Latest 7 magazine

The stage version of Calendar Girls will premier at Chichester Festival Theatre on Friday 5 September

The show stars Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Siân Phillips, Gaynor Faye, Brigit Forysth, Julia Hills and Elaine C Smith as members of the WI who create a nude calendar to raise money for charity.

Written by Tim Firth, who co-wrote the screenplay of the 2003 Miramax film, the story is based upon true-life events. Calendar Girls follows the fortunes of a group of extraordinary women, all members of a very ordinary YorkshireWomen’s Institute who persuade each other to pose for a charity calendar with a difference.

Calendar Girls opens at Chichester Festival Theatre on 5 September and runs until 27 September. Tickets £11-£33 available form the Box Office on 01243 781312 or online at www.cft.org.uk

Terence Stamp talks to Latest 7 about his role in the comedy Get Smart and fighting Superman

How much fun was the role and what was it was that attracted you to it?
Me? I’m always rather flattered when I get approached about doing funny stuff. I guess it’s just unusual, when someone is devastatingly good looking, wise and sexy that people think I can do comedy. I was very naive. I didn’t know about Get Smart. I guess I just didn’t see it and so when I went into meet with the production team, it was just a chat. I hadn’t seen the script and I didn’t know anything about it and when it got serious I did the research.

I just thought that it was one of those characters that I could do something with, someone who is rather pretentious and looks down his nose at everyone. Something I could get some fun out of. In truth it was just such a great troupe, a great team. So I had a lot of fun doing this even though I had to make a fool of myself, which I don’t really like.

What other roles are you working on?
Tom Cruise and I were trying to blow up Hitler in Berlin for Valkyrie.

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The Dark Knight (12A)

Dir: Christopher Nolan

The only real contender for Indy’s crown of most anticipated blockbuster this year is, of course, the return of Mr Bruce Wayne, A.K.A Batman. Christopher Nolan returns to helm the sequel to his stunning super-hero reboot Batman Begins with Heath Ledger creeping out Christian Bale, in the role he’ll be remembered for as none other than Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker.

A stellar cast bolsters proceedings with Michael Caine as butler Alfred, Aaron Eckhart as conflicted D.A Harvey Dent, Gary Oldman as Chief Gordon and Maggie Gyllenhaal as love interest Rachel Dawes. Ledger’s tipped for an Oscar for his haunting turn in the role rumoured to have pushed him over the edge before his tragic demise, so expect queues around the block for this classy comic-book adaptation.
Showing at Odeon and Cineworld.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (12A)

Dir: Guillermo Del Toro

Mike Mignola’s cult comic book anti-hero makes a welcome return to the big screen. Looking to continue the trend of big-budget super-folk blockbusters getting better by the second film, The Golden Army pits Big Red (Ron Perlman), Liz (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Pan’s Labyrinth’s Doug Jones) against a whole horde of mythical beasties.

With the huge success of Mexican director Del Toro’s fantasy horror Pan’s Labyrinth, he’s been given free reign for his impressively out-there imagination to run wild. Del Toro’s set to direct the eagerly anticipated film versions of The Hobbit, so catch an early glimpse here of his take on mythology.
Showing at Odeon, Cineworld, Duke of York’s
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Gresham Blake launches charity campaign, Will Young visits and Jordan gets more surgery

Bond Street tailor to the stars, Gresham Blake launched his new charity campaign last week. Gresham has managed to get a stellar list of celebrities to design their own ties for children’s Cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.

So far, stars include U2 guitarist, The Edge, Virgin boss RichardBranson, Jonathan Ross, Jose Mourinho, GQ Editor Dylan Jones, Norman Cook, Jimmy Carr and Matt Lucas who have all submitted designs which Gresham has duly produced into a fantastic range of 100 per cent silk ties. The idea was given to Gresham by ex-champion boxer Barry McGuigan, who is a regular customer to the North Laine store. The ties are now available in store or by logging on to www.greshamblake.com or www.clicsargent.org.uk

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Zara Baker goes up and down and round and about, as she finds there’s a yoga style to suit all

Yoga is a modern trend, firmly planted in Western society from its Eastern roots. The majority embraced the ancient method of exercise and relaxation. Some may try a class and not see what all the fuss is about: what’s with all the posing and how is that beneficial exercise?

It may just be that you haven’t found the right type of yoga to suit you. If you wandered in to a drop-in class, not really sure of what to expect, you may have been alienated by the calm, meditative methods. Whatever happened to a gym instructor barking at you to not extend your knee over your toes when completing squats?

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Sandra Omo looks at the current trend of expecting models to work for free

Being a model sometimes means doing things for free. Whether it be a photo shoot, runway, commercial or whatever, my definition of free here is: ‘one good turn deserves another’ or you get something in kind in return.

Even here, there comes a point where one has to draw the line between being a professional model and continuously doing free jobs – if not, how on earth are we supposed to earn a living? Boy, we need money to spend and pay bills too, you know. And besides, how does one call something a job or a profession if you cannot earn from it.

“Is it the models who don’t care as long as it’s their face in the picture?”

Now there is another trend – I call it an epidemic – that has crept into the UK modelling industry: doing jobs in return for nothing apart from the perceived promotion one may get from it.

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Dani lets her sister write her column, as Francesca prepares to leave Brighton and start university

Well the pressure is on now… Not only because I have to write in the shadow of Dani, but also because I am going to find out how worth two years of college is and whether or not I will be off to Greenwich University this September. Having been given a little voice to air my views I have become overwhelmed my how much I need to say to make all right with the world.

“It seems that we work too hard for so little appreciation, considering we are the future”

Firstly let me explain what it is like to take exams like GCSEs and A levels as it is a huge misconception that we get an easy ride in life. Not only are you learning to become an adult and accept responsibilities like relationships and part-time jobs, but we also have to juggle peer pressure, coursework, and exams, plus getting enough sleep to function the next day.

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Carol Decker, singer in eighties pop legends T’Pau, plays a charity concert in Eastbourne in September. Nick Aldwinckle spoke to her

80s Live! is a new one day event taking place in Eastbourne’s Winter Garden on Saturday, 13 September.

In aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the event sees a host of eighties stars, including T’Pau, Katrina of Katrina and the Waves, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Sonia, Stephen Singleton of ABC and Sigue Sigue Sputnik, take to the stage to raise funds and awareness of the chronic muscle disease.

As well as the main performers, there’s an ‘Acoustic Café’ with local acts and a ‘Silent Auction’ with a Fender Telecaster guitar signed by the Arctic Monkeys up for grabs. Latest 7 met T’Pau’s Carol Decker.

So, how’s it going?
I’ve been doing loads of shows. I did an Ascot race meet last week, where I met Frankie Dettori, which was fun. I’ve been recording solo, not that anyone would know!

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Maturing with every release James Yorkston still flirts with the fringes of psychedelia within his genial folkiness. It’s sensitively textured music, full of lush arrangements, but with a sadness throughout. Lyrically When The Haar Rolls In features plenty of well-turned out phrases, while stylistically Yorkston gently mimics folk’s affectations. A tad over long, and generally of one tempo, Yorkston could have done with a bit off jollying up.

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Victoria Nangle explains why it’s all in making the performance personal and keeping up that eye contact

Have you ever wondered why a comic’s best material is making you smile, is funnier and cleverer than the previous comic – who made you laugh out loud – but you’re still only smiling?

“Scared of being picked on if you sit at the front? Just make sure you sit at least three rows back”

When the audience becomes a ‘smiling crowd’ – appreciative, but not very vocal in this appreciation – you can find what was initially a very personable comic getting quite aggro. The aggro is only reasonable – they feel – considering the slight upon their act. It’s not so. It’s the same reason we very rarely laugh out loud at the telly when watching stand-up. There’s just no personal connection.

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