LGBT Dial Up 2025 now live on Youtube!

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to The Dial Up Open Mic last night to celebrate the start of LGBT history month! Special thanks to our crew and performers including Peter Taylor - Mayor of Watford Simon Lordon David Morgan Brian Scott Jon Wood david bearfield Scott Awcock Matthew Wakefield Steve Austin Pete White Karen Bell John Anthony Baseley Chris McDermott bandana gill Ian Port Jon Medcalf Sharon Salter Charlotte Harker Panos Fellas Alison Raymond Susan Ann Alexander Lou Yeoman Michelle Davidson and Marcus Jones! 

The Dial Up fun continues today at The Dial Up Returns! @ Johnny's Bar 2-4pm, and then the first Sunday of every month going forward. Hope to see you there! Xx

The Dial Up @ Johnny's Bar!

Where: Johnny's Bar, 96 QUEEN'S RD, WATFORD, WD17 2NX

When: First Sunday of each month, 2-4pm

Free entry (suggested donation £5)

Join The Dial Up for a fantastic afternoon of performance and open mic! If you’re looking for a friendly and welcoming space to share your music, poetry, prose, drama, comedy, magic or dance, or just want a couple of hours of entertainment, then The Dial Up is the place for you! Each month has a theme but feel free to interpret or ignore it as you choose! All Welcome. Free entry (suggested donation of £5).

Sunday 2nd March: Great American Songbook

Sunday 6th April: Great British Songbook

Sunday 4th May: Birds and Beasts

Sunday 1st June: Land, Sea and Air

Sunday 6th July: Disney Special

Sunday 3rd August: NO EVENT (summer break)

Sunday 7th September: All the Colours of the Rainbow

Sunday 5th October: Forgotten Heroes

Sunday 2nd November: tbc

Sunday 7th December: Christmas Party!

Happy New Year From The Dial Up!

 

Watford’s Pump House Theatre is proud to host The Dial Up Open Mic LGBT History Month Special! We’re throwing the doors of the Colne River Room wide open for this FREE EVENT in celebration of our town’s wonderful diversity! There is a suggested donation of £5 at the door for those who feel able to pay.

Whether you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, curious, undecided, an ally or something else entirely we welcome you to come along and join us for this much loved highlight of the Watford LGBT calendar. Share you music, your poetry, your passion, your stories. The stage is yours!

Where: The Colne River Room

Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre,

Local Board Road, Lower Watford High Street, WD17 2JP

(2 minutes from Watford High Street train station)

When: Saturday 1st February

Doors 7pm/ Show 7.30pm

And as a special New Year treat I'm delighted to announce The Dial Up will also be back monthly at Johnny's Bar on Queens Road, Watford, on the first Sunday of each month 2-4pm! The first three events are Sunday 2nd February, 2nd March and 6th April. Hope to see you there! xx

Black History Month Dial Up 2024!

Thank you so much to everyone who came and supported The Dial Up Black History Month Celebration! What a wonderful afternoon! Here’s looking forward to next year’s, and to our LGBT special in February! 

Sunday 6th October confirmed for our Black History Month Dial Up!

 

The Watford Pumphouse is proud to be hosting a Dial Up Open Mic in celebration of Black History Month and I'm delighted to announce the date will be 3- 5pm, Sunday 6th October!

We want to throw the doors of the Pumphouse wide open so this is a FREE EVENT with a suggested donation of £5 at the door for those who are able to pay.

As ever, we will be celebrating community and creativity in all their forms, so whether you are Black, White, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Mixed or however you identify, we welcome you to join us for this joyful occasion! Share you music, your poetry, your passion, your stories. The stage is yours!

Calibre Short Story Competition ends August 31st!

 

Calibre Audio have launched a short story writing competition to celebrate their 50th birthday! It's open to all but I was delighted to be asked to produce a hints and tips video for young writers, which you can watch above. I've got my entry in, and heartily recommend you do the same! More details about the charity and the competition here. Happy writing!

Love in Slough World Premiere!

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came to support my brand new musical at the Pumphouse Theatre on Friday 12th as part of the Watford Fringe! It was such fun performing the world premiere of this show for such a beautiful audience! Great to have composer Phil Craddock (above) in the room with us too! 

I’ll be sure to keep you updated with future developments, looking forward to sharing it again soon! Much love, Alex 

A proper backstage photo with Steve Smith, possibly the hardest working actor at this year's Watford Fringe with multiple performances of four different shows lined up! I was on just before his second night of Apple of My Eye: The Steve Jobs Musical, so we shared a dressing room. The glamour of the dressing room, #actorslife lol!  Steve, break a leg for your remaining shows, big hugs!

Opening song 'Slough' from Love in Slough on the Pumphouse theatre stage.

Love in Slough: a new musical!

Love in Slough

A new one-man musical 

Written and performed by Alexander Williams 

Based on the songs of Phil Craddock

The Premiere Performance will be as part of the Watford Fringe Festival

at The Pump House Theatre, 5.30pm Friday 12th July 2024

Tickets available here!

Love in Slough is the story of Jack, a middle-aged man tied to an unfulfilling marriage, whose drab, directionless life is given an injection of vigour when he embarks on an unexpected affair. The funny, fast-paced script is bursting with wonderful jazz tunes which drive us through Jack’s journey of self-discovery as he traverses a new world of openness, intimacy and redefined relationships. Join us for the premiere performance of what promises to be an exciting and uplifting new musical!

Thank you to everyone who came to the workshop performance at The Bossanyi Studio on Saturday 13th April 2024! The feedback was amazing, here's a brief round up of some of the comments...

‘5 stars! A triumph!’

‘Beautiful songs set to a beautiful story. Captivated me from start to finish.’

‘A modern day Tell Me On A Sunday but with a jazz soundtrack and more jokes!’

‘Alex’s voice is stunning, and he brings the story to life with passion and charm. A born entertainer!’

‘Phil Craddock’s songs are terrific, embedded in the traditions of jazz standards while sparkling with originality.’

‘The story was subtle and complex, and Alex’s portrayal of the lead character Jack was both nuanced and moving. I’ll carry it with me for a long time. A hugely memorable night.’

‘Fun, fast paced and full of unexpected twists. Highly recommended!’

To listen to the wonderful music of Phil Craddock click here!