Tag: Shows

Filming Ken Russell’s Valentino at the Blackpool Tower Circus

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Valentino was a 1977 American biographical drama directed by Ken Russell, co-written with Mardik Martin, and starring Rudolf Nureyev, Leslie Caron, Michelle Phillips, and Carol Kane. Loosely inspired by the life of silent film star Rudolph Valentino, it drew on the book Valentino, an Intimate Exposé of the Sheik by Chaw Mank and Brad Steiger. Among its highlights was a sequence filmed at the Blackpool Tower Circus. The project began in 1975 when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff set it in motion, eventually turning to Russell to direct. The narrative was told through flashbacks following Valentino’s death in 1926,…

Hindle Wakes – Dramatic Film Shot in Blackpool and Llandudno

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Hindle Wakes was a 1952 British drama directed by Arthur Crabtree, featuring Lisa Daniely, Brian Worth, Leslie Dwyer, and Sandra Dorne. It marked the fourth screen adaptation of Stanley Houghton’s 1912 play, a story that explored a young woman’s defiance of her parents and society when she pursued a holiday romance. The independent Monarch Film Corporation produced and distributed the picture. It was filmed at Merton Park Studios in London with sets by art director Andrew Mazzei, while location work took place in Blackpool and Llandudno. The story followed Lancashire mill girls Jenny Hawthorne and Mary Hollins as they travelled…

Elephants Marched up and Down Blackpool’s Promenade

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Before 1990, the Blackpool Tower Circus featured elephants as a prominent part of its shows and was famous for exercising the animals with morning walks along the beach and promenade. For decades, it was a regular sight for visitors and locals to see the elephants going down to the water to bathe. The first elephants were used in the Tower Circus in 1895, a year after the circus had opened. The animals were trained by a man named Julius Wagner and were a popular attraction. The circus continued to feature wild animal acts, including elephants, until 1990, when the use…

Karen Hunter Starts Tiptoes Dance Academy

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Karen Hunter started Tiptoes back in 1996 and sold it to Stephanie Harker in 2007, though Stephanie worked with Karen from those early days. Based in Blackpool, their dance school offers friendly children’s dance classes in ballet, modern, acro and tap dancing to all levels of ability from the age of two and a half upwards. They encourage and support their students in order to establish a strong foundation to help them grow in confidence and improve their technique. From experienced dancers to first timers, the school makes sure all of their students have a great time! As the Principal,…

Lauren Bunney Wins Role in BBC’s Grange Hill

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Lauren Bunney (born 1988) is an actress from Blackpool, best known for playing Annie Wainwright in the BBC school drama Grange Hill from 2003-2005. The character was written out in 2006, apparently having gone to live with her estranged mother. Lauren trained at Blackpool’s Tiptoes Theatre School. The Annie Wainwright character is a student at Grange Hill School from 2003 to 2005, played by Lauren Bunney. She made her first appearance in episode 1 of series 26 and made her last appearance in episode 20 of series 28. Annie is the daughter of Owen Wainwright and Mrs Wainwright and the…

Kelsey-Beth Crossley’s First Appearance in Emmerdale

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Kelsey-Beth Crossley (born 8 July 1992) is an actress from Fleetwood, who played the part of Scarlett Nicholls, the secret teenage daughter of deceased millionaire Tom King and Carrie Nicholls on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She made her first appearance in March 2007, and last appearance on 20 November 2012. Crossley was a pupil at Bispham High School Arts College in Blackpool. She was put forward for an audition in Emmerdale by Blackpool-based children’s casting agency, Scream Management, and from hundreds, she made it through to the final six, who were then invited to take part in a workshop…. Read more »

Malique Thompson-Dwyer Lands Role in Hollyoaks

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Malique Thompson-Dwyer (born 2 February 1998) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Prince McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 onwards. Thompson-Dwyer’s first on-screen acting role was as Tommo in the CBBC children’s drama The Dumping Ground. He is represented by Red Door Management. In 2016, he joined the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Prince McQueen, the son of Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey) and the twin brother of Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham). His first appearance was in the episode shown on 17 November 2016. For his work in… Read more »

Maddison Jaizani Makes Her Television Debut

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Maddison Sunshine Al-Jaizani (born on 3 June 1995) is an English actress and model. She is known for her roles as Sophie de Clermont in the Canal+ series Versailles (2015–2018), Odessa in the AMC series Into the Badlands (2017–2019), and Bess Marvin in the CW series Nancy Drew (2019–2023). Jaizani was born in Kensington / Chelsea, London, to an English mother and an Iranian father and grew up in Sale, Greater Manchester. She attended Sir John Deane’s College for sixth form. She completed a BTEC Extended Diploma in performing arts at Bury College in 2014. Jaizani made her television debut… Read more »

Scream Theatre Schools

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Scream Theatre Schools was established in 1998 in Blackpool. It offers classes in dance, drama, and singing for both children and adults. The school is known for its accredited Arts Award program and its focus on developing students’ confidence and skills in the performing arts. Scream Theatre Schools also has a talent agency component, helping students pursue careers in TV, film, and theatre. The school provides training in acting, dance, and singing, aiming to nurture students’ talent and confidence. It is an accredited Arts Award School. Over the years, the school has expanded its offerings and facilities, including the establishment… Read more »

Alicia School of Dancing in St Annes

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Alicia’s School of Dancing operated from the 1920s to the 1960s from a studio behind this house at 123 St Andrews Road South in St Annes. It was a dance school offering classes in various styles, including ballet, tap, and modern. The school was active during that period, with students taking lessons and participating in showcases. While the full history beyond this period is not detailed, it represents a part of the local dance scene in St. Annes at that time. It was a place where students could develop their dance skills and participate in stage performances. The school’s presence… Read more »