Disney’s Aladdin sweeps in to the Guildhall at Chard this coming week. Cloks is a musical theatre group for kids aged between 8 and 18, and shows start on Thursday June 30th at 7:30pm.
Performed by CLOKS, directed by Maria Farey and Musical Director Jemima Farey (Of Farey Folk fame), with the wonderful music of Alan Menken. This show looks to be a delight if the snippets we saw at the Queen of the Commonwealth Variety Concert is any indication. Performances are Thursday 30th June 7:30pm, Friday 1st July 7:30pm, Saturday matinee at 3pm and last show Saturday evening at 7:30pm
Cloks was the brainchild of Maria Farey who sang with Chard Light Operatic Society for many years. She wanted a musical theatre group for kids to express themselves and find the joy that comes from singing, dancing and performing. The first show Cloks did was Annie back in 2006 and they had quite a small cast compared to today. From the first show it proved a success and a fantastic, long lasting and wonderfully entertaining Society was born! Maria is a very musically talented lady with the innate ability to bring out the best in the children that she works with and her joy for this shows no sign of dimming today, 17 years on from that first show.
Maria, was always, very ably assisted by Johnathan Farey as Musical Director, until their daughter Jemima, who started out as a cast member in Annie, migrated into the role a few years ago. She has everything you need from a musical director, very talented in her own right, and having been in the society from the ground up, she knows just how it needs to be done. Johnathan is responsible for the amazing stage sets and props. Who can forget the Steam Train from The Railway Children? I can’t, it was truly, an amazing moment as the train appeared to thunder out of the tunnel and hurtle to its conclusion on the stage. No one who saw that will ever forget it. They have a dedicated stage and backstage crew who are all volunteers and many of them have been with the Society for years. The Society is self funded and they usually perform a Christmas Show at Combe St Nicholas Church in early December to fundraise for the main show.
Moving onto now, post Covid where all meetings were stopped and no main shows for two years, can they pull it off? They have a much younger cast than in recent years, many of whom haven’t trod the boards in the Guildhall at all. Disney’s Aladdin is a joyous show, with all the usual elements that we have come to love, a hero, a bad guy, a princess, a sidekick (or two), a lot of comedy and some wonderful songs. It’s a big ask. I have never been to a bad Cloks show, the kids bring their best to the stage every time, the singing is always amazing, these kids will absolutely knock this show out of the park. I suggest you get your tickets quickly, as they will disappear quicker than a street urchin in the streets of Agraba.
Tickets are only £8 per adult and £6 per child/concession, easily available on TicketSource and you can click the link here or some will be available to buy before the performances at the Guildhall.
If you are interested in becoming a Cloks supporter, a member of the society, a volunteer or would like to see some of the other shows they’ve done, please head to their website here and take a look for yourselves. I’m off to buy my tickets and can’t wait to see the show. Wishing all the cast, crew and volunteers a wonderful show, it will be so good to see you back where you belong on the Guildhall stage.
