SEPTEMBER 2018

CINDERELLA PANTOMIME -

MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

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So pleased  to announce that I’m going to be playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at The Manchester Opera House for Qdos, alongside Les Dennis,

Connor McIntyre, Gareth Gates, Ben Nickless and Shannon Flynn. Can’t wait! Eeeeek! Huge thanks to my agent Anthony Williams at Keddie Scott Associates ltd 

 

#qdospantomimes #qdos #panto#fairygodmother #fabulous #manchester 

#keddiescott #exciting

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So I’ve got some pretty big news!

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I’m off on tour as backing vocalist for Sheridan Smith! (I’ve been sitting on this for ages and wanting to shout it from the rooftops haha!) The first date is tomorrow (10th April) at Sage in Gateshead. We’ve been in rehearsals in London for the past week and it’s sounding AMAZING!! Very grateful for this opportunity - getting to work with the amazing Jai Amore & Charlotte Dalton on BVs,  Grammy award winning Steve Sidwell, Musical Director Rob Barron and of course the massively talented Sheridan Smith.

Huge thanks to Emma Norman and the Cuffe & Taylor team. Soooo exciting! 

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#backingvocals #musician #orchestra #tour #liveband #uk #london #royalalberthall 

#sage #trch #thankful #blessed #cuffeandtaylor

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APRIL 2018

SHERIDAN SMITH UK TOUR

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So here it is!

 

My new project that I’ve been technically working on for most of my career,

my tribute to The Empress of Soul - Ms Gladys Knight.

 

She’s been a massive influence on me and I just love everything that she does.

I’ve been previewing the show over the past few months and it’s been getting

great reviews. So excited to properly launch it at the Showcase Productions

tribute event at Viva Blackpool. Huge thanks to those who have supported me

on this project Paula Swann Sully for taking the photos, Adam Brown at

Olibo Media for the track & video and others behind the scenes giving me the confidence to do this. Here goes......!

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 I've got not one but three bits of exciting news!

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I'll be touring the UK as cast member in GRT's Production of 'Get Ready', a show that celebrates the golden years of Soul & Motown produced by the awesome Robin Parsons. We sold out on our first show in Stevenage on 12th May. The atmosphere was ELECTRIC. All the dates will be listed on my tour page, so hopefully we will be at a theatre near you! 

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Now to my second bit of news - I've also joined the cast of the new Summer show at Viva Blackpool as one of their guest vocalists. I'll be performing for a few dates alongside the fabulous Leye D Johns and the Viva show team. We've been in rehearsals for the past few weeks and the numbers are looking spectacular! Lots of glitz & glamour!

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Finally - I had my very first show at Warners Alvaston Hall a few weeks ago and the feedback I received was so heartwarming! They made me feel very welcome. So much so that I received an email from a guest asking when I'd be back so they can book a return break! How lovely!

 

More news to come soon - it's been a very exciting few months! 

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Hxx

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I'm extremely happy to announce that I'll be joining forces with local band- 'The Soul Council', to bring you a night of Motown & Soul on Saturday 26th November at Westgate Suites, Long Eaton, Nottingham.

 

Tickets are now on sale - and we promise to bring you a fantastic night of live music and plenty of dancing!

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Tickets are £7 each

 

So excited about this!

 

For more information, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

 

Tickets on sale here: 

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hayley-ria-and-the-soul-council
 

#livemusic#soul #motown #northernsoul #band #longeaton 

#nottingham #Derby#eastmidlands #nightout #dancing #westgatesuites

 

Much love and stay blessed

 

H x 

It's been 6 months since Sister Act (where has the time gone!?!) and now it's the end of the Summer season, so I thought I'd better update my website!

 

I have had an awesome season flying out to Sensatori & Thomson Gold resorts in Cyprus, Turkey, Crete, Ibiza & Tenerife over the summer and the crowds have been fab - but nothing could have prepared me for what happened in July.....

 

I was asked to audition for the new West End show 'Motown The Musical' and audition I did! I was up and down the M1 like a yoyo over the space of 2 weeks to meet with casting directors, producers, musical directors, choreographers etc. On my last meeting with them i was told that there'd be an extra person on the panel and low and behold - there he was.... The man responsible for the greatest record label ever.... MR BERRY GORDY!!! I had an audience with the legend himself!! I cannot tell you how nervewracking  it was singing his songs in front of him but I did it! I was in the running to be in a West End musical...

 

Unfortunately this time it wasn't meant to be... I was too tall! Can you believe it?! Vocally - spot on. Acting - spot on. But when you're about 6ft in heels, sometimes it doesn't look quite right!

Obviously I was gutted, but as my good friend and fellow Soul Artist Audley Anderson rightfully told me -

"Hayles, it's not a NO...... It's a NOT YET."

So onwards and upwards - who else can say that they sang for Berry Gordy three times! So at this point - I just want to thank Clare, Steve, Jack & Natasha at TED for supporting me all the way with this, my fabulous husband, my loving family and my best friends as well 

 

This hasn't put me off at all..... in fact it's made me a heck of alot stronger!

 

What else has been happening?

 

I got to perform at Manchester's Transgender Sparkle event as well as Manchester Pride on the Sackville Boutique stage alongside Angie Brown, Kym Marsh, Ikenna, Misty Chance, & Kelly Wilde. Thanks to my good friend Tony Cooper (owner of Via Canal Street) for asking me to perform again - As a champion for the LGBT community he works tirelessly on these events which have been getting bigger and better each year. 

 

 

I've been teaching at drama & dance schools in Derbyshire and Leicestershire - the kids and teenagers were a joy to teach. I'm on the audition panel for Hairspray in my home town at the end of the this month - really looking forward to that.

 

So with Christmas on its way, I'll still be flying out to Sensatori Egypt and Tenerife over the winter months with a few UK dates in between. 

 

Keep an eye on my tour diary and hopefully I'll see you at a show soon!

 

Much love and stay blessed

 

H x 

Photos copyright Caroline Watson - Manchester Pride Press 2015

Wow! What an amazing week - no - few months, it's been.

Such an honour to perform on stage with such a talented cast.

 

I want to thank All Saints Musical Productions for welcoming me into their family, especially the Director - Ian Bennett, Musical Director - Simon Murray, Choreographer - Hannah Davis and Company Manager - Becky Cooke.

 

The live band were pheonomenal - all professional musicians.

So much so, that many people thought we used click tracks - nope...

100% live vocals and musicians. The harmonies were unreal!! 

 

To the dressers and the tech crew - the people you don't get to see, thank you for getting us on stage on time! 

I'd also like to thank the guys at Darkerside Creative (Mykey & Dan) - who designed and styled my amazing wigs.

 

I have so many memories that I'll treasure forever.

 

We had amazing reviews (see below) and it's going to take alot to top the incredible feeling during our finale every night.

 

You've all been Fabulous Baby!!! Xxxx

 

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"As the glitzy burgundy-strips that curtained the stage were raised, Deloris and her two backing singers packed a punch into an opening scene that had audience members transfixed and seething with gleeful smiles. Being aware that this is an “All Saints amateur production”, as Set Designer Dave Bamford told TNT on the night, didn’t evade momentary gasps of awe as Christian commanded the stage with hits like “Raise your voice.”

 

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"Of course the real star of the show is Christian whose performance is excellent. Initially lacking a little energy in her performance, she soon found her footing and became the real driving force for the company. Her voice and acting were both excellent and were matched in scale and size by her fantastic afro! Her performance of ‘Fabulous Baby’ was brilliant and she really did raise the roof."

 

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september 2017

through the knight

may 2017

get ready theatre tour & viva blackpool

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november 2016

band launch night

september 2015

"ain't no mountain high enough"

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may 2015

Sister act

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