I am sooooo sorry people. It seems I didn’t post my Blog last week – what a doofus! You will now have to put up with a quick fire round of the last two weeks in one hit – can you handle it!?

The ball of fire that shoots down Vitamin D disappeared last week and I felt I had spoken too soon about Spring being...well...sprung!

It also seemed that those nasty ruddy bugs were still doing the rounds too as Miranda Hart, who was due at our studio, had to call in sick. So no sun, and no fun – what a depressing way to begin the week.

Ah well, things can only get better right?!

You can always rely on Mr Stephen Critchlow to put smiles back on faces.

I received an e-mail from him announcing the opening of his show (as featured in the Blog a couple of weeks ago) at The Salisbury Playhouse – The Game of Love and Chance, last Thursday.

Quick Overview of the Play:

Silvia’s father, Mr Prowde, is keen to marry her off – and has invited an eligible young bachelor to the family home for the weekend. However, Dorant, the beau in question, has decided that he’d like to take a look at his intended in disguise – and so swaps places with his manservant. Unbeknownst to him, though, Silvia has had a similar idea – and exchanges clothes with her maid.

And so begins a Sixties house party where nothing – and no-one – is to be taken at face value.

Critch tells me that it’s been fun rehearsing with lots of chases. Plus he is doing a dance curtain call where he looks like Frankenstein trying to dance....why?....quite simply because he’s rubbish at it. So if you fancy a giggle with Critch, and at his expense, check out the link below for info on ticket purchases.

http://www.salisburyplayhouse.com/index.php?plid=165&show=info

Last week we had another of Charles’ Radio 2 chums in at A1.

Richard Allinson is passionate about radio. His first broadcasts were at university, the perfect distraction from his Honours degree in Law. After establishing himself at Capital Radio Richard could also be heard overseas on BBC World Service and BFBS and actually seen on VH-1.

Radio 2 then invited him along for the Sony Award-winning Late Show and the record-breaking Saturday afternoon sequence. Richard’s new Saturday and Sunday shows for Radio 2 alongside ‘Allinson’s Albums’ for BBC regional radio ensures he now enjoys very short weekends.

Richard also went down a storm when he covered Chris Evans’ breakfast show.

One listener said: 'Richard Allinson's show was quite superb this morning. No shouting, no gimmicks, just great music selection and light chat and banter. The guy breezes in and delivers a show that makes the slot sound like his own.'

Another added: 'It is a great way to start the day - gentle wake up instead of the discordant rousting’.

Well, well – it seems Mr Allinson caused quite the scandal!

Mr Keith Barron was the next likely lad up the stairs at VOX towers. In an uncanny coincidence he is godfather to our very own Joan Walkers other half, Ben! Small showbiz world eh!

Keith couldn’t be more Yorkshire if he tried – thank goodness we had the full strength Yorkshire tea on hand to dish out to him on his arrival.

Keith has played leads and supporting leads in a number of British films and television shows. He got his start on the stage after honing his craft at the Sheffield Playhouse.

His major breakthrough was as Nigel Barton, an avatar of the writer Dennis Potter in his plays Stand Up, Nigel Barton and Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton in BBC1’s The Wednesday Play anthology series. He made many one-off television appearances, from Redcap and Z Cars in the mid 60s, to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The New Avengers and The Professionals.

On the big screen, he appeared in Baby Love (1968) and the David Puttnam film Melody (1971) as Mr Latimer. One of his best-loved and best-remembered roles was in the 1980s sitcom Duty Free.

Well we can see why Ben turned out to be a keeper Joan. If Keith had anything to do with his growing up then he would have had a good, solid, no nonsense role model to look up to – by ‘eck they don’t make em like they used to!

This week we must give a big shout out and huge CONGRATULATIONS to one of A1 VOX’s firm friends and guest voice artists - Mr David McFetridge. David has become a dad for the first time.

Is it a boy? or is it a girl?....it’s only one of each - the greedy so and so! Ah, the luck of the Irish.

Molly and Finn were bought into the world in February and for all those doubting the good powers of the mother in law...think again,...especially if conceiving twins, as David says they would be more than a little stuffed without his good wife’s mother on hand to feed and bottom wipe. Move over Supernanny we’ve got Supergran on the case. I get the distinct impression that David is never going to let her leave!

We had another visitor this week in the form of the Cake Fairy.

No I haven’t gone completely bonkers. Jill, friend of A1 VOX, regular reader of our blog, and herself from renowned London institution The Royal Society, dropped on by proffering cakes from a meeting where, shock, horror, baked goods had been left over.

Not ones to leave a destitute welsh cake to a probable destiny of black bin liners and stale coffee, we offered to help put them in a good home. A lovely ‘end of day’ treat Jill. You know where we are if you ever need to re-house any other golden fluffies!

So as we end this weeks blog the sun is starting to get friendly with us all again and new exciting times are afoot at A1 as we expand our VOX-tastic Empire and take hold of the third floor.

This weekend will see us heaving and cajoling furniture, so look out for more details and photographic evidence in next week’s Blog as we aim to take over the vocal world. MWAH MWAH MWAH.

LONDON NEWS

Ghost, the tragic love story starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, tugged at a million tear ducts when it appeared on the big screen 21 years ago....that's right folks...21 years ago!

Now it has become the latest cinema hit to be recreated on stage. But can it recapture the magic?

It is one of Hollywood's classic weepies - a young couple are in the full flush of love and start a life together, with a raunchy pottery-making session along the way. Arts and Crafts never looked so good!

Then he is killed, becomes a ghost and has to find a way to communicate with his beloved from the other side. This is where Whoopi Goldberg’s character comes in to play as the hapless psychic begrudgingly helping the couple bring justice for Sam's murder.

The stage version of Sam and Molly's story received its world premiere in Manchester last Monday, where it will be seen before transferring to London's West End in June.

Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his script for the theatre, while Eurythmics star Dave Stewart has co-written the songs.

Stewart admits he was "a bit put off" by the glossy Hollywood production when the film came out. But he has since been won over by the story's emotional strength.

"I've seen it a few times and every time I see it, everybody cries. Everybody," the musician says. "I haven't seen one person not cry when they've seen it. Well, we make that 10 times worse on the stage."

‘Oh....... my love...my darling...I’ve hungered for.... your touch’...I’m welling up already!

Bruce Joel Rubin says:

“Most musicals that I've seen recently don't work for me - they don't seem to require the music”

Adapting films for the stage is far from a novelty. The Lion King and Billy Elliot are among those that have hit a winning formula, while a long list of others - from Dirty Dancing and Legally Blonde to Shrek and The Wedding Singer - have entertained fans. But many more have struggled to make the leap.

Rubin, used Billy Elliot as a template when translating Ghost for the stage, and cites Hairspray and Wicked as examples of shows that did not work so well.

"Not everything needs to be sung," he says. "Most musicals that I've seen recently don't work for me. They don't seem to require the music. There is music, but why bother?

"But when somebody can't speak the words, or the emotion is so profound that words don't do it justice, song and melody become the only way to get it out."

I for one have to admit that I bloody loved this film and am more than a little intrigued to see how the stage version is received.

Ghost opens at Manchester Opera House before moving to the Piccadilly Theatre in London on 22 June.

So there we have it gang – babies, Frankenstein, a ghost and fairy cakes. Another magical whirlwind of A1 VOX sparkly dust.

Join us next week when we will probably be up to our eyeballs in actual dust after the big move – so wish us well and join us next week.