They Say You Go From Panto to Pinter...
They say you go from panto to Pinter.
Looking back, I don't think I ever truly appreciated just how much time, effort and money my parents invested in taking us to the theatre and concerts when we were growing up.
It's only as an adult that I've realised what an incredible gift that was.
My earliest theatre memories are of our annual pilgrimage to the Nottingham Playhouse pantomime, watching the wonderful Kenneth Alan Taylor... still, to this day, the greatest Dame I've ever seen.
We always went in early January, and it became the perfect antidote to those post-Christmas blues. Which, I've still not grown out of.
As my and my sister got older, live entertainment became a bit of an obsession. I remember sulking when my Katie was taken to see Bucks Fizz before I was considered old enough for concerts. Justice, however, was eventually restored when I was finally allowed to see Jason Donovan.
My sister Katie and her friend Susan were given strict instructions that they were responsible for my safety and that nothing bad was to happen to me. Looking back, I suspect a Jason Donovan audience wasn't exactly the most dangerous crowd in Britain, but Mum wasn't taking any chances.
That Jason Donovan obsession eventually led to my first West End show - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jason and Linzi Hately absolutely blew me away. I can still remember sitting there completely captivated. It was one of those moments that quietly changes your life without you even realising it.
From then on, my love of theatre just kept growing.
These days I probably see somewhere between 30 and 40 productions every year. I also have a slightly unhealthy habit of buying the programme from almost every show as if they're some sort of theatrical trophies.
One day, I genuinely intend to catalogue every performance I've ever seen into a spreadsheet (because of course I do). Partly because I'm fascinated by spotting performers before they became household names.
I remember seeing Greg Davies before his The Inbetweeners and Taskmaster fame. Although, if I'm honest, I mainly remember it because I rather drunkenly persuaded him to have a photo with me, my sister Katie and our friend Joe Butler. (For reasons nobody can explain, she's always referred to by both her first and surname.)- Sorry Greg!!
Live events aren't just something we enjoy, they're something we genuinely care about.
Supporting theatre is one of the values that sits at the heart of Trinder and Trinder Productions.
When theatres faced an uncertain future during COVID, like so many people, we worried about what we'd lose. So when the curtains finally went back up, we cried happy tears sitting in the audience of our first show back.
And what was it?
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
With Jason Donovan and Linzi Hately.
Granted, Jason was playing Pharaoh by then rather than Joseph; but honestly, we were just delighted to be back in a theatre watching live performance again.
There's something magical about sharing a room with hundreds of strangers, all laughing, crying, gasping and applauding together. It's an experience that simply can't be replicated anywhere else.
So if you've got a show, a play, a musical, a comedy night or any live performance you'd like to promote, please do get in touch. We're always happy to help spread the word, and if we're not already booked ourselves, there's every chance you'll spot us in the audience too.
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