amateurstage THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE NOVEMBER 2010 www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
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John Morley’s Pantomimes “The Doyen Of Good Pantomime Writers (The Times 1994)
Cinderella Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Peter Pan Babes in the Wood Beauty and the Beast The Sleeping Beauty Puss in Boots Red Riding hood Humpty Dumpty Wizard of OZ Mother Goose “No one knows more about Panto than John Morley (Sunday Times) From Noda LTD. 58-60 Lincoin Road, Peterborough PE1 2RZ (01733 865790)
Aladdin Robinson Crusoe Goldilocks & The Three Bears Pinocchio Jack and the beanstalk The Wind in the Willows Sinbad The Sailor Dick Whittington “Written byJohn Morley, this is Panto at its best” (The Guardian) From Samuel French LTD 52 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 5JR (020 7387 9373)
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amateurstagenov10 FROM THE EDITOR It’s madness here at Amateur Stage. 2011 looks like being a very exciting year and we’re gearing up to make some major announcements in our next issue. In these times of austerity we realise the need to give you as much as we can from your magazine so we’ve been working hard to make some changes that we hope you’ll like and that will prove of use to you. This month we celebrate the life and work of Stephen Sondheim as he celebrates his 80th year. There is little doubt that Sondheim has changed musical theatre forever. Rather than writing to formula Sondheim helped more than most to develop the form and in the process has left us with some of the world’s most popular musicals. I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. Doug
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THIS MONTH 4
NEWS
News from around the country.
8
THE WAY FORWARD
Tony Gibbs looks at succeding during times of austerity.
11
INSURANCE
Robert Israel looks at insurance issues
12
LITTLE THEATRE GUILD NEWS
Mike Shipley rounds up news from the guild.
17
SONDHEIM AT 80
We look at the life and works of this prolific composer.
24
NATIONAL SHOW DIARY
Uk listing of shows for December and January.
30
PLAYSCRIPT REVIEWS
David Muncaster reviews the latest offerings.
35
BOOKS / CD REVIEWS
We look at the latest releases.
36
WEST END REVIEWS
Mark Ludmon looks at the latest productions.
38
THE LAST WORD
Doris is at it again!!
24
36
35
credits Published monthly by Amateur Stage Limited Under license from BB Media Suite 404 Albany House, 324/326 Regent Street, London W1B 3HH www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk Editor - Douglas Mayo : editor@asmagazine.co.uk Subscriptions/ Diary Listings : diary@asmagazine.co.uk Advertising : Craig Davies: craig@asmagazine.co.uk P: 0203 006 2514 All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of Amateur Stage. The views and opinions expressed by the contributors to this magazine may not necessarily represent the views of Amateur Stage.
November 10 | amateurstage | 3
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GROUPS STAGE BIG PUSH TO SAVE CONWY CIVIC HALL Theatre groups and concerned residents will be uniting in a bid to save a historic site. Users of the auditorium at Conwy’s civic hall have banded together to prevent the closure of their common venue. Representatives of more than 20 groups are in the process of forming a committee. The theatre groups, societies and social clubs held an earlier meeting as a response to the news that the theatre was to be closed, where it was resolved to form a committee in order to demonstrate the level of support for preserving the site, and put the concerns of the various groups forward to the council. Groups involved include CHAPS, the Colwyn Abbey Players, Conwy Historical Society and the Paradisii Theatre Company. It is expected that the group will retain the name of Conwy Civic Hall Users Group (CCHUGs), a 10-year-old organisation which was formed to deal with potential threats to the theatre in the past. A Facebook group, Save Conwy Civic Hall, has been set up to support the effort. Margaret Norwood, Vice-Chairperson of the Civic Hall Amateur Players, or CHAPS, who use the auditorium on a regular basis said public support for the group was already growing. She said “I was putting up posters around Conwy for the group, and lots of the shopkeepers were very supportive of us.” “And there’s plenty of people offering and willing to help - they just need someone to lead them.” Chris Ryan, band leader of Pinc Floyd, said he was keen to get involved with the new committee and provide his experience as a musician and events organiser. He said “We use the venue quite often as a band, and we’re definitely behind the theatre. And at the very least, surely we should be able to organise some kind of charity event or do to support the theatre?” He added “There’s a lot people with strong feelings about the issue - surely we can get somewhere with it?”
DRAMA GROUPS INVITED TO ENTER NEXT YEAR’S LEVERHULME ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL AT THE GLADSTONE THEATRE
Drama groups are being invited to enter their plays in next year’s Leverhulme One Act Play Festival. The prestigious competition for youth and adult amateur groups will take place at the Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight in April. The Youth Festival is from April 5 to 9 and has two classes, for plays
news
acted by performers aged 14 and under, and under 21s. The Open Drama Festival will take place the following week. A professional adjudicator will adjudicate all plays and awards will be handed out on two final nights. This year St Alban’s Players won Best Play at the festival for Cliff’s Edge. Festival organisers are looking for entries from drama groups, schools and youth theatre groups. For entry forms and more information call the Gladstone Theatre on 643 8757.
All the news that’s fit to print
IT’S THE PITS
A Tyneside amateur dramatics group has secured a theatrical coup by getting exclusive rights to perform The Pitmen Painters next year. The People’s Theatre in Newcastle will be the first venue in the world to feature the hit play without its original cast. It will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the Heaton venue’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Tickets for the play, which will run from June 13 to 18, go on sale on Monday. Lee Hall, writer of The Pitmen Painters, which is currently enjoying a run on Broadway, has given the production the go-ahead. It will be directed by Chris Heckels, who was Lee’s drama teacher at Benfield School in Newcastle and worked with him on a number of his earlier plays. “A year past May, Lee was up here at Benfield School where we did a presentation with him. “We had dinner the night before and I was on the committee choosing the plays for the People’s centenary and I just floated it past him. I just said ‘listen mate, I hope you don’t think I’m being cheeky but there isn’t any possibility is there that we could have Pitmen Painters for the People’s centenary?’. “And he said, ‘yeah, all right. I assume you’ll be directing it’. “Bless him. We’re old friends. He is a lovely man and he is supportive of all sorts of things that happen in the area. “He thinks the People’s is a great place and that the city is lucky to have it. It was a friend saying yes really, and it is a great opportunity to have a pop at it. “Everybody at the People’s was very excited and chuffed – some didn’t believe me at first. It’s a great season for the People’s and we also have Michael Chaplin’s new play – there’s a great flavour of local writers about it. “Pitmen is one of the flagships of that. I have already been approached by a number of people who have told me they will be auditioning!” Lee and Pitmen’s original director, Max Roberts, of Live Theatre, have been helping Chris pull things together for the production. The Pitmen Painters has already enjoyed sell-out runs at Newcastle’s Live Theatre and Theatre Royal and The National, as well as its transfer to Broadway. The play is based on the group of men, mostly miners, who became enthusiastic painters after attending art evening classes in a hut in Ashington between the wars. They were talented, but it was probably their novelty value which brought them unexpected celebrity. They are remembered in art circles as the Ashington Group. Lee has become one of the most sought-after writers in the country.
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amateurstagenews
Musical group pulls out of Malvern Theatre appearances
The Midland Musical Theatre Group, one of the last amateur groups to put on performances at Malvern Theatres, is pulling out due to rising costs. The MMTG has been performing its popular Christmas variety show in Malvern for many years and it has become something of an institution at this time of year, regularly attracting sell-out audiences, but the group say the professional venue is now simply too expensive for them. Chairman of the group, Aileen Haden, said: “It is a really lovely theatre to work in and the decision to leave was not an easy one to take. However, the rental we have to pay to use the theatre has grown enormously over the years.” She said other amateur groups, including Malvern Light Opera and Malvern Hills Opera, had already moved away from the theatre for financial reasons. She added the MMTG’s decision to leave Malvern Theatres had been taken to safeguard the financial future of the amateur group and the decision was made a year ago that 2010 would be the last time they could afford to hire the Malvern Festival Theatre for their main Christmas show without damaging their financial reserves. Audiences have fallen slightly in recent years and although an amateur group the MMTG have high costs for costumes (8-10 costume changes for each person) and professional lighting and sound. These costs, along with the cost of hiring the theatre, have led the MMTG to move its show to the Swan Theatre in Worcester, a much smaller venue where costs are lower. The Swan Theatre in Worcester is where the MMTG performed their very first show 33 years ago. Spokesman for Malvern Theatres Candice Pearson said Cecelia Hall Dance Centre still regularly used the theatre for its shows as did the Chandos Symphony Orchestra and the Malvern Theatre Players, all amateur groups. “Malvern Theatres has welcomed the Midlands Musical Theatre Group for many years and we are sad to see them go,” she added.
Council ‘will not pull plug’ on ambitious Loft Theatre plan Michael Doody, the leader of Warwick District Council, this week insisted he remains optimistic for the future relocation of Leamington’s thriving Loft Theatre Company. After five years of putting finance and planning consent in place, members of the popular amateur theatre group had their hopes of moving into the nearby United Reformed Church dashed following the collapse of government agency Advantage West Midlands. The move would have freed up their riverside site in Victoria Colonnade, off the Parade, for a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme with the expectation of more jobs in the town. At one stage it looked as if half a million pounds already granted to the theatre by AWM would be clawed back, But Cllr Doody – who wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron on the matter – promised: “We will not pull the plug on this scheme.
“The Loft has been allowed to keep the £500,000 already granted by AWM for the scheme but now needs to raise another £2.5 million. That’s not going to be got in the short-term. “However, we are going to keep the United Reformed building for a period of time – two years at least – more likely four. And we are going to work with the group to see if we cannot get money from other sources.” Cllr Doody (Con, Radford Semele) pointed out that while grants were not necessarily available to the council itself, the Loft was a registered charity and even in stringent times there were various bodies to whom it could apply for financial support. He added: “If we don’t get this relocation going now then we will never get it going. We’ve got to give it a chance. The Loft can keep the AWM cash in the kitty.” Despite the initial shock and disappointment, the mood of theatre chairman Michael Rayns was reasonably upbeat. Mr Rayns said: “The existence of the present theatre is not threatened, even though it is not an ideal location. “We’ve seen extremely good box office bookings which are climbing. “All the work to relocate to the church has been done – the planning, the technical side and costings. “Back in 2005 we thought we would be moving in towards the end of 2011. “Now that’s unlikely but we will continue to work with the district council to see if it becomes possible for the scheme to be revived in the future.” Cllr John Barrott (Lab, Leamington Willes) said the collapse of the scheme had left south Leamington in a “real hole.” He questioned the government’s failure to ensure AWM honoured its agreement and said: “The Coalition has not stepped in to say there was a legally-signed agreement. It’s really disappointing for a project that has gone so far down the line for (the sake of) an amount of money that was probably a drop in the ocean.” Cllr Barrott pointed to the jobs that would have been created in the business units built on the site of the Loft and the disused adjoining benefits offices. He added: “It’s important to try to get this back off the ground – an awful lot of time and effort has been spent. This is an area of the town that needs regeneration.”
Lyme Regis: Plans for Marine Theatre The Marine Theatre’s new creative director wants to place the venue firmly back into the centre of the community – with local people and schools at its heart. Phil Whitehead wants to draw on local talents and make the theatre work for the people of Lyme Regis, as well as the visitors. With a background in education, he believes the arts can be used as a tool for learning, as well as enjoyment. Mr Whitehead took up the role in September and is already putting his stamp on the place, particularly through the programming. He said: “The theatre programme was always really exciting but didn’t always look into what was happening locally, so we want to align with what’s going on in Lyme and regionally. “Coming from a participatory arts background, I feel you’ve got to involve your local community as much as you can in the arts. There hasn’t been as much of that in the past as I would like to see. “You can’t appeal to everybody but I want to find a programme that appeals to people who live in this area, as well as people who visit the area. We want to be involved with the things happening in Lyme and tune into the various festivals.” Mr Whitehead is a former primary school headteacher and local education authority advisor, who moved on to become head of teacher education at Oxford Brookes University, where he set up the undergraduate Performing Arts, Community and Education Programme. He has been joined at the Marine by a new bookkeeper and a new office manager so expect plenty of changes at the ‘theatre by the sea’. “We’ve had a good season and we’ve spent a lot of time talking to people and there’s a lot more we want to do,” he said. This includes getting local schools into the venue, as well as families and teenagers. He said: “The programme didn’t lend itself to bringing in the schools, there was a lack of family and young people’s events. “I want arts to be used as a tool for education as well as enjoyment.” Teenagers may be interested to hear that there will be beat box nights, poetry slam evenings, and a possible regular Thursday night slot for young people. Mr Whitehead has also emphasised how important local amateur dramatic societies are to the theatre. He said: “I have met with representatives of the local societies because I wanted to reassure them. “I had got a sense that they felt like second class citizens when they came to the theatre, so I wanted to reassure them that we value the contribution they make to people’s enjoyment of the arts and coming to the theatre.” He added: “I have been astonished by the number of people who want to give their help and time and have very good expertise.”
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Drama societies’ fear for the future
Amateur theatre groups in Bolton claim their future could be threatened if plans to sell a drama venue are given the go-ahead. Proposals have been announced to merge three Methodist churches in Bolton — Astley Bridge, Chorley Old Road, and Halliwell — and to sell the Theatre Church in Seymour Road, Astley Bridge because of dwindling congregation numbers. It would see the churches move to a new building on the site of the former Delph Hill Methodist Church in Crompton Way. The Theatre Church, which was converted in 1969 to offer a purpose-built theatre space for local groups, is used by hundreds of people every year. And the groups that use it are now launching a campaign in a bid to save the building. The Theatre Church hosts productions by five amateur dramatics societies — CATS Youth Theatre, Five Saints Amateur Theatre Company, St Paul’s (Astley Bridge) AODS, Bolton Catholic Music and Choral Society and Farnworth Performing Arts Company. CATS Youth Theatre, which has more than 100 members, also use it as their permanent base, where they rehearse and store their sets and costumes. Paul Cohen, chairman of Bolton Amateur Theatre Society and co-director with his wife Louise of CATS Youth Theatre, said: “We understand the congregations have to merge, but for Bolton to lose that building is a crying shame because of what it gives to the community.” The Theatre School is also home to community groups, drama schools and sports clubs, including Theatre Dance School, which has 160 pupils, and Sharples Wrestling Club. Sarah Ward, who has run Theatre Dance School at the venue for the past 20 years, said: “Although I have earmarked somewhere for the business to move to should Theatre Church be sold, from a personal point of view to lose the theatre would be a tragedy. “It is used by so many different people and there is nothing else like it around here.” Ms Ward says if her dance school is forced to move it would mean she could no longer put on a show once a year, and instead would have to raise funds in order to produce a show at the Albert Halls — a much more expensive venue — once every few years. Halliwell Theatre Company, who put on plays at Halliwell Methodist Church, in Harvey Street, will also lose their venue if the building is sold, however the Chorley Old Road Methodist Church, which hosts plays by societies including the Marco Players, will continue to function as it has been bought by its current occupants, Stepping Stones Nursery. Methodist leaders insist there would be “provision of some drama and theatre” at the planned site. Superintendent Minister of the Bolton Methodist Circuit, Reverend Gerald Broadbent, said: “At the moment three Methodist Churches in Bolton — Astley Bridge, Chorley Old Road, and Halliwell — are intending to join together and build a new church on the site of the former Delph Hill Methodist Church. “This new church is presently to be called North Bolton Methodist Mission. It is intended to have a strong community input including the provision of some drama and theatre and other activities in new and exciting ways which we hope would interest existing users.” He added: “It may well be this will involve the marketing of the Astley Bridge site. “If this happens the sale would be subject to Charity Commission regulations to obtain the best price possible. “No decision or date for this is settled and the church will, of course, keep all users in the picture.”
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www.rsc.org.uk November 10 | amateurstage | 7
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comment Tony Gibbs, Chief Executive of NODA ponders the future of amateur theatre.
“It is going to get harder for all of us involved in amateur theatre to maintain the balance between the enjoyment of the hobby and the stark financial realities we are all now facing “
NODA calls for new ways of working in amateur theatre The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) believes that as the full impact of The Spending Review on the arts is being assessed, there are now real opportunities for amateur theatre to develop new ways of working. Arts Council England (ACE) has announced that the government cuts “…will inevitably have a significant impact on the cultural life of the country”. ACE has been hit with a 29.6% budget cut, amounting to a reduction of £100 million by 2014, with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) losing almost 25% of its £1.6 billion budget over the same period. Chancellor George Osborne has declared that front-line arts services and “specific projects” are to be cut by not more than 15%, with a directive that both ACE and DCMS are to achieve savings of 41% and 50% respectively by reducing admin costs. However, although the direct impact of these budget cuts, along with 27% reductions in local government budgets over four years will primarily hit professional theatre, NODA believes that the indirect knock-on’s will be felt across the amateur sector as well. Amateur theatre societies have traditionally had to rely on their own fundraising, membership subscriptions, and box office receipts, to ensure financial sustainability - without the cushion of central government grants - and so in this respect, nothing has changed. Inevitably though, the pressures on amateur societies are likely to intensify in key areas: NODA believes that amateur theatre is truly at the heart of cultural life in diverse communities throughout the UK, providing a creative outlet through 2,500 NODA affiliated societies for over 150,000 individuals who take part at all levels on a voluntary basis. It is these individuals, and in particular those now facing redundancy or salary cuts, as a result of the wider impact of The Spending Review, who may have to give up their hobby in the near future if their disposable family income is significantly reduced. As all amateur societies rely on annual subscriptions from their individual members, this may have the result of depleting some societies in the near future. NODA is now calling upon all its society members to carefully monitor any loss of individuals as a result of financial pressures, and if individual membership of any society reaches a critical level, then NODA is offering to provide advice to those societies who may be interested in joint productions or even merging with other local groups. As a membership Association itself, NODA is also extending free individual online membership of the Association to individual members of NODA affiliated societies with effect from January, to provide access to services and information to all amateur theatre practitioners. In addition to encouraging and facilitating joint working between NODA amateur theatre society members, NODA is also calling for professional theatre practitioners to follow in the footsteps of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) that has already announced that pro-am productions are to be actively encouraged as part of it’s plans leading up to The World Shakespeare Festival in 2012. Tony Gibbs, Chief Executive of NODA, says, “We are delighted to support the RSC initiative in encouraging amateurs to work alongside drama professionals.” “One immediate impact of The Spending Review is that all of us involved in amateur or professional theatre, including theatre owners or umbrella bodies such as NODA, are now all looking at how we can think, and work, differently in order to balance budgets, or in some cases to simply survive.
projects, to contact us now, as we would welcome entering into early discussions to see what the future could hold through the formation of new formal, or informal, partnerships.” NODA has also had feedback from its members over the past two years that theatre hire costs are now a major issue for many amateur societies. With local government looking at how to achieve the necessary savings being imposed from The Spending Review, it is not unlikely that local authority owned theatre hire costs will increase yet again. Any further increases in theatre hire charges may, in some cases, result in some provincial theatres going dark, as regular hirers such as the amateurs may no longer be able to afford them. Tony Gibbs adds, “Even before the outcomes of The Spending Review were known, there have been indications that amateur theatre societies are well placed to take over the running of some provincial theatres on behalf of a local authority, under carefully defined circumstances. This may be a management model worth exploring further, and certainly contributes directly to the government’s Big Society idea. NODA would be delighted to work with any local authority that may be interested in opening up any such discussions at local level by signposting potentially interested amateur societies in any part of the UK.” “It is going to get harder for all of us involved in amateur theatre to maintain the balance between the enjoyment of the hobby and the stark financial realities we are all now facing. NODA is now encouraging its members and other organisations alike to contribute their views on what the priorities and opportunities for amateur theatre could be in the months ahead”, concludes Tony Gibbs. To join the NODA debate about ‘New ways of working in amateur theatre’ go to www.noda.org.uk
NODA is now inviting any other like-minded organisation interested in exploring ideas for joint pro-am productions, or cross sector
8| amateurstage | November10
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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
amateurstageinsurance
AGE IS NOT A LIABILITY! Robert Israel ASCII from Gordon & Co discusses the latest insurance issues affecting amateur theatre. I have just had a very long conversation with the Chairman of an Amateur Theatre Group and thought that I would use the points discussed as the basis for part of this month’s article. The Chairman rang to say that, included within the membership of their Society is one very spritely 84 year old. The Chairman was deeply concerned about what part of the Insurance Policy would, but more importantly would not, respond due to the individual’s age. The member herself had questioned whether she was still entitled to the benefits available under the Personal Accident Section, but more importantly was concerned that if she were either involved in an incident on stage or caused an incident on stage whether, by virtue of her age, the Liability Section would be in jeopardy. As I have said in the past, I can only speak for the First Night Policy wording and, with this caveat in mind, the position is as follows: 1.Liability Insurance All other things being equal, I can confirm that the Liability Sections (Employers’ and Public Liability) are unaffected by the age of the individual. As far as the Employers’ Liability Section of the Policy is concerned, I suppose that a judge might take the view that the Society owed a greater duty of care to the individual and that may have an effect on his judgement. Obviously, from a claim perspective, it is likely that a judge would reduce the amount of compensation payable to an 84 year old solely due to their age. Similarly, as far as the Public Liability Section is concerned, the judge might take the view that the Society should take more care so if, for instance, a member of the audience were injured because the individual did something that say, someone 20 or 30 years younger would not have done, then possibly the judge would find it easier to find in favour of the injured member of the audience and therefore it is possible that the Society’s Insurers would end up having to settle the claim. 2.Personal Accident Section It is almost certain that all Personal Accident Sections will contain an upper and lower age limit for benefits. First Night operate an age range of 5 years to 75 years, with certain restrictions being in place within that age range. As an example, the death benefit available to a 14 year old is restricted because the sum is meant to represent the funeral costs as a minor has not yet started to work and therefore there is no financial loss involved should they unfortunately die. At the upper age range, the situation is more complicated in that a Personal Accident Policy is designed in part to replace an individual’s income. This is certainly the position as far as the Temporary Total Disablement Benefit is concerned. Even though it is true to say that the benefit available under the First Night Policy is a nominal figure and is not meant to replace an individual’s entire income, it is, nevertheless, there to replace at least part of an income. It follows, therefore, that benefits should not really be payable beyond normal retirement date but, as a concession, our benefits cease at age 75. It must be borne in mind that the Amateur Insurance Package is just that, a package to cover the members’ hobby and therefore it needs to be as broad as possible in the scope of the cover but is also designed purely to cover the Society and not individual’s specific circumstances. One Society has recently contacted me as a member of their Society has sustained a minor injury (I am happy to say) involving a piece of machinery. This had led to various discussions taking place because, under the Personal Accident Section of the First
Night Policy, there are a number of exclusions. The one under the microscope in this particular circumstance is “the use of power driven woodworking machinery” which is the wording of the exclusion and it is of paramount importance for you and your members to understand that the Personal Accident Section will not pay a claim in the event that the injury is caused by such a piece of equipment. It should be borne in mind here that hand held tools are not an issue – it is only power driven woodworking machinery such as lathes where the exclusion will apply. If any of your members use such equipment then I would advise you to contact your Insurers immediately and ask them whether they would be prepared to extend the Policy accordingly. On a slightly different note, I am writing this article as the first day of the London Fire Brigade Strike takes place and obviously we are unaware as to what the outcome will eventually be. However, for all Societies within the London area, I can confirm that the withdrawal of Fire Brigade cover in itself will not invalidate your Insurance Policy. It is, of course, in everybody’s interest for you to take as many precautions as possible in order to minimise the possibility of a fire and some worthwhile precautions for you to consider might be as follows: • When your business is closed, make sure all points of entry to your premises are closed and secure. • If possible, switch off all electrical equipment at the mains when not in use. • Keep your premises as tidy as possible, in particular avoid accumulation or combustible materials • Take special care when using any naked flame, and check for signs of any combustion half an hour after any work of this type has finished. • If possible, defer any non-essential hazardous work or activities until after the industrial action has finished. • If possible, defer any non-essential maintenance and impairments of automatic fire protection systems until after the industrial action has finished. • Prepare, and keep by the telephone, detailed instructions about your premises location(s) and how to get there. It’s possible that emergency personnel may be unfamiliar with your local area. • Review business continuity plans and, in particular, actions in response to fire where there is the possibility that no fire appliances attend or the attendance is ineffective, and adjust or plan accordingly. • You should summon the fire service in the normal way using the 999 system, but be prepared for a delayed and/or limited response. • You should brief staff in advance of strike periods to be extra vigilant and those responsible for the action should plan accordingly and undertake additional safety checks during strike periods.
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LTGnews > LTGnews > LTGnews > LTGnew Michael Shipley looks at what’s been going on recently around the country. Recession? What recession?
The news coming in this summer from theatres around the country would seem to indicate that generally members have enjoyed a good season financially, with higher box-office figures and significantly increased turnovers. Extra performances have been arranged to satisfy public demand, and many theatres have been tapping into increasingly popular ‘Charity Nights’. The extra income being generated has been applied to many building and refurbishment projects, as well as appeal funds. At TALISMAN THEATRE, Kenilworth meetings are taking place to explore the viability of selling the theatre and arts centre at Barrow Road, and joining in with a new development being planned for Smalley Place. A number of different partners are making plans for this new development, and application for planning permission may be ready by the end of the year. Meanwhile the present theatre is on offer for sale, and the Trustees have been encouraged by on offer of £500,000, subject to the obtaining of planning permission for a new use for the site. Hopefully if all goes smoothly, the two projects can be satisfactorily linked together. Nearby at Leamington Spa, the proposed move for LOFT THEATRE was dealt a severe blow in August, when the partner (Advantage West Midland) for the reconstruction of the adjacent church pulled out of the contract without notice! Loft Theatre have no alternative but to accept a negotiated compensation package, and press on with their plans, possibly with a new partner for the development, if one can be found at this difficult economic time. Chairman Michael Rayns argues that it is just not economical to turn back – if the old theatre was unfit to meet the needs of the present century, it remains so now. Hopefully, once the compensation package can be agreed, the project can move forward in some clear way. But the further hard work for the Board of the Theatre looks very daunting. In early September the opening production of the season at PRIORY THEATRE, Kenilworth had to be pulled at the last minute because in the course of the summer rewiring a small quantity of ‘suspect material’ (crumbled asbestos board – about half a bucketful) was discovered. Independent Inspectors made their tests, and it became a legal requirement to close the building to the public and large areas to the workers, while the
substance was removed, and contamination checked at considerable expense! Thankfully the theatre has reopened to allow the second production of the season to proceed as planned, but the coffers have been dented somewhat. (How many other theatres need to have an Asbestos survey?) CHORLEY LITTLE THEATRE in October celebrated a double anniversary – 100 years since the building of The Electric Empire on Dole Lane, and 50 years since its opening as a little theatre by CADOS. “There is nothing else in Chorley – if this closed there would be nothing!”, which clearly has justified the spending of £110,000 on repairs and renovations over the past year, extending and refurbishing the bar and kitchen, dressing room improvements and redecorations inside and out. A further £40,000 is to be spent this year on creating a new rehearsal space at the back of the stage. Both SOUTHPORT LITTLE THEATRE and BOLTON LITTLE THEATRE work in buildings built or adapted in the 1930s. Some seventy years later both have given the summer over to refurbishing their public toilets to contemporary standards! Amazing what our forebears put up with! At STOCKPORT GARRICK THEATRE plans to refurbish the bar, foyer and studio over the summer were almost hit for a six when the bank withdrew its offer of a loan – but the work went ahead anyway in amended form, and thanks to the hard work of members rallying round, the theatre opened on time in early September. This is their 110th season!
enable the building of the new theatre to commence. (See www.thetheatre.org.uk ) Delegates to this year’s AGM & Conference at THE MILLER CENTRE, Caterham will be interested to know that over the summer the Green Room has been extensively refurbished after months of planning and detailed work. It was officially re-opened at the AGM in September, at which the Players changed their name to The Miller Centre Theatre Company. The news from NEW VENTURE THEATRE, Brighton in encouraging. Following on work done on fire detection and emergency lighting, application has been made for a licence to perform again in the upstairs Studio. Full stage productions are unlikely to happen immediately as there is no seating, lighting and sound facilities, but it is planned to use the space for readings, workshops and one-off events. Applications for funding to upgrade the space are currently being discussed with South East Arts, Brighton & Hove Council and Awards for All. Costings already exceed £35,000, but already considerable improvements have been self-funded. CHESIL THEATRE, Winchester has now prepared a five-phase scheme for the redevelopment of the theatre. The first section is to develop one portion of the newly acquired land to provide a multi-purpose light-filled foyer/rehearsal room, extended dressing room and storage space, as well as improved facilities for the disabled. To finish the public parts leaving the rest shell only will cost an estimated £500,000, of which more than half is already in place! So fund raising continues strongly with such an ambitious project.
Children in Performance At RUGBY THEATRE a much more ambitious programme of refurbishment took place over the summer. The theatre closed on 12th June, and the auditorium has now been completely re-seated, re-carpeted and decorated. This is part of a long term plan to give the whole building a facelift, which started last year with the new roof. Rugby Borough Council has put up £60,000 to help with the whole project, which is expected to cost double that by the end of activities!
The building on the site of the new TOWER THEATRE in Shoreditch was demolished in May, and archaeological work on the site of Shakespeare’s first theatre took place until the beginning of August, with the cost of a temporary roof and viewing platform being covered by specific donations. Sir Ian McKellen contributed to several enlightening videos. The interest so generated helped to boost the appeal, but for the moment things are at a standstill until sufficient funds are available to
It was great news in June when the coalition government announced that the proposed vetting and barring scheme (due to start rolling out in July) was to be put on ice while a full consultation took place. Progress is being made, and LTG Chairman Eddie Redfern (from Archway Theatre, Horley) in October took part in three important meetings. The first was informally with Culture Minister Ed Vaisey at the Tory Conference, when the issues and concerns about the possible regulatory burdens to be imposed on the amateur theatre sector were aired. This was followed by a meeting with officials from the DfE, which itself was in response to answers to a series of written questions. Somewhat optimistically we argued that ideally amateur theatre practitioners should be no more penalized by regulation than other amateur groups like sports and scouting groups and be exempted from the proposed controls. More practically we argued alternatively that the whole question should dealt with under the ‘Body of Persons’ exemption, requiring all LEAs to grant such exemption automatically to all theatre groups who satisfied the criteria, and allowing groups to train their own chaperones with approved courses. We also argued that the vetting and barring scheme was a step too far, especially as groups were already operating with sensible child protection policies. Shortly after this came a meeting at the House of Commons with Under-Secretary Tim Laughton, attended by LEAs, film and theatre professionals, NODA and Sarah Thane. The amateur position as outlined above was not welcomed by the LEAs, but our argument was strongly
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news > LTGnews > LTGnews > LTGnews > presented. We also learnt that the review of the VBS and CRB schemes was making progress. The Sarah Thane review is accepted as the basis for further progress, by way of further meetings, using the present grouping of interests as a consultative forum. Tim Laughton also said that he would be writing to all LEAs to remind them of their statutory duties, particularly not charging for licences, and emphasizing that the ‘body of persons’ exemption was appropriate for amateur companies. So, as Eddie Redfern says, we can at last begin to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Payments Council Review of Cheques
LTG National Liaison Officer Tom Williams (from Chesil Theatre, Winchester) has made representations to the Payments Council in connection with its review of the future for cheques, possibly due for abolition in 2018. He pointed out very strongly the present dependence of the amateur theatre on cash and cheques for the purchase of tickets, as opposed to credit cards and on-line booking. He received the following reassurance: “The decision to go through with closure of cheque clearance in 2018 will only be taken if by 2016 suitable alternatives are in place and being successfully used. The challenge is on us to understand how cheques are being used and to find alternatives that meet those requirements.”
Moving positively into EDUCATION!
BARN THEATRE, Welwyn are doing just this, as their September Newsletter announced: As well as new and exciting plays, the forthcoming season also sees the launch of a fantastic array of courses and workshops that will be run as part of the ConnecT education programme. These have proved very popular in the past and the Barn has received many plaudits for this past work. This season’s ConnecT programme represents the biggest series of education events that the Barn has mounted and is the culmination of many months of discussion and planning. It is led by our Education Officer, Chris Bruce, who says: ‘There is a really strong set of workshops in place for almost all the plays this season. I am so excited when I see new faces at the Barn, some of them coming to a performance for the very first time. I hope we can hook them into learning about plays, writers and performances while they are with us.’ ‘We have run many schools’ workshops at the Barn in the past, for all suitable plays, but a new feature for this year is that teachers/workshop leaders, including myself, are now going into schools. We will do outreach work here and get the name of the Barn, and its high quality productions, into the blood of all the students we encounter.’ Schools are being sent a new brochure with all the details of the upcoming courses and workshops. The brochure has been masterminded by Lynette Reeves. As well as reaching out to our usual contacts, such as schools, colleges, and the existing membership, she has planned events to attract new-members into the Barn too. This year there are three courses being run for between six and eight weeks. The first is Dance, Choreography and Movement, which starts in early October. I am delighted that Adam Shorey, a recent NLA. graduate from Mountview Academy, and a face known to the Barn, will be leading this course. He assures us that anyone with two left feet will be catered for and made to feel welcome. The course will encompass all manner of styles and techniques so that participants can ‘have a go’. This will then be followed by brand new Technical Skills sessions, in which experienced Barn techies will pass on some of their skills and knowledge to others. The final course, in the summer term, will be Rachel Dawson’s Singing and Voice training, which will focus on vocal strength, breathing, different techniques and, as Rachel remarks ‘just having a fun time and producing a lovely sound’.
We are not LAMDA or Guildhall, so there’s no nail-biting exam to pass at the end of the course. Hurrah! Instead, each scholar will receive a Certificate of Participation which will list each skill that the member has been trained in. Remember: courses are open to everyone; you don’t need any previous experience, just a willingness to learn some new ideas and techniques. Warning: courses are likely to be popular so early booking is advised, especially for the Dance course. All of the above information is available on the Barn website. However, if you do need any further details or want to request a PDF copy of the brochure, please contact Chris on 07985 085 837 or on the new address: education@barntheatre.co.uk
Studio Theatres – full billing or just a peripheral activity?
What a pity we seem to be stuck with the name “Studio Theatre” for our activities in our smaller spaces. The title seems to imply experimental work with a limited audience appeal. This of course may be true of many such theatre spaces, but as years go by and as the quality of work presented in these spaces reaches impressive heights, the name seems to put many ordinary theatregoers off, and in this way they miss many wonderful evenings of theatre. (Salisbury Studio Theatre may be an honourable exception!) The problem was discussed recently at Ilkley Playhouse in the September issue of their Newsletter. Plans to refurbish and enlarge the main auditorium (The Wharfeside) and in the meantime present more productions in the smaller space (The Wildman) have for the moment been put on hold because of the recession and lack of funding. The Chairman commented: “I know that there is a part of our audience who, whilst they support all of what we do in the Wharfeside, tend not to come to our Wildman productions. I don’t know why this is, but I suspect that, like many things at the Playhouse, it is historical in that what used to be known as ‘studio’ productions were sometimes rather ‘let’s-do-the-show-right-here’ affairs and were very much viewed as a kind of ‘addon’ to the main season. Not the case these days: the Wildman (in case you haven’t seen a show there) is a modern, impressively-equipped flexible theatre with its own technical cab, flexible seating and acting space. The production values we bring to our Wharfeside productions are every bit as important to what we do in the Wildman, and if you haven’t seen a show there, you have missed some excellent productions over the years. If you decide to miss out on the Wildman this time round you’ll be missing a significant portion of what promises to be a very exciting season – that would be a shame, so give it a try, it’ll be worth it - I promise.” At Bolton Little Theatre the ‘studio’ theatre was created in 1988/9. Seating just 60, using fixed seats from the old auditorium around a thrust stage, it was from the very beginning called “The Forge Theatre” and never the studio, and the plays chosen for presentation were more often than not from the popular mainstream – Godber, Ayckbourn, Orton. Seat prices were the same as for the main house. Audiences were never allowed to be under the impression that the shows would be ‘cheap’, ‘experimental’ or ‘not their type of play’. Ten years later, in 1998, while the main stage was completely refurbished with lottery funding, the entire season was presented in the Forge Theatre which cemented its reputation as a space for terrific drama. In September this year the Forge Theatre celebrated its 21st birthday, boasting of 78 productions over the past 21 years! At Crescent Theatre, Birmingham the Ron Barber Studio has grown from strength to strength over the past 10 years, and as the main house is increasingly let to outside companies, the Studio is perhaps now the flagship for the work of the company. Audiences who were new to ‘studio’ work at first may
have found that proximity to the stage and the action was disturbing, and actors too were nervous when first encountering their audiences so close. But time has shown that with familiarity and experience both actors and audiences increasingly prefer the ‘studio’ environment for a compelling night out. There should be nothing second-rate about the work we do in our ‘studios’. What a pity that we did not take up the name Chamber Theatre promoted at the end of the 19th century by Strindberg in Stockholm and Berlin – but then some of his late ‘chamber plays’ might have put some audiences off for good!!
Economic Difficulties in the past
In the early 1980s we were all going through an economic crisis, and worried about its effect on the amateur sector. I recently discovered the following little piece I wrote then for a Guild meeting, which deserves airing again I think: “The present economic difficulties are affecting us all, particularly rapidly rising costs and declining audiences. The greatest danger is that we will allow our standards to drop - whether it be choice of play, or quality of presentation, or even front-of-house appearance. Every theatre goes through periods of peaks and troughs, standards rise and fall as some key person leaves or some fresh talent comes in. But today we must be more conscious than ever before of keeping our standards as high as our reputations have made them. I have my own list of priorities: * The quality of acting on our stages must be as high as we can make it. We must cast as much as possible from strength. We must give young talent the benefit of good direction. We must look around and persuade good actors to join us. Good acting will survive any surroundings - this is the live part of live theatre. * The quality of visual presentation must not be lowered. On reduced budgets, and with an increasing amount of more economical studio work, we must not forget that quality can still be maintained - it just needs the same amount of time and trouble, but twice the imagination. * The quality of our technical skills must be improved we must keep abreast of new professional developments in lighting and sound, and strive to up-date our many pre-war attitudes. * The quality of our front-of-house presentation must be increasingly good. We must give our audiences a real sense of occasion when they come through our doors. But a black-tie reception, a pretty painted set and ‘lovely’ costumes will not redeem a weak play poorly acted. It is the play and the actors above all else that will ensure that one’s theatre lives and thrives. We can truly discover our own standards by seeing other people. Most of us, especially in the provinces, spend so much time at our theatres, that we hardly find the chance to see other amateurs, let alone professional productions. But really we ought to see as much as we can, because that is the best way to learn and to gain
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those who put it on and trust from the club management, when it is so much easier to present plays that are sure fire popular winners. I hope that audiences give it the support it deserves.
ECOVENUE – The Questors Theatre
In early September, The Questors Theatre, Ealing received some fantastic news: it has been selected as part of The Theatres Trust ECOVENUE project which will help us reduce our impact on the environment and help us to save money. ECOVENUE was announced in September 2009 and is a three-year programme to provide specialist theatre environmental advice and undertake free DEC (Display Energy Certificates) assessments. The Theatres Trust says the ECOVENUE scheme will make a real difference to the environmental performance of London theatres, with selected venues leading the way in promoting the reduction of carbon emissions. According to Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust, “We now have a real opportunity to help theatres manage their resources more sustainably”. The theatre will undergo an environmental audit and energy assessment and we will work with a Theatres Trust advisor to create an action plan to reduce our use of energy, water and materials. We will also find ways to minimise the environmental impact of the waste we produce. Our target is to reduce our carbon emissions by 60 per cent over the next 15 years. Other London theatres selected to take part include the Soho Theatre (Westminster), the Orange Tree Theatre (Richmond), The Courtyard Theatre (Hackney), and the Tristan Bates Theatre (Camden). Our Theatre Director Andrea Bath says, “This is a fantastic recognition of our commitment to reducing our own theatre’s environmental impact. We are just starting a major project to refurbish our buildings, and we’re very excited about the challenges and have already started thinking about all the possibilities. We will monitor our energy use in different parts of our building and look especially at how our scenery can be recycled after a show has finished and how we can use low-energy lighting to create amazing effects.” I will report from time to time on our progress as part of the ECOVENUE project. If you would like more information see: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/ resources/ecovenue. The LTG is a corporate member of The Theatres Trust. Anne Gilmour, The Questors Theatre
Winner of 1999 LTG Playwriting Competition gets a revival! The 1999 LTG Playwriting Competition was won, in the full length category, by Morgan Sweeney of Workington Playgoers Club with his new play BODYBAG. The entries had been judged by Samuel French Ltd. When the announcement was made at the Millennium Conference at Crescent Theatre, Birmingham, the play was already in rehearsal at Workington for presentation in August 2000 at the Edinburgh Fringe with a brief preview at the Theatre Royal. After this, we heard nothing!
LTG Diary of Events 6th November 2010 NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING Archway Theatre, Horley 19 – 21 November 2010 NORTHERN REGION AGM & CONFERENCE Doncaster Little Theatre 25 – 27 March 2011 NATIONAL AGM & CONFERENCE People’s Theatre, Newcastle
Regional Changes and Adjustments
Now the good news is that the Playgoers Club has revived the play for its opening production of the new season, playing it for a whole week at the Theatre Royal. Some members of the original cast appeared again, though not necessarily in their original roles. Morgan Sweeney directed and appeared in the original production – this time he took a back seat to enjoy his work. Mike Head of Penrith Players went to see the production on behalf of the Guild, and his report follows: Morgan Sweeney’s play, Body Bag, won the LTG Playwriting Competition Award in 2000, and from the Workington Playgoers revival this year you can see why. It is a tense play set in a freight box container, which has transported a group of commando mercenaries to carry out their latest mission, the rescue of a doctor from a firing squad. As in Greek tragedy, all the action happens off stage, and there is plenty of it as the rescue takes place. The use of electronic communications to and from the container increases the sense of unreality, of the control of the outside world on what is happening in the box on stage. This allows what would have been a very filmic drama to work in the theatre. It provides a good focus for director and actors. As the play develops, we see the sort of twists that you expect from a thriller. Modern audiences are used to this type of story on film or TV. This makes it hard for the director who does not have Hollywood resources at her disposal. It is particularly difficult to show soldiers’ familiarity with weapons and technology that is a mainstay of film and TV dramas. However, the direction from Gwyneth Savage was taut and the limited space inside the box was well used. Occasionally the volume of the communications was too high which meant some of the actors’ words were missed but it did not spoil the narrative thrust. A conversation with the director revealed she was disappointed with some of the staging that night. As usual most of it would have passed the audience’s notice. However, the pace was a little slow in the first half, which may have been a result of uncertainties from the actors, but it picked up in the second, where the tension could really be felt. In general, there were strong performances, in particular, from Nicola Woodier, who played Dr Slopek, the target of the rescue mission. She imbued the role with a real power. This was highlighted by clever costuming, where the men, inevitably perhaps, wore black, and Slopek was in a red jump suit. Morgan Sweeney is a local man and member of Workington Playgoers. It is to the credit of the club they have chosen to present work by local writers. It is not a safe option and one that needs both hard work from
At the meeting of the committee in July, it was felt that the division of the Guild into administrative regions needed a little adjustment, as the Southern Region far outnumbered the Midlands Region. Firstly it was decided to rename the Midlands Region as CENTRAL REGION. Secondly we asked five theatres situate to the north of London to agree to join the new Central Region to balance the numbers: the five theatres were Barn Theatre, Welwyn: The Company of Players, Hertford; The Company of 10, Abbey Theatre St Albans; Chelmsford Theatre Workshop; and Stevenage Lytton Players. All five agreed, commenting that by and large this move wouldl make it easier for them to attend regional meetings! For this year, however, they received invitations to attend either or both the Central and Southern Region Conferences, taking place at Newport Gwent and Bristol respectively in October. During the year there were three resignations from the Guild - Altrincham Garrick Theatre, Heron Theatre, Beetham and The Woolstore Country Theatre, Codford – and one new member, Summerseat Players from the Theatre Royal at Ramsbottom. The numbers of members per region now stands at: Northern Region – 35 members Central Region – 30 members Southern Region – 37 members Total 102 members
The Globe Theatre Weekend for LTG Youth Theatre members – August 2010
Nathan Farrell of Nomad Theatre, East Horsley sent in this report for his theatre’s Newsletter: “When I was asked to review my trip to the Globe, I wrote: It was really awesome. I was then told to elaborate. So here goes… When a place on the weekend workshop at the Globe Theatre, organized by the LTG, was offered to me I couldn’t refuse, as I have always desired to visit the Globe. The workshops and the weekend started on Friday evening. I arrived in typical Farrell fashion (that is, late). The Friday evening workshops were a taste of things to come – some vocal and movement exercises, including several ways to relieve tension in the shoulders, tension that was referred to as ‘actor-killer’ by our team leader, Colin. Colin has been acting for the past 20 years, both at the Globe and elsewhere, including television. He wanted the weekend to “teach us (the young thespians on the trip) all he had learnt, so that we didn’t have to spend 20 years being a bad actor to do so”. During the Friday workshops, we were intro¬duced to an extract from the performance we were going to see the following evening, The Merry Wives of Windsor by Mr Shakespeare. The workshops took place in two rooms owned by
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Globe Education, who also ran the workshops. Their main building is currently under construction, and is opposite the Globe itself. We spent most of Saturday in these rooms, with the morning spent work-shopping movement with the Globe’s resident Movement Director. She was, in a word, crazy. In two, she was crazily brilliant. In the morning, she was saying hello to a group of shy and self-conscious teenagers. By lunch, she was being thanked by a group of uninhibited and confident young thespians. This put us in a good mood for the afternoon session, back with Colin, based on vocals and delivery of a line. For the vocals, we spent time relaxing the body and the voice, and work¬ing with noises rather than words, culminating in improvisation in the amazing language of gibberish, a language that I appeared an expert in. The workshop then moved onto dia¬logue, and delivery, teaching us to deliver every line, not just read it. We did dozens of exercises, all of which were really helpful. That evening, the children involved, mostly aged between 14 and 19. had a chance to ac¬quaint ourselves with one another. As the only Nomad on the trip. I was “adopted” by the Westovians, a theatre from just outside Newcastle. It was interesting to learn the problems other little theatres had, as well as what they found easy. We then headed to the Globe to watch The Merry Wives of Windsor. The performance was stunning, a thoroughly fantastic production, complete with expert acting, complemented by the simplistic, yet nonetheless important set and costume, all of the period, and it received a standing ovation from the audience in the Pit. On Sunday, we returned to the Globe for a tour, and saw the Globe’s version of the Tues¬day Crew preparing for the next production, while learning about the Globe itself, and its two previous incarnations. Following the tour, we did more workshops on what we had done the previous days. To finish the weekend, parents were invited to see a presentation of the exercises we had done that weekend. To summarise, the weekend was incredible fun, well worth every penny, very educational and definitely worth doing again. The workshops were extremely helpful, and I believe acting workshops like these at our theatre would be of huge benefit to all of its actors, both young and old.” The LTG has a long standing relationship with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on Bankside, and every year in August arranges with the theatre’s Education department a training weekend for its members. The weekend is for Youth Theatre members in alternate years. We have an arrangement for B & B accommodation with nearby Bankside House, and the cost of the weekend per delegate has been kept below £200 for some time now. The training weekends are arranged by Southern Region Secretary Rosemary Shaw.
Shellard, theatre historian and the new Vice Chancellor of De Montfort University, the Project, in conjunction with the British Library, is intended as a comprehensive history of British theatre between 1945 and 1968. It includes scripts, interviews with a range of theatre personnel and numerous resources. So, whether you were directing, acting, working behind the scenes or were a member of the audience, why not tell us about it? Perhaps you were at the premiere of a new play. Perhaps you worked with someone famous or who went on to be famous. Or perhaps your theatre staged a controversial play. Whatever your experiences, please do get in touch. Contact Dr. Gary Day, Department of English, De Montfort University. E-mail gday@dmu. ac.uk Telephone 0116 2506313 or 07814997678
The RSC Open Stages Project
Tom Williams attended a meeting in late August with Ian Wainwright, the RSC officer in charge of the exciting Open Stages Project. He reports: Funding is available for a project intended to encourage a greater cohesion between the professional and amateur aspects of theatre, and encourage people from all backgrounds to participate in the celebration of Shakespeare through performance, in order to showcase work and present imaginative interpretations around a Shakespeare theme. It is intended that Open Stages should comprise five strands. 1. Participation Every amateur theatre group in the UK will be invited to mount a piece of theatrical work under the following criteria: • It should be performed by an amateur group, run by volunteers • It must be Shakespeare or Shakespeare themed* • It should present a new challenge to the group and/ or audience following the principle that work should be inquiring, ambitious, collaborative and engaging. † *Examples could include a straight interpretation of a Shakespeare play, an existing adaptation (e.g West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate etc.), a new work themed on Shakespeare, one of several specially written pieces on a Shakespeare theme, commissioned by RSC for Open Stages and available for performance during the period of the project royalty free. † This could include the use of music, Dance, innovative lighting, sound etc., collaboration between groups, engaging other arts forms, working with new skills (e,g. circus, local poets, amateur orchestra etc.), but above all
ambitious and stretching your usual boundaries. Around the end of 2010, groups will be invited to make a ‘pitch’ for inclusion in Open Stages. It is anticipated that all groups meeting the above criteria will be accepted. Participants will be ‘badged’ as part of RSC Open Stages with permission to use the logo, access to a marketing pack, a place on the Open Stages Website, attendance at their Regional Open Stages event. Participating groups will perform their piece at some point in 2011/2012. 2. Regional Showcase It is intended that eight Regional Theatres will showcase Open Stages work from the amateur sector, in order to show the variety of groups and their different approaches to performing Shakespeare. 3. Professional/ Amateur partnership productions. It is intended that the eight regional theatres will work with a group of individual amateurs from a variety of theatre societies as well as members of the community to create a new work on a Shakespeare theme that will be commissioned especially for the project. 4. Drama Festivals It is proposed that Drama Festivals will be invited to introduce a ‘Shakespeare’ category, with the overall national winner being invited to perform their piece at the RSC in Stratford as part of the……. 5. World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford 2012 A performance from each Regional Showcase will be invited to perform in the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford in 2012 alongside professional Shakespeare productions from the RSC and theatre companies from across the world in the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre. This is a very exciting project in which all LTG theatres can have an opportunity to participate. The time-scale for making the pitch is short but is, I think manageable. The important thing is for member theatres to keep the project at the front of the mind when making plans for 2011-2012. With projects like this, the time for making final decisions may be within a very limited space when the details eventually come through! STOP PRESS: The newly appointed director of the Open Stages Project, Ian Wainwright is making rapid progress with the plans. Watch out for a Press Release at the end of October, related to a new website at the RSC giving full details of the project. Application forms will be available at the end of November. Action will have to be pretty quick, as by February 2011 it is hoped that participating groups and theatres will be known.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO A HISTORY OF BRITISH THEATRE?
Do you have any interesting stories to tell about theatre between 1945-1968? If so, the Theatre Archive Project http://www.bl.uk/projects/theatrearchive/archives.html would like to hear from you. Set up by Professor Dominic
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“Kids love anything with blood. Vampires, horror stories — nice, harsh stuff, and that’s ‘Sweeney Todd.’”
SONDHEIM AT 80
Stephen Sondheim does not give many interviews. Why should he? Now 80, Sondheim long ago cemented his reputation as Broadway’s most esteemed living composer and lyricist, and one of the American musical theater’s greatest visionaries. From “West Side Story” to “A Little Night Music” to “Sweeney Todd” and on, the eight-time Tony Award honoree has redefined and expanded the sonic and dramatic vocabulary of the Broadway musical, busting genre boundaries and nearly erasing the border between “serious” modern music and show tunes. Judging by his creative output, Sondheim has long thrived on taking left turns into left field. The New York City native wrote his first musical when he was a precocious 15-yearold. And in his youth he was mentored by another Broadway innovator: lyricist-author Oscar Hammerstein II, who with composer Richard Rodgers, crafted such landmark musicals as “Oklahoma!” and “South Pacific.” Sondheim began his own Broadway career writing lyrics for scores by such leading composers as Leonard Bernstein for “West Side Story” and Jule Styne on “Gypsy.” Later, he conceived and wrote lyrics and music for his unequaled trove of “concept” musicals — starting with a 1964 box-office flop, “Anyone Can Whistle,” followed by the 1970 hit, “Company.” Sondheim’s shows (the most recent, “Road Show,” reached Off Broadway last spring) have been strikingly different from one another in theme, tone, setting, style. Yet all challenged their savvy, far-reaching creator; his critics; and his loyal audience and cult of super-fans. His artistic daring also strongly influenced a younger wave of stage composers — including “Rent” creator Jonathan Larson. Sondheim is encouraged that “young people are still writing for theater, when they could be writing pop and rock tunes. It doesn’t matter if their shows are good or bad. They’re keeping the idiom alive.” He’s also open to the current wave of edgy new revivals of his works. Sondheim is a fan of a “chamber” version of “Sunday in the Park With George” and other productions that strip down his orchestral scores. “I liked the two (English director) John Doyle did in New York (‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Company’),” he acknowledged. “I tend to write intimate musicals, so chamber versions are more appropriate than if I was writing splashy shows.” Did he mind, though, that Doyle’s 2005 Broadway rendition of “Sweeney Todd” (starring a tuba-blowing Patti LuPone) had all the actors doubling as instrumentalists in what appeared to be an insane asylum? “No, I found it fulfilling. I guess I’m more flexible about it. I just accepted the concept as a fever dream, from Sweeney’s point of view. “You know, I thought of ‘Sweeney’ originally as an intimate piece, but Hal (director Harold Prince) refused to do the original show without making it big.”
Tim Burton’s recent “Sweeney Todd” film, with a singing Johnny Depp as the “demon baker of Fleet Street” also gets high marks from Sondheim. “I think it’s the one movie (based on my shows) that worked, because Tim made it a film, not a recording of a stage musical. “I’m very opinionated about movie musicals, when they’re adapted from live shows,” he continued. “You’ll sit still for a three-minute song in a theater. But in movies, a glance from someone’s eyes will tell you the whole story in a few seconds.” As for the stage revivals replacing a full pit band with a combo, Sondheim said he’d love to go back to “full orchestrations. But theater in general is getting small, with this proliferation of one-man and one-woman shows. If you wrote a piece for 25 actors, a producer would laugh in your face.” Indeed, a career like Sondheim’s in today’s more corporatized Broadway, where shows are spun off hit movies or the songs of pop superstars, is unimaginable. But Sondheim declined to assail such modern Broadway trends as the British invasion of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, “jukebox” musicals and Disney’s live remakes of animated films. “I’ve tried not to make pronunciations in public,” he stated. “With the British musicals, I thought it was a phase, and this too shall pass. We’ll move away from the jukebox shows, too. But it will take longer, because pop is so popular.” For all their musical and other demands, Sondheim’s best works have had impressive staying power — not just in high-profile revivals in New York and London but in schools and amateur theaters. Which show is done the most? “Probably ‘Into the Woods,’ because it has no fourletter words, and kids in grammar school can relate to the fairy-tale theme.” The many high-school stagings of “Sweeney Todd” are more surprising — though not to its composer. “Kids love anything with blood. Vampires, horror stories — nice, harsh stuff, and that’s ‘Sweeney Todd.’” Asked which show he’d like to see mounted more often, he points to “Merrily We Roll Along,” “because (author) George Furth and I finally got it where I want it to be. And ‘Road Show.’ It will be done again — at least in England.” “Road Show,” about a pair of late-19th-century brothers chasing the American dream in contrasting ways, underwent many rewrites until its Nov. 2008 New York debut to mostly positive notices. But while he could easily retire on his bushel of laurels, Sondheim isn’t planning to anytime soon. He recently published a compilation of his lyrics, “Finishing the Hat” (after a song from “Sunday in the Park with George”). As for his theatrical future, Sondheim revealed that he has “a couple of ideas I’ve been nibbling at with some of my collaborators.” (Re-printed by kind permission of MCT)
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The Musicals Of
Stephen Sondheim ANYONE CAN WHISTLE Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Arthur Laurents
A legendary cult show, this wacky, intelligent, highly unconventional musical satire points ahead to Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking work in the 1970s even as it keeps a foot firmly rooted in the musical theatre’s golden age. An absurdist fantasy by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim (two of the authors of West Side Story and Gypsy) Anyone Can Whistle tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town (through the resulting pilgrim trade) and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse out to expose the fraud and the easy-going doctor determined to enjoy the chaos it brings. In the end, the show delivers a poignant message about the importance of the individual in a conformist societybut not before aiming its still-relevant barbs at government, religion, science and anything else that stands in its way!
COMPANY
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by George Furth Originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this landmark concept show, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre. Company follows our anti-hero bachelor Robert as he makes his way through a series of encounters with April (the stewardess), Kathy (the girl who’s going to marry someone else), Marta (the peculiar one), as well as with his married friends. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. In vignette after hilarious vignette, we are introduced to those good and crazy people, his married friends, as Robert weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes being alone is alone, not alive.
ASSASSINS
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by John Weidman Based on an original idea by Charles Gilbert Jnr. Bold, original, surreal, disturbing, thoughtprovoking and alarmingly funny, Assassins is perhaps the most controversial musical ever written. This most American of musicals lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a one-act historical revusical that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish rollercoaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and in an intense final scene inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart Originally produced on Broadway by Harold Prince Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight! Broadway’s greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written-the perfect escape from life’s troubles. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom. Delightfully unsavoury characters, a befuddled father with a shrewish wife, neighbours, strangers and the Roman army are all drawn into the confusion as this sidesplitting comedy unwinds
INTO THE WOODS
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by James Lapine An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch…who raps? They’re all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they’ve been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone’s wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of The Princess Bride becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Hugh Wheeler Suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman Originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince One of Broadway’s most neglected masterpieces, the romantic and achingly beautiful A Little Night Music deals with the universal subject of love, in all its wondrous, humorous and ironic permutations. In turn-of-the-century Sweden, middle-aged Fredrik Egerman brings his 18-year-old bride Anne to a play starring his former mistress, Desirée Armfeldt. Soon, Fredrik and Desirée resume their romance, incurring the wrath of her current lover, a pompous Count. The situation culminates in a weekend at a country estate, with Fredrik, Anne, Desirée and the Count in attendance, as well as Fredrik’s son (who is hopelessly in love with Anne), Desirée’s illegitimate daughter, the Count’s manicdepressive wife and the Egerman’s lusty maid. And there, under the summer night, things are set to right.
SWEENEY TODD
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler, From an adaptation by Christopher Bond Originally directed by Harold Prince Unanimously acclaimed by the critics as one of Stephen Sondheim’s most powerful scores, this black comedy concerns the infamous homicidal career of Sweeney, the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who coveted his young wife and falsely imprisoned him. Cheated of his revenge against the Judge, Sweeney’s thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and - with the aid of his razor - he exacts a far more terrible revenge, cheerfully helped by Mrs. Lovett, who is delighted to give new life to her flavourless meat pies! Sophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising, Sweeney Todd mixes intense drama with dark humour: - audiences find themselves laughing one moment, and gasping in surprise at the next…. At the show’s core is a challenging score of epic proportion with two tasty tour-de-force roles in Sweeney and his comic female accomplice Mrs. Lovett. Although it has been extremely popular with opera companies and in concert presentation, Sweeney Todd is equally effective as an intimate chamber musical
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MARRY ME A LITTLE
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Songs by Stephen Sondheim Conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene
Book, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Concept by Stephen Sondheim and Julia McKenzie
Marry Me A Little uses several unknown songs by the undisputed master of the contemporary Broadway musical to tell a charming and bittersweet tale of love, loneliness and survival as a modern single. Two single strangers, left alone in their studio apartments on a Saturday night, pass their time with sweetly secret, unshared fantasies, never knowing that they’re just a floor away from each other and the end of their lonely dreams.
A revue with a difference… A revue that tells a story… A show that covers one night and forty years… A show that takes place today and also in 200 B.C., 1853, 1882, 1900, the 1950s, the 1970s, the 1980s and tonight. A show that takes place not only in New York but also Greece and Rome and London and Paris and Milan and Sweden… A show that takes place in a Manhattan penthouse, but includes the stage of an abandoned theatre, an estate in Sweden, an island outside of Paris, a street off the Roman Forum, the woods of a fairy tale and a mythical town in the Southwest… All performed by only five people thrown together at a party.
SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Additional music by Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers and Jule Styne Narration by Ned Sherrin The sophistication, wit, insight, heart and genius of Broadway’s most innovative and influential artist is at the centre of this tribute to composerlyricist Stephen Sondheim. This dazzling array of some of Sondheim’s best-known songs features numbers from landmark shows that revolutionized the musical theatre with their masterful craft and astounding creativity: Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Anyone Can Whistle and Pacific Overtures, not to mention the classics written with musical theatre giants Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers, West Side Story, Gypsy and Do I Hear A Waltz? Also included are delectable rarities from the television musical Evening Primrose, the film The Seven Percent Solution” and the hit revue The Mad Show.
PASSION
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by James Lapine Based on the film ‘Passione D’Amore’ directed by Ettore Scola No less than the wondrously complex landscape of the human heart is the subject of this haunting, intensely emotional one-act chamber opera by the uncompromising creators of “Sunday In The Park With George” and “Into The Woods.” A remote military outpost in 1863 Italy, a handsome army captain, separated from his beautiful – but married – mistress, is forced to re-evaluate his beliefs about love when he becomes the object of the obsessive, unrelenting passions of Fosca, his Colonel’s plain, sickly cousin.
WEST SIDE STORY
Based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim The world’s greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark Broadway musical that is one of the theatre’s finest accomplishments. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the ‘American’ Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time. Famous songs include Tonight, Maria, I Feel Pretty, Somewhere and America
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MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
BOUNCE / ROADSHOW
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by George Furth Based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart The authors of the landmark Company reunite to turn the traditional showbiz musical on its head in this thrilling and compelling Broadway fable about friendship, compromise and the high price of success. Merrily We Roll Along begins in the present and moves backwards, tracing the lives of wealthy, jaded composer Franklin Shepard and his two estranged friends through each milestone of their personal and professional lives (good and bad). The show ends with a touch of rueful irony, as the three best friends at the start of their careers face a bright future: young, talented and enthusiastic about the worlds waiting to be conquered.
SHOWS IN THIS GUIDE MARKED WITH A * ARE LICENSED IN THE UK BY JOEF WEINBERGER LIMITED www.josef-weinberger.com FOLLIES
Book by James Goldman, Music by Sondheim, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen
The time is 1971, and theatrical impresario Dimitri Weissmann (famous for his garish Weissmann Follies of yesteryear) hosts a reunion of ex-Follies performers in his crumbling theatre, setting the stage for a parade of brilliant ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s pastiche numbers that have become every bit as famous as their models: “Losing My Mind,” “I’m Still Here” and “Broadway Baby,” to name a few. Amid the reminiscing, two middle-aged couples confront some unpleasant truths about their past and present and come face to face with the future. Surreal, sophisticated, compelling, heartwrenching and epic in scope, “Follies” uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naivete in the postKennedy years. It is a showcase for powerful dramatic actors, featuring a large cast rich in character, which provides opportunities for seasoned older performers.
SATURDAY NIGHT
Book by Julius J. Epstein, Music by Stephen Sondheim, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Philip G. Epstein In 1953, “Saturday Night” was to mark the Broadway debut of a young, new writer, Stephen Sondheim. Owing to the death of the original producer, “Saturday Night’s” New York opening was delayed some 47 years! But now it’s here, brimming with all the charm and youthful vitality of a talent blossoming into greatness. “Saturday Night” tells the unassuming story of a group of Brooklyn boys trying to make good in the stock market in 1929. Unfortunately, one of them, Gene, is so eager to climb the social ladder and impress his sweetheart, he invests his friends’ money in a swank apartment near the Brooklyn Bridge, even going as far as to sell the gang’s precious automobile!
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by John Weidman
We’ve included Bounce in our list of Sondheim shows although it has certainly had a rocky past with several versions already staged and word that further revisions are planned. The show received luke warn critical notices although most considered the stand alone potential of some of the score would see it presented in cabaret presentations for years to come.
THE FROGS
Music by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Burt Shevelove. Adapted from The Frogs, an Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in Yale University’s gymnasium’s swimming pool in 1974 Dionysus, despairing of the quality of living dramatists, travels to Hades to bring George Bernard Shaw back from the dead. William Shakespeare competes with Shaw for the title of best playwright, which he wins. Dionysus chooses to bring Shakespeare back instead, thereby improving the world, and its political situation. This original production is most famous for having Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang in its ensemble. Sondheim compared the acoustics of the original production to “performing in a urinal.”
PACIFIC OVERTURES
Book by John Weidman, Music by Sondheim, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen
“Nippon. The floating kingdom. An island empire which for centuries has lived in perfect peace, undisturbed by intruders from across the sea…” That is until Commodore Matthew Perry and an American fleet arrive in 1853 to “open” it up to the West, and a civilization of timeless tradition and seamless serenity begins to unravel under the impact of new ideas. Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, authors of “Assassins,” explore the painful Westernization of Japan through the story of two friends caught in the inevitable winds of change. Mixing elements of Kabuki theatre with the conventions of the Broadway musical, “Pacific Overtures” is considered by many to be the artistic pinnacle of the legendary Sondheim/Prince collaborations. A highly original, inventive, powerful, educational and surprisingly humorous theatrical experience, it pushes the boundaries of musical theatre farther than ever before. Every musical number is a revelation in a groundbreaking score containing material Sondheim considers his best.
YOU’RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW
Music by Stephen Sondheim, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Continuity by Paul Lazarus The lesser-known songs of Stephen Sondheim reclaim the spotlight in this marvelously understated overview of the career of Broadway’s reigning genius. The exhilarating work represented here is nothing short of a revelation: the appealing melodies and astonishing craft of his first unproduced Broadway musical, written in his early 20s; the gut-busting numbers that didn’t make it into “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum;” the stark beauty of “Pacific Overtures;” the sweeping romanticism of “Anyone Can Whistle;” and a heartrendingly gorgeous ballad from his adaptation of “The Frogs,” originally staged in the Yale University swimming pool.
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SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
Book by James Lapine, Music by Stephen Sondheim, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim One of the most acclaimed musicals of our time, this moving study of the enigmatic painter Georges Seurat won a Pulitzer Prize for its deeply insightful and highly personal examination of life through art and the artist. Act One follows the inarticulate Seurat as he fights a losing battle to maintain a relationship with his mistress Dot as he creates his painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” amid the scorn of the artistic community. The second act takes place 100 years later, introducing us to his American descendant, also an artist, burned out and uncertain of the path he must take.
GYPSY!
Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy is the ultimate story about an aggressive stage mother. Join Rose, June and Louise in their trip across the United States during the 1920’s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born. Jule Styne’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics include Let Me Entertain You, Some People, You’ll Never Get Away from Me, If Momma Was Married, All I Need Is the Girl, Everything’s Coming Up Roses, You Gotta Get A Gimmick and Together Wherever We Go. This is a gripping story of one of the most frightening aspects of show business.
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Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia 42nd Street 07 - 11 December 2010 Salisbury Amateur Operatic Society City Hall Salisbury, Wiltshire 01722 434434
22 - 29 January 2011 Stourbridge Pantomime Company Stourbridge Town Hall Theatre Stourbridge, West Midlands 01384 836963
Aladdin
Christmas Concert
01 - 04 December 2010 Caistor Amateur Theatrical Society Town Hall Caistor, Lincolnshire 01472 851212 www.catstheatre.co.uk
05 December 2010 Southminster Operatic & Choral Society St Leonards Church South Minster, Essex 01621 740787
Cinderella 01 - 05 December 2010 Admirals Players Fisher Hall HMS Excellent, Portsmouth 02392727961
02 - 04 December 2010 Rayleigh A O & D S The Arts and Events Centre Rayleigh, Essex 01268 771751
07 - 11 December 2010 Over Players Over Community Centre Over, Cambridgeshire 01954 230056
03 - 11 December 2010 Mickleover Players Main Hall Murray Park School 01332 511 867
06 - 23 January 2011 Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club Jersey Arts Centre Jersey, CI 01534 700444
03 - 11 December 2010 London Pantomimers The Intimate Theatre Palmers Green, London 01992 304 327
07 - 16 January 2011 Rugby Theatre Society Rugby Theatre Rugby, Warwickshire 01788 541234
10 - 19 December 2010 Hemel Hempstead Theatre Company The Boxmoor Theatre Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire 01442 234004
17 - 22 January 2011 St Giles with St Marys Pantomime/Theatre Society Pontefract Town Hall Pontefract, West Yorkshire 01977 795904
01 - 03 January 2011 Clacton Musical Theatre Society West Cliff Theatre Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 01255 421109
22 - 29 January 2011 The Young Ones Netherton Arts Centre Dudley, West Midlands 01384 895266 23 - 29 January 2011 Reydon & Southwold Panto Group St Edmunds Hall Southwold, Suffolk 01502 724539
Alarms & Excursions 01 - 04 December 2010 Hayes Players Hayes Village Hall Bromley, Kent 07905210718 www.hayesplayers.org.uk
Anything Goes 25 - 29 January 2011 Buttershaw St Pauls Church Amateur Operatic Society St Gorges Hall Bradford, West Yorkshire 01274 416466
Babes in the Wood 22 December 2010 - 03 January 2011 OTFM Productions Bridge House Theatre Warwick, Warwickshire 01926 421774 07 - 16 January 2011 Folkestone & Hythe Operatic & Dramatic Society Tower Theatre Folkestone, Kent 01303 223925
Beauty and the Beast 27 November - 04 December 2010 PADOS Studio Theatre St Marys Rd, Prestwich 0161 7737729 www.pados.co.uk 07 - 15 January 2011 Broxbourne Theatre Company Broxbourne Theatre Company Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire 01992 441946
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10 - 15 January 2011 Whitley Bay Pantomime Society The Playhouse Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear 08442 772771 17 - 22 January 2011 Whitby’s Apollo Players Whitby Pavilion Theatre Whitby, North Yorkshire 01947 601724 19 - 22 January 2011 Handsworth & Hallam Theatre Company Unversity of Sheffield Drama Studio Sheffield, South Yorkshire 01709 377611 20 - 29 January 2011 Knutsford Little Theatre Knutsford Little Theatre Knutsford, Cheshire 01565 873515
Cinderella: A Christmas Adventure 10 - 19 December 2010 Bench Theatre Company Spring Arts & Heritage Centre Havant , Hampshire 02392472700
Communicating Doors 04 - 11 December 2010 Wilmslow Green Room Society Chapel Lane 01625 540933
Copacabana 23 - 29 January 2011 Christchurch Theatre Club Loughborough Town Hall Loughborough, Leicestershire 01509 502879
Cornocopia of Christmas 11 December 2010 Lindsey Rural Players Wickenby Lincoln, Lincolnshire 01673 885500
Creepy Hollow
Full Monty, The
27 - 29 January 2011 Spotlight Youth Productions Brownhills Community College Brownhills, West Midlands 07528 456031
26 - 29 January 2011 Leatherhead Operatic Society The Playhouse Epsom, Surrey 0208 393 7248
Deep Blue Sea
Ghetto
29 January - 05 February 2011 Wimslow Green Room Society 01625540933
24 - 27 January 2011 Jewish Theatre Group John Thaw Theatre Manchester 0161 275 8951
Dick Barton - Special Agent 10 - 18 December 2010 Nantwich Players The Players Theatre Nantwich, 01270624556 www.nantwichplayers.com
Dick Whittington 02 - 05 December 2010 Kaleidoscope Players The Guildhall Theatre 01332 255800 08 - 11 December 2010 Portishead Players Somerset Hall Portishead, 01275 843169 16 - 19 December 2010 Starburst Theatre St Nic’s School Fleet, Hampshire www.starburst-theatre.org.uk
Glimpse Of Christmas Past, A 01 - 04 December 2010 Peterborough Playgoers John Clare Theatre Peterborough, Cambs 01733 452336
Godspell 02 - 08 January 2011 Gasleak Theatre Company Melton Theatre Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire 01664 560407
Golden Jubilee Christmas Concert 11 December 2010 The Elizabethans Amateur Operatic Society Town Hall Ossett, West Yorkshire 01924 263618
Goldilocks 22 December 2010 - 02 January 2011 Glastonbury & Street Musical Comedy Soc Strode Theatre Street, Somerset 01458 441442
20 - 23 January 2011 Walkerville Musical Society Walkerville Communtiy Hall Newcastle Upon Tyne, 0191 236 2647
08 - 15 January 2011 Huddersfield Light Opera Company The Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 430528
Great Expectations
09 - 15 January 2011 Wombwell & District Amateur Operatic Society Operatic Centre Wombwell, South Yorkshire 01226 758375
Dick Whittington and his Cat 21 - 30 January 2011 New Stagers Theatre Company St Annes Church Hall Wandsworth 07814 611239
14 - 18 December 2010 Halifax Thespians Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W. Yorkshire 01422 365998
Half A Sixpence 15 - 18 December 2010 Stage Door Theatre Company Windmill Theatre Littlehampton, West Sussex 01903 722224
Honk! 06 - 11 December 2010 Mossley AODS George Lawton Centre Mossley, 01457870875 www.maods.org
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
I’ll get My Man
01 - 05 December 2010 CLOGS Musical Theatre The Neeld Hall Chippenham, Wiltshire 01249 721 171
01 - 04 December 2010 Argyle Players Tovey Hall Central Reform Church, Bath 01225858112
15 - 22 January 2011 Dursley Operatic & Dramatic Society Lister Hall Dursley, Gloucestershire 07890 203313
Inaccurate Conception, The
19 January - 05 February 2011 Ballywillan Drama Group The Riverside Theatre Coleraine, Londonderry 07798 930 308
Fawlty Towers 04 - 11 December 2010 Bolton Little Theatre Bolton, Manchester 01204 334 400 www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk
Footloose 28 January - 05 February 2011 Curtain Call Productions The Grange Theatre Hartford Northwich, Cheshire 01270 587173
04 December 2010 Abbey Foregate (Shrewsbury URC) Drama Group St Nicholas Hall United Reformed Church Shrewsbury, Shropshire 01743 236 855
Inside Job 18 - 22 January 2011 Halifax Thespians Halifax Playhouse Halifax, West Yorkshire 01422 365998
It’s Never Too Late 24 - 29 January 2011 Keighley Playhouse Keighley West Yorkshire, 08451267859 www.keighleyplayhouse.co.uk
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Ladies’ Night
Maskerade
Our House
13 - 18 December 2010 Runway Theatre Company Eastwood Park Theatre Glasgow, East Renfrewshire 0141 577 4970
01 - 04 December 2010 St Ursula Players Newman Hall Grange Court Hall, Bristol 0117 962 4431 www.stursulaplayers.co.uk
08 - 11 December 2010 Wick Theatre Co Barn Theatre Southwick Street, Southwick 01273 597094 www.wicktheatre.co.uk
01 - 04 December 2010 Theatreworkz The Masque Theatre Kettering, Northamptonshire 01933 224294
Likes of Us, The
Mother Goose
13 - 23 January 2011 NOMADS The Nomads Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284747
07 - 12 December 2010 Retford & District Amateur Operatic Society Retford Little Theatre Wharf Road Retford, Nottinghamshire 01777 702002
Little Red Riding Hood
09 - 11 December 2010 Tain Panto Group The Duthac Centre Tain, Ross-shire 01862 842311
16 - 19 December 2010 Centre Stage Theatre Arts Robert Ludlam Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 232940 11 - 15 January 2011 Dover Operatic & Dramatic Society Dover Town Hall Dover, Kent 07748 597927
Jack Lear 07 - 11 December 2010 Kelvin Players Theatre Co The Studios 01179593636 www.kelvinplayers.co.uk
Kindly Leave The Stage 17 - 20 November 2010 Cuffley Players Cuffley Hall Herts, 01707873856
La Cage Aux Folles 22 - 28 January 2011 Leatherhead Operatic Society The Playhouse Epsom, Surrey 0208 393 7248
27 January - 05 February 2011 Lyndhurst Drama and Musical Society Vernon Theatre Lyndhurst 02380282729
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime 13 - 15 January 2011 Loughton Amateur Dramatic Society Lopping Hall Loughton 0208 502 5843
Lost in Yonkers 26 - 29 January 2011 Giffnock Theatre Players Eastwood Park Theatre Giffnock, East Renfrewshire 0141 577 4970
Marguerite 12 - 15 January 2011 PH Productions The Mill Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guidlford, Surrey 01483 440000
12 January - 05 February 2011 The Pantomime Company Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leicestershire 07956 543369 27 - 29 January 2011 Wootton Bassett Light Operatic Society Memorial Hall Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire 01793 613963 28 January - 12 February 2011 Lindsey Rural Players Broadbent Theatre Wickenby, Lincolnshire 01673 885500
My fair Lady 28 - 29 January 2011 Present Company Derby Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 255800
Pantomania 02 - 04 December 2010 Havant Light opera Spring Arts & Heritage Centre Havant , Hampshire 02392472700
Peter and the WolF 15 - 22 January 2011 Chesham Bois Catholic Players The Elgiva Theatre Chesham, Buckinghamshire 01494 582900
Peter Pan 09 - 18 December 2010 Merlin Theatre Merlin Theatre Frome, Somerset 01373465949
Pied Piper of Hamelin, The 08 - 15 January 2011 Pickering Musical Society The Kirk Theatre Pickering, North Yorkshire 01751 474833
Pinocchio 17 - 23 January 2011 Watson Players Guildhall Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 572190
THE NOMADS - INSIGNIFICANCE. Photos: David Martin
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BELMONT THEATRE CO - REBECCA
Pompeii Panto, The
Railway Children, The
05 - 09 January 2011 Henfield Theatre Company Henfield Hall Henfield, West Sussex 01273 492141
01 - 05 December 2010 Ormskirk Derby Players Dramatic Society Ormskirk Civic Hall Ormskirk, Lancashire 01695 580755
14 - 22 January 2011 The Creakes Drama Group North Creake Village Hall North Creake, Norfolk 07818 696660
Rebecca
02 - 04 December 2010 The Bury Players Bury Village Hall Pulborough, West Sussex 01798 831468
Puss In Boots
29 - 30 December 2010 HEOS Musical Theatre Greenford Hall Greenford, 01784 255164 www.heos.org.uk 08 - 15 January 2011 Arrow Players St Edmunds Hall Northwood Hills, Middlesex 0208 868 7785 www.arrowplayers.org.uk 13 - 15 January 2011 The Orchard Players Chapel St Mary Village Hall Chapel, Suffolk 07761 782456 21 - 29 January 2011 Haverhill & District Operatic Society Haverhill Arts Cerntre Haverhill, 01440 714140 22 - 29 January 2011 Dinnington Operatic Society The Lyric Theatre Dinnington, South Yorkshire 01909 569340
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Red Riding Hood 16 - 18 December 2010 The New Strolling Players Memorial Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight 01983 752956
Rob Roy The Pantomime 02 - 04 December 2010 Thornhill Players Thornhill Community Hall Stirlingshire, 01786 850288
Robin Hood & the Babes In the Woods
Robin Hood Prince of Sherwood 22 - 30 January 2011 Lowestoft Players The Marina Theatre Lowestoft, Suffolk 01502 533200
Robinson Crusoe
11 - 15 January 2011 Dryburn Theatrical Workshop Park View Theatre Complex Chester Le Street, 0191 388 9709 www.dryburn-tw.net
26 - 29 January 2011 Crewkerne United Dramatic & Operatic Soc Victoria Hall Crewkerne, Somerset 01460 74380
22 December 2010 - 03 January 2011 Milton Keynes Amateur Operatic Society Stantonbury Campus Theatre Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 07765 084193
Season of Song 16 - 18 December 2010 Green Room Productions Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 0208 360 1957
Every two weeks you can read the complete, unabridged reviews of all the major national drama critics, reprinted with photos in Theatre Record. Send for a free specimen copy to:
Theatre Record PO BOX 445 CHICHESTER, W. SUSSEX
COSTUMES COSTUME HIRE, SHOWS KING & I, PHANTOM, LES MIZ, OLIVER, FIDDLER, KISS ME KATE, FOLLIES, PINAFORE, ANNIE, ALL PANTO SUBJECTS, ORIENTAL COSTUMES www.bpdcostumes.co.uk P: 01273 481004
AMATEUR STAGE | NOVEMBER 2010
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ARIEL YOUNG ACTORS - HAIRSPRAY
See How They Run 30 November - 04 December 2010 Workington Playgoers Theatre Royal Workington, Cumbria 01900602122
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery Of Mallen Hall 31 January - 05 February 2011 PADOS Studio Theatre St Marys Rd, Prestwich 0161 7737729 www.pados.co.uk
22 December 2010 - 03 January 2011 Manor Operatic Society City Hall Sheffield, South Yorkshire 01142 585474
28 January - 05 February 2011 Iver Heath Drama Club Iver Heath New Village Hall 01753 652 616 www.ihdc.co.uk
05 - 15 January 2011 Tynemouth Priory Theatre Tynemouth Priory Theatre North Shields, Tyne and Wear 0191 292 9292
Summer Holiday
16 - 22 January 2011 Wayfarers Pantomime Society (Taunton) Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre Taunton, Somerset 01823 665900
Sinbad the Sailor 01 - 05 December 2010 Collingwood RSC Millennium Hall HMS Collingwood, Fareham 07502037922
Sleeping Beauty 01 - 04 December 2010 Garstang Theatre Group Arts Theatre Hight School Garstang, Lancashire 01995 600 649 07 - 11 December 2010 St Herberts Amateur Dramatic Society St Herberts Parish Centre Broadway Chadderton, Lancashire 07790 417973 15 - 19 December 2010 Billboard Ensemble Barry Memorial Hall Theatre Barry, Vale of Glamorgan 01446 733625
Sleeping Beauty & the Wicked Witch 06 - 11 December 2010 Riverside Drama Club Cowane Centre Stirlingshire 01786 811291
22 - 29 January 2011 Cheltenham Operatic & Dramatic Society The Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 07794 487822
Sweeney Todd 26 January - 05 February 2011 Colchester Operatic Society The Mercury Theatre Colchester Operatic Society, Essex 01206 573948
Swimming With Sharks 01 - 04 December 2010 CCADS Groundlings Theatre Old beneficial School, Portsmouth 02392737370
The Flint Street Nativity 30 November - 04 December 2010 Blackburn Arts Club Gibraltar Street Blackburn, 01254 664 642 www.blackburnartsclub.co.uk
Topaz 03 - 04 December 2010 Nomads Theatre Nomad Theatre Bishopsmead parade, East Horsley 01483 284 747
Snow White & The Magnificent Seven 09 - 12 December 2010 Crofton Amateur Dramatic Society Theatre Hall Stubbington, Hampshire 01329661143
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs 14 - 18 December 2010 Centre Stage Theatre The Buccleuch Centre Langholm, Dumfriesshire 01387 381196
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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOW Trial By Jury 17 - 22 January 2011 Abbots Langley G & S Society Watford Palace Theatre Watford, Hertfordshire 01923 225671
Viva Variety 13 - 15 January 2011 Theydon Bois Drama Society Theydon Bois Village Hall Theydon Bois, Essex 01992812250 www.theydondrama.org
We Wish You a Merry Christmas 2010 09 - 11 December 2010 East Berkshire Operatic Society EBOS Pinewood Theatre Wokingham, Berkshire 01189 733464
Wind In The Willows 06 - 11 December 2010 Louth Playgoers Society Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507 600350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk
Wizard of Oz, The (RSC Version) 07 - 11 December 2010 Skipton AODS The Mart Theatre Skipton, Yorkshire 01756 708011
ÂŁ50
B 1ST OOK BE JA F AN NUAR ORE DR Y ECE 201 IVE 1
DIS
CO U
Reach for the stars
NT
Youth Academy
NODA Youth Academy for 12 - 17 year olds
12 - 16 April 2011 Oakham School Rutland For more information and an application form visit:
www.noda.org.uk/youth or telephone: 01733 865 790
28
AMATEUR STAGE | NOVEMBER 2010
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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
CoMEdIES BY IAn hoRnBY nEWLY PUBLIShEd
Samuel French Ltd
ThE Ex FACToR
N eThe w play r epublisher leases!
(No, nothing to do with the game show!) Imagine it - you and your wife-to-be are struggling to open your bed and breakfast. The B&B inspector is due any moment. So it is for Phil and Jane. Except the imminent inspector is Phil’s ex-wife Felicity, and there never was any love lost between the two women. And there’s a rumour that Felicity’s latest beau used to be a Chippendale - not good when your first guests - two matronly women - are also due to arrive. And the place is almost - but not quite - finished, the rising wind threatening to blow the roof off the barn. The stage is set for misunderstandings, jealousy, women at war and even a burglary. That all-pervading scent of the farmyard doesn’t help either.
play publisherFrench and leasing agents Samuel Ltd
Awaking Beauty
A musical. Book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn. Music by Denis King. CasT M5 F5. sCene Various simple settings Ever wondered what else happened to Sleeping Beauty when she finally woke up in the 21st century? This alternative seasonal fare provides the answer. The Prince awakens Princess Aurora and the happy young couple are about to embark on their first night of passionate love when wicked witch Carabosse butts in, having taken a fancy to the Prince. Which one will become the awaking beauty? The four major roles are for two men and two women with six narrators playing a variety of other characters as well as providing the vocal harmonies and an astonishing range of sound effects! Price £8.95
CoMEdY 3M 4F, SInGLE SET
ConFEREnCE PAIRS CoMEdY 2M 5F, SInGLE SET
Each and every year, the members of the national sales team of JW Roberts Ltd. meet in a hotel for their sales conference. And each and every year they continue their “liaisons” with other members of the sales team. Afterwards they will go back to their everyday lives, but this weekend they’re out to enjoy each other. Peter and Eve have conveniently-opposite rooms in the hotel, but just about anything that can prevent their continued relationship actually does prevent it, including fire alarms, falls, difficult hotel staff, visiting bosses, lost keys, two pairs of handcuffs and a surprise visit from Peter’s wife.
samuelfrench-london.co.uk
Entertaining Angels
by Richard Everett CasT M1 F4. sCene Simple settings As a clergy wife, Grace has spent a lifetime on her best behaviour. Now, following the death of her husband Bardolph, she is enjoying the freedom to do and say exactly as she pleases, usually to the new — female — vicar, Sarah. The return of Grace’s missionary sister Ruth prompts some disturbing revelations, which force her to confront Bardolph’s ghost and the truth of their marriage. “This deceptively profound comic play was thoroughly absorbing and entertaining.” Irene Brown, EdinburghGuide.com. Price £8.99
French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy St London W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk
And not forgetting the very popular favourite
hELLo, IS ThERE AnY BodY ThERE? FARCE 4M 5F, SInGLE SET
All is dull and peaceful at Squire Grange. Lady Amelia searches for new ideas for her latest mystery novel as Sir Malcolm sleeps off the excesses of another idle day. Family friend Freddy is persuaded to try and think of new ideas. Meanwhile the hapless Vic Tim arrives and is promptly dispatched by an unknown assailant. Everyone tries really hard to discover the murderer, but not in time to prevent the Producer being murdered. And someone else. This hilarious farce steadfastly refuses to take itself (or anything else) seriously.
www.scripts4theatre.com Free evaluation copies on request. Visit our for details of these and the rest of Ian Hornby’s 36 published plays.
Late Night Opening!
Contact ian@scripts4theatre.co.uk tel: 01925 485605 Or write to Ian at 2 Hereford Close, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4HR
French’s Theatre Bookshop will be open until 7.30pm on Thursdays in the run up to Christmas until 23rd December.
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playscri pts
PLAY OF THE MONTH THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY Igmar Bergman, adapted by Jenny Worton Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781848421233 CAST: 3M 1F Recommended Retail Price: £8.99 The original film of Through A Glass Darkly was released in 1961 and won Igmar Bergman an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. In 2004 Bergman was approached by Andrew Higgle for consent to allow Andrew Upton to adapt the story for the stage. The project was eventually abandoned until Jenny Worton took up the challenge, her version making its début at the Bush Theatre in 2010, three years after Bergman’s death. The title is a Biblical phrase from Corinthians which refers to our understanding of God during our life; the understanding only becomes clear after death. The story centres around Karin, a newly married young woman who has recently had a mental breakdown similar to one her mother had suffered many years previously. The play is set on a remote Swedish island where Karin is spending her annual summer holiday with her husband, father and younger brother but, rather than the holiday aiding her recovery, the closeness of her family seems to make her illness worse.
Karin’s realisation that she must take matters into her own hands will leave an audience both appalled and compassionate, I found it very moving and have no hesitation in nominating Through A Glass Darkly play of the month.
When a family doesn’t connect they hurt each other without even
THE THREEFOLD CORD Scott Marshall Samuel French Ltd ISBN NO: 9780573114355 CAST: 1M 3F
Three women have one thing in common: Sir Marcus Pennington, a high court judge. Victoria, his wife, is a successful actress, proud of a marriage that lasted 43 years. Millicent is the widow of his best friend. Marcus started an affair with Millicent very soon after the friend died. Finally there is Dexie, a prostitute for whom Marcus is a regular, and welcome, client. The women tell their stories, monologue style, direct to the audience. As they each describe their relationship with Marcus the stories entwine. An example of this is the occasion when Marcus leaves Dexie’s bed, stealing flowers from her vase as he rushes to keep a date with Millicent. The flowers were not for his lover, however, but for the grave of her late husband. Throughout the play the women do not interact with each other. They take it in turns to deliver their pieces, but act one ends with an appearance from Marcus whose brief dialogue with each woman underlines their status. Somehow I felt as though we have only scratched the surface of the stories that these women could tell. On one occasion Dexie gatecrashes a party that Marcus is throwing and takes to the stage with the intention of telling the assembled crowd of the great and the good that she is the mother of his illegitimate child. One smile from Marcus and she caves in and that could serve as a metaphor for this rather too restrained play.
THE KISS David Muncaster reviews the latest playscript offerings.
trying. Karin has learnt the prologue from a play written by her brother but, as she is about to perform it, her father tells her that he would prefer to read it alone. He had not realised that she had spent hours learning it nor did he understand what a poignant moment it was for his son, his cold distance typifying the dysfunctional nature of the family. The film only hints at Karin’s sexual encounter with her own brother but in the stage version there is little doubt that the act has taken place. Karin tells her husband that she believes that God is waiting for her and asks him to pray. A helicopter, summoned by her husband, arrives and she becomes terrified of the noise. Then, after being sedated, she tells her family that the door is closed to her. They wouldn’t let her in because of the things she had done.
Melville Lovatt New Theatre Publications ISBN NO: 9781840948035 CAST: 2M 1F Simon observes his wife and his best friend locked in an embrace. The kiss is long, passionate and highly inappropriate. Simon is convinced that they must be having an affair and plans a terrible revenge. Physical harm is what he had in mind, but circumstances prevent him from carrying out the horrific attack he had intended. Instead, he relates a dream, the violent undertones of which are not lost on his friend.
We never know for certain whether the affair ever took place but The Kiss is notable for what is left unsaid. It is a one act play that packs a punch and, like all the best thrillers, will leave the audience guessing long after the curtain goes down.
GOING TO ALASKA
Tim Kenny UNPUBLISHED: contact branddevelopment@btinternet.com ISBN NO: None CAST: 2M 2F Len is planning to go to Alaska with his best friend Brian for the fishing trip of a lifetime, not that Len’s wife, Meg, knows this. She thinks that the pair will be doing their fishing on the Dee, but we get the impression that she is not all that bothered anyway. We join the couple at their home as they are preparing for Brian and his new girlfriend, Sharon, to come round for dinner. Meg once had a bit of a fling with Brian and, whilst Len is in the dark about this, he is unhappy about the amount of attention his friend pays to Meg and instructs her to wear her dowdiest clothes. Unperturbed, Brian cops a good old feel when he arrives. As the play progresses it seems clear the way things are heading, but they don’t turn out as one might expect. The men are like peas in a pod and soon forget all about the women who, left on their own in the house, find that they have more in common than they might have imagined:they certainly share a lewd sense of humour. When Meg is not using innuendos she is just coming right out with it, and the women form an allegiance which results in an unexpected twist in our tale. Going To Alaska is an engaging one act play with excellent pace and characterisation.
LA BÊTE
David Hirson Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781848421141 CAST: 5M 5F + Extras Recommended Retail Price: £8.99 La Bête was first published in New York in 1991 and this new, updated version has been released by Nick Hern Books to coincide with the 2010 West End revival. As I write, the play is currently
30| amateurstage | November10
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amateurstageplayscripts
wowing them on Broadway with Joanna Lumley playing a role that had originally been a male part. Set in France in 1654, the play takes the form of rhyming couplets, delivered at such a pace that the audience are left with little choice but to immerse themselves in the performance. “Challenging” is the word the word that springs to mind when thinking of the poor actors who play the main roles. The script runs to one hundred and twenty four pages and that is an awful lot of words! One character, Valere, makes his entrance with an unbroken speech that goes on for a full fourteen pages. Does the fact that it all rhymes make it easier or more difficult to learn, I wonder? The story concerns Elomire, head of the Royal Theatre Troupe. His princess has deemed that the court ensemble admits a member: the outrageous troubadour, Valere. Not only that, but she insists that they must perform one of his ludicrous plays. Elomire is incensed but must accept his patron’s decree with all the good grace he can muster. He persuades his princess that Valere’s play, “The parable of two boys from Cadiz”, be presented as an ensemble piece rather than a monologue. He believes that this will expose Valere as a fool but his plan backfires when his troupe find that they rather like the play. The princess, though troubled by some unflattering references to France, eventually comes down in favour of Valere and Elomire is forced to leave the troupe. This is a play that is all about language. It is clever without being highbrow. It treats the audience with intelligence but it is still accessible. It is absurd and at the same time entirely believable. A serving maid who only speaks words that rhyme with ‘blue’ seems perfectly in place in the most unusual royal court. Challenging, certainly but anyone brave enough to take this on would surely find the experience most rewarding.
SINBADALADDIN Richard Lloyd Samuel French Ltd ISBN NO: 9780578164477 CAST: 11M 11F + Chorus
What do you get if you combine the stories of Sinbad the Sailor and Aladdin? Well, two principal boys and two genies, but other than that Sinbadaladdin is a traditional pantomime with the usual corny jokes and catch phrases. In the author’s notes Richard Lloyd advises that companies may miss out the Chinese jokes if they feel them to be inappropriate. These are mostly of the “That was rubbery.”, “You mean lovely.”, “No, really tough.” variety, but in one scene they come at such a relentless pace even the most thick skinned amongst us are likely to start to feel uncomfortable. The fact that the author took the trouble to include his note shows that he is aware the jokes are likely to cause offence; I don’t understand why he didn’t just omit them. The combination of the two tales from the Arabian Nights works well enough but, though the concept may be original, the jokes are well worn and I struggle to find much to recommend this script over any of the other versions of Aladdin available through Samuel French.
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TWO GREAT ONE ACT COMEDIES BY DEREK WEBB Man's View
45 mins 1M 3F
After a reunion in a wine bar Carol, Ann and Judy are the worse for drink. So, when Carol suggests a sort of truth game, secrets they have kept hidden for years emerge with disastrous consequences.
“ ...adult comedy with not just one twist in the tale but two.” South Wales Evening Post
4 Shorts:
‘ Parish Politics ‘ ‘ Indian Summer’ ‘ This End of the Game ‘ ‘ Hotel Alhambra ‘ 3 Full length: ‘ Kick Back ‘ ‘ One Too Many ‘ ‘ Nothing Old, Nothing New ‘ Pantomime: ‘ The Babes in the Jungle ‘ Children’s Musical ( complete with songs and music ) ‘ Vile Island ‘ If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry! www.plays4theatre.co.uk
Restless Hearts 1. A full length play by Stephen O’Sullivan 6f 3m A supernatural tale, that rips open the emotions of a Tom and Emily Wilks, who are mourning the loss of their only child Louise. A hundred years of torment are brought together in one day, when the past comes forward to meet with the present and the truth is finally brought to the surface Other plays by this author The Contract - A Full Length comedy play – 10m 3f A Last Supper – A very dark One Act play – 1m-1f or 2m or 2f www.plays4theatre.co.uk
Both available from New Theatre Publications www.plays4theatre.com
“Superb material. That rare gem, a genuinely funny feminist play.” Amateur Stage
Socks Go in the Bottom Drawer a one act comedy by Claire Booker (1m, 4f + female walk-ons, one set) Looking for a festival winner? Claire Booker’s award-winning one act and full length plays include comedies, historical drama and hard-hitting contemporary theatre. She has been nominated for a Writers Guild MacAllan Award and short-listed for the Arts Council of Great Britain’s prestigious John Whiting Award. Her stage work has been produced as far afield as France, Australia, Romania, Spain and the UK. For a free play list, or to order a script: Tel. +44 (0)20 8673 6147 or bookerplays@yahoo.co.uk Excerpts available at www.bookerplays.co.uk
“MARY SLESSOR: GREAT WHITE MA” Drama. A play by C.G. Wilson A truly inspirational story recounting the life of a lowly Christian Scotswoman who goes to Nigeria in 1870 to become one of the greatest women of all time. Flexible casting: minimum 6F 6M (30 plus roles). Suggested music. Easy to stage.
“CRY IN THE NIGHT” Thriller. A play by C.G. Wilson A young woman returns to the family home after a horrific motor accident on a remote Caribbean island. She finds her father has recently married but is missing, leaving her in the company of strangers including a sinister doctor who purports to know her father well. Then the cries in the night begin. Casting 5F 4M Go to www.cgwplays.co.uk for other plays written by C.G. Wilson
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Fur Elise
A black comedy by Tim Kenny Elise, the wife of Dennis, has died after winning some money. Dennis’ lodger, Edmund, a gay embalmer, has taken care of Elise’s body which now rests in the funeral home. Edmund tries to persuade Dennis that they should both go away on a cruise. But Dennis has a murky past which begins to emerge as others learn of Elise’s death and her fortune. Elise’s death certificate says a natural cause. Or was it? The flamboyant sexy Alma arrives. She has taken a fancy to Dennis and a cruise - much to the annoyance of Edmund. The plot twists and turns against a background of murders in which Dennis appears to be implicated. This 8-person play is easy to stage and is for 4M, 3F although two male parts can be played by females. Tim Kenny is an award-winning writer. His 30 minute plays (some of which are with NTP) have won several AmDram festivals. He has also won a prestigious ‘Writer of the Future’ Award. www.plays4theatre.co.uk
MAXINE SMITH PLAYS Original playscripts that are like real life but not quite, that balance humour and tragedy in equal measure, that appeal to wide audiences, with challenging roles but simple production demands. “Vaulting Ambition” – Echoing Lady Macbeth, retired librarian Gaynor’s ambitions get the better of her. Wanting to see her pole vaulting grand-daughter become Olympic Champion, catapults her into an unreal situation. (3F, 2M, 2hours running time) “Oakes’ Last Run” – Jane Eyre found Rochester, but Kat Thomas’s romantic fantasies are reduced from toying with James Bond to an unexpected romance with Alex Flint, a washed up 1970s TV actor. Alex and his camper van are a mess, but is he better than her selfish, wife-beating partner, Will? And do they ever have chance to find out? (Flexible casting min. 3M, 3F, 2 hours running time) www.plays4theatre.co.uk
10/08/2010 14:43:58
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Douglas Fulthorpe presents the wittiest writing to emerge from the Tyne since the Great Flood, convulsing the north bank, or for that matter, south bank, Lloyds Bank, Barclays Bank or any other bank. Thrill to the biting conflict between the Real and False Comperes as they introduce twelve hilarious situtions Struggle with a young couple as they strive desperately and painfully to fit in. Share the adventures of two alert, eagle-eyed lifeguards. Meet the quiz team straight from the joke-factory, then delve deep into fundamental, irreligious history, before completing your education with a crash-course in Marketspeak. www.plays4theatre.com
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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk Stephen Sondheim Virgin Books ISBN 9780753522585 RRP£30
Finishing The Hat is probably the musical theatre must have book of this year! Sondheim himself points out that lyrics are not meant to be read but sung, and if this were merely a book of musical theatre lyrics it might be a dreary read indeed, but Finishing The Hat is so much more than that. This weighty volume offers readers and fans of the form enormous first hand insight into the world of Broadway musical theatre and into the mind of Sondheim himself. Full of anecdotes, personal insights, history and rich in the sort of rare detail that most musical fans adore, this is about as close to speaking to Sondheim himself that we are probably ever going to get. There have been numerous biographies of Sondheim but this is special, unique and worth so much more as it shows us the man and his work as a united whole. Finishing The Hat not only contains all the lyrics to Sondheim’s works from 1954 to 1981 but rare photographs, copies of handwritten works in progress, backstage musings, insights into how the composer himself envisaged characters being portrayed, and so much information about the history of musical theatre and its key players. The book also contains rare lyrics that were scrapped from shows in pre-production, some of which have never been published. If you have even the vaguest interest in musical theatre this is a book for your Christmas wish list. It’s set to become a valuable reference guide for most of us and one of those books I am sure you will go back to again and again as you perform various works from the Sondheim cannon. There’s no doubt that Sondheim in man ways was a man far ahead of his time. Having devoured this book I can’t wait for Volume 2!
SHOW TIME - A HISTORY OF BROADWAY MUSICAL THEATRE Larry Stempel WW Norton & Co ISBN 9780393067156 RRP £30
This month brings us riches as far as reference material for musical theatre goes. With Showtime, Larry Stempel has bought together decades of painstaking research to present the story of the last one hundred and fifty years of Broadway musical theatre. Combining original research with shrewd analysis, Stempel fully examines the musicals in their rich cultural context. Beginning with the scandalous Astor Place Opera House Riot in 1849, Stempel traces the growth of musicals from minstrel shows and burleques, through to the golden age of Showboat and Oklahoma! to modern day works including Rent and The Lion King. Stempel’s narrative is never boring and full of humour and tremendous insight. Since it’s publication Stempel’s book has received enormous acclaim from Broadway theatre practitioners and rightly so. Showtime is a vast treasure chest, full of wonders and riches that will delight any lover of musical theatre. I daresay the only thing that will make you put this one down is it’s sheer weight. Showtime is great value and would make an excellent Christmas offering to any musical theatre fan.
books/cds
The Collected Lyrics (1954-1981)
SONDHEIM SINGS VOL1 - 1962
PS CLASSICS ASIN NO: B0009299JC £9.99 In keeping with our Sondheim theme this month we chose to dig this gem out of the archive for your consideration. It’s a very rare thing indeed that composers choose to record their own version of their work, but this recording is so much more than that. Sondheim Sings is the composer offering an insight into his own work, the subtleties of the lyrics and his take on phrasing. The result is a fresh take on some familiar Sondheim classics. What is perhaps fodder for musical theatre vultures are the many tracks that have been recorded here for the first time. This cd contains songs that were excised from various Sondheim musicals, lost during try outs or lyrics that were simply replaced. Sondheim is no great Broadway singer and for that reason alone this CD may not appeal to everyone, but to musical theatre fans it should provide a thoroughly enjoyable hour hour or so of entertaining suprises.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC - BORADWAY 2010 CAST
Nonesuch Records ASIN NO: B003A6C6XU £15.99 It’s great to see a British production of Sondheim storming Broadway and winning awards to boot. Featuring Broadway veteran Angela Lansbury and Catherin Zeta Jones as Desiree, this is a great recording of Sondheim’s timeless score. Zeta Jones shines as the brash aging actress and her version of Send In the Clowns is quite moving. A wonderful recording that retains the humour and feeling of Sondheims’ classic lyrics.
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westend Mark Ludmon looks at the latest West End offerings.
My Romantic History Alison O’Donnell and Iain Robertson. Picture by Robert Day
My Romantic History
Design for Living
Bush Theatre
Old Vic
Despite its title, My Romantic History is not romantic and, while it tells the story of an “office romance” with plenty of laughs, it is no rom-com. Scottish writer DC Jackson has captured the lives of young people in their late 20s and early 30s living in Glasgow, following the sporadic coupling of Tom and Amy as they navigate their way through the early stages of what might be a relationship. The play presents the action from the different perspectives of first Tom and then Amy who narrate their versions of the events alongside memories of their teenage first loves. It is full of wry, sometimes bleak observations about work and relationships that keep the laughs coming in the face of their lives of quiet desperation. There are 21 characters but this fringe production manages with just three actors playing all the parts, with the excellent Iain Robertson as the dryly humorous Tom and Alison O’Donnell as the near-hysterical Amy. Designer Chloe Lamford inventively uses office furniture and boxes as a flexible space that switches to a bedroom or a pub in the blink of an eye, reflecting how the characters’ lives revolve around work. As Tom says with a typical sense of defeat, “If you haven’t met someone by the time you graduate, you’re going to marry some clod from the office”. (But this is Glasgow, so he doesn’t use the word “clod”.) Published by Faber & Faber
When Noël Coward wrote Design for Living in the early 1930s, he was forced to premier it on Broadway as it was banned from the London stage for six years because of its risqué subject matter. It is a sexually charged story of Leo the playwright, Otto the artist and Gilda, the woman they both love. In this new production at the Old Vic, director Anthony Page has brought out the bisexuality of the two male leads, making it explicit that they are not only in love with Gilda but with each other. Otherwise, the play retains the sharp wit that Coward is renowned for, which is exploited to the full by the accomplished cast. Andrew Scott’s Leo is mercurial and, at times, petulant, spitting out his lines like a frustrated child. He is matched by Tom Burke’s Otto who is more solid but can be just as child-like when his needs are not met. The two actors make the most of the opportunities for comedy when Leo and Otto get drunk on brandy and “armadildo” sherry, displaying a real double-act chemistry between the actors. Despite the “veneer” of comedy, the production emphasises the darker morality of the play, with the characters struggling over the unconventional ménage a trois that they long for. Lisa Dillon’s Gilda brings an emotional depth to her ongoing battle over her real feelings, while their friend Ernest, played by Angus Wright, represents the older values, shifting from parent-like tolerance to angry disapproval.
Design For Living. Tom Burke, Lisa Dillon and Andrew Scott. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
36| amateurstage | November10
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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
RED BUD
amateurstagewestend
Picture by Simon Kane
Royal Court
Young American playwright Brett Neveu has won plaudits in Chicago for his dramas mainly set in the American Midwest. In Red Bud, he brings together a group of thirtysomething friends who are making their annual trip to a motorcross championship in Michigan. But their lives have changed from the young carefree people they once were, and their disappointments and unhappiness boil over into violence through an alcohol-fuelled evening of partying. It is a simple play about people broken down by life, from the laid-off factory worker and the sacked social worker to the motorcross fanatic whose only happiness was being on the bike he no longer rides. The stage design by Tom Hadley and sound design by Fergus O’Hare transport you to a field in Michigan, with a camp fire, truck and tents in the small Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Peter McDonald stands out as the biker whose bottled-up rage steadily builds throughout the play, while newcomer Isabel Ellison is impressive as a 19-yearold caught up in the older generation’s dangerous games. With its simmering violence and stories of unhappiness and disappointment, Red Bud provides a bleak snapshot of midlife despair. Play text published by Nick Hern Books.
Painting
thor he au t m o fr y’ dacit of ‘Au
by Numbers
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by SIMON MAWDSLEY
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Amateur Rights and Script Now Available from Samuel French Ltd
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"...a sensitive and compelling play... an intelligent exploration of redemption" TIME OUT "...sharp, quick-fire humour... with a "...sharp, message about the important role art can play in rehabilitation rehabilitation" THE STAGE
Read the first few pages at www.simon-mawdsley.co.uk 5
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the last word
Wisteria Cottage Garrick Lane.
My dear thespians, Oh, how one must suffer for one’s art! Or more specifically, for one’s wardrobe. I cannot tell you how many charity shops and jumble sales I have attended in the last month. To give you some idea, I have gone through three pairs of Marigolds and a great deal of Febreze in my search for those wretched bridesmaid dresses for Campton Royal Amateur Players production of The Cemetery Club. Finally, I admitted defeat and picked up a roll of canary yellow organza at the market – it was going for a song. (My goodness, how amusing – canary – song! No? Well, it made me smile so I shall leave it in.) I took my purchase to the next rehearsal to show the ladies and to ensure that I had enough material. To that end, I summoned Marjorie and proceeded to drape the fabric about her. Vera said she looked like a refugee from Carry On Cleo with jaundice; Nikki said it was more like Carry On Up the Khyber and for no apparent reason began singing ‘Who’s Sorry Now’. Marjorie was sour-faced throughout the proceedings and, indeed resembled an oversized lemon. Undaunted, despite Nikki’s inappropriate singing, I seized upon the colonial reference and announced that they would wear saris, thereby only requiring a few well placed safety pins and no sewing for me. Nikki helped me to complete the measurements, still humming that ridiculous song, and to my delight I discovered there was enough material left over to create a fetching fichu for each or them – perfect camouflage for fraying bra straps and flabby arms. I then produced my piece de resistance – an enormous fur coat that had once graced the stage in Uncle Vanya. Wonderful production, though I say it myself, in fact I have to say it myself, because at the interval on one night most of the audience announced that they had left the gas on, or the back door unlocked, the second night there was a mass outbreak of coughing ; the afflicted left and the others followed for fear of infection. I digress. I offered the magnificent garment to Marjorie who went into hysterics about murdered creatures and allergies. I told her firmly that any creatures that might have been sacrificed for fashion were long dead and then pointed to the label which said 100% Nylon. Then came the problematic tombstones. Darren had acquired three slabs of polystyrene from the local tip, painted them a convincing grey and added inscriptions. Unfortunately, he had adorned two of them with pentagrams. I pointed out that the Star of David had six points not five, he said no one would notice, I said the vicar would and demanded he rectify the situation. The other teeny problemette was the wretched things kept falling over. We resolved this by lashing them to the back of the chairs we were using for the rest of the set. True, the chairs, when they were being chairs, looked a little odd, but nothing that a few throws could not solve. In case you were wondering, I dealt with the issue of wandering accents by instructing the cast to abandon all attempts at anything American, but to add a sprinkling of ‘Oi Vay’ – if that’s how you spell it – every three or four speeches. Simple, but effective don’t you think ? Till next time Yours
Doris Richardson-Hall
38| amateurstage | November10
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