Celebration with great music and song from stage and screen

The Lions Club of Sidmouth is putting on a special 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert at 8pm tomorrow (Saturday, May 14) at the Manor Pavilion Theatre.

This will be a gala evening of great music and song from stage and screen in celebration of 40 years of Sidmouth Lions Club’s existence and its services to the community.

The Lions wish to celebrate this special anniversary in style - so ‘bubbly and canapés’ will be served from 7pm. Members of the audience are wellcome to ‘dress up’ for the occasion, but ‘black tie’ is entirely optional.

The programme for this special concert has been created by superb local songbird Vicki Angus Campbell, who has enlisted the support of other talented singers and musicians, including some youngsters who have benefited from sponsorship by Sidmouth Lions Club. The performers include well-known singers: Catherine Moore; Val Howels; John Burgoyne; Oscar Hammond; Samuel Neal; Wally Cotgrave; regular music director Dorothy Worthington (piano/keyboard); Ruth James (violin); Jenny Campbell (wind instruments); and Leigh Steedman (actor).

Two of the talented young local performers in the above list, also have personal reasons to celebrate.

Samuel Neal has recently won a place at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in London and starts his three-year course at the acclaimed drama school in September. Despite his youth, Sam has appeared in many shows in Sidmouth and Exeter. These include The Pirates of Penzance, Oklahoma, Grease, Miss Saigon, Starlight Express, Titanic, Dick Barton, Hairspray, Footloose and, most recently, Legally Blonde at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre.

Niki Angus Campbell, daughter of Vicki, is another talented youngster who discovered her love for the performing arts on the Sidmouth stage with the youth theatre. She was supported in 2008 by th

he Lions club when she trained as a dancer. However, Niki, now a professional actress and dancer, is unfortunately unable to perform on Saturday as she has had to fly to Finland at short notice to appear in a special TV documentary to mark the 35th anniversary of the hugely successful Finnish rock band, Paul Oxley’s Unit, which was formed by Niki’s father, Paul Campbell. Niki has acted both on the professional stage and in films and also appeared alongside Darcey Bussell in the finale of the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony in 2012.

The songs and music in this Lions Anniversary Concert are from great stage shows and films, and include hit compositions by Oscar Hammerstein, Burt Bacharach, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Tim Rice, Noel Coward, Carly Simon, Lerner and Loewe, and many more.

Tickets are available from Manor Pavilion Theatre Box Office on 01395 514413. The £12 ticket price includes the pre-show ‘canapés and bubbly’. Proceeds will go to the Lions Club of Sidmouth’s community service and charity activities. If you would like to find out more about the club, call Chris on 01395 577450, email sidmouthlions@sidmouthlions.org.uk, or visit www.sidmouthlions.org.uk