Georgina Butler
Writing. Dancing.

NEWS: Dance troupe Diversity to perform all new routines in ‘Born Ready, The 10 Year Anniversary Tour’ – Milton Keynes Theatre, October 2019

 

British street dance troupe Diversity is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a landmark tour that includes a one-off performance at Milton Keynes Theatre.

A decade ago, Diversity took the nation by storm when the dance act won the third series of Britain’s Got Talent, beating singer Susan Boyle to victory in a live television final watched by 20 million viewers.

Since then, Diversity has enjoyed eight sell-out UK tours — plus countless other live performances — and the back-flipping BGT favourites are showing no signs of slowing down.

The dancers are planning to blow theatregoers away with Born Ready, The 10 Year Anniversary Tour. This is a production that promises to showcase amazing new routines and express the troupe’s excitement for what the next decade might bring.

 

Diversity 2019. Born Ready, The 10 Year Anniversary Tour.

 

View Post

INTERVIEW with Wayne Sleep, November 2015

 

This Christmas, renowned British dancer, director, choreographer, actor and panellist Wayne Sleep will perform in pantomime at Milton Keynes Theatre.

Before the rehearsals began, Wayne had a bit of a chinwag with Georgina Butler…

 

Famous for being the shortest male dancer to ever attend The Royal Ballet School (he is 5’2″), Wayne Sleep is best known for his career as a celebrated Senior Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet. Numerous roles were created for him by some of the world’s greatest choreographers and he frequently featured as a guest artist with other companies.

Appointed OBE in 1998, Wayne has also received honorary degrees from the Universities of Exeter and Teesside; is a Patron of the British Ballet Organization; is a Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Dance and has two entries in The Guinness Book of Records. In addition to dancing, Wayne also acts and makes appearances as a dance judge and celebrity. His credits include West End, regional and touring theatre productions; television shows and films – not to mention a plethora of pantomimes!

 

Wayne Sleep. British dancer, director, choreographer, actor and panellist Wayne Sleep.

View Post

REVIEW: ‘Les Misérables: School Edition’ – Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes, July 2015

 

A cast of talented young revolutionaries stormed their way through the epic songs and struggles of Les Misérables at Stantonbury Theatre on Friday evening.

In a bid to demonstrate “what little people can do”, RARE Productions invited city students aged 8 to 21 to join their crusade to bring the timeless tale of broken dreams, unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption to the stage in a special School Edition.

The end result was an emotive, entertaining and engaging adaptation of the legendary musical.

 

Les Misérables School Edition. Stantonbury Theatre. RARE Productions.

 

View Post

BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Cake Shop In The Garden’ by Carole Matthews, July 2015

 

Carole Matthews The Cake Shop in the Garden

Carole serves up a slice of life with her new paperback The Cake Shop in the Garden

 

Bestselling author Carole Matthews lives life to the full and seems to find inspiration for her riveting romantic fiction novels everywhere. She has lived in Milton Keynes with her other half, Lovely Kev, for fifteen years and many of her entertaining books are set in the new city.

Carole’s most recent yarn, The Cake Shop In The Garden, features the area of Milton Keynes (or “the Costa del Keynes” as she affectionately calls it when chatting on social media) near the Grand Union Canal. The sights, sounds and domestic situations within a sprawling house in the pretty (and fictitious) village of Whittan spring off the page as soon as chapter one begins.

Fay Merryweather runs a popular cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up delicious treats, ensures her customers feel completely at home and tends to the grounds — all while also looking after her belligerent, bed-bound, mother. It quickly becomes obvious that this protagonist could take a leaf out of our Carole’s book when it comes to seizing new opportunities and taking responsibility for her own happiness.   View Post

BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Christmas Party’ by Carole Matthews, November 2014

 

The Christmas Party

 

The tree may not be up quite yet but now we have entered November there is a definite sense that Christmas — and the Christmas party — is not too far away. The shops are full of decorations and gifts; festive functions are being planned; and, more importantly, author Carole Matthews has a brand new seasonal paperback out.

The Christmas Party is Carole’s 25th novel and she has marked this impressive milestone by producing yet another warm, witty and wonderful story. Despite having penned so many unique and unputdownable tales, it seems that there is no shortage of ideas in this lovely lady’s imagination.

Drawing on inspiration from her own attendance as a guest at corporate Yuletide shindigs, Carole has created a cast of memorable and believable characters associated with the Milton Keynes office of a fictional oil company.

The book is set over just a few days: the day of the Christmas party, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This may seem an exceptionally short time-span but it works very well and an awful lot of action is deftly packed into the narrative.

Through Carole’s usual lively prose, readers are introduced to various Fossil Oil employees and their other halves. With little preamble, we soon delve into their personal lives and are privy to the secrets — romantic and professional — that make this Christmas party a night to remember for all concerned.

View Post