Book West End singers to peform at your door!
West End singers Matthew Goodgame & The Spinettes might not be able to tour the venues this Christmas. But they are still hitting the road – and happy to turn up right on your doorstep.
In difficult times, Matthew – based in Maidenbower, Crawley – has come up with an innovative way to spread the Christmas magic – a new experience which they are calling WestEnd Carolling.
Matthew and the girls are offering 15-minute performances. Book a slot and enjoy Matthew and the team socially-distanced from your own home. Between them, the quartet have graced the stage in shows including Cats, Chicago, 42nd Street, Singing In The Rain, Wicked, Starlight Express, Matilda, Annie and many more – experience they will distil for
Christmas entertainment with a difference. Allowing themselves 15 minutes to get between doorstep bookings, they will offer seven performances between 6pm and 9pm on weekdays and 12 weekend performances between 2 and 9pm. Just book your slot. The tour takes in: Dec 10 – Handcross; Dec 12 – Godalming; Dec 13 – Lindfield; Dec14 – Horsham; Dec 15 – Balcombe; Dec 17 – Cuckfield; Dec 18 – Crawley; December 19 – Salfords; Dec 20 – Lindfield; Dec 21 – Crawley; Dec 22 – Charlwood; and Dec 23 – Horsham.
It will brighten up the last few weeks of a year which has, inevitably, been hugely difficult: “Our world was turned upside down. The carpet was swiped from right under our feet, like it was for everyone, but particularly for people in the performing arts and hospitality. It was a really tough time. We could see the pandemic coming all the way from China, but we could never have thought that it was going to happen to this extent. It didn’t take us by surprise, but the scale of it did.
“We had lots of things lined up. I had just finished my paternity leave and I was starting to audition for things when the pandemic happened and everything stopped. We had to postpone shows for three months and then three months became six months and then things were being cancelled altogether. Some things have been rebooked for next year, but you never know.”
And of course, it isn’t just the performers who found themselves out of work. It was the huge numbers of people behind the scenes that make the shows happen: “But the good thing about performers in our industry is that everyone is very malleable and adaptable and they have been finding ways to get from one moment to the next.
“Personally, it was really tough. I had a couple of nice jobs so I had a bit of money in my account, but when all your work for the year gets cancelled and you have still got the mortgage to pay and all the bills coming in, it is worrying. You have just got to try to think outside the box.”
And that’s what WestEnd Carolling is all about: “Everyone wants a bit of human contact, and music is just such a big part of all our lives. You hear it everywhere, TV, films, advertising, and so many people are looking forward to Christmas as such a special time. This is our way of adapting. We just thought it would be lovely if we could offer WestEnd Carolling on your doorstep.” £40 per 15-minute performance; email thespinettes@hotmail. com; www.thespinettes. co.uk, Matthew stresses all precautions will be taken; neighbours will be able to listen too, but Matthew and his fellow singers will ensure that distances are kept and that gatherings don’t form.