Davey's On the Road Again . . .with strings attached

Legendary Irish Musician Davey Arthur is here. Fab. To be sure.
Dave has thrilled and moved audiences the world over for more than 35 years with his Irish tenor banjo.
Although Davey is mostly known through his links to the Furey brothers from 1979 (he will tour for The Fureys & Davey Arthur 2009 season) he carries on a completely separate solo / band setup and has 40 compositions (to be sure again) to his credit, many of which have been recorded and covered by other household names.
In 1999 he was honored with a place in the Irish Hall of Fame in Dublin, alongside such other class acts such as U2, Sinead O'Connor, The Corrs, The Chieftans, Da Dannan and Clannad.
He performs in a special one off show at Liverpool's famous music venue The Picket.
Ticket are limited so get there early to avoid disappointment! This Sunday 17th January, 2009. 7.30pm. Tickets £5.00 unreserved standing. Available at the door.
The Picket, 61 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 OBW.
More information. 0151 708 6789. I'm going so come and buy me a pint of Guinness!

AS a Book Editor with Trinity Mirror, I used my editing skills for a new BBC2 documentary series.
Great British Railway Journeys sees Michael Portillo - MP turned broadcaster - travel the length and breadth of the country to see how railways have changed all our lives.
Now enjoying a media career, Michael carried with him a copy of the famous Bradshaw's Timetable from the 1860s.
The 20 episodes go out - Monday to Friday at 6.30pm.
In episode one (January 4) Portillo travels to Liverpool to sample Scouse - the dish and the character - and this is where Liverpool born Peter came in.
The production company, Talkback, had heard that I had written a book called Talk Like The Scousers and that I do a City Talk radio slot called The A to Z of Scouse.
So they asked me if I could teach Michael some Scouse phrases.
We met up in Maggie May's cafe in Liverpool's Bold Street and the former Minister for Merseyside sampled a bowl of Scouse.
Also a one time Transport Minister. Michael was interested in hearing all about the origins of the Scouse accent and the city's famous meal.
Added Peter: "He is a very good listener. And he enjoyed this unscripted conversation and he genuinely liked the bowl of Scouse which he said reminded him of a meal he enjoyed as a child in Spain.
He clearly has a soft spot for the city and now he is armed with a pocket-full of phrases should be return. One saying tickled him ' I'm Getting off at Edge Hill.
"You will have to tune in to find out what it means...Michael was a bit shocked.
But he picked up the accent very well for a Harrow lad.

IT's Christmas, yes, I can feel it...

I shall be signing copies of some of my Trinity Mirror books this Saturday at the Dickens of A Day Festival at the Albert Dock.
If you pop along to "Imaginations" on the Albert Dock, I'll be there in a Top Hat and Dickens garb.
I'll be signing some books such as ...

Mersey Mastermind
Talk Like the Scousers
Decades of Liverpool 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
And . . .
A Mersey Christmas: A Stocking Full of Memories

All available if you can't make it on www.merseyshop.com
08453203021

Don't forget to pop down to the dock anyway come and say Hi.

And FREE

All the bars, shops and restaurants are getting in the mood and making merry.

Details so far

12 noon Santa and Elves, arriving by boat, meets Charles Dickens.
1 O'clock and 3 O'clock two sets by Susan Hedges in Vinea Wine singing CHRISTMAS Classics from the likes of Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby.
Ipm: Paul Netterfield, Liverpool Museum's very own Dickens at Coffee Culture reading extracts from a Christmas Carol.
Music from Johnny Kennedy and tinsel coated tales from historian Frank Carlyle will be there as well as . . .
The Ghost of Christmas Pudding.
Also in attendance, the Kirkdale kids - THE HEARTFULL DODGERS giving out gifts instead of 'picking a pocket' or two.

So make a Dickens of a date for a novel twist on Christmas...
More details on www.albertdock.com
Or Bespoken Storytelling 07505491350

This weekend Radio

I am on Neil Fitzmaurice show, City Talk: 7.45am Saturday, December 12 with Granty's Scouse Pie - the radio version and an A to Z of everything Scouse
And I'm on
Rob McLoughlin's Sunday show, City Talk: 7am to 10am. Reviewing the papers

Ching ching

The 39 Steps
Playhouse
By Peter Grant

There are 30 steps to theatrical heaven this Christmas. Walk this way... but don't talk to any strangers.
Audience participation is essential and this time it does not involve being squirted with a water pistol.
Go to the Everyman's superlative Dick Whitington for that type of Christmas caper.
No, this is where you use your own imagination to accompany the special effects created by an incredibly multi-versatile cast of four.
The set maybe minimalist (I must look up that word) but the ingenuity throughout is striking.
John Buchan's Boys Own-styled book, written in 1915, worked on so many levels.
It was also seen as a warning to many lose-lipped types that they should be aware of careless talk, which could and would, cost lives.
The 39 Steps was and still is a cracking adventure yarn and has been interpreted by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock in his 1935 film version starring Robert Donat.
Kenneth More took on the mantle in 1959 and in 1978 Robert Powell did it justice.
Sadly, there was a very poor BBC TV re-make version in 2008 which was comical without meaning to be. Rupert Penry-Jones was the leading man.
This Tony award-winning stage production stands alone. A triumph from start to its action-packed 90th minute. There's even a real Christmassy feel to the fab, feel good finale.
Actor Dugald Bruce-Lockhart - has an apt name for a man playing a tweed suited, pipe-smoking character.
Dugald is perfectly cast as the splendid hero Richard Hannay who is at a loose end and ventures out to a show to see a music hall throwback - Mr Memory.
Dirty deeds abound as he gets embroiled in a spy ring, which introduces him to a German femme fatale and a knife-in-the-back murder case to a bonnie and equally eerie Scotland, and then back to the London Palladium to tie up any ends.
Patrick Barlow's re-adaptation works on every count. The humor is wonderfully weaved in amid the nicely-played romance.
The fab four cast are individually and collectively outstanding.
Katherine Kingsley shines in her three very different roles while Richard Brain and Dan Starkey take on a whole host of characters that, at times, were reminiscent of the creations in TV's League of Gentlemen. Dry ice also makes many guest appearances.
A real Mist-eryt!
This slick comedy, as well being a homage to the Hitchcock film genre, genuinely tells a story with a beginning, middle and satisfying end and there's also a piece of shadow puppetry that is simple yet very stylish.
Step out now to the Playhouse for a real treat.
Suspend belief for an evening - it's worth it and go on, you can tell people about it - they'll thank you for the recommendation.

9/10 I Spy A Classic

Everyman

Dick Whittington
Now That's What I Call Meow-sic.
by Peter Grant

Crazy name - crazy show.
Fun is compulsory down in (Ho, ho, ho ) Hope Street at this time of year thanks to the Everyman's simply fizzing festive offering.
Their multi-talented cast and crew pull out all the stops to offer a Christmas cracker with real panache: no household names, but a faultless ensemble team who each contribute to the overall panto pudding.
Everyman stalwarts, Sarah Nixon and Mark Chatterton, are skilful writers who allow their characters creative space, courtesy of this wonderful in-the-round venue and a script that works on two levels: naughty and nice.
The storyline combines ancient Egypt with Ye Olde London town - and for silliness you can't say Pharoh than that.
This is, after all, Everyman panto territory and they stick to the adage that exciting experimentation is the norm - sphinx 'aint what they used to be (see, panto speak is catching) and there's no one better at tampering with fairy tales.
They always succeed - every single year- in making their shows stand out for being fresh and buoyant.
A nine-strong cast play all manner of instruments - a trademark of any Everyman company.
As musicians they are as tight as Ebenezer Scrooge (oh, please yourselves).
Happily, there's plenty of well-executed songs from the Oasis, Tom Jones, Michael Jackson and Take That catalogues and lively get up and dance, sing-a-long versions of Lady Marmalade and YMCA.
Even the theatre's glossy programme gets you in the mood (I'm still colouring in mine).
Francis Tucker as Dottie Dolitte in his (or her)outrageous costumes clearly enjoys his rampage through the audience with a water pistol and his ad libs are bound to get even more playful as the long run into January continues.
Sarah Vezmar's slinky cat Purdey - named after the New Avengers TV heroine - is delightful and even her death scene is poignant (not usually a panto word) and, no, I haven't given the ending away . . . felines have nine lives.
Reliable Adam Keast as a fabulous fuddy duddy Fitzwarren and Karen Paullada's sexy Raiders of the Lost Ark style Scout all work their seasonal socks off - but everyone is a star here.
It is a perfectly paced and balanced show and keeps up this theatre's reputation for offering pantos with a sparkling difference.

9/10 (Cats) agree this is purr-fect for kids and adults alike

REVIEW Unshakeable
Bluecoat

Gatecare-born Paul Betney performed his one-man show Unshakeable at this year's Da Da Fest.
The world premiere production at the Bluecoat was written and performed by a confident Paul with Laurnce Clark script editing.
It is based around Paul's experiences with Parkinson's Disease which he has had for the past 20 years.
A slick stand-up show directed by the well-respected Ian Kellgren uses background footage and slides to convey this unique, moving story of how it took doctors 18 years to figure out that Paul had Parkinson's.
He spits out the word 'disease' and is adept with dealing with hecklers and he is brave enough to relay some incidents from his past that others would hide away from.
"Although. to be fair, I had suspected all along that something wasn't quite right." he says - just on one of many self effacing yet poignant remarks in 80 minutes.
After living with a debilitating tremor since his early 20s he was finally given the diagnosis and medication that brought it under control.
Overjoyed by a 'miracle' that he never dreamed possible he didn't suspect that this was the first step on a strange journey of self discovery of getting back to "normal".
Unshakeable is Paul's true story of how his life was dramatically changed by some little yellow pills.
You will be uplifted when his ship comes in, literally.
It should tour the UK to educate and entertain - a tricky combination, but Paul pulls off the challenge with style.
9/10 Betney's Stand Up Stands out.

Following the success of Pirate Muster this summer Bespoken Storytelling are presenting
Dickens of A Christmas at the Albert Dock - a free family fun day out.
The businesses, bars, shops and boat owners are all getting in the Christmas spirit.
I'll be there...
So get down to the Dock when, from 12 noon onwards you will enjoy a novel day out (geddit - Dickens novel.. oh, please yourselves)

The attractions include

Festive Fun, decorations lights . . .
* Frank Carlyle with a history tour
* Johnny Kennedy in fine voice with an aria and some Carols.
* Susan Hedges, singer songwriter, with Christmas classics
* A visit from The Ghost of Christmas pudding... has to be seen to be believed.
* The Lantern Theatre company
Mulled Mine, Mince PIes . . .
And the appearance from the HEART-FULL Dodgers who will be on hand offering good cheer and prezzies from the Rotunda.
And so much more merriment... even Fezziwig would be jealous.
Says a spokeswoman for Bespoken Storytelling: "You've not seen the likes of this before."

What a month for shows. I've been busy on a book about Dockers but I'm back now.

Here's the first of a few Granty review updates of the best theatrical shows that have been . . . and some that are (happily) still on.

Unity Theatre.

Jiggery Pokery
Homotobia Festival - November.

Amanda Lawrence's World Premiere. A stunning one-woman tribute production at the ever excellent Unity Theatre to the late, great but very complex Charles Hawtrey of Carry On fame.
One of those theatrical gems that you were so glad that you were witnessing. Amanda;s versatility left many in the sell out audience breathless.
The last time I saw talent like this was when Ben Keaton appeared at the Unity when he was starting out with his clever one man show Intimate Memoirs of an Irish Taxidermist. He went on to win the Perrier Award for Best newcomer.
Amanda is a force to be reckoned with playing 50 characters in less than 80 minutes and telling a story with wit, poignancy and style.
Come back soon, Amanda.

10/10
Fantastic Flights of the Imagination.

Hello las and la eeses

Been taking a rest from the blog while working on my magnum opus...
Granty's A to Z of Scouse - all things Liverpool from stars to sports people, dockers' nicknames and phrases.
You can hear slices of it on the Saturday morning Neil Fitzmaurice show on City Talk at 7.45am.
Yeah am...
I even have my own jingle.
So each week I am adding to the catalogue.
If you have any suggestions then please let me know.
This Sunday I am also on the Rob McLoughlin show reviewing the papers from 7am
Am...hmmm!.

All this and being interviewd by Michael Portillo for his new series.
Michael is presenting a traveloggue called Great British Train Journeys and he popped into the truly wonderful Maggie May's in Bold Street for a lesson in Scouse culture and a bowl of the hot stuff.
He called me a "Scouse Dr DoLiittle. "
When my pic appeared in the ECHO I was pale compared to the orangey Mr P
But I liked his sense of humour. A former Minister for Merseyside , too.
More about that nearer the time. It goes out in January, BBC 2.

Disappointed in Keith Carter, fellow Blogger, and his rant about not wanting to be a "Scouser" but Liverpudlian.
Same thing, surely, Keith?
What I want to know Nige/ Keith why were you happily quoted in my book Talk Like the Scousers?

Finally Rest in peace two people who made this world a better place,
Keith Waterhouse and Keith Floyd.
It's nice to know when I get to heaven (forever the optimist) there's one great drinking club up there.

Luv

Granty
.
,

Let me know your favourite Scouse sayings

Your favourite Scouse jokes

send your Scouse poems in everyone analysed . . .

REMEMBER

Scouse is a people,

a stew

and

an accent

a culture

let's celebrate it.

Yours

Granty

Starting tomorrow the A to Z of Scouse