Steve Colman: Arabian showers and an Arabian night
Steve Colman returns from Dubai to a sensational night of entertainment...
Well it's been a couple of weeks now, sorry but we have to have rest occasionally.
Dubai was great, as ever.
It's been two years since I was there and everyone asked me if I'd seen any changes. No I said, it's still crazy, busy, hot and not finished, so no changes whatsoever. Actually there is loads of change, including a few less workers over the 12 days I was there as the financial crunch began to take it's toll there too.
Building of Donald Trump's Tower Hotel has been stopped and there will be a few nervous moments for the Government thanks to the credit curcnh.
It was quite amusing too that for three days there were thunder and lightning storms and people accused me of bringing the weather with me, but they were not being unpleasant as they loved me for it. When you are there full-time having three cooler days and 362 other flipping roasting days, it makes a welcome change.
So it was straight back into work after a quick stop off in Amsterdam for Sunday lunch and then something I looked forward to coming back to - Alladin at The Sunderland Empire.
From the moment you take your seat, looking at the lavish colour front cloth you get the feeling that this is going to be special. The cast have been perfectly put together from Sheila Ferguson and Paul Michael Glaser taking top bill to Steve Walls and Dale Meeks providing some great local comedy.
The script is brilliant,but I have to admit that it got me a bit exhausted with line after line being locally aware, topically mentioning people and places. They could lose a third of the funnies and you'd still love it. My favourite line concerned Woolworths, but there were so many others I could mention.
Sheila Ferguson is feisty, cheeky and saucy with a great voice. Paul Michael Glaser is bril as Abanazar, however he will grow even more I think, as he realizes the potential of the part and the reaction he can exude from the audience. I'll be honest with you I'm a bit of a Pantomime bore and a stickler for tradition in panto and as most of the time everything was done in the original fashion, I wondered why Abanazar didn't enter from stage right all the time and the Genie enter stage left which is always the Traditioal way. I'm sure someone will tell me that as they have to come on together at times then that makes it all OK, but "Oh no it isn't!"
I like a bit of innuendo, but there might be a just a little too much in places. Just enough dancing and songs, and with all the glamour I reckon you are going to have a fantastic time if you are going to the sumptuous Sunderland Empire.
I mentioned the financial problems in the world and they've been brought home to us even more in recent days with Nissan having a weeks break in production. I really hope we can brave things out and it doesn't affect your festive time. I was made redundant from my first job in radio on Wednesday 19th December 1979. It was not a happy Christmas. But I'm still here – never give up!
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
