BFI Musicals! Season at The Courtyard

January 2020 saw The Courtyard screening classic musicals as part of BFI Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery, BFI Audience Network and ICO.

The season kicked off with the toe tapping Top Hat, a dementia friendly screening topped off with tea and cakes. The Courtyard’s dementia friendly screenings are designed to be a relaxed environment for people living with dementia to enjoy the classics. The lights are dimmed and the sound a little quieter and audience members are free to chat, wonder and sing along.

Next up was everybody’s favourite, The Sound of Music … singalong! With the added twist of being hosted at Hereford Cathedral. The beautiful surroundings set the stage for the story and the acoustics sent the high notes in to the stratosphere.

Everyone came along with bags of enthusiasm ready for the costume competition. With winners in 3 categories; Most Inventive, Best Dressed and My Favourite Things! Even the Cathedral Café staff got involved, we had nuns serving Gluhwein and other themed refreshments. A warm up was led along to Do Re Mi, complete with actions and a relaxed area with bean bags and activity sheets for those who needed a break.

A week later The Courtyard welcomed Pete Thorogood and a team of Hereford College of Arts students to lead us in a pre-screening Barn Dance before Calamity Jane. An exciting event which saw people of all ages getting involved as they do-si-do’d and step-turn-kicked their way through the energetic numbers.

The season was rounded out by a screening of the cult classic, Tommy. A Courtyard customer commented on this divisive screening “Despite being so surreal I think it’s an excellent time capsule of 1974” with others saying “Pompous 70’s nonsense but some great bits in it… Tina turner and Elton John steal the show.”

A big thank you has to go to BFI Musicals! for supporting these screenings as well as Hereford Cathedral, Hereford College of Arts and all the staff at The Courtyard.