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Brush with fame has lasted ive decades


Interview


BASIL Brush is a star with an out- standing ability to entertain and make people of all ages laugh and smile. He’s cheeky, irreverent, charm-


ing, naughty, quick-witted, schem- ing and foxy, but at the same time he’s kind, caring and affectionate. Basil has celebrated over 50


years in entertainment and The Basil Brush Show on BBC TV has been seen by millions of view- ers all over the globe from 1968 through to today. The show was Bafta nominated and voted best comedy show on TV. Now, Britain’s most lovable fox


is back on the road along with his TV chum Mr Stephen (aka Chris Pizzey). Together they will take you on a journey of laughs, sto- rytelling and song in a brand new, specially written ‘live’ stage show packed with fun and excitement. Andy Howells, a lifelong fan of


Basil, recently got a chance to put questions to the cunning Brush.


Basil, you’re bringing your Full on Fox Tour to Newport in June. Have you been to Wales before or is this your first time? I can’t wait to get to Wales be-


cause after watching Tom Jones on The Voice I realised what bril- liant singers they all are. My voice has been known to make grown men cry...they cry ‘stop we cant take it any longer’. And I can sing like a bird. A crow. I think I will be able to learn a lot from the audi- ence when we get them joining in with the songs and our Boom Boom rap song. I was in Cardiff a number of


years ago with my show The Fox Factor tour; it was so well received I haven’t been back for five years...boom boom! But it is my first time to Newport and look- ing forward to seeing my fans and meeting them after the show with our unique meet and greet where members of the audience can meet myself and Mr Stephen and get photos and autographs to tweet and put on Facebook.


What can you tell us about the Full on Fox tour? Now the Full on Fox tour is called that because when they told me I would be doing over 100 dates I said “that’s full on” and so the title stuck. I have teamed up with Mr Stephen, we did several years on the CBBC Basil Brush Show together and we have de- cided to take our laughter pilgrim- age all over the country. We have a huge twenty foot


video screen on stage that al- lows us to go into space, we meet Sherlock Holmes and sing our way through an adventure. Chil- dren also come on stage to help in space, and of course there are jokes for both kids and grown ups, if you know what I mean.


FOXY: Basil Brush The reaction from all age groups


has been brilliant; in fact we have so much laughter some of it is in the right place.


What has been your funniest experience when touring? We have had funny moments


where the sat-nav in our car led us to an open field and we were greeted by a furry fox. He didn’t know who I was and


we quietly went on our way, but my Rolls Canardly is brilliant. It rolls down the hills and can hardly get up the other side.


I remember watching you on television when I was a small boy, and you look younger now than you did then, have you had any form of plastic surgery. You look incredible for nearly half a century in showbusiness, how do you keep so young and fit? Anyone who thinks I have had a


face lift is talking out of their Bo- tox. I look great with my keep fit


routine. I work out every morning. I work out what I am going to eat for the day. And when I started yoga last


week the instructor asked how flexible I was. I said I couldn’t do Thursday. I did lose 35 pounds though...that was the gym mem- bership. I am not as old as Des O’Connor.


But I am the same shade of or- ange.


What are you looking forward to most about visiting Wales? I am most looking forward to the


hills, the mountains and hopefully a lovely tea shop where I can dunk my ginger nuts in a nice cup of tea and look at the glorious view.


Looking back over your illustri- ous career what has been your career highlight? One of my career highlights has


to be winning The Weakest Link against the great Biggins. People thought I was daft as a brush, but


I was cunning as a fox. I got ques- tions wrong so they didn’t think I was too clever and pulled out the stops in the final.


Do you have a message for all your fans that are coming to see your show in June? Don’t miss out on this amazing


rollercoaster of a show for all the family; laughter, screaming, and that’s before the show starts. And of course the chance to have our photograph taken with me and Mr Stephen right after the show. Boom Boom Wales!


Catch Basil when he visits Newport Riverfront on Saturday June 6, and join in the mayhem, along with Mr Stephen who will be continually interrupted by naughty uncontrollable Basil. Call 01633 65 67 57 or visit newport.gov.uk/theriverfront


Review: Ballet Cymru’s Cinderella, Newport Riverfront


BALLET Cymru’s latest take on a traditional fairytale is a bilingual interpretation of The Brothers Grimm story Cinderella. Untouched by the constraints


of a pantomime plot, stereo- typical characterisations are stripped away to return Cin- derella’s rags to riches tale to its darker roots told amid spec- tacular and dramatic chore- ography by Darius James and Amy Doughty and superbly timed to Jack White’s musical score. The production maintains


an air of its tradition through carefully crafted costumes by Steve Denton including Cin- derella’s rags and Aerona’s distinctive evil stepmother look. This contrasts somewhat to


the modern props including sofa, chair, newspaper and Seren’s spectacles which bring an additional surrealism to the production’s darker edges. While Allegra Vianello (Cin- derella), Daniel Morrison (Madoc) and Natalie Debona (Aerona) keep the audience focused on lead characters through classic dance moves there is much to be savoured by Krystal Lowe (the bird) and the rest of the company who perform circus elements com-


7 Theatre AndyHowells puts questions to Basil Brush ahead of hisNewport show Cinders’ newlook


BALLET: Cinderella


bined with the finest classical dance. Lydia Arnoux and Robbie Moorcroft performances as Cinderella’s siblings Seren and Cas are particularly the shows highlight for not only delivering a polished ballet performance but also for add- ing comedy (and audience laughter) to what could have been potentially dark scenes when their mother attempts to maim them with a meat cleav- er in the second half. If you have any preconcep- tions of ballet, throw them out the window, Cinderella is a live presentation that can be appreciated by the whole fam- ily.


For more details on Ballet Cymru visit welshballet.co.uk


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