PERFORMERS

Iain Moran

Iain lives and breathes magic and has done from a very early age. When he left school, Iain spent a year working during the day at the world-famous Granada Studios Tours in Manchester, performing his magic on the Sherlock Holmes Baker Street set, and continuing with private engagements in the evenings and at weekends.

The Order of the Magi (Manchester's magic society) voted Iain Close-up Magician of the Year 1990. At 16, he was the youngest person to have been awarded that honour since the club was founded, in 1910. The following year, Iain went on to win the title again.

In 1999 Iain went to Italy, where he became one of the very few foreigners ever to win an award from the Club Magico Italiano. This led to a short series of lectures to Italian magicians on his own brand of close-up magic. In 2003 Iain returned to present a new lecture - this time in Italian!

Iain is proud to belong to the renowned Magic Circle in London. With only 1500 members worldwide, the Circle has rigorous interview and audition procedures, to maintain its reputation for excellence. Although Iain reckons his audition was "probably the scariest thing I have ever done", it was well worth it.

When Iain became a regular performer at The Magic Circle, his talent was soon recognised by the senior members, who rapidly promoted him to his current level of Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star

As if all this were not enough Iain has now produced two DVDs as the Cullfather that are selling like hot cakes all round the globe. He has also starred in his own one-man show at the Blackburn Thwaites Theatre, where he has been asked to re-appear in September after packing out the 300-seater.

This all makes him the mainstay of Give Telly the Welly, thrilling children and reminding adults of the joys of childlike innocence.

The Ordsall Acappella Singers

Ordsall Acapella Singers were formed in 2005. After performing recently at an event at the Salford Art gallery they were invited to sing at the Salford Mayor’s Valentine’s Dinner on Friday February 15 2008. their most prestigious performance to date.

They have been featured on Manchester’s Channel M cable TV and are the resident choir at the historic Ordsall Hall in Salford. They have even been broadcast on Radio Manchester (GMR as it was at the time).

The outstanding feature of the Acappella Singers is their charismatic and nationally renowned leader Jeff Borradaile. Jeff, a full-time professional choral director, makes sure that the choir not only meet his exacting standards but that the repertoire is fresh, exciting and covers songs from across the ages and around the world. There is something for everyone in their impressive musical catalogue.

Woody Hill

Woody is our resident compere. Known affectionately to his friends as Genghis Kahn, he takes no prisoners as he sweeps the world and beyond with his sharp insights into the absurdities of life and stuff.

Woody’s real name is David Adelman who gave birth to Woody as a way of keeping various professional activities apart and of course fooling the tax man. David used to be a criminal lawyer (a lawyer dealing with crime - in case you were wondering!) but got tired of protesting the innocence of people who had so clearly committed crimes against humanity and other traffiic offences. His current day job involves teaching the card game Bridge (more precisely a simplified version called Minibridge) to primary and secondary school staff and their pupils to help make thinking skills work more fun for both staff and pupils alike.

While David is a sensitive soul who cares deeply about what others think, Woody really doesn’t give a monkeys and is prepared to stick his neck out in the cause of light entertainment. And the more we pay him the further he sticks his neck out. Remarkable, isn’t it?

ABOUT THE SUPPORT ACTS

Tony Mills

In March 2008 we were proud to start including especially talented or rarely seen novelty acts. The first one booked in was Tony Mills, an incredible presence and spectacular performer who will be gracing us with a sword ceremony dating back from the China of 1000BC and which has to be seen to be believed.

Tony's first calling is as a shamanic self-healing activator. He has developed a healing system which he calls Applied Energetic Wisdom and which takes him all over the world helping people to improve their levels of health and well-being and above all to re-connect with their deeper soul purpose.

Tony's sword ceremony gives a vibrant demonstration of the kind of tiimeless power and spirit that he has the ability to access, usually for healing or transformational purposes, but with us on stage, strictly to entertain, amaze and inspire. Wow!

If you're talking about the British folk club scene of the 1970s, then the name of Pete Coe will inevitably loom large. And if you're talking about the folk club scene of the '80s it'll loom even larger. It's prominent in the '90s too and the way things are shaping up it's a name that will continue to be synonymous with the grass roots scene through the early 2000s. Singer, songwriter, melodeon, banjo, dulcimer and bouzouki player, bandleader, arranger, broadcaster, dance caller, teacher, step dancer, entrepreneur, folk club organiser, record label boss, sallow-faced wit, raconteur and all-round good guy, Pete Coe in many ways represents the backbone of the modem folk revival. He's been a key member of numerous significant outfits across three decades, including the much-loved duo with his then wife Chris, the wondrous dance outfit New Victory Band, folk 'supergroup' Bandoggs and political trailblazers Red Shift. Yet he's probably best known for his richly varied solo work, stretching across the whole range of the folk umbrella from the English tradition to dance tunes of many shapes and sizes to his own devastatingly potent original songs. In short, a wonderful addition to the GTTW line-up.


Jane Garnett

A solo vocalist from Cumbria with a sweet, melodious sound and lyrics straight from the heart. Jane is appearing for the first time for us in June.

Josh Ruding

A talented young vocalist who has turned professional and who is also appearing for the first time for us in June. Josh accompanies himself on the piano.

Just Midnight are a group of experienced singers based in the North West who love to sing unaccompanied harmony. Their repertoire ranges from jazz to fifties revival, from romantic ballads to up-tempo numbers.

They complement the Ordsall Acappella Singers who sing songs from different periods and places.