logo
Jersey Opera House's new chair rejects 'poison chalice' concern

Jersey Opera House's new chair rejects 'poison chalice' concern

BBC News23-06-2025
Jersey Opera House's interim chairperson says she does not see the role as a "poisoned chalice" after becoming the third person to take it on in 2025.Laura Robertson took on the position at the St Helier venue on Thursday, 24 hours after the resignation of Cyril Whelan, who stepped down two months after taking over from Dave Chalk.The venue - which has undergone a £13m renovation - has also been dealing with other resignations, with interim director Andy Eagle stepping down in April and Bruno Santos-Costa also leaving his role as a board member.Ms Robertson said all the resignations were due to personal reasons and a lot of hard work was ongoing to get an exciting programme on at the venue.
The Grade II listed held its first concerts in five years in May, with two Liberation Day concerts ahead of the official reopening, which is expected to take place in October.
Ms Robertson said she was "desperate" to get a strong programme of shows and looking forward to being the interim chairperson.She said: "I'm certainly not personally viewing the job as a poisoned chalice."Why I joined the board in the first place 18 months ago is because the building is the first real experience I had of theatre as a kid."When Cyril chose to leave for his own personal reasons, having been on the board for 13 years, which is an amazing stint, I really wanted to help push us into the new, exciting chapter for the opera house and get the community back in there."
Ms Robertson said the venue was facing some technical challenges ahead of its reopening, but its managing board was facing those head on.She added the venue was committed to making sure it had everything it needed to provide an exciting programme of shows."We'll be making some technical upgrades to things like lighting and sound in very short order so we can keep delivering what the public would like," she said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Danny Jones and wife Georgia put on loved-up display at Oasis gig in first public outing since drunken Maura kiss
Danny Jones and wife Georgia put on loved-up display at Oasis gig in first public outing since drunken Maura kiss

The Sun

time13 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Danny Jones and wife Georgia put on loved-up display at Oasis gig in first public outing since drunken Maura kiss

DANNY Jones enjoyed a loved-up night with wife Georgia Horsley at Oasis' Wembley gig as they appeared to patch things up after their recent troubles. They were all smiles as they stepped out for the Manchester -based band's first London comeback show alongside Danny's mum. 6 6 It was a positive show of solidarity from the pair, who were this week seen beaming as they teamed up for a celebration with Georgia's family. Just last month, Danny, 39, also uploaded the first picture of his partner to social media since his kiss scandal broke. Mum-of-one Georgia, 38, has endured a tough year sparked by Danny's drunken kiss with I'm A Celeb co-star Maura Higgins at a BRITs after-party, which The Sun was first to reveal in March. The incident plunged their marriage into crisis and the podcast host was reportedly "furious" at the way the Star Girl singer handled the aftermath of the debacle. Now they have put on a united front at the Wonderwall hitmakers' comeback show. An image posted to Danny's Instagram Stories showed the couple, who share son Cooper, flashing a loving look at each other after Oasis ' mammoth setlist. They looked adoringly at each other in the black and white image, with Danny's parent in between them. The McFly boyband star wrote in his caption: "Oasis day one that was f***ing incredible." On her page, mum of one Georgia posted a snapshot of her Adidas outfit, with red shorts and a white top. At the gig, Oasis paid an emotional tribute to rocker Ozzy Osbourne who passed away this week, aged 76. Danny Jones' wife Georgia breaks down in tears live on This Morning saying 'I felt like a failure' PRESSING AHEAD Georgia's heart-warming upload came after a rough few months for the influencer and her family. Pals previously said she was keen to press ahead with her career and did not want to be "seen as a victim" after Danny's kiss was exposed. An insider said: 'Georgia has her head back in work and this year is already shaping up to be very exciting. 'She has got a fresh deal with Omaze to record social media ads. McFly's Danny Jones and wife Georgia Horsley - Love Story MCFLY singer Danny Jones and his wife Georgia Horsley's romance is at the centre of attention after his drunken kiss with Love Island alum Maura Higgins. Yet when did they meet? Danny began a relationship with model Georgia back in 2010. He had been going out with his now-wife for four years when he proposed to her in Cyprus in 2013. They married the following August in her hometown of Malton, North Yorks, in a ceremony which featured musical performances by McBusted and Ellie Goulding. Danny and Georgia welcomed a baby boy called Cooper Alf Jones on January 27, 2018. 'Georgia is refusing to be seen as a victim and after everything that happened she wants to crack on and get back out there. 'She has already done some filming for them and couldn't be more excited about what doors this job could open.' Previously, The Sun was first to report a huge reality TV series was eyeing up Georgia after Danny's drunken kiss. DANNY'S APOLOGY The boyband star previously made a public apology to his wife following the kiss. In a statement online, he said: 'Hello everyone. Sorry it's taken me a while to post this but I've taken some time out to be with those closest to me. "I want to deeply apologise to my wife and family for putting them in this situation. "I love them so much and we'll continue to deal with this privately. Danny continued: "I love you guys, thank you for your patience, understanding and support. "See you all soon, Danny." 6 6 6

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward breaks silence after being charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against a woman
Top Boy actor Micheal Ward breaks silence after being charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against a woman

Daily Mail​

time13 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward breaks silence after being charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against a woman

Top Boy star Micheal Ward has spoken out to maintain his innocence as he faces trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. The 27-year-old actor and model, who has starred in a string of hit movies alongside stars including Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Joaquin Phoenix, is accused of two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The alleged offences relate to one woman and are claimed to have taken place in January 2023. But Ward said in a statement: 'I deny the charges against me entirely. I have co-operated fully with the police throughout their investigation and will continue to co-operate. 'I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared. Given those proceedings, I am unable to comment further.' The Jamaican-born British star is best known for his role of Jamie in Top Boy and appeared in 19 episodes of the gritty Netflix drama between 2013 and 2022. Ward during the 'Eddington' photocall at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2025 Jamaican dancehall singer Popcaan and Micheal Ward attend The Unruly City Splash after party hosted by Popcaan at The Aubrey on May 26, 2025 Micheal Ward and Austin Butler attend the 'Eddington' red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival in May Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met Police's investigation, said: 'Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward - we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.' The Crown Prosecution Services authorised the five charges this afternoon. Catherine Baccas, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London South, said: 'Having carefully reviewed a file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Micheal Ward, 27, with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023. 'He will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on Thursday, August 28. 'We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial. 'It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.' The Jamaican-born star has enjoyed a great rise to fame since scooping the EE Rising Star BAFTA award in 2020 The Jamaican-born star has enjoyed a great rise to fame since scooping the EE Rising Star BAFTA award in 2020 for his part as Jamie in Top Boy, the much-praised Netflix series. He beat Jack Lowden, Awkwafina, Kaitlyn Dever and Kelvin Harrison Jr. to win the prestigious honour. That year he was also named in Forbes' 30 under 30 list of the UK's biggest young stars. As well as starring as Jamie in Top Boy, he also featured in TV series The A List, portraying the character of Brendan. The actor has also bagged roles in Small Axe, The Book Of Clarence and Sam Mendes' Empire Of Light, in which his character Stephen enjoys an age-gap relationship with Olivia Colman's character Hilary. He was nominated for the Bafta Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in BBC's Small Axe in 2021 and the 2022 film Empire Of Light. Last year, Micheal took on a lead role alongside film legend Bill Nighy in sports drama The Beautiful Game. This year he was at Cannes and the Paris film festivals to promote 'Eddington', starring him Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone. He also appeared in the Sam Mendes drama Empire of Light for which he was nominated for the Bafta Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Rachel Zegler sparks fan fury as she walks off halfway through London stage performance
Rachel Zegler sparks fan fury as she walks off halfway through London stage performance

Daily Mail​

time13 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Rachel Zegler sparks fan fury as she walks off halfway through London stage performance

Rachel Zegler left fans furious as she abruptly left the stage midway through her Evita performance on Thursday. The 24-year-old star of the 'woke' Snow White remake was said to have fallen ill during the show at London's Palladium theatre - and her departure was announced in the intermission, reported PEOPLE. Following a brief pause, Zegler's understudy Bella Brown took on the main Evita role for the second act 2 - and she earned a five minute standing ovation. Zegler, who won rave reviews for her Evita portrayal, was set to return to the stage for Friday evening's performance, her representative confirmed. On social media, one fan wrote: 'Rachel Zegler ruining everything she's a part of still.' Others penned: 'Give her a job at McDonalds. It's clear this woman is not cut out for entertainment. Stop giving her charity.' Another added: 'The understudy is better. No shock.' Some fans sent well wishes to the star: 'Hope she's OK.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store