Sheila is part-time assistant showgirl to Robin Whitmore on The Palace of Varieties at various times this Autumn (sharing the role with 'artiste extraordinaire' Lucille Power).
More info below:
Palace of Varieties
Duckie in association with Magic Me at Waterside in Peckham
Fridays at 3pm* for 10 weeks (14 Oct – 16 Dec 2016)
The Palace of Varieties in Camberwell was demolished in 1956, but it is still fondly remembered by a number of the residents of nearby residential care home for older folks Waterside. Built in 1899, the Palace of Varieties thrived as a music hall featuring shows by the likes of Dan Leno and Vesta Tilley, before becoming an early cinema, a repertory theatre and even hosting burlesque ‘girlie’ shows in the 1950s.
Duckie is a local cabaret outfit based at south London’s infamous Royal Vauxhall Tavern who are passionate about local heritage and the history popular entertainment. In Autumn 2016, Duckie’s multi-media showbiz maestro Robin Whitmore will be Artist-in-Residence at Waterside for 10 weeks recalling the halcyon days of local variety in a series of Friday afternoon matinee balls and shows.
Robin will be assisted by creative showgirls Lucille Power and Sheila Ghelani, and host performances by a number of special guests including soprano Jennifer Coleman, dynamic vaudeville duo Wrench & Franks and London’s finest flappers The Bees Knees.
Each week they will use a different theme - including show business, flowers, and the seaside - to explore the legacy of local variety entertainment using performance, film, games, music, food, painting and other creative arts activities. The focus of this participatory arts project will be on using the imagination and self-expression, and sharing pleasurable sensory experiences.
The Duckie gang will be joined by local teenagers from SE15, a group of volunteers and even local dogs in a project that will excite the memories and imaginations of Waterside’s residents, many of whom are in their eighties and nineties and have lived in the area for their whole lives.
Magic Me is an arts company that works intergenerationally with older people and has expertise in dementia and Alzheimer’s and in combatting loneliness and isolation in our communities.
Waterside Care Home is managed by Anchor Homes.
This project is funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Sister projects in this season produced by Magic Me include works from Punchdrunk, Lois Weaver & Upswing, see more here.
Robin Whitmore is a longtime Duckie associate artist, you can find more on his practice here.
Waterside, 40 Sumner Road Peckham, London, SE15 6LA
If you would like to visit Duckie’s Palace of Varieties on one of the Friday afternoons please contact Duckie on 020 7737 4043 or email simon@duckie.co.uk
* Duckie are based at Waterside every Thursday and Friday creating the material. The matinee balls are on Fridays usually at 3pm, but sometimes they will start at 2pm and there will be a couple of evening sessions.
