The Prince Of Wales Theatre in Cannock is earmarked for closure and I gather a consultation period is underway. Although I’m not from Cannock I know what a great venue it is, not only for the locals but also for drama groups across the region. A nod also to ale drinkers as Cannock Chase CAMRA have their wonderful beer festival there, something I have attended both as a drinker and a worker.

I joined AMCS (Aldridge Musical Comedy Society) in 2014 and 9 of the 13 shows I’ve been in have occurred on that Prince Of Wales stage. So here I look back over those shows and try and explain why this venue means so much to theatre goers and performers alike.

I’d never shown any interest in being a stage performer. Yes I enjoyed being in primary school shows but didn’t join any drama groups at secondary school. My first show with AMCS was Jesus Christ Superstar. May as well jump straight into the deep end eh? My mate Nick Britt got me into it, eventually after I ran out of excuses not too.

Me and Nick went to The Prince Of Wales to see a show called Our House. Although I’d been in the venue before this was my first time as a theatre goer, with the seats down and I looked over to the stage and it hit me that I’d be performing on it in a few weeks in front of capacity crowds. I just stood there dumbstruck with my mouth open for a good minute or two. Nick had to look back to see where I was. I’d proper gone into stand by mode. It was a great show though. We also went to see Brownhills Goes To Broadway by Brownhills Musical Theatre Company, another excellent show.

Nick and I posing with the JCS banner outside The Prince Of Wales. We developed a taste for posing with the banners as the shows racked up. He was a naughty Priest whilst I was an Apostle hence the stances.

I was overweight. I decided in a bid to shed some timber in time for the show I’d give up the booze for 2 months, ending this at The Cannock Beer Festival. I hate watching myself back and rarely do, but I recently saw a clip from JCS and I was waddling around the stage like a fat penguin. It was like I’d tuned into Cringe FM. Note to self, don’t give up booze. It’s pointless.

The first beer after 2 months and my God it was good.

Anyway the shows went well, I sold loads of tickets and having my mates chanting “Evo Evo Evo” as I walked out for the bows will live with me forever.

I only planned to do one show but was eventually talked into doing the next one Heroes & Sweethearts. Emma Wallage is very persuasive. This was a show for the 70th anniversary of VE Day put together and directed by the lovely Jools. A combination of wartime songs and traditional English anthems. My favourite part of this was a Dads Army style sketch performed by the 7 blokes in the show and written by Nick. My character had a very weak bladder and had to go for a piss about 4 times during the 5 minute sketch and the audience loved it. The other highlight was I got to be the only person on stage singing the opening verse of the show as a soloist in the song This Is The Amy, Mr. Jones.

This is the army Mr Evans.

One of the songs was I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts and during the line “some as big as your head” someone behind me would remove my hat and I’d point to my mossiv cranium. This earned me the nickname Coconut from a lovely lady in the club afterwards. I didn’t mind. I’ve been called much worse.

Although only my second show with the society I was already developing a taste for being the last cast member off the stage and on the final night I was keeping up with this when I doubled back and gave the audience a cheeky salute before the curtains closed. On the back of this my mate Mase said I had to the same but with a Ric Flair impression. I can’t remember the show but I did it. This was an epic show and remains one of my favourites.

Musical Memories was performed at Rugeley Rose Theatre but in May 2016 we were back at P.O.W for Thoroughly Modern Millie. On the Sunday of show week, we were in the theatre for band call and if you’ve been you’ll know the corridor which leads to the auditorium where refreshments and programmes are sold. We were in there with a 14 piece orchestra. It was my big day so they played Happy Birthday while everyone sang along. Marvellous moment.

Me and my jail number for Thoroughly Modern Millie. I still have that prop.

On the back of this show I considered changing my Twitter name to Thoroughly Modern Mikee but that would have been utter cobblers. Nowt modern about me and my friends will happily testify to that. I’m not materialistic and don’t do gadgets or new technology. The most modern stuff in my house is food and some of that is out of date.

Me with a Thoroughly Modern Millie prop. That phone is modern by my standards.

The magnificent panto Once Upon A Time was performed at Great Wyrley High School (they have a prper theatre set up, we weren’t in the assembly hall) but in May 2017 we were back in Cannock for Fabulous At 50, a concert to celebrate 5 decades of AMCS. Me and the delightful Sarah Carter who had teamed up to be Mary and Bert from Mary Poppins in Musical Memories were reunited twice in this one. Firstly in One Day More from Les Mis as the Thernardiers but also in a chaotic restaurant scene, the brain work of Nick. Sarah in this basically passed out and I had to show concern whilst trying to summon the waiter for another drink and shuffling off stage repeatedly for a piss. Can’t help but feel I’m a bit typecast in that respect but it was great fun.

Me pissing about during the Fab At 50 show week. This was the start of me posing in front of the bar before it opened.

Talking of One Day More on one occasion I was in the loo when the first notes started and I had to dash down the stairs with my scarf caught in my zip. This was a superb show and the one song with just the blokes “There Is Nothing Like A Dame” was phenomenal. On the last night the stage hands provided pizzas which was ace.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe was performed at Aldridge Youth Theatre but in May 2018 it was back to our spiritual home for West Side Story. I immediately ruled myself out thinking there wasn’t a role for me but was talked into going for Officer Krupke. Main memory of this show was my squeaky truncheon. There is one scene where Krupke is pushed over and during one rehearsal the squeak went off upon impact on the stage. The sound travelled in the empty auditorium but it got a big laugh. We disable the squeak in the dressing room afterwards.

Krupke posing before West Side Story.

We were back in Great Wyrley for Sleeping Beauty but May 2019 saw a return to Cannock for Me & My Girl with me playing deaf old man Sir Jasper Tring. Absolutely no method acting needed there. Tough show this one but the audiences loved it and I was just pleased to get through the Lambeth Walk dance without dropping a clanger although I will confess I shed no tears when finding out that I didn’t have to join this one until quite late in the proceedings.

Sir Jasper Tring with both of his ear trumpets.
Sir Jasper not happy that the bar wasn’t open at the end of his innings.

November’s show was Magic Of Menken, a tribute to composer Alan Menken. This one caused some anxiety as during one song (Mine Mine Mine I think but willing to be wrong) the blokes had to launch actual spades. I was paired up with Nick for this and I was terrified that I was going to damage either him or the famous Prince Of Wales stage. Early practices of this were done on the car park outside our rehearsal studio. This was in full view of an old folks home. God knows what they thought.

I really shouldn’t use show props to pretend to try and break into the bar.
Magic Of Menken was a formal attire kind of vibe.

Covid stopped everything but we were back in Cannock in November 2021 for a panto, Cinderella. Written and directed by Nick. Early rehearsals for this were held on an outdoor netball court which was strange.

I love panto. Getting to be silly on stage is just so me. I was Baron Hardup in this, Cinderella’s somewhat henpecked father. I had a great time playing opposite his wife Madame Waitrose played superbly by Sarah Hinkley.

It didn’t take long for me to find my favourite part of the Cinderella set.

My favourite part of this show was in The Palace Ballroom. Everyone was instructed to take their places for the formal dance. Hardup and Waitrose marched stage front and centre and stood there looking dignified. Then The Macarena started playing. I especially liked this as Sarah Beckett our Choreographer had told me I could get this wrong for comedic effect and believe me she never says this. So I got positioning wrong and even threw in other dances with a bit of YMCA action for good measure.

Sarah and I. Hardup and Waitrose.

Too many good performances in this one to mention but Rich Beckett as Dandini, newcomer Bethany as Chardonnay and my stage wife Chante (real life wife of one of my besties Swill) as Buttons were all brilliant. Also big nods to Michael Mannion who stepped in half way through rehearsals to replace the original Prince Charming.

This was the toughest of all the show weeks as I couldn’t get any time off work and we’d just relocated to the other side of Wolverhampton. So it was up at 6am, work all day then straight to Cannock and get home around 11pm. All week. Gruelling but the audience response and the reviews made it all worthwhile.

Sister Act was next but I thought there wasn’t many roles for men in that so I sat it out and my God it was strange being in the audience at the P.O.W rather than being on stage. I’d been in every show since joining the society so it was weird. I did do front of house duties selling programmes with the lovely Christine.

My last show with AMCS was also in Cannock in November 2022 called Musicals That Rock. Including songs from Meatloaf and Green Day so it was right up my street. I can’t remember why but the wonderful Lucy Pountain flicking the v’s at me from up above during the last dress rehearsal at P.O.W was an amusing part of show week. Post how it was agreed that we rocked the ‘nock.

I don’t really do E-Bay but that Slash hat had to be done for Musicals That Rock.
Posing during a bit of quiet time during Musicals That Rock show week.

After this show I did front of house again for Dick Whittington The Secret Of Skull Island and Stages Through The Ages, two excellent shows. I love doing FOH especially when audience members that I don’t know say things like “oh, aren’t you in this one?”. One lady even pointed to her friend and said “you’re her favourite person in these shows” which I loved. Some people don’t like compliments but I lap them up, especially as I don’t get many. An unexpected development stopped me attending So This Is Christmas last month. It would normally take wild horses to stop me attending but this couldn’t be avoided. With things as they are that could be the last time AMCS perform at this wonderful venue.

So we need to save the place. Not just for performers and audiences but also the staff. I’ve got to know the stage hands, lighting and sound techies and of course the bar staff. There is a Save The Prince Of Wales Facebook group so feel free to join that.

I’m not finished with AMCS and I’d dearly love to tread the boards in Cannock with them once more.

So to summarise, I love the Prince Of Wales Theatre. Had great times on stage, so many laughs in the dressing room and post show beers when that bar in the pictures opens. It’s by the gents dressing room which is a result. My only regret is that I didn’t get to run across the empty Prince Of Wales stage in an inflatable pig costume like I had the pleasure to do in Great Wyrley. It got big laughs every show. And yes I’m mentioning this just so I can show the picture.