Carry on cruising!

CRUISE director Jo Boase

Actors land role on the high seas
AMATEUR actors from Oldham are taking to the high seas for a two-week stint on a cruise ship.

Four actors from the Oldham Lyceum Players have been picked to tread the boards on Saga’s Ruby cruise ship as she sails via India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore.

The four lucky actors are Joan Duffin, Margaret Blaszczok, Ean Burgon and Damien Kavanagh, with Alex Tweedie as stage manager, his first major role since completing a creative and cultural theatre apprenticeship course.

The thespians have been invited to put on four evenings of entertainment and five theatre workshops during the day, when the ship is at sea.

They will fly out to Mumbai, India, on February 1 returning 14 days later from Singapore.

Nigel Marland, Lyceum stalwart and former artistic director, said: “I got a call in early November from Jo Boase, the Ruby’s cruise director.

“I worked with Jo many moons ago when I had the energy to play pantomime Dame and Jo was one of the Pat Dyson dancers who performed in the Lyceum pantomimes.

“She also appeared in Congress Players Chorus Line at the Coliseum.”

Jo, from Saddleworth, a former pupil at Our Lady’s, Royton, said: “I always go to the Lyceum’s productions when I am home on leave, and I have, for some time, thought they would be the ideal vehicle to fulfil my wish to include straight theatre into our on-board entertainment.

“We are at sea for 110 days on the world cruise so it is essential to get as much variety as possible.

“I know how professional the Lyceum Players are, and so I rang Nigel.”

The actors are in good company as stars such as Katherine Jenkins, Neil Sedaka and comedian Tom O’Connor are just some of the famous faces booked on past cruises.

Mr Marland said: “Jo asked that the plays should be light and funny and each between 45 minutes and an hour in length so I have chosen David Tristram’ s Little Grimley trilogy of plays for the first three evenings.

“Each of these stands on its own but if you watch all three there is a continuing theme.

“The fourth night will get a little more serious with two of Alan Bennett’s celebrated Talking Heads monologues: A Chip In The Sugar and Bed Among The Lentils.”

Jo, who has been to see rehearsals, said: “All of us at Saga are excited about this new venture, for as far as I know, we are one of the few if not the only cruise line to provide this form of entertainment.

“If, as we expect, it is a success, this could become a regular event on our cruises, with the Lyceum’s continuing involvement.”

The Ruby set sail from Southampton last week.