All That Jazz In Derry-Londonderry

The 12th City Of Derry Jazz Festival is almost upon us

In just a couple of days, the opening notes will sound to usher in the 12th City Of Derry Jazz Festival.

Pubs and clubs all over Derry will be throwing open their doors to the thousands of revellers making their way along the Jazz trail over the weekend. From jazz to jump, from soul to swing, there isn't a box unticked when it comes to music.

Speaking ahead of the festival, which kicks off on Thursday May 2, Mayor Of Derry Cllr Kevin Campbell urged everyone to jump on the jazz bandwagon and enjoy the entertainment.

"If there's one thing people in Derry love, it's music,” he said. "And this weekend is the perfect excuse to get out there and take a musical tour of the city.

"We will be welcoming thousands of visitors to our streets to enjoy all Derry has to offer when it comes to entertainment, and it's a great opportunity to remind the world why we are the current City Of Culture.

"I would like everyone to get out there and support the festival, and do so in a responsible and exemplary way. Let us be ambassadors for our city and be proud of all that we have to offer."

Over eighty venues are included in this year’s Jazz Trail which is sponsored by Guinness, and over 200 events will take place over the course of the four day Bank Holiday Weekend.

The fun begins on Thursday evening with the Mayor's Charity Event in aid of Foyle Search & Rescue, featuring Derry Soulseekers, The Red Stripe Band and of course the Jive Aces (above, featuring Holby City's Rebecca Grant), setting the tone for the rest of what promises to be an amazing festival weekend.

Among the highlights this year are of course the sensational Overtones, making their first visit to the city amidst much critical acclaim. And, for the first time, the city's newest concert arena, The Venue at Ebrington, will be hosting a Grand Vintage Ball on Saturday evening with music by the Puppini Sisters, for fashionistas with soul.

But also look out for The Dark Energy Trio, David Lyttle & Jason Rebello, Brass Impact Big Band, Dana Masters Band, Ben Klock (Celtronic), Beverley Craven, Neil Cowley Trio, Pink Martini, The Stars From The Commitments plus so much more!

Local talent will as always be out in force with performances by some of the city's finest musicians, including local jazz icon Gay McIntyre, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the weekend, and over 60 years in the business. He is joined by son Paul McIntyre, as well as the Derry Soulseekers, The Foyle Showband, Ursula McHugh, John Leighton and a whole host of local bands.

Over 90% of the performances are free thanks to sponsors Guinness, and a full jazz programme is available at www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com.

To find out all the latest festival gossip over the weekend check out City Of Derry Jazz Festival on Facebook.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Iron Man 3

Jon Favreau hands the director's chair to Shane Black for the third (and final?) instalment in the Iron Man series, and the result is pretty much interchangeable. All three Iron Man films have an Ocean's trilogy vibe to them; one never truly believes our comrades are in danger, so it's left for the film to get by on the strength of the villain(s) and the coolness of Robert Downey Jr. Fortunately, the film succeeds in both areas, with the added benefit of some clever cameos and (alright, Sir) Ben Kingsley clearly having the most fun he's had in years. Typically of just about every Avengers film, there's not enough heart and soul, but plenty of flash and bang for your buck. (Though we're still waiting for the first film post-Avatar that will put 3-D to good use... expect headaches if you decide to don the plastic glasses again.)

MUSIC REVIEW: Duke Special

The Grand Old "Duke" Of Belfast delivers the goods in front of an attentive Empire crowd

To these eyes and ears, it is somewhat ironic that one of Belfast-born Peter Wilson's - alright, Duke Special's - best known tunes should be "I Let You Down", for the reality is that he does anything but let his audience down. Every single time he performs, he is guaranteed value for money, a cornucopia of high energy, laughs, and infectious verses & choruses. In other words, loony tunes and merry melodies.

But the first questions we find ourselves asking in the Empire on a very wet night are: what's this harp doing in the middle of the stage, and who's the lady that's stepping forward to play it?

At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that Kate Bush has donned a costume circa "Baboushka" and travelled from afar to entertain us. Actually, it's Belfast-based Ursula Burns, a singer-songwriter and seasoned accompanist with an operatic voice and an outlandish, yet easily identifiable, sense of humour.

Like the "acoustic-comedy-punk-folk" of Hattie Hatstar, Burns' music and manner bemuses, amuses and entertains in one go. It's another successful chapter in her recently acclaimed re-invention as a humourist.

Burns' brand of comedy, and a jokingly earnest introduction by the BT Head Of Marketing - "Hello Belfast - I'm Duke Special!" - is exactly the sort of thing we need to warm us up for the main act. It's his recent assocation with BT - "Sweet, Sweet Kisses" is being used by BT themselves for advertising - that brings "The Duke" to the Empire tonight. And as always, he and his ensemble are determined to make the most of the occasion.

An exceptionally tight and confident opening - the mere sound of the Duke playing piano to signify "Sweet, Sweet Kisses" inspires cheers from the Empire crowd - immediately re-establishes Wilson's unflappable persona. If those dreadlocks of his get caught in his microphone by the time he gets to "Applejack", he's so lost in the jaunty catchiness of the song that he doesn't seem to care, and neither does everyone else. "Everyone else", not just being the audience, of course, but his numerous accompanists, particularly guitarist Paul Pilot, clarinet player Ben Castle and the multi-talented Temperance Society "Chip" Bailey.

The Duke's traditionally upbeat showmanship is everywhere, most memorably in his mimicry during the delightfully amusing, Neil Hannon-penned "Wanda, Darling Of The Jockey Club" (listen below) and also in "Diggin' An Early Grave" which has to be one of the most upbeat-sounding "downers" this writer has ever heard. The sight of three girls in the front row "digging" away during the chorus of said song is definitely something to remember.

As is usually the case with Duke Special gigs, there's so much happening both on stage and in every other corner of the venue that it's sometimes really hard to keep track of everything. Knowing this, the Duke and his band include carefully timed "breathers" in the form of a calm rendition of "Last Night I Nearly Died", an exceptionally melancholy take on his masterpiece "No Cover Up" and the epic, sonic, lyrical storytelling of "Condition", and the calypso-like "Snakes In The Grass". Throw in a few reassuringly familiar singalongs (although "Freewheel" is unfortunately absent) and you have a well-structured set with music to satisfy all tastes. If some renditions are a bit too sorrowful and stretched out for this writer's liking, and the relentless energy is sometimes exhausting, the liberating nature of the gig allows one to overlook this.

The night doesn't quite end as one might expect. Taking a leaf out of Burns' book, the Duke closes things with an improvised song about where numerous members of the audience are from, in a manner akin to most stand-up comics. It's totally out of the blue, but both flattering and amusing; and the more one thinks about it, the more in keeping with the Duke's unorthodox nature it appears to be.

In other words, Typical Duke. And what more could his fans ask for?

Record Store Day, Derry-Londonderry

Rapidly rising stars Little Bear lead an all-star musical cast in Cool Discs

The good vibrations carried over from, well, Good Vibrations seem to have passed into Derry-Londonderry's sole remaining independent record store on Record Store Day. Even before the bands have arrived, punters are browsing through the CDs, DVDs, vinyl and memorabilia in Lee Mason's Cool Discs with curious, intrigued and even excitable looks on their faces. Whether they're contemplating their next purchase, chatting about music or catching up with a friend, they are quite clearly revelling in an atmosphere that's no longer taken for granted in the age of a recession and digital music revolution.

Can they trust the five bands on show to make their day an even more memorable one?

STRENGTH

Perhaps the best word one can use to describe Rory Moore and Strength is "experimental". They're a three-piece, or on this occasion, a two-piece that you can't quite pigeonhole. They've a sound reminiscent of Talking Heads, with sprinklings of Joy Division and The Style Council, minus the drums.

On the whole, it creates a bizarrely retro effect which comes off more positively at the beginning of the set than at the end of it. Moore's depressing keyboard electronica is tougher to warm to than his jazzy, groovy and sometimes funky bass solos, despite the overall consistency of his powerful, echoing vocals. But it's versatile and admirable nonetheless, a performance just about worthy of the band's name.

THE CLAMEENS

From the moment you hear a very Paul Casey-esque guitar riff as a warm up to the set, you know you are going to hear something very different from what fans of The Clameens were used to in their previous incarnation.

I was fortunate enough to be present at what was deemed to be their final gig in Derry's Bentley Bar in December 2011. I likened what I heard at the time to The Kinks and Snow Patrol, commending both lead singer Sean Breslin's "smooth diction" and the band's guitar playing. Well, Breslin's diction certainly remains intact, and the guitars - enhanced by the arrival of new bassist Ryan McGaughey - are stronger and tighter than ever before. But nothing here will remind us of Ray Davies or Gary Lightbody. It is as if the band have undergone a literal regeneration.

The determined Hayden Diver repeatedly hits a cajon box, creating a convincing "drum effect", while Breslin, McGaughey and fellow guitar man Ethan Diver are extremely in sync with one another. It's like watching The Rockettes play guitar, except it is classy rather than unnerving.

"Every song that we do normally involves a lot of heavy tuning", says Breslin as the set draws to a close. With those words, and the punters' positive reactions, the band's general commitment and genial presence are not in doubt. It really would seem that the only way is up for this Derry-Londonderry quartet.

SULLIVAN & GOLD

Sullivan & Gold may not really be called Sullivan & Gold - in reality, their names are Adam Montgomery and Ben Robinson - but in every other way, their names are not deceptive. For their harmonies are extremely reminiscent of possibly the most famous "S & G" of all - yes, you guessed it, Simon & Garfunkel. Even Robinson's demeanour can be likened to Paul Simon's in the video for "You Can Call Me Al".

Their tried and trusted melodies create a mellow effect which evokes memories of The Beautiful South, albeit minus the extremely edgy lyrics, and Crowded House. It gives one the feeling of enjoying a cup of herbal tea, and in an atmosphere mainly dominated by electric guitar, that's not a bad thing at all.

OUR KRYPTON SON

There's little to say about Chris McConaghy - aka Our Krypton Son - that hasn't already been said by both pundits and locals. He plays with such calmness, coolness and confidence that you regret he can't play more than four songs today.

What's particularly noticeable this time, especially in signature tunes "Sunlight In The Ashes" and "Catalonian Love Song" is his strong musicianship. His tunes are extremely well suited to electric guitar, and, like Ocean Colour Scene, he shifts effortlessly between acoustic and full band sets. Imagine the acoustic and original versions of OCS's 1990's hit "The Circle" side by side - different-sounding, yet just as effective as each other - and you get the idea of his overall effectiveness.

McConaghy finishes the set on a humorous and poignant note, inviting Sullivan & Gold to join him for his Roy Orbison tribute, "How Long Must I Dream". If he was still alive, "The Big O" would surely have been pleased to hear it.

LITTLE BEAR

When Little Bear crowd into the corner of Cool Discs, it's near impossible to move in the store.

With due respect to Two Door Cinema Club, Little Bear's appearance on the Glassworks stage at Other Voices Derry in their place did and continues to do wonders for the Derry-based band. They have since performed at Other Voices in London, and will feature at the Indiependence and Groove festivals later this year, amongst other things.

That they've packed the shop to the rafters is no surprise whatsoever, for those who saw them at the Glassworks earlier this year will know that they did more than support the "three gods" they were on stage with that night; they complemented them.

Today, Little Bear seem less experimental and more assured. Right from the start, McCool is making easily relatable jokes about the cost of switching cell phone networks, before using the band's own smartphones to create a very country & western, "whistling" effect that wouldn't sound out of place in a Sergio Leone movie. Shades of heavy angst creep into both "The Devil's The Songbird" and "I'd Let You Win", aspects of which could come across as slightly depressing in other hands. But in the hands and voices of McCool, Mark O'Doherty, Ryan Griffiths and Conor Mason, the tunes are really rich, varied and singable.

From "Night Dries Like Ink" onwards, the band relax and raise the mood and tempo of the set up a notch. But the overall strength and tightness of the band's sound remains, creating the most positive effect of the day. It's a fitting conclusion to the day's music, and another interesting chapter in the musical lives of these no-longer-so-little bears.

And... hang on, what's this? SOAK has crept to the back of the store to congratulate them! Now that's a tight-knit musical community for you...

THEATRE REVIEW: Tillies

Hearty comedy meets emotional complexity in a hugely enjoyable "shirt factory" play

We've reached the interval during Nicky Harley's production of Patsy Durnin's Tillies, one of two plays this week that focuses on women who worked in shirt factories (the other being Frank McGuinness's The Factory Girls). I take a glance at the advertising blurb immediately and spot the words "vivid" and "emotional".

Now, vivid it certainly has been, but "emotional"? So far, we've been treated to an undeniably funny and lively showcase of the talent in Derry-Londonderry, calming nostalgia for the former factory girls in the Millennium Forum audience, including the one sitting beside me. But there's been little poignancy so far. The tone's almost been worthy of a local sitcom, albeit light years better than anything the Hole In The Wall gang could ever come up with. There is little hint of the emotional power that will eventually transform the play into a rather substantial comedic and dramatic historical document.

As the play begins, we're transported back to the floor of Derry's Tillie & Henderson factory in the early 1960's, where our factory girls - Kitty (Maureen Wilkinson), Bertha (Kathy Deehan), Maggie (Maeve Connolly), Rosie (Louise Conaghan), Suzy (Rachel Melaugh) and Lily (Dearbhaile McKinney) - chat about their lives, loves and loathes while wondering about their conditions and pay (or lack of it). Their thick-accented, homely, womanly Derry repartee, which raises regular bursts of laughter, sometimes uproariously so, from everyone in the audience, is worthy of Marie Jones' finest work, although their manager, Davy (Seamus Ball) doesn't share in everyone's amusement: "There's enough clowns in here to run a circus."

The banter we hear toes the line regarding sectarianism, labour and even stereotyping, but it all plays to the rule of funny in the first act, which is really just a casual insight into what these women do when they're not working. For every rather crass or easy joke thrown in (Typical Derry slang like "Catch yerself on!" will always get a laugh from anyone) there's a more sophisticated punchline waiting around the corner.

Yet beneath the laughs, one sees how imaginative and frustrated the girls are. We understand the pain that they feel from the isolated mundanity of factory life, and why it has given them cause for an identity crisis. As Lily, who will soon leave to start a career in nursing, puts it, it's like "a woman's prison", albeit one where the workers consistently sing mood relating, ear-worming songs to keep their spirits up. The slightly gloomier lighting that greets us when the girls talk to union man Steven (Paul O'Doherty) about what the introduction of the (true to life) "time study" programme will mean for them foreshadows the beating heart of the play that we will soon bare witness to.

The arrival of time study man Robert (Andrew Doherty) is a vital injection of life into the play, with the entire programme being the emotional centrepiece of the whole affair. Its mantra - more work, less workers, lower wages - cleverly and carefully reflects the effects and the potential causes of not only the girls' situation, but the current economic crisis. The "everyone for themselves, grab, grab, grab" nature of the programme is telling, with the girls, especially Maggie, smart enough to realise that it is a "necessary" evil being forced on them by the climate, rather than the boon to the workers that Davy and Steven initally claims it is.

The tone of the powerful second act is not always effectively maintained, with a quiet chat between Bertha and Davy seeming rather out of place amidst much hyperactivity and fireworks. On reflection, however, it is necessary in that we see Davy admit the nature of his mistakes, and how management must paint a good picture of their business even though they feel they are in the wrong. And the sadness the girls feel when they lose their jobs really strikes a chord. We've already learnt how easy one can become entrenched in a working routine. But it's here that we are uncomfortably reminded that, however soul-destroying it may seem at times, a job is a job, and that when you lose yours, how hard it is to get back in to work. It's a tried and trusted message, and it's not delivered very subtly either, but the points are made effectively, with the entire cast - especially Deehan and Connelly - truly rising to the occasion.

But for all the messages I've heard tonight, the best one I have to give is: see Tillies. You don't have to be a woman or have worked in the Tillie & Henderson shirt factory to get great value from this production.

The second performance of Tillies, a Playhouse Theatre production, will take place in Derry-Londonderry's Millennium Forum tonight at 8 pm. For more information, click here.

MUSIC REVIEW: AlunaGeorge

The lead singer, the non-sound of drums and a blistering opening are the best memories one can take from this fine but confused gig

When I heard an AlunaGeorge recording for the first time, I knew that I had stumbled across something equally unique and unusual; a diverse and mixed series of increasingly heavy techno beats, intriguingly sung by Aluna Dewji-Francis. To these ears, it was like a mixture of hip-hop and electronica, with maybe a sprinkling of New Order and Lily Allen. Underneath the loud instruments, vocals of yearning frustration could be heard, as if Dewji-Francis was painfully drumming her fingers away, waiting for a happy resolution that would never come. And the song ended far too soon.

Ironic, then, that the band's first live performance in Belfast is as promising, frustrating and truncated as their material to date appears to be. By the time Dewji-Francis, fellow band member George Reid and the rest of the AlunaGeorge crew literally step into the Limelight, we've already been waiting for two hours. The rumoured support that Derry-Londonderry punk band The Wonder Villains might provide never materialises, so the band have to work extra hard to lift a middling crowd.

Aluna Dewji-Francis

But lift it they do, with the 1980's style lighting and the extremely electric funk of opening numbers "Just A Touch" and "We Are Chosen" bringing plenty of excitement to the proceedings. Dewji-Francis slinks around the stage like a female leopard stalking her prey, except that you feel this leopard can change her spots. It's hugely promising stuff.

One might argue, however, that Dewji-Francis is changing her spots too much. As the gig goes on, we find that the band's performing and musical style does not easily define itself. Like a fearless cat-like creature one moment, but a tentative tabby the next, Dewji-Francis can't quite get her claws into this crowd. Nor can the rest of the band. It's not that they're not trying, but the novelty wears off quicker than expected. What begins as energising quickly becomes exhausting as the group, realising how little material they have, resort to almost desperate measures to impress. Minutes after Dewji-Francis has commanded the stage with an almost Goddess-like presence, she's tentatively tiptoeing over to the keyboards to help the band play and sing a cover of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It". It comes across as a mix of the ethereal and the mundane. It's not versatility; it's unease. You don't quite know if you're set for "Black Velvet" or Black Grape. At least Dewji-Francis' winning smile keeps the set afloat.

Disaster strikes when the group’s drum machine – their MacBook – temporarily conks out. A baffled Dewji-Francis looks on. What can she do? What can the group do? Amuse the crowd with a couple of circus tunes on the keyboard, that’s what, and by the time the machine is repaired, Dewji-Francis is throwing herself into "Don’t Tell Me" and "Your Drums, Your Love" with more verve than ever. The spirit of the start of the set has been recaptured. Unfortunately, the aforementioned songs are the last we'll hear on the night.

Dewji-Francis, Reid and company look almost relieved when they leave the stage. They know the gig could, and probably should, have gone better – but it's hard to deny that the cheers at the end, coupled with the best moments of the set, have enhanced their reputation. Putting the inconsistency and uncertainty on show tonight aside, you feel that the best is yet to come for the band. On the whole, the gig is a much needed shot in the arm for AlunaGeorge, a bittersweet symphony that may yet lay the foundations for a burgeoning musical career.

Five Reasons To See "Annie" At Ebrington

The next big event at Ebrington's Vital Venue in Derry-Londonderry is fast approaching. Si's Sights And Sounds offers five reasons why you should go and see the Londonderry Musical Society's production of "Annie"

You'll get to see and enjoy a show in the small but massive Vital Venue

Don’t be fooled by the slightly unflattering exterior – Ebrington's pride and joy only looks like a tent with a bit of colour splashed around it. Inside, it feels like an internationally renowned cultural arena, a cauldron of excitement brought to life by whoever is performing on stage. At best, its atmosphere feels worthy of any concert or theatrical venue in the world. Those who experienced the memorable Sons And Daughters extravaganza, the indelible kinetics of Political Mother or the intimate, welcoming energy of Primal Scream, not to mention the music of John Williams, can and will vouch for this. "Annie" is a community event in every sense of the word, another chance for the populace of Derry-Londonderry to "come together as one" as a certain Bobby Gillespie might say.

It is a hugely popular show, with lots of famous tunes and a good story

As Dominic Kearney pointed out recently in a piece for Culture Northern Ireland, the "Annie" bug is contagious at present. It's spreading throughout the city. And why shouldn't it be? The recent successful bid to break the World Record for the largest song and dance routine was built on not only the strength of the community, but also the strength of the show itself. Tunes such as "Maybe", "It's A Hard Knock Life" and "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow" have earned their place in musical history, as has the spirited and heart-warming nature of the musical's take on the traditional "rags-to-riches" narrative that everyone is so familiar with.

The crew are a bunch of professionals, dedicated to making your experience a memorable one

Director Deigh Reid, choreographer Venessa Chapman, musical director Jim Goodman and accompanist Ben McGonigle are among a handful of committed crew members that helped make last year's Londonderry Musical Society (LMS) Production of "The King And I" such an enjoyable, award-winning show. All four return this year along with new stage manager Caroline Gilliland, whose literally Legenderry experience with Bang On The Door and her own business could help inspire everyone backstage a step further.

Annie herself is a national star

In Lauryn Mulholland, the LMS have found an Annie with music in her blood. At the age of just fourteen, Buncrana-based Mulholland has sung the national anthem at the Donegal v Down match in Ballybofey and competed in the finals of the Childline All Ireland School Talent Search Competition. Recently, she told the Inish Times that getting the part of Annie ranked at the top of those achievements. Click here to watch her sing at the Helix in Dublin.

 
The talent of the whole cast is beyond reproach

Whether you choose to focus on Muire McCallion wailing about her "Little Girls", the graceful vocals of Katie Patton's similarly named character, the spirit of the award-winning Kate McCafferty's Molly, or the scene-stealing of the likes of Kris Doherty's Daddy Warbucks, David Keown's Rooster or Aoibheann Biddle's Lily, to name but a few, there really is something for everyone to watch here. And with an extraordinarily dedicated cast of all ages behind them, ready to sing their hearts out for the City Of Culture, we truly could be in for something special.

The Londonderry Musical Society's production of Annie takes place on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April. Book your tickets online at www.millenniumforum.co.uk.

FILM REVIEW: Good Vibrations

Si's Sights And Sounds is blown away by the chronicle of Belfast punk Godfather Terri Hooley

Husband-and-wife duo Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa's Good Vibrations is like "Teenage Kicks" brought to life, as lively, energising and relatable as the aforementioned song. It's a superb piece of work, one that may well become most famous not for being the greatest of its kind, but for capturing the same timelessly unifying effect as The Undertones' iconic 1977 tune and an equally iconic film, released that same year, about a galaxy far, far away. Good Vibrations isn't the first, nor will it be the last, movie that illustrates the highs and lows of musical muscle in a time of crisis (or crises?), but its timeliness, setting and powerhouse performances raise it to another level entirely. It's less a biopic than a well-paced, consistently riveting and sometimes bitingly funny tale about chasing one’s aspirations in extremely turbulent times, a more endearing Killing Bono minus the sloppiness.

Terri Hooley, played in the film by Richard Dormer, is something of a legendary – or should that be LegenDerry, considering his influence on The Undertones? – figure in the Northern Irish punk scene. Famed for "discovering" not only Feargal Sharkey and company, but much lesser known bands such as Rudi and The Outcasts, Dormer plays Hooley as a man struggling to hold his personal life together in the midst of The Troubles, unemployment, rows with his failed politician of a father and starting a family with his girlfriend/wife Ruth, played sweetly by Jodie Whittaker. It would appear that the only thing for Hooley is to live, or at least try to live, the dream on what little money he has – and so is born "Good Vibrations", the "independent" record store and record label that is as inconceivable today as it was during the late 1970's. Watching Good Vibrations now, after the digital revolution has sent the whole industry spinning full circle and made it even harder to make a living through music, one can't help but feel nostalgic and regretful. The line is so fine between profession and hobby for musicians these days that it's upsetting.

Good Vibrations presents Hooley to the audience as a ne'er do well, ne'er give up sort who lived in the moment, for the moment, and rarely appeared to consider the long-term consequences. It is testimony to Dormer's magnificent, multi-faceted portrayal that we ultimately view Hooley as human, a guy not necessarily worth rooting for, but always worth following. He has little or no time for the self-loathing of John Cusack's Rob Gordon or the excessive angst of Ewan McGregor's Mark Renton. He's an exceptionally driven man child, a less conservative Dewey Finn who never discloses what truly drives him on – is it the music, the money, his father, his "friends", or Ruth? – and that makes the character endlessly fascinating. The joyous look on his face when he first hears "Teenage Kicks" and his reaction to the birth of his daughter will long be remembered.

To Terri Hooley, "Good Vibrations" isn't just a store, or a label, but a way of life; and if said way of life may have its pitfalls, to him, and no doubt many others, the experience of the highs is too great to resist. The price we have to pay for the lifestyle may catch up with us, but teenage dreams are hard to beat. Yet therein lies the ultimate, bittersweet horror of Good Vibrations, a stark reminder that as appealing as the entertainment industry may seem, you need a thick skin and tremendous persistence to survive. It's about getting the lucky breaks and making the right moves at the right time, and even capitalising on the zeitgeist may give you little more than short-term success and a temporary energy rush. If music may be the food of love, it's not necessarily food for life.

Laura Douglas Gets An Encore

The Musical Theatre Tutor chats to Si's Sights And Sounds about reprising her first proper lead in a musical – Maria from The Sound Of Music

During the Easter Break, Letterkenny's Encore Performing Arts Academy will perform at Strabane's Alley Theatre for the first time with a four-night run of The Sound Of Music. Encore PAA's musical theatre tutor, Magee College graduate Laura Douglas, will be playing the role of Maria Von Trapp for two nights.

We catch up with her in advance of the performances...

Was singing and acting always for you?

I didn't actually consider it until about 5th year in school! I can still remember when the careers advisors came in to discuss possibilities with our year, and telling the woman advising me that maybe, maybe, I wanted to go to drama school. Out came this huge book full of careers and where to train for them, and up went my hopes. Then, not long after she flung it open and began searching, she announced, "Here. Law. Lawyers act in court all the time."

Surely not the reaction you were expecting...?

Yeah, I doubted law was the career for me. So the "A"-Levels I chose were English, ICT, Performing Arts and French. In my final year, I played Aunt Eller in the school production of Oklahoma! – and that's when I realised I had to perform. But with no prior training, I decided to go to university and complete a degree in Drama with Music.

During that time period, I made my own opportunities to sing, act, direct and produce... Delving into other aspects of theatre was just terrific. And in final year I got my first proper lead in a musical – Maria in The Sound Of Music.

The same role you're playing this week!

Indeed! The first time I played Maria, it was with the Ballywillan Drama Group. It was an honour to work with such an established group, and as an aspiring performer, it felt brilliant to get an extended run. Ballywillan currently produce the longest running amateur shows. It all gave me a good idea about what "performing for real" is like!

How does it feel to be involved in The Sound Of Music?

It's just a great family show, and I love working with the groups of children playing the Von Trapps. You grow so close to everyone in this show because it's such an intimate production.

Have you ever drawn inspiration from any famous singers or actors when playing Maria?

I have seen the show performed professionally six times, both on tour and in the West End, and each time, Maria has been so different. When I play her, though I always try to put my own spin on her; it's such an iconic role, but it is nice to be able to play her the way I want. This time, I went into rehearsals already knowing the lines I would speak and sing; I feel my acting has come across as much freer and more spontaneous as a result. I'm also fortunate to be working with Rebecca Thompson, the producer, director and choreographer; being a performer herself, the unique insight she gives is invaluable.

What are you looking forward to most about this production?

Getting up there and performing alongside my little troop of Von Trapps! It is a really beautiful musical, and to me, nothing can beat the feeling of the nuns singing "Climb Every Mountain" in four-part harmony while the Von Trapps are on their way to a new life together. It’s extremely moving.

What kind of experience can the audience hope for?

A "family show", a classic musical for all ages, as The Sound Of Music always has been and always will be just that. But I think Rebecca's own spin on the show will make it even more fresh and exciting.

What does the future hold for Laura Douglas?

During my final year at university, I auditioned at two schools for Masters in Musical Theatre, and got into AMTA in London and AMDA in New York with a $10,000 scholarship. I am currently still auditioning. Watch this space...

Laura Douglas will play Maria in The Sound Of Music at Strabane's Alley Theatre on Wednesday April 3 and Thursday April 4, with the show running until Saturday April 6. To book your tickets, click here.