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A series about groups of people who come together to perform . . for whatever reason.
Lata Sharma celebrates Ulster’s great tradition of Amateur Dramatics and much more.
Amateur means to perform simply for the love of it!
That includes theatre groups, dance groups, Amateur Dramatic societies, ethnic groups celebrating their culture, musical theatre schools, educational groups, etc. Words and music will reveal the extraordinary popularity of musical theatre societies, their background, the passion of the members, the shows, the many thousands of fans and families. Members of societies all over N.I. will share memories of triumphs, failures, anecdotes, special performances etc. Apart from the on-stage performers, Lata will also meet the ordinary society members. She’ll meet parents on ‘chauffeur duty’ who take 1000+ children all over N.I. to attend numerous theatre schools. She’ll meet some of the countless thousands of people involved in every aspect of the productions. There’s a vibrant overview of what the public see, but each programme will also have contributions from people behind the scenes - the Directors and Producers, Choreographers, Sound Engineers, Lighting Designers, Musical Directors, Costume, P.R., the Admin. and Membership people etc. Lata meets accountants, plumbers, civil servants, electricians, teachers, doctors, nurses, shop assistants, mothers, fathers, children, people from every walk of life, every age group, all over Northern Ireland.
After Covid – ‘performance’ is back! Already they are putting on concerts, festivals and sell-out shows to packed houses. It feels like the release of pent-up energy and frustration caused by having to cancel so many plans. There’s an enthusiasm that hasn’t waned in the slightest over the past 2 years.