Popular Stewarty band Café Largo love dressing up and performing themed gigs. And they also enjoy involving school pupils in their work to bring out the best in their events, to involve the community, to give young people the opportunity to experience working with professional musicians and to showcase the exceptional talents of the pupils involved.
After a highly successful event in Wigtown last year, the seven-piece band have teamed up with pupils of Kirkcudbright Academy to bring the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to audiences in the artists’ town this month with a Night in Hollywood, complete with all the lights, camera and action of a Tinseltown movie.
A Night in Hollywood comes to the Cochrane Hall on Saturday, 27 May, as part of the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival.
Café Largo’s Tony Connor said: “We had a great time last year working with pupils in Wigtown who made artwork that served as a projected backdrop for the songs.
“This year, Kirkcudbright Academy kids have been participating both musically and dramatically.
“We are lucky to be working with such a lively little group of enthusiastic pupils who will be joining us in a few songs and showing a short film they made on the Walk of Fame.
“We had heard really good reports locally about the school’s music and drama departments and, having originally approached them in November to get involved, we went to see the excellent Christmas panto they put on. We were very impressed with how they involved pupils from all years, including the very youngest.
“We thought by involving the school it would make it more of a whole community event and also showcase the talents of these young people and their inspirational teachers Miss Gill and Mrs Jackson-Bonning.”
Sixth year pupil, Josh Adams, joins the band on bass and three songs will be accompanied by a choir of first year pupils.
The band will play songs made famous by movies such as The Blues Brothers, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Jungle Book, Midnight Cowboy, Dirty Dancing, Shrek, Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, The Full Monty and many more.
School drama students will show a short film they made about Hollywood and the evening will open with the short trailer, now showing in the Robert Burns Film Theatre, made by young people’s film club Scene 1 Take1.
A lighting engineer will help create a magical film-themed atmosphere with film clips, backdrops and dance floor effects. Adding to the movie star atmosphere, there will be a red carpet, Hollywood cocktails, mocktails and a movie quiz with an Oscar for the winners.
Tony added: “We are planning a very glitzy night with the hall decorated in an Oscar-styled theme so anyone coming along for the evening will be able to walk the Red Carpet and step straight into Hollywood.”
Tickets are available online from Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival; by calling the Midsteeple Box Office on 01387 253383 or from Thomsons newsagent in Kirkcudbright
