Jan Leeming - The Official Website

SWINGTIME - Baxter Theatre - Capetown

17th October 2009

Even though this particular visit to Capetown is a very short one, my friend and I wanted a night out at the Theatre - and we could hardly have chosen better.  

I've always loved the song 'Mr Bojangles' and it was really that number which prompted me to book for  Sean Bovim's 'Swingtime' at the Baxter Theatre.

Doreen and I saw Bovim's 'Tango Nights' earlier this year and though we loved the choreography,  costumes and music, we found the male dancers a trifle disappointing.  Some of them were shorter than the girls and this didn't lend itself to the grace of the Tango.  The girls were gorgeous.

Swingtime was even more enjoyable. It takes the audience on a nostalgic journey of the Big Band Era. The story centres around Bojangles, the owner of the Swing Club where it all happened. Bojangles' journey takes the audience back in time where romance was the order of the day, and dancing was a way of life for the young and young-at-heart. The audience follows Bojangles on his trip down memory lane, where he remembers his past loves and conjures up wonderful memories of his time at The Swing Club. 

The Female Dancers were absolutely superb and moved like gossamer and in beautiful unison - they were far better than the Ballerinas that my son and I saw a few weeks ago when we attended a performance of Swan Lake in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Once again we felt the male dancers didn't quite have the same edge.  

I suppose you'd call the dance - Jazz Ballet - with the girls performing a great deal en pointe. There were two additional touches which contributed greatly to the performance - a singer called Francois Lliam and a Violinst - Francois Arzul.

It's probably an odd comment but the programme was a 'must have'  - produced like an old LP record and containing some beautiful period pictures.  I made a promise to myself a few years ago that I would stop buying programmes but here I am collecting them once again.  I wish there had been a CD to accompany the show but I suppose the music is still under copyright.

If the show were on for longer I'd definitely book to see it again.

I've looked up Sean Bovim on the Internet and he has an impressive track record and is still a comparatively young man. He's won many Awards and I'm not surprised - his choreography is stunning.

I don't know from where he gleans his talented dancers - maybe the Cape Town City Ballet!

Can only say, I look forward to his next 'oeuvre' with impatience.

Back to the UK in a few days' time and straight into rehearsals for 'Calendar Girls'.  My part is very tiny but I'm still nervous about it and don't know yet how the Director wants me to play Lady C.

What do you think? Send your feedback to contact@jan-leeming.com.

CALENDAR GIRLS

6th October 2009

I don't know whether I'm on my head or my heels.  There I was looking forward to visiting my beloved Capetown when Wham, Bam, Alacazam - I was offered Fairy Godmother in Pantomime at Cambridge and concurrently a small part in the West End Production of Calendar Girls.  It was a hard choice to make but, in the end, Calendar Girls won the day.

I saw the production in July and thought it absolutely delightful.  It's been superbly adapted for the stage by Tim Firth and in many respects the Stage Show is even funnier than the Film - I was convulsed with laughter one minute and then had a lump in my throat the next.

For those who haven't read my Biography, apart from a couple of years as a Secretary, my initial working years were as an Actress on the stage in Sydney, so many years later, I'm returning to my roots.  

Everything has been so last minute, that I don't know all of the cast yet.  So I shall wait with baited breath to see who else is in the show.

Isn't life Exciting - I'm not even going to attempt to book another flight to Capetown - or perhaps I should - whenever I make plans like that, something good happens in another direction. (Last year I was asked to give some talks on  the last leg of a World Tour with P & O from Capetown to Southampton - thoroughly enjoyed it but forfeited my already-booked return flight)

Bye for now,  Jan

What do you think? Send your feedback to contact@jan-leeming.com.

A SPECIAL DINNER

1st October 2009

DINNER AT QUEEN'S GAP

I was very honoured to be invited to a Black Tie Dinner at High Wycombe.

So much has sprung from my attending the Battle of Britain Lunch at Capel-le-Ferne in 2007.  Out of that came my wingwalking for the RAF Benevolent Fund.  I'm always delighted to do anything to help this superb Charity.

And at the Luncheons I've met some very interesting people.  Through that came the invitation from Air Chief Marshal Sir Chris Moran to join him and his wife at a Dinner they hosted last week.  It is the second Dinner to which I've been invited at Queen's Gap - the previous one when Sir Clive Loader was in residence.

The Queen's Gap Dinner guests are always a lively bunch of highly intelligent and interesting people.  And I hope Sir Chris won't mind me saying that he and his wife were lovely hosts, very down to earth and with a delightful sense of humour.

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Also from that lunch in 2007 came my sponsorship of the French Pilot - Rene Mouchotte - whose name is engraved on the Foxley Norris Wall at Capel.  I've found out a great deal about him. And what is also interesting is that I've also discovered that one of the names on that wall is of a distant relative - A.H. Pettet - so I'm now trying to trace the ancestry.

Next year is the 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain so there will probably be quite a few programmes about the wonderful young men who sacrificed themselves for our freedom and I shall be watching with great interest.

What do you think? Send your feedback to contact@jan-leeming.com.