanquishing monsters who'd eat out your dreams.

He called the Sun ‘Hero’,

believed it had six pairs of arms,

giant wings of flame

and the handsomest nose in the galaxy.

Made moons blush

and g...

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From clog-dancing kick-off to grandstand finish, Bolton Octagon's riveting revival of writers Les Smith and Martin Thomasson's play takes us on a swerving run through a slice of working-class life in1920s Bolton.

Bolton born, bred and buttered, and Trotters (Bolton Wanderers) fans all their lives, the writers draw from what they know to create this play, winner of best new play in the Manch...

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