Refurbishment of Reception Room about to commence

The refurbishment of the Reception Room at Huddersfield Town Hall is due to commence shortly.

The room will re open in September 2010 and will be refurbished to a high standard to compliment the beautiful victorian surroundings.

Watch this space for further updates throughout the building works!

Strictly Stars Share the stage with Essentially Dancers

Hundreds of schoolchildren and older people took to the dance floor at Huddersfield Town Hall with Strictly’s Darren and Lilia.

Essentially Dance stars Darren and Lila

They were celebrating the end of the first year of a hugely ambitious two year programme of Latin American and ballroom dance in Kirklees delivered by Kirklees Council and NHS Kirklees in partnership with Essentially Dance.

Darren and Lilia opened each of the four sessions with a performance of Fever which received tumultuous applause from the dancers and spectators watching this unique celebration of Essentially Dance in Kirklees. Darren then invited the dancers to showcase their skills in the waltz, jive, cha cha cha and quickstep. Later in the session Lilia and Darren led a session to teach all the dancers to salsa – encouraging all to do the moves and learn the steps together.

Pupils from 23 schools attended the celebration, having learnt the dance steps in PE classes or after-school clubs.

Olivia Tetley from Headlands School in Liversedge said,”Today was really good, everything was good. Darren and Lilia were really nice and I liked the dancing.”

In the final session of the day older people from groups across Kirklees joined pupils from 7 secondary schools. Joyce Dyson and her dance partner John Brown enjoy dancing regularly at a weekly Essentially Dance class at the Galpharm Stadium. Joyce, from Newsome, said,” I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Darren and Lilia were really good. I loved the dancing and I enjoyed watching the older people dancing with the younger ones.”

A dancer from Lindley Chimes said, “It was absolutely fabulous – when’s the next one?”

PRESS RELEASE FROM KIRKLEES COUNCIL ONLINE NEWS

New 2010/11 Kirklees Concert Season Brochure Launched!

Open publication - Free publishing - More chamber

Best of British World Cup Offer!

To celebrate the start of the World Cup we are offering tickets to the Best of British Show at Huddersfield Town Hall this September for only £17.50 (normally £26.50)

Simply quote "70's" at the time of booking

The offer is valid from Friday 11th June to Sunday 11th July 2010. No refunds / transfers are permitted for tickets purchased prior to this offer

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The Best Of British Variety Tour is back for its third consecutive year in 2010 after the huge success of the last two years. This unique tour unites the cream of variety entertainment from past decades and is coming to Huddersfield Town Hall on Monday 27 September.

After popular demand Paul Daniels and The Krankies who took part in the inaugural tour return to Best of British alongside the host for the show the irrepressible Christopher Biggins, Irish singer Dana, The Grumbleweeds and for the first time as a solo act one half of one of the most famous comedy double acts since comedy began Syd Little of Little and Large fame. The impressive line-up includes British institution Christopher Biggins, who will be hosting the show.

BOX OFFICE:

01484 223200 / 01484 222444 / 01924 324501

New Kirklees Town Halls Vision Launched...

Kirklees Town and Public Halls are here to:-

Preserve the rich civic heritage of our Town and Public Halls and promote them as welcoming, vibrant and accessible venues that are a focal point for all sections of our diverse community.

Maximise the usage and potential of all our halls by delivering a vibrant and varied events programmme and professional conference and meeting facilities

Exceed customers expectations whilst delivering an affordable high quality service

British Icon Marc Almond to play Huddersfield this November

Legendary singer and British icon Marc Almond is coming to Huddersfield Town Hall to perform his 'Best Bits, Hits and A Sides' on Monday November 29 at 8pm.

Marc is touring to celebrate 30 years in the music industry, showcasing the best of his three decades. A must see concert for every fan the tour coincides with the release of his Best Of Album. Marc will be supported by Little Annie accompanied by Baby Dee.

From Soft Cell, the first successful British electro-duo in partnership with Dave Ball, with a string of international hits ('Bedsitter', 'Numbers', 'Torch' ,'Say Hello Wave Goodbye' and, biggest of all, their version of northern soul classic 'Tainted Love', while 'Memorabilia' is cited as the first techno record ever). 10 million-plus worldwide record sales later, Soft Cell are a British icon, influencing several subsequent generations of musicians - from Pulp, The Pet Shop Boys and Suede, to Goldfrapp and onto Antony Hegarty of Antony and The Johnsons fame.

Marc’s solo career has equally glittered; from Vermin In Ermine and The Stars We Are, which spawned the UK number one (and international hit) Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart, a duet with the late Gene Pitney.

From the Trevor Horn-produced Tenement Symphony, which included another cover smash, The Days Of Pearly Spencer, to his tribute album Jacques to Jacques Brel (Marc brought the 60s Belgian icon back into the charts with Jacky). From a twin album of French songs to Heart On Snow, a three-year labour of love recorded in St. Petersburg and Moscow and featuring a cross section of Russian singing stars and musicians.

From duets with Siouxsie Sioux and former Sneaker Pimp Kelly Dayton to a big band version of ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ for Jools Holland’s Big Band, Small World album. From his poem/lyric anthology A Beautiful Twisted Night to a limited edition spoken word CD/book The End Of New York. From his first autobiography, 1999’s Tainted Life to his second, 2004’s In Search Of The Pleasure Palace. Not to forget Soft Cell’s reunion in 2001 for concerts and the Cruelty Without Beauty album, or Marc’s burgeoning DJ career, in his role as godfather of Electroclash.

‘I suppose I am a survivor since I am still here recording an album,’ says Marc Almond. Marc hasn’t only survived that near-fatal motorbike crash on 17 October 2004, that put him in a coma for two weeks, included emergency surgery and a protracted, agonising but triumphant recovery from critical injuries; he’s survived the vagaries of fashion and trends, solo voyages and band reunions, creative highs and writers-block lows, acceptance and rejection, love affairs, the death of loved ones and collaborators, the passing of time. He has lived, alright. Like a cat, Marc appears to have more than one life’

Marc's new album Stardom Road was recorded since his accident and is an album of covers, with one exception, that he has chosen and sequenced to tell his story. Stardom Road resembles not just an album but a play, which clearly suits a man who comes alive on stage, whose songs have always resembled dramas, whether they are underpinned by fizzy synth-pop, 60s-inspired pop kitsch-arama, bare-naked acoustic ballads or orchestrated splendour. All of these, as you can imagine, can be found here too, spanning the divide between the Jim Reeves of Bedsit to the Judy Garland of the Garbage Heap.

Tickets are priced at £22.50 with no concessions and are available from Kirklees Booking Offices, tel: 01484 223200 or online at http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/townhalls.

Huddersfield Town Halls stages performance in collaboration with Lawrence Batley Theatre

This site-specific performance is presented in association with Lawrence Batley Theatre and Huddersfield Town Hall...

Mem Morrison requests the pleasure of your company. Take a front row seat, join the family and meet the many potential brides at his long overdue wedding reception.

Part written, part devised, the performance draws on a lifetime of remembered Turkish Cypriot family weddings, an intimate attempt to belong to a culture, to a family and to someone.

Exploring issues surrounding autobiography, identity, memory, diversity, culture, censorship and perception, Ringside looks at the childhood fantasy which could have become a reality. Tickets 01484 223200 / 01484 222444

Mem Morrison is looking for several female volunteers to perform in Ringside. This opportunity is open to all women aged 18 years and over who are interested in taking part in a site specific
performance led by one of the UK’s leading performance makers. Participants will need to be fully available for evening and weekend rehearsals from 22 - 29 May.

For more information contact Madeleine on 01484 484450 or email her at madeleine@thelbt.org

The Interview - a compelling drama about the Holocaust

Dewsbury Town Hall will host the premier performance of 'The Interview', a thought-provoking play depicting a singular account of the Holocaust.

The Interview will be performed from Monday March 29 to Saturday April 3, 7.30pm, with a matinee performance at 3pm on Wednesday March 31.

The play tells the story of Phillip Carter, an enthusiastic reporter, who arranges an interview with a holocaust survivor, Ms Ruben. His enthusiasm and personal crusade to show the world why the holocaust happened, is demolished once he comes face to face with Ms Ruben. The reporter transitions almost immediately from interviewer, to interviewee. Ms Ruben’s firsthand account of life in the holocaust quickly exposes the common naivety the reporter shows, a characteristic shared by the majority of modern people to date.

The play, through emotional flashbacks, cleverly stages the events of Ms Ruben’s life. They demonstrate the happiness, loneliness, and the graphic violence endured by those people effected in Germany and the rest of Europe.The intelligent script explores the reality of human ignorance, and forces the question around humanity’s dark capabilities.

The play promises to send the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions, with theatre, music, dance, and groundbreaking performances on stage to ensure a performance you are not likely to dismiss from your memory. This play by Jayson F A Bartlett is premiering in Dewsbury and touring theatres in the area. Tickets are priced at £5, £11 and £20 (concessions £3 off the top two ticket prices and discounts for groups) from Kirklees Booking Offices, tel: 01924 324501.

Dewsbury Town Hall : Behind the Scenes of BBC Question Time 1

BBC Question Time was filmed at Dewsbury Town Hall on Thursday 11th March. Here's the story from behind the scenes...

Dewsbury Town Hall : Behind the Scenes of BBC Question Time 2

BBC Question Time was filmed at Dewsbury Town Hall on Thursday 11th March 2010. Here are a few behind the scene photographs of the set up...