BBC's TOP OF THE POPS LIVE to Tour UK After Eastbourne Premiere October 18 2012

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Submitted by panfan on Wed, 2012-05-23 12:49

 

 

 

 

BBC's TOP OF THE POPS LIVE to Tour UK After Eastbourne Premiere October 18

 

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BBC Worldwide has signed a licensing deal with Flying Entertainment to capture the spirit of the iconic TV show Top of the Pops in a unique live theatre production – Top of the Pops LIVE. The show premieres at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne on October 18 - 20 2012, before embarking on an extensive UK tour.

Produced in association with Derek Nicol and Paul Walden - producers of the worldwide stage hit “Thriller – Live” (celebrating its 4th incredible year in the West End) and the hit show’s Director/Choreographer, Gary Lloyd – Top of the Pops LIVE promises a cast of singers, dancers, fantastic music, presenters and a live band, together with some memorable material from the BBC’s Top of the Pops TV vaults.

Top of the Pops LIVE will work as a nostalgic interactive jukebox celebrating the greatest hits by the biggest stars in the world of pop from the 70s, 80s and 90s – from TRex and David Bowie, to Blondie and Adam & The Ants, Duran Duran and Madonna, to Oasis and Blur. Paying homage to the DJs who introduced the TV show and to the resident dance troops Pan’s People and Legs & Co, Top of the Pops LIVE will offer a fabulous feast of musical nostalgia.

During the show, Top of the Pops LIVE will screen vintage Top of the Pops TV chart footage and then host a chart rundown covering three decades. Audiences on the night get to pick which song – from a list of list of five classic hits – will feature in the show’s finale.

Top of the Pops LIVE cameras are also on hand during the evening and will follow host DJs around the auditorium as they interview the audience about their favourite vintage music and bands.

Dominic Walker, Commercial Director, Audio & Music BBC Worldwide said: “We are delighted to have signed a licensing deal with Flying Entertainment and look forward to working with them on Top of the Pops LIVE.

Derek Nicol, Producer and Joint Managing Director of Flying Entertainment said: “I am delighted to be working with BBC Worldwide and Director Gary Lloyd on one of the UK’s most iconic brands. Like most people, I have nothing but fantastic memories of Top of the Pops and I look forward to delivering a great live show to audiences throughout the country, reflecting the great music that, through Top of the Pops, became the soundtrack to many of our lives.”

Director/Choreographer Gary Lloyd said: “Bringing Top of the Pops to the stage has been an exciting process. With today's technology and using all of the iconic moments Top of the Pops brings, this show will excite audiences old and new. As a music lover who grew up following the charts with Top of the Pops as the highlight of the week, this is a dream show to work on. I am very much looking forward to getting it out there to all those people who did the same and taking them on a rockin’ journey down memory lane.”

Top of the Pops LIVE is produced by Derek Nicol and Paul Walden for Flying Entertainment in association with BBC Worldwide.

Top of the Pops burst onto BBC television screens on New Year's Day 1964 and continued to entertain millions for over four decades, becoming one of the greatest pop shows in history. Decades before video, MTV, the internet and mobile phones, this BBC television programme was an unmissable weekly TV date for generations of teenagers.

Tour Dates

October 2012
18 - 20 Eastbourne Congress
29 - 3 November Birmingham Alexandra Theatre

November 2012
5 - 10 Manchester Opera House
12 - 17 Bradford Alhambra Theatre
19 - 24 Woking New Victoria Theatre
26 - 1 December Dartford Orchard Theatre

January 2013
21 - 26 Liverpool Empire
28 - 2 February York Grand Opera House

February 2013
11 - 16 Stoke Regent Theatre
18 - 23 Southampton Mayflower
25 - 2 March Brighton Theatre Royal

March 2013
18 - 23 Wolverhampton Grand

April 2013
1 - 6 Oxford New Theatre
8 - 13 Bromley Churchill Theatre
15 - 20 Glasgow Kings
22 - 27 Edinburgh Playhouse

Tickets for Top of the Pops LIVE go on sale at selected venues 9am on Friday 25 May direct from the venues – full contact details can be found at www.flyingmusic.com
Tickets are priced from £10.00 - £34.00 (plus booking charges).

 

Tags: 
News
2012
TOTP

12 comments

Submitted by panfan on Wed, 2012-05-23 12:51
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"Paying homage to the DJs who introduced the TV show and to the resident dance troops Pan’s People and Legs & Co, Top of the Pops LIVE will offer a fabulous feast of musical nostalgia."

I wonder how they'll do that?

Submitted by Paperboyplod on Wed, 2012-05-23 13:29
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Dance 'Troops' are what you may find in the armed forces trying to emulate the success of Legs & Co. et al aren't they?

—

Justin

Submitted by panfan on Wed, 2012-05-23 13:36
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Well spotted, PBP!

Submitted by panfan on Wed, 2012-05-23 20:50
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Complete with photo of "original" PP line up from 1979!

Top of the Pops to be resurrected as live stage show

The glory days of Pan’s People will be revisited when Top of the Pops is resurrected as a live stage show featuring a new troupe of dancers who will interpret golden oldies.

A “nostalgic interactive jukebox” is promised when Top of the Pops LIVE, a BBC Worldwide approved spin-off, begins a nationwide tour in Eastbourne.

Veteran presenters will mingle with the audience and introduce the biggest hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s, performed by a live band. Vintage footage and chart rundowns from the programme’s archive will be displayed on a giant video screen.

In the absence of the original stars, the songs will be accompanied by dancers performing specially choreographed routines, just as in the programme’s heyday when Pan’s People and Legs & Co were rolled out to illustrate hit songs.

Where once the programme, axed as weekly fixture in 2006, built to the unveiling of the Number One, audiences on each night of the 90-date tour get to pick which song, from a list of list of five classic hits, will feature in the stage show’s finale.

Audiences will hear chart-toppers from hit-makers including T. Rex and David Bowie, Blondie, Adam & The Ants, Duran Duran and Madonna. The most recent songs aired will be by the Britpop bands Oasis and Blur.

The live event, opening in October, will be produced by the team responsible for the hit West End show Thriller, which features Michael Jackson’s music.

Gary Lloyd, director and choreographer, promised “a rockin’ journey down memory lane”. He said: “Bringing Top of the Pops to the stage has been an exciting process. With today’s technology and using all of the iconic moments Top of the Pops brings, this show will excite audiences old and new.”

The BBC is seeking to maximise the Top of the Pops brand with a new, nightly archive series on BBC2. Richard Desmond, the Channel 5 owner, has said he would buy ToTP and relaunch it as a weekly show. New studio episodes are currently restricted to Christmas specials.

Submitted by Paperboyplod on Wed, 2012-05-23 21:58
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That'll be interesting, the use of dancers stAnding in for absent musicians, that's how it should be on a fully re-launched TOTPs, the use of videos would be avoided so that TOTPs offers something different from the plethora of music video TV channels, as well as online video streaming, you see maybe dance troupes are not completely done for after all.

I wonder what the dance troupes in this stage show will be like, my uneducated guess is something modelled on Zoo, if only it was Legs & Co. that would provide the inspiration!

—

Justin

Submitted by gibb1962 on Thu, 2012-05-24 00:49
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Shame it's not coming up to my neck of the woods,it would interesting to see.

—

Glenn

Submitted by Flight14 on Thu, 2012-05-24 01:51
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Sounds like 'Top of The Pops: The Musical' .A very sort of 2012 venture.I am sure Simon Cowell will be included in it somewhere?& maybe even Lady Gaga if it's sufficiently gothic, Lol.Thanks Panfan for highlighting this new project.It's not really my cup of tea but I wish it well & wonder if any of our membership might catch a performance & could do a review of it on here?.Don't even want to think what the tickets will cost !??......

Submitted by Jase on Thu, 2012-05-24 20:23
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...and I'm close by to Bradford, so I'll certainly be going! Anything to imbibe the TOTP nostalgia thing! :)

I'd be happy to do a report too. I'm looking forward to this.

 

Jase

Submitted by panfan on Thu, 2012-05-24 20:31
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A report would be great!  I see it's even coming to Scotland.  Could I see my way to Edinburgh or Glasgow for it, I wonder....

Submitted by Jase on Thu, 2012-05-24 21:55
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Well I'll let you know if it's worth the effort PF!!! 

I certainly hope so. It sounds like an interesting idea, and I'm still wondering how it will work.

What would really make it worthy would be appearances from some of the original girls, say Lulu for instance!

Submitted by panfan on Thu, 2012-05-24 22:21
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Yes I wonder what if any conferral this project has had with any of the dancers....

Submitted by Jase on Thu, 2012-05-24 22:35
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You would think that one or two of the dancers would have been approached wouldn't you? It seems absurd when you condsider that of the entire series, the one constant in the show were the dancers!