Latest 7 magazine

Anthony Van Laast MBE, choreographer of stage spectaculars, on why he loves Holiday On Ice and working with Robin Cousins

How did you first get involved with Holiday on Ice?
It was interesting. I choreographed two big shows in Las Vegas, I choreographed a show for Siegfried & Roy, the magicians with the white tigers, and I worked with Michael Crawford at the MGM hotel. Each one, at its time, was the biggest show ever done in Vegas.
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Make your children’s Christmas sparkle with fairytale magic from the Kiev Classical Ballet and Orchestra

This year Brighton Dome is proud to welcome the Kiev Classical Ballet and Orchestra for their Brighton debut, with a double bill of two children’s favourites: Peter and the Wolf and The Carnival of the Animals.
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There will be a fairytale at Christmas for the Theatre Royal, with The Wizard of OZ

There will be no pantomime in Brighton this year. Fairytale fans need not fret, however, as the Theatre Royal is putting on a production of one of the most enduring fantasy stories of all time. The change of tack follows the disappointment of last year’s pantomime, Cinderella, which featured Kim and Aggie. In response to criticism and a slump in ticket sales, the Theatre Royal is dropping the celebrities and putting on a fully professional production using West End performers, and has hired multiple Olivier Award-nominated star Tim Flavin as director.

Latest 7 spoke to Flavin, who will also be ‘following the yellow brick road’ as Scarecrow, before he embarks upon the rehearsals ahead.

‘‘I’m a traditionalist… I’m going to deliver the best piece of musical theatre that I possibly can’’

We began by asking him how he felt his production would differ from panto. “I’m not trying to compete with Pantomime… I’m a traditionalist, so I’m going to deliver the best piece of musical theatre that I possibly can and let other people do panto and provide that choice”.

“Last year the panto didn’t do as well as they had hoped. That’s the diplomatic way of putting it. This year we are determined to do better by producing a show of a better performing quality”.

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Roy Hutchins and Tony Haase (aka Roy & Tony’s Club) talk to Latest Seven

Earlier this year, Roy Hutchins and Tony Haase (aka Roy & Tony’s Club) performed a season of six fortnightly comedy theatre music shows at the Open House, offering completely new material each time.

The Latest’s very own critic Candy McNamara wrote: “A properly intimate cosy club… with Hutchins as the pedantic slightly uptight foil to Haase’s exuberantly manic flights of fancy, in a sort of updated Pete and Pete, where they grow up and become self aware.

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