amateurstage THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE DECEMBER 2010 www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
£2.95
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WE’RE ONLINE! The new interactive Amateur Stage community is now online!
With our new wesbite you can:* Establish your own personal profile; * Establish a group page for your theatre company, special interest or company. * Post photographs and video from your productions; * Write blogs about items of interest; * Post details about your productions and invite friends to attend; * Read previous issues or research past articles of interest; * Chat online to friends using our chat service. You can also:* Subscribe to the magazine online and purchase past issues; * Buy tickets to West End plays and musicals and greatly reduced prices; * Join our Facebook group; * Join our email mailing list to receive latest news, special offers and compeition details each month.
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THE UK’S ULTIMATE ONLINE RESOURCE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE.
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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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amateurstagedec10 FROM THE EDITOR Another year is at an end. There is no doubt that the year ahead is going to be challenging for all of us, but right now it’s time to stop and look back with well deserved satisfaction at all the good things that you have done this year. It’s all too easy to worry about the future. Make sure that you all take a short while to rest on your laurels and give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back. So well done Amateur Stagers. We are all set for a great year next year but in the meantime we’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a joyous New Year. We wish you and your families all the very best. I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. Doug
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THIS MONTH 7
NEWS
News from around the country.
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INSURANCE
Robert Israel looks at insurance issues
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SO YOU WANT TO GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL
Helen Freeman discusses those all important preparations.
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NATIONAL SHOW DIARY
Uk listing of shows for December and January.
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PLAYSCRIPT REVIEWS
David Muncaster reviews the latest offerings.
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BOOK REVIEWS
We look at the latest releases.
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THE LAST WORD
Doris is at it again!!
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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: 0207 078 4893 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.
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Not many people from the world of amateur stage productions can boast an appearance in the same show as one of the biggest names in musical theatre — but one talented performer from Ashen is now able to do just that. Emily Mizen was one of 12 soloists who sang a number from a musical during Care For A Song: An Evening With Ruthie Henshall, when it was held at the Regent Theatre in Ipswich on Sunday. The concert was a fund-raiser for Suffolk Family Carers, a charity of which Miss Henshall — whose West End starring roles include Roxie Hart in Chicago and Nancy in Oliver — is patron. Emily got the opportunity to perform after initially submitting a recording of her singing, before successfully auditioning live. The 24-year-old deems her appearance at the Regent a success, particularly as most of the soloists were fully-trained professional performers and because she has a chest infection. She said: “It’s great to put it on your CV, because in musical theatre Ruthie Henshall is a very big name. “She’s pretty much as big as it gets.” Emily has been involved with Haverhill’s Centre Stage Company since she was 12 (Annie was the musical she performed in) and is now also part of the Bury Operatic Society and with the Irving Stage Company, with which she will play the female lead in Crazy For You, which runs at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds from March 22 to 26.
STAGE STALWART DIES
Well-known campaigner for the rights of older people and theatre stalwart Keith Briars has died, aged 67. Long Eaton-born Mr Briars, former chief executive of Age Concern Derbyshire, died after a short illness from the asbestos-related condition mesothelioma. Mr Briars was former chairman of the Derby New Theatre Association, formed to promote amateur theatre in the city. More recently, he became involved in the battle to save Derby’s derelict Hippodrome Theatre in Green Lane. Tony Jaggers, current chairman of the Derby New Theatre Association, and member of Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company, had known Mr Briars for more than 25 years. He said: “Keith was a great all-rounder and a true supporter of amateur dramatics both as an actor and director and a campaigner. “He led the way to try to get a better deal for amateur acting groups. “Theatre was very dear to him throughout his life and he suggested
news
A CHANCE TO SING WITH WEST END STAR
taking Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company to the outdoor Minack Theatre in Cornwall in 1990. “We play there every three years but it is one of the things that financially has always kept us afloat because Keith had the vision to think we could do it. “We knew he had been ill but nevertheless his death has come as a shock to us all and it is a great shame and a sad loss.” Some years ago, Mr Briars was diagnosed with a benign tumour on the pituitary gland, which threatened his sight but was successfully removed. As a result, he set up a support group for fellow sufferers. Mr Briars’ involvement in the theatre was just one of many activities he was engaged in during his life. He worked as a civil servant, including a stint as the national head of war pensions welfare. He was also a keen cricketer and played for the Old Nottinghamians until his mid-40s before becoming a member of Sandiacre Town Cricket Club. There, he helped to co-ordinate a National Lottery bid for the new clubhouse, as well as coaching and managing junior sides and qualifying as an umpire in the Derby Premier League. Mr Briars’ other theatrical interludes included appearances with Long Eaton Operatic and the Arcade Players. Following his retirement, Mr Briars was part of the board of the Erewash Mental Health Trust, serving as chairman for the past four years. In addition, he championed the work of the English Speaking Union and organised debates locally. His work with Age Concern Derbyshire led him to deal with many issues such as winter heating bills on behalf of older people. Mr Briars, who died on December 1, leaves a widow, Janet, children Roz and Nick, and a grandson, Will. A statement issued by the family said: “Keith was a man who always wanted to help others and to give back to society. “A complex and confident man, he always saw the best in others and relished life with energy and a great sense of humour.”
All the news that’s fit to print
MUSIC MAKERS CALL IT A DAY
THE final curtain has come down on music group that has delighted thousands of dales people for the past 20 years. Despite the efforts of a dedicated band of pensioners, the Music Makers, of Wolsingham, in Weardale, County Durham, has been forced to join the long list of amateur theatre groups that have folded in recent years. “It’s very, very sad, but we are all getting older and some of us are not in good health,” said retired farmer John Anderson, 79, the group’s longstanding chairman and one of its founder members. “The only way we could have carried on is if we had been able to attract new, younger members, people in their 30s or 40s. “But that hasn’t happened over the past few years.” Only three amateur drama and musical groups – the Phoenix Players, Am-Drams and Stanhope Choral – still exist in Weardale. They all face an uncertain future. One bright note has been the strong support and performances of local schoolchildren in Music Makers’ productions over the years. The Music Makers, who gave their last performance in Stanhope last weekend, was the idea of former teacher Ann Swinbank and two of her friends, Mary Bowes and Sandra Robson. They contacted local choirs to see if anyone would be interested in taking part in a show. “I remember it was called Victorian Holiday and it was only meant to be a one-off production,” said 69- year-old Ms Swinbank, who has remained as the Music Makers’ script and music director.
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amateurstagenews “It all just snowballed from there. A lot of people didn’t realise how much fun it could be until they actually took part.” During an emotional last-night party, 67-year-old Paul Waine, from Etherley, a singer with the group, read a poem he had composed as a farewell to the Music Makers, which ended: Now time has come to leave the stage at last, And the final curtain is drawn to a close, The Music Makers’ farewell and its past, Will linger in thoughts during one’s repose. Judith Marshall, 69, a long-time producer and soloist with the Music Makers, summed it up: “Sadly, it is the end of an era. “If we had been able to attract some younger cast members it would have been fantastic. But watch this space, we may be back.” One legacy is an Aladdin’s Cave of costumes and props stored in three attic rooms in Wolsingham. “There are literally hundreds of them,” said Marjorie Taylor, 72, who has been responsible for fitting out the casts at every production except for the first. She added: “The wardrobe includes outfits for monks and cardinals, cowboys and Indians, top hats and coats for Victorian gents, costumes for drag artists and numerous ladies’ oufits, including a magnificent Elizabeth I dress. We would like them to go to a good home, preferably another drama or musical group.” Any amateur groups interested in the costumes to use in their productions is asked to contact Mrs Taylor on 01388-527209.
Let’s bring old cinema to life as a theatre
Ambitious £2 million plans to convert the former cinema in Whiteladies Road, Bristol into a theatre have been unveiled. David Fells, manager of Clifton College’s Redgrave Theatre, is behind the project aimed at bringing the empty building back to life. He believes another theatre is needed in Bristol because touring companies often fail to find a suitable venue to stage productions in the city. Mr Fells outlined his vision for the former ABC cinema after successive plans to transform it into a shop, church, restaurant, bar and small cinema all failed to come to fruition. We reported recently that the owner of the grade two listed building had applied for planning permission to turn it into nine flats in the latest bid to stop the building falling into a state of disrepair. But Mr Fells, 27, who lives in Old Market, hopes his vision for the former cinema is the one which will eventually become a reality. He hopes to pay for the restoration by forming a charity and launching a fundraising appeal. Mr Fells said: “If we can get the money together and prove it’s a viable project, the agent for the owners say they are happy for us to go ahead with it. We’re just putting together a business plan.” Mr Fells hopes to turn the main auditorium into a 500-seater theatre which could double up as a cinema or conference venue and the balcony into a 200-capacity cinema or room for stand-up comedy. Under the plans, the foyer would be used as a box office and bar and the original ballroom would become a function room that could be hired out as rehearsal space or used for functions such as weddings. Mr Fells, who is working on the scheme with local actor Alan Mandel Butler, hopes to attract investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council. He said: “I used to live just around the corner from the cinema in Hampton Park and used to think it was such a shame that it was empty. “I’ve used my time at the Redgrave Theatre to speak to amateur companies and touring companies and they all say the same thing – there are not enough venues in Bristol and everyone is fighting over the same dates. For the theatre companies to get the bookings they want, we need to get another venue open in the city. At the moment, touring companies go to Swindon and Cardiff but skip Bristol.” Medinbrand, the owner of the building, which closed as a cinema almost 10 years ago, was granted planning permission last year to convert it into a shop or a church. However, it is understood no retailers or church groups have agreed to operate from the property. In 2005, the company got permission to turn the former picture house into a restaurant, bar and small cinema – overturning an earlier covenant placed on it when it was sold by the Odeon, preventing the site being used as a cinema. But they failed to find an operator to run a business from the site.
West End show It has now been revealed that Calendar Girls has grossed just over £21million at the box office to become the most successful play ever to tour the UK, a record held by Daphne du Mauriers’ Rebecca. The 2011 tour of Calendar Girls will be the last before producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers release the amateur rights to the show. The stage version of Calendar Girls opened in 2008, based on the true story of the members of a Yorkshire WI branch who stripped for a charity calendar. Here’s hoping that the play will be as successful for all amateur producers.
HOLLYWOOD STARS HELP UK AMATEURS
Two major Hollywood stars will be voicing characters for a family musical coming to Brentwood. True Blood actors Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin will provide voiceovers for the Brentwood Theatre Company’s family musical, the Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner, which is being performed over Christmas. Moyer, who plays vampire Bill Compton in the hit TV series, was born in Brentwood and got his first experience of acting in amateur groups in the town. He is now a patron of the theatre company and will sit down with the Oscar-winning Paquin – his wife – the next time they are in the UK, to record the lines. The pair will be voicing about a dozen lines for the characters Mr and Mrs Big One from the production, which is based around animals living in a garden trying to stop its owners concreting it over. David Zelly, production manager for the company, said: “Both Stephen and Anna have agreed to do the voices and we are now just waiting for the final phone call to come through from them saying where and when they will do it. “Stephen does a lot with us whenever he can and we thought it would be a very nice thing if we could get them involved.” Other projects which Moyer has got involved in with the company have included the buy a brick scheme, where they asked for donations to help refurbish the theatre. American fan sites for the actor have also got involved in projects with the company in the past and have made a donation for the Feed an Actor scheme, which provides hot meals for cast members during rehearsals and the shows.
ONE LAST TOUR BEFORE AMATEUR RIGHTS RELEASED
Daneielle Lineker is to make her acting debut in the stage version of Calendar Girls – but unlike many actresses in the cast, the model won’t be baring all. The wife of Match Of The Day presenter Gary will take on the cameo role of Elaine, the beautician, during the second half of the show. Danielle, who is from Cardiff, is the latest famous name to join the cast of the hit
Stephen Moyer, Anna Pacquin and Alexander Skarsgaard
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48th ROSE BOWL AWARDS
The noise on Weston beach from 500 motorbikes was almost matched by the rapturous applause from 500 thespians during their 48th annual Rose Bowl theatre awards in the town. And Bristol groups held their own at the glitzy prize ceremony featuring 18 awards presented by the Evening Post’s assistant editor Rich Coulter. Hosted at the Winter Gardens, the sell-out event saw a wealth of theatrical talent squeeze onto 50-odd tables and recognise the best shows staged in the last 12 months. Gloucester Road company the Kelvin Players were the major winners of the night, with their powerful production of Dennis Potter’s Brimstone & Treacle scooping two awards. Adam Church’s performance as Martin earned the John Lewis award for Best Actor and director Alex Needham, 32, from Totterdown, collected the John Coe award for Best Dramatic Production. Mr Church, 33, who lives in Bishopston and runs his own property management company, told the Post: “It’s great. I’ve not done anything like this for about 10 years. “The Kelvin Players are a fantastic group. It’s my first production with them and they have been first rate.” Accepting his award, Mr Needham raised a laugh from the room by saying: “If I thought I might have won, I wouldn’t have drunk so much wine.” The Aardman Animations Award for best performance in a Musical went to two-time winner of the award 40-year-old Edward Creswick from Burnham for his outstanding dual role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which he played for the Weston-super-Mare Operatic Society. Thornbury Musical Theatre clinched the Bristol Hippodrome award for Best Variety/ Review/Pantomime with their version of Cinderella, turning the judges’ eyes with some spectacular costumes. The St Luke’s Church Players, Bristol Opera Company, Oldland Players, Bristol Musical Youth Productions and the Ship and Castle Theatre Company also claimed awards in a great night for theatre in Bristol. Simon Williams, the 51-year-old chair of St Luke’s, collected the Coup de Theatre Award for the ending of Under the Greenwood Tree, and musical director Arne Kovac, 38, picked up the award for Best Opera on behalf of the Bristol Opera Company for The Pearl Fishers. Oldland Players pipped the Bristol Amateur Operatic Society and the Clevedon Light Opera Club to the Walter Hawkins Award for Creativity and Design for their costumes in Alice in Willsbridge, which included a brown-tusked walrus, a winged griffin and a turbaned caterpillar which “stole the show”, according to the judges. Chair of the group, Kit Muffett said: “We didn’t think we had a chance in hell. South Gloucestershire Council did give us a grant but a lot of the cast paid for their own and I’m very, very proud.” An outstanding production of Les Miserables, and two very high-class individual performances took the three Youth awards. Bristol Musical Youth Productions’ Les Miserables won the Jean Fennell Award for best production, Becky Hutt’s portrayal of Tess gave her the Barbara Macrae Award for best actress in Barnstormers and Minehead Youth Theatre’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and for the second year running Tom Corbishley, 17, was named best actor, this time for his playing of Dracula in Zenith Youth Theatre Company’s Dracula. Christine West from Easton in Gordano was cheered up to the stage to collect the Eileen Hartly Hodder Award for Best Actress in a drama for her role as Florence Foster Jenkins in the The Ship & Castle’s production of Glorious. The 69-year-old, four-time winner said: “It was a great team. Ship and Castle, they are the best.” The final award of the evening, the Evening Post Award for Best Musical Production, went to Bridgwater- based Pinstripe Productions for Assassins. It was collected by joint founder of the group James Tucker and Frances Buttle, wife of the director, Brian who passed away shortly after the show finished.
POSITIONS VACANT NEWS EDITOR amateurstage
is seeking a home based freelance news editor. The successful candidate will be responsible for sourcing and compiling news relating to amateur theatre from around the UK. For further information please email editor@asmagazine.co.uk
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ADJUST OR ASSESS?
Robert Israel ASCII from Gordon & Co discusses the latest insurance issues affecting amateur theatre. An Insurance Policy, from a Client’s perspective, only shows its real worth when there is a claim. When you are at home, it is more than likely that you have a list of emergency telephone numbers to ring, such as your own GP, plumber, electrician, etc. so that if you have a problem you know exactly where the numbers are and what to do. The same principle really applies to Insurance Policies in that you probably have the telephone number of your Motor Insurers’ Claims Division and Household Insurer, either if you deal directly with the Insurance Company you will have their number or your Broker’s telephone number. But what happens if you have a large claim on your Commercial Insurance Policy, such as the Material Damage Section of your First Night Policy? Let’s say, for instance, that your store burns down with all your equipment inside. Almost certainly the first thing you would do after calling the Fire Brigade is contact your Broker. The Broker will then contact the Insurance Company and, depending on the initial size of the claim, the Insurers will probably appoint a Loss Adjustor. So what is a Loss Adjustor, and what benefit does he bring to the party? A Loss Adjustor is an independent firm or individual who acts on behalf of the Insurance Company in negotiating the claim with the Client. Insurers do not employ sufficient number of staff to be able to handle all claims in-house so use the services of an outside firm. In the mid-70s there were lots of different loss adjusting firms in the country but, over the last few decades, the number of companies has shrunk due to mergers and acquisitions. There are now just a handful of large firms who operate on behalf of all the major Insurance Companies. Insurers will have agreements with different firms of Loss Adjustors and the Claims Department of an Insurance Company will contact the appropriate loss adjusting firm and ask them to look at the claim on their behalf. Loss Adjustors will have specialist individuals employed so there will be a Property Loss Adjustor and, if necessary, he will bring in a specialist Consequential Loss person to look at the loss of profits claim should there be one. They will contact the Client and make an appointment to come down to investigate and discuss the loss. If it is a fire, they may ask the local Fire Brigade for a report, similarly if it’s a theft they will ask for a copy of the Police Report. On the face of it, this is a very good method of operation but, from a Client’s point of view, it can be a little over-whelming because, of course, you are at your lowest ebb if you have just seen your store burn to the ground with 20 or 30 years’ of equipment inside. Insurance Brokers are not specialists in helping Clients to adjust claims and so the Loss Assessor was born. Loss Assessors are different to Loss Adjustors in that they operate on behalf of the Client and not the Insurance Company. They are there to hold the Client’s hand and to negotiate on behalf of the Client the best possible settlement. Loss Adjustors are paid by their employer, in this case the Insurance Company. Similarly, Loss Assessors are paid by the Client. A Loss Assessor will always tell a client that their fee can be justified by the additional amount they are able to negotiate with the Loss Adjustor in respect of the claim. The question that I am most frequently asked is when should a Client appoint a Loss Assessor and when is it not financially viable. This is very difficult to answer and, as the years go by, my threshold figure has increased. It is very difficult to comment on this particular point because a lot will depend on the circumstances and the type of claim. For instance, I
would not think there would be much point in appointing a Loss Assessor if one item has been stolen and that item just happens to be worth, say, £100,000. The same amount of money could involve a significant variety of items which could become a really complicated claim and in this instance a Loss Assessor may well be of great assistance. There are, of course, different sizes of Loss Assessors. So, for instance, if you had a household claim then probably you could look at appointing a one-man band Loss Assessor because his costs will be much lower than appointing a multinational firm as they will almost certainly have a minimum fee structure. The larger firms will, of course, also have specialist individuals working for them so that they are able to give the Client an all-round service. One piece of advice I would give is, if you decide to appoint a Loss Assessor, you must appoint them from the outset of the claim so that they are involved in the initial discussions with the Loss Adjustor and they are not brought into the equation mid-way through when problems have already arisen. It is their job really to make sure that the problems don’t arise in the first place and you must therefore give them every opportunity to assist you. I do hope you have found my articles to be of some interest during the year and, on behalf of my staff, I take this opportunity of wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous and Healthy New Year.
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SO YOU WANT TO GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL? Helen Freeman – student-performance assessor at the Guildford School of Acting and author of a book about getting into drama school – offers her top tips on starting out in the profession. Why do you want to be an actor? What do you have to offer? What is the profession like? You’ve decided on becoming an actor, but which is the right course for you – drama school or university? Everyone knows that there are no formal requirements for becoming an actor, but studies have shown that upwards of 80% of actors in the UK have received some sort of vocational training. If you want to study Drama or Theatre Studies at university, you should be aware that university training does not have the same primary goal as drama school training. Courses do vary, of course, but many students arrive at their drama school auditions having dropped out of university because the theory work was much more intensive and the practical work featured much less than they anticipated. You owe it to yourself (and to the person whose place at university you might take) to do your research. If you have already decided to go to drama school, you’ll still need to do your research – drama schools are all different from each other.
courses in acting and musical theatre, often at the drama schools you might be considering. This can be a good way to judge the feel of a drama school prior to attending an audition or to see the facilities they have and the approach they favour. You can find out about any open days your shortlisted drama schools run or see their graduates in final productions, about to enter the profession. There may be student CVs at these shows, which will give you a good idea of the work they’ve done during their training and might include details of agents they’ve signed with. If you are at the beginning of the process, the Conference of Drama Schools website [www.drama.ac.uk] is a really good place to start. There you’ll find details of the leading member drama schools in the UK and links to their websites for details of when the application period begins – many schools advise applying
Ask yourself ‘Where do I see myself in five years time? How do I want my qualifications, training and experience to work for me?’ While you are still deciding and developing as an artist is the time to take singing lessons that help all actors support the voice and develop a system that will translate into a strong, good technique. I would also strongly advise all potential students to find some way of incorporating dance training into their weekly schedule. There are holiday
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FEATURE
www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
as soon as you can after mid-September or the beginning of October to ensure an audition date before the deluge of applications If you find you’ve left it too late to apply for the current audition season, don’t despair: simply start preparing yourself for next year – no effort is wasted! Always check that you’ve included all the right documentation in your application pack. Keep referring to the school’s guidelines – it can be easy to muddle requirements if you are applying to several schools in the same audition season. Prepare exactly what you are asked to prepare with regards to numbers and types of speeches and/or songs. Do not exceed the time limits or the panel may well stop you in mid-flow. Ideally, you will have a choice of speeches (and songs for musical-theatre applicants), and will have enough knowledge to be able to choose which is the right combination to perform for each audition – a programme of good pieces and songs to which you are strongly connected. Put simply, these are characters that excited you and made you feel you couldn’t wait to see what happened to them in the story of the play – characters that are personalised to you in age, background, etc. Select your material with regard to what is appropriate for you – would you be cast as that character? Now you can really begin to work on your pieces, to prepare in depth, to familiarise yourself with your own voice and speech patterns and work on the areas that need development. Perhaps most important to remember, however, is that your acting choices (why, how and when you say and do what you do) must remain flexible and open to all the possibilities that are presented on the day of the audition. Guard against any performance clichés that will disconnect you from the truth of the character. The day has finally dawned and you’ve arrived at the audition. You’ve chosen your audition outfit (avoiding a strong connection between fashion and your personality – it’s you they want to see, not a department store) and for the same reason you’ve left any rattling and distracting jewellery or skyscraper heels at home. These are all weapons of mass distraction and won’t help you in the audition room. You are being auditioned from the moment you set foot in the room, so you should aim to impress as a focused, professional person who is taking this audition seriously and listening carefully to what is being said. You are at home here and this is your audition. Arrive early, enter assuredly, interview intelligently and perform professionally. No-one who knows anything at all about acting or the profession would tell you it’s easy. But if you do your preparation work you can vastly enhance your chances of success. If it’s not such good news at a preliminary audition, keep your eyes and ears open – and work, work, work on your skills base. Aim for the best, be tough and honest when you have to be, but also as patient and caring towards yourself as you would be with a good friend. Then next year…? It’s all to play for. So You Want To Go To Drama School? by Helen Freeman is published by Nick Hern Books priced £9.99, and is available from all good bookshops or from www.nickhernbooks.co.uk.
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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia 39 Steps
Beauty and the Beast
Crazy For You
Fiddler on the Roof
05 - 12 February 2011 Rugby Theatre Society Rugby Theatre Rugby, West Midlands 01788 541234
20 - 22 January 2011 Nuneaton Pantomime & Revue Society The Civic Hall Bedworth, Warwickshire 07900 452306
28 February - 05 March 2011 Wickersley Musical Theatre Company Civic Theatre Rotherham, South Yorkshire 01142 877289
15 - 19 February 2011 Southern Light Opera Company Kings Theatre Edinburgh, Mid Lothian 0131 661 1806
15 - 19 February 2011 Humdrum Spring Arts & heritage Centre Havant, Hampshire 02392472700
22 - 29 January 2011 Stourbridge Pantomime Company Stourbridge Town Hall Theatre Stourbridge, West Midlands 01384 836963
Creepy Hollow
Flying Feathers
Aladdin 07 - 16 January 2011 Rugby Theatre Society Rugby Theatre Rugby, Warwickshire 01788 541234
27 - 29 January 2011 Spotlight Youth Productions Brownhills Community College Brownhills, West Midlands 07528 456031
20 - 29 January 2011 Wrexham Musical Theatre Society Wrexham Musical Theatre Society Wrexham, 01978 356094
Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, The
Dangerous Corner
Footloose
05 - 12 February 2011 Bolton Little Theatre Bolton Manchester, 01204 334 400 www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk
28 January - 05 February 2011 Curtain Call Productions The Grange Theatre Hartford Northwich, Cheshire 01270 587173
17 - 22 January 2011 St Giles with St Marys Pantomime/Theatre Society Pontefract Town Hall Pontefract, West Yorkshire 01977 795904 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
22 - 26 February 2011 Heanor Operatic Society Heanor Gate Science College Heanor, Derbyshire 01773 762042
Blood Brothers 21-26 February 2011 Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club Jersey Arts Centre Jersey, CI 01534511115
Bonaventure 09 - 12 February 2011 Guildonian Players Little Theatre Harold Wood, Essex 01708762822 www.guildonianplayers.co.uk
Carousel
06 - 23 January 2011 Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club Jersey Arts Centre Jersey, CI 01534 700444
28 February - 05 March 2011 East Kilbride Light Opera Club The Village Theatre East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire 01355 245888
An Inspector Calls
Cinderella
10 - 19 February 2011 Hartley Arts Group Victoria Hall Hartley Wintney, Hampshire 07956 412826
01 - 03 January 2011 Clacton Musical Theatre Society West Cliff Theatre Clacton-on-Sea, Essex 01255 421109
19 - 22 January 2011 Adel Players Adel Memorial Hall Leeds 01132755585
10 - 15 January 2011 Whitley Bay Pantomime Society The Playhouse Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear 08442 772771
Annie 24 - 26 February 2011 Mid Cheshire Amateur Operatic Society The Grange School Theatre Northwich, Cheshire 01606 331557 28 February - 05 March 2011 Ayr Amateur Opera Company Ayr Town Hall Ayr, Ayrshire 01292 262355
Anybody for Murder 21 - 26 February 2011 Tynemouth Priory Theatre Tynemouth Priory Theatre North Shields, Tyne and Wear 0191 292 9292
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 07 - 16 January 2011 Folkestone & Hythe Operatic & Dramatic Society Tower Theatre Folkestone, Kent 01303 223925
Back to the 80s 21 - 26 February 2011 Tiverton Junior Operatic Club The New Hall Tiverton, Devon 01884 253672
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14 - 23 January 2011 Shinfield Players Theatre Shinfield Players Theatre Reading, Berkshire 01189 758880 17 - 22 January 2011 Whitby’s Apollo Players Whitby Pavilion Theatre Whitby, North Yorkshire 01947 601724 19 - 22 January 2011 Handsworth & Hallam Theatre Company The Unversity of Sheffield Drama Studio Sheffield, South Yorkshire 01709 377611 20 - 29 January 2011 Knutsford Little Theatre Knutsford Little Theatre Knutsford, Cheshire 01565 873515 25 - 27 February 2011 Elstree Productions St Michael & All Angels Church Hall Borehamwood, Hertfordshire 0208 953 6560
Copacabana
Deep Blue Sea 29 January - 05 February 2011 Wimslow Green Room Society 01625540933
Dick Whittington 08 - 15 January 2011 Huddersfield Light Opera Company The Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 430528 09 - 15 January 2011 Wombwell & District Amateur Operatic Society Operatic Centre Wombwell, South Yorkshire 01226 758375 28 January - 06 February 2011 Phoenix Players St Peter’s Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 08452939350 26 February 2011 St Marys Panto Players St Peter’s Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 02392293020
Dick Whittington & his Cat 21 - 30 January 2011 New Stagers Theatre Company St Annes Church Hall Wandsworth, 07814 611239
Disco Inferno 09 - 12 February 2011 Carnegie Youth Theatre Carnegie Hall Dufermline, Fife 01383 602302
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 07 - 15 January 2011 Broxbourne Theatre Company Broxbourne Theatre Company Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire 01992 441946 15 - 22 January 2011 Dursley Operatic & Dramatic Society Lister Hall Dursley, Gloucestershire 07890 203313 19 January - 05 February 2011 Ballywillan Drama Group The Riverside Theatre Coleraine, Londonderry 07798 930 308
23 - 29 January 2011 Christchurch Theatre Club Loughborough Town Hall Loughborough, Leicestershire 01509 502879
22 - 26 February 2011 Waterside Theatre Company Waterside Theatre Southampton, Hampshire 07743 444819
Countess Maritza
Fawlty Towers Part 2
10 - 12 February 2011 The Operetta Company St Georges Church Bolton, Lancashire 01204 527092
08 - 12 February 2011 Chase Theatre Company Cryer Studio theatre Carshalton, Surrey 02087706990 www.suttontheatres.co.uk
Full Monty, The 26 - 29 January 2011 Leatherhead Operatic Society The Playhouse Epsom, Surrey 0208 393 7248
Ghetto 24 - 27 January 2011 Jewish Theatre Group John Thaw Theatre Manchester 0161 275 8951
Godspell 02 - 08 January 2011 Gasleak Theatre Company Melton Theatre Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire 01664 560407
Goldilocks 20 - 23 January 2011 Walkerville Musical Society Walkerville Communtiy Hall Newcastle Upon Tyne, 0191 236 2647
Goldilocks and The Three Bears 21 - 29 January 2011 Chapel Players Chapel Playhouse Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire 01298 813176
Gondoliers, The 02 - 05 February 2011 West Norfolk G & S Society Kings Lynn Corn Exchange Kings Lynn, Norfolk 01553 674715 16 - 19 February 2011 Clevdon Gilbert & Sullivan Society The Princess Hall Clevedon, North Somerset 01275 871983
Graduate, The 09 - 12 February 2011 CCADS New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, Hampshire 02392649000
Guys & Dolls 08 - 12 February 2011 Twickenham Operatic Society Richmond Theatre Richmond, Surrey 08448717651 www.twickenhamoperatics.com 23 - 26 February 2011 Hayling Youngsters Hayling Community Centre Hayling Island, Hampshire 01329231942 24 - 26 February 2011 Stage One Youth Theatre Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hampshire 02392293020
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Iolanthe
Ladies Day
Lost in Yonkers
21 - 26 February 2011 Carmarthen & District Youth Opera Lyric Theatre Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire 01267 242791
08 - 12 February 2011 St Andrews Operatic Society St Andrews Roker Sunderland, 0191 548 4621
16 - 19 February 2011 Cosmopolitan Players The Carriageworks Leeds, West Yorkshire 01132 243801
26 - 29 January 2011 Giffnock Theatre Players Eastwood Park Theatre Giffnock, East Renfrewshire 0141 577 4970
21 - 26 February 2011 Guiseley Amateur Operatic Society Guiseley Theatre Leeds, West Yorkshire 08453 705045
It’s Never Too Late
Les Miserables (School Edition)
Lucky Stiff
Haywire 03 - 05 February 2011 Avenue Theatre Avenue Theatre Sittingbourne, Kent 01795 471140
Hello, Dolly! 27 February - 05 March 2011 Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Civic Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01702 527407
Honk!
24 - 29 January 2011 Keighley Playhouse Keighley West Yorkshire, 08451267859 www.keighleyplayhouse.co.uk
15 - 19 February 2011 Southport Amateur Operatic Society Greenbank Theatre Southport, Merseyside 01704 228936
Marguerite Jack & The Beanstalk 14 - 22 January 2011 Louth Playgoers Society Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507600350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk 11 - 15 January 2011 Dover Operatic & Dramatic Society Dover Town Hall Dover, Kent 07748 597927
02 - 04 February 2011 Swanley Light Opera Group Woodlands Theatre Swanley, Kent 01474 708448
13 - 22 January 2011 LIDOS The Carriageworks Leeds, West Yorkshire 01132 243801
Inside Job
Jekyll & Hyde
18 - 22 January 2011 Halifax Thespians Halifax Playhouse Halifax, West Yorkshire 01422 365998
22 - 26 February 2011 Seaham Youth Theatre Seaham School of Technology Seaham, County Durham 0191 581 0340
21 - 26 February 2011 Erewash Musical Society Duchess Theatre Long Eaton, Derbyshire 01332 875350
Likes of Us, The 13 - 23 January 2011 NOMADS The Nomads Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284747 www.nomadtheatre.com
Little Red Riding Hood 27 January - 05 February 2011 Lyndhurst Drama & 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
12 - 15 January 2011 PH Productions The Mill Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guidlford, Surrey 01483 440000
Me and My Girl 14 - 19 February 2011 Penzance Amateur Operatic Society St Johns Hall Penzance, Cornwall 01736 363 350 19 - 26 February 2011 Clitheroe Parish Church AO & DS St Marys Centre Church St Clitheroe, Lancashire 07974 323832
Merry Widow, The 07 - 12 February 2011 Cupar Amateur Musical Society Corn Exchange Cupar, Fife 07813 502722
THE ACTONIANS - CLOCHMERLE
AMATEUR STAGE | DECEMBER 2010
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WICK THEATRE CO - DON’T LOOK NOW
THE MIKADO
My Fair Lady
Nunsense
Old Mother Hubbard
21 - 26 February 2011 Bridgnorth Musical Theatre Company Bridgworth Leisure Centre Bridgworth, Shropshire 01902 893279
28 February - 05 March 2011 Tynemouth Amateur Operatic Society Playhouse Whitley Bay, 0191 252 1827
16 - 19 February 2011 Cromer & Sheringham Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Sheringham Little Theatre Sheringham, Norfolk 01263 822347
05 - 08 January 2011 Havant Dynamo Youth Theatre St Faiths Church Hall Havant, Hampshire 02392454244
22 - 26 February 2011 Dunfermline Gilbert & Sullivan Society Carnegie Hall Dunfermline, Fife 08452 412187
28 - 29 January 2011 Present Company Derby Theatre 01332 255800
Mother Goose 12 January - 05 February 2011 The Pantomime Company Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leicestershire 07956 543369
No, No, Nanette 22 - 26 February 2011 Fatfield Musical Stage Society St Roberts School Theatre Washington, Tyne and Wear 0191 388 5425
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 18 - 19 February 2011 Needham Market Entertainment Company Needham Market Community Centre Needham Market, Suffolk 01449 723171
22 - 26 February 2011 Burton on Trent & District Operatic Society De Ferrers Specialist Technology College Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire 01283 541552
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19 - 26 February 2011 Clitheroe Parish Church AO & DS St Marys Centre Clitheroe, Lancashire 07974 323832 22 - 26 February 2011 Young Arcadians Plinston hall Broadway, Letchworth 01462453801
Oliver! 10 - 12 February 2011 Shrewsbury Amateur Operatic Society Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, Shropshire 01743 281281
Out in the Garden 01 - 05 February 2011 Chelmsford Theatre Workshop The Old Court Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01245 606505
Every two weeks you can read the complete, un-
COSTUMES
abridged reviews of all the major national drama critics, reprinted with photos in Theatre Record. Send for a free specimen
Music Hall, The
Oklahoma!
copy to:
Theatre Record PO BOX 445 CHICHESTER, W. SUSSEX
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
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KENTWOOD PLAYERS - The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery
Patience
Pompeii Panto, The
08 - 12 February 2011 Aireborough G & S Society Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, West Yorkshire 01943 872020
14 - 22 January 2011 The Creakes Drama Group North Creake Village Hall North Creake, Norfolk 07818 696660
22 - 26 February 2011 Godalming Operatic Society The Borough Hall Godalming, Surrey 01252 703376
Puss In Boots
Peter and the WolF 15 - 22 January 2011 Chesham Bois Catholic Players The Elgiva Theatre Chesham, Buckinghamshire 01494 582900
Phantom 24 - 26 February 2011 Aberdeen Opera Company His Majestys Theatre, Aberdeen 01224 586900
Pied Piper of Hamelin, The 08 - 15 January 2011 Pickering Musical Society The Kirk Theatre Pickering, North Yorkshire 01751 474833
Pinocchio 17 - 22 January 2011 Watson Players Guildhall Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 572190
Pompeii Panto, The 05 - 09 January 2011 Henfield Theatre Company Henfield Hall Henfield, West Sussex 01273 492141
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 Capel St Mary Village Hall Capel St Mary, Suffolk 07761 782456 21 - 29 January 2011 Haverhill & District Operatic Society Haverhill Arts Cerntre Haverhill, 01440 714140
Robin Hood & the Babes In the Woods 11 - 15 January 2011 Dryburn Theatrical Workshop Park View Theatre Complex Chester Le Street, 0191 388 9709 www.dryburn-tw.net
Robin Hood Prince of Sherwood 22 - 30 January 2011 Lowestoft Players The Marina Theatre Lowestoft, Suffolk 01502 533200
Robinson Crusoe 26 - 29 January 2011 Crewkerne United Dramatic & Operatic Society Victoria Hall Crewkerne, Somerset 01460 74380 02 - 06 February 2011 Blyth Players Barnby Memorial Hall Worksop, Nottinghamshire 01909 531289
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery Of Mallen Hall 31 January - 05 February 2011 PADOS Studio Theatre St Marys Rd, Prestwich 0161 7737729
22 - 29 January 2011 Dinnington Operatic Society The Lyric Theatre Dinnington, South Yorkshire 01909 569340
Red Riding Hood 29 January - 05 February 2011 Keighley Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Soc Victoria Hall, Keighley, West Yorkshire 08456 252550
Return to the Forbidden Planet 21 - 26 February 2011 Hinckley Comm Guild AOS Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leicestershire 01455 847676
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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOW Show That Goes Like This, The 14 - 15 January 2011 Vie Boheme Productions Groundlings Theatre Portsea, Hampshire 02392737370
Snow White
Viva Variety
Yeomen of the Guard, The
12 - 15 January 2011 Ripon Charity Pantomime Group Arts Hall Ripon, North Yorkshire 01765 601262
13 - 15 January 2011 Theydon Bois Drama Society Theydon Bois Village Hall Theydon Bois, Essex 01992 812250 www.theydondrama.org
09 - 12 February 2011 Southgate Opera Wyllotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 01707 645005
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs
05 - 15 January 2011 Tynemouth Priory Theatre Tynemouth Priory Theatre North Shields, Tyne and Wear 0191 292 9292
28 January - 05 February 2011 Iver Heath Drama Club Iver Heath New Village Hall 01753 652 616 www.ihdc.co.uk
24 - 26 February 2011 Portishead Players Somerset Hall Portishead, 01275 843169
Sleeping Beauty
Summer Holiday
Wedding Singer, The
13 - 16 January 2011 The Chameleons Amateur Dramatic Society The Paul Daisley Hall Wembley, London 0208 123 6443
22 - 29 January 2011 Cheltenham Operatic & Dramatic Society The Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 07794 487822
18 - 22 January 2011 Brentwood Operatic Society Brentwood Theatre Brentwood, Essex 01277 225950
14 - 22 January 2011 Sodbury Players Chipping Sodbury Town Hall Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire 08451 260859
08 - 12 February 2011 Kirkwall Amateur Operatic Society Orkney Arts Theatre Kirkwall, Orkney
West Side Story
16 - 22 January 2011 Wayfarers Pantomime Society (Taunton) Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre Taunton, Somerset 01823 665900 04 - 12 February 2011 New Mills Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society The Art Theatre New Mills, Derbyshire 01663 742951 20 - 22 January 2011 Weymouth Drama Club Pavillion Theatre Weymouth 01305783225 www.weymouthdramaclub.co.uk
Sweeney Todd 26 January - 05 February 2011 Colchester Operatic Society The Mercury Theatre Colchester, Essex 01206 573948
21 - 26 February 2011 Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre The Point Eastleigh, Hampshire 02380 652333
White Meat 26 - 29 January 2011 Goldsmith Productions Groundlings Theatre Portsea, Hampshire 02392737370
Trial By Jury 17 - 22 January 2011 Abbots Langley G & S Society Watford Palace Theatre Watford, Hertfordshire 01923 225671
Wizard Of Oz, The 22 - 29 January 2011 HIADS Station Theatre Hayling Island, Hampshire 02392466363
08 - 12 February 2011 Crosby G & S Society Crosby Civic Hall Crosby, Merseyside 0151 256 8197
ÂŁ50
We Happy Few
Wyrd Sisters 21 - 26 February 2011 Louth Playgoers Wharfingers Youth Theatre Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507600350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk
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12 - 16 April 2011 Oakham School Rutland For more information and an application form visit:
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20
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BIRTHDAY ISSUE
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PLAY OF THE MONTH CLYBOURNE PARK Bruce Norris Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781842421325 5M 3F
It is 1959 and we are in Clybourne Park, a cosy suburb of Chicago. Russ and Bev have sold their desirable two-bed property for a knock down price, bringing it to within the reach of the type of people who would not normally be able to afford a house in Clybourne Park. The suburb is about to get its first black family. As the play begins, Russ and Bev come over as quite a charming couple. Their amusing conversation about how Neapolitan ice cream got its name is typical of nineteen-fifties innocence. The cheery atmosphere is maintained following the arrival of Jim, though the author cleverly brings depth to the characters by allowing the dialogue to occasional stray from the mundane. The black characters, Francine and Alfred, who are not the purchasers of the property, at first seem peripheral to the action. Perhaps this is an allusion to the attitude of the time. Francine is Bev’s ‘helper’ and they get along fine. The neighbours also like her, but the idea of a black family actually owning a property in the street seems unimaginable. Where would they worship? Where would they shop for their ‘ethnic’ food items? Francine’s husband, Alfred, teases by saying that he would never shop anywhere that didn’t sell pigs’ feet. Things are gradually turning more serious when one of the neighbours suggests that the sale could be halted, reasoning that a black family in the street would start an exodus of white people away from the area. Tension mounts and, when the reason why Russ and Bev are selling their house for a knock down price is revealed, the neighbours are shocked. We end act one with an exchange between Bev and Albert that epitomises
BLACKOUT
Davey Anderson Samuel French ISBN NO: 9780573052583 CAST: Variable Blackout is a short play that was first performed as part of the New Connections programme at the National Theatre. It can be presented as a monologue or with a cast of up to twelve people. Based on a true story, the play is the tale of James, a fifteen year old Glaswegian who has committed a violent crime. It describes his growing up, being a bit of an outsider, his fascination with the far right and his love for his grandfather. A cocktail of drugs and alcohol leads to James committing an act that he can barely remember and he is expecting a long custodial sentence. If all this sounds a bit grim, then please be assured that it is not the case. Despite everything, James is a likeable character and the play has an upbeat ending.
David Muncaster reviews the latest playscript offerings.
the unintentionally condescending attitude that some good natured white people had toward black acquaintances at the time. Act two and it is 2009. The house has been modernised, but on-thecheap, and is a scruffy shadow of its former self. Lindsay and Steve are buying the property and plan to knock it down and start again. We have an inconsequential conversation that is reminiscent of the one between Russ and Bev in the first act and the fact that the same actors are now playing different roles, and that their characters have links to the past, helps with the continuity. The issue of racism comes up again, reminding us of how little has changed over the last fifty years. Just as before, the white folk do not consider themselves to be racist but their words prove otherwise. This time the response from the black characters is much more explicit and in a powerful and disturbing scene the characters attempt to out-do each other by telling offensive ‘jokes’. The stage direction “all hell breaks loose” about sums it up until the play ends by completing the link with the past with the appearance of a previously unseen character from act one. Clybourne Park is satirical, shocking, funny and provocative: a powerful, challenging and exciting piece of drama that is most definitely this month’s play of the month. the clothes that she is wearing. The dialogue is frank. There is an undercurrent of violence and abuse, but Pamela is no victim. She asserts that she could have Kevin killed; she just needs to ask Billy. But Billy is away serving in Iraq, isn’t he? No. As the video plays on there is a knock at the door. It’s Billy. The opening moments of the play only hint at the horrors that are to come. In scenes reminiscent of Guantanamo Bay, Kevin and Billy bring their nightmare worlds to life in this shocking and frightening play.
The Price Of A Fish Supper Catherine Czekawska
Rab is the victim of the decline of the fishing industry. Now close to destitution his bitterness is plain to see. He believes that if it had been the miners, or the farmers, the public outcry would have been enormous but no one cared about the fishermen even though they were all in the same boat, so to speak.
I believe that Blackout would be best presented as a monologue and I would expect it to resonate with a teenage audience.
Being ‘in the same boat’ is, appropriately, a favourite phrase of Rab’s as he describes his life from childhood to old age. However, if he has been in the same boat as the people he has encountered in his life, they seem to have come out of things rather better than he has. His bitterness is understandable, but he is never sorry for himself.
SCOTTISH SHORTS
Catherine Czekawska’s one man play is engaging, illuminating and, above all, entertaining.
Selected by Philip Howard Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781842420700
Scottish Shorts is a collection of nine short plays from three generations of Scottish writers.
Snuff
Davey Anderson In a high rise flat Kevin puts a video into the machine and presses play. The film is of himself questioning his sister, Pamela, about
Better Days, Better Knights Stanley Eveling
Better Days, Better Knights was first performed in Edinburgh in 1971 and, with a title like that, you might expect the script to be full of similarly awful puns. In fact it is witty and charming. The play is set in ‘Olden Days’ when knights were bold and water sprites were, well, watery. As we join their conversation the knight is in full armour and the water sprite is wearing whatever water sprites
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amateurstageplayscripts
wear when they are not immersed. The sprite wants the knight to marry her in order for her to become human. The knight puts forward a number of arguments against the idea that seem both contemporary and typical of a man afraid of making a commitment. As they talk they are disturbed by a mighty roar and the knight knows he must do his knightly duty and slay a dragon. Better Days, Better Knights is described as a morality play and this is realised beautifully. The sprite grieves for the slain dragon and declares that she does not wish to be human after all if this is the sort of thing that we are capable of doing. But, as the knight points out, it is too late. By grieving she has shown that she has already become human. It is delightful that a play that is, for the most part, plain silly should end with something that will give the audience something to think about.
Ramallah David Grieg
Daniel is a writer who has returned from a trip to Palestine. He is immediately met with the mundane pressures of domesticity. “You’ve been smoking” says his wife, Helen, to which he replies, “Everyone smokes there”. “So, you’ve started smoking” she says. “I haven’t started smoking. I smoked. There’s a difference.” This script had me hooked from the very first page. The awkwardness of a couple, who probably love each other but never give it much thought and who have been apart for a while, is captured brilliantly. There is anger, disappointment, fear; but it is all left unsaid. The fact that we know for sure that it is all there in the background is testament to the skill of the writer. Ramallah is a beautifully composed short piece of theatre.
54% Acrylic David Harrower
54% Acrylic started life as a radio play and it would be a challenge to represent all the locations in a stage production. Marion is a first time shoplifter prepared to break the law to obtain a dress that she desires. Gerry is a store detective whose dialogue gives us an interesting insight into how his profession operates. As he follows Marion around the store he begins to doubt his instinct. She certainly had been behaving like a shoplifter, but if she has pinched something why has she not made for the exit? This doubt means that when Marion does leave the store, Gerry does not make an immediate arrest, but instead follows her. When he, eventually, tries to apprehend her she makes a run for it and, as he gives chase, Gerry reminds us of the dangers of running through a city centre without heed to the traffic. As a result, the ending of the play doesn’t come as any great surprise. With imagination, 54% Acrylic could be presented on stage but I feel it is best suited to the medium for which it was written.
Harm
Douglas Maxwell In 2006 St George’s Hospital in Stafford began a pilot project where people who selfharm could do so in a ‘clean, supervised environment’. This is where we join a nervous father and his son, left alone and forced to communicate. Father babbles. He tries to make a joke, remember the name of a movie, a band, but he cannot get away from the reason they are there. He tries to understand his son, make sense of why he would want to harm himself, but in the end he is left lost and pleading, demanding, “Don’t do it!” Harm is a very short, abrupt play that slashes at the heart.
The Basement Flat Rona Monro
Fiona and Stephen are tenants in a house they once owned. They signed it over to their former tenant when it became too much for them, but things have deteriorated even further since then. The house is going to ruin and their daughter is now living out in the garden which has become a wild and frightening place. Rona Monro’s short play effectively captures how desperate people can become when life overwhelms them.
Distracted Morna Pearson
George-Michael Skinner lives on a residential caravan park with his mother, Bunny. It
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PLAYSCRIPTS will come as no surprise to learn that Bunny is a fan of the pop group Wham, but her son has lived with the name for long enough to be immune to the jokes. George-Michael is actually a pretty friendly chap as demonstrated by the cheerful banter with which he greets new arrival Jamie, an avid collector of insects. The dialogue throughout is witty and inventive. I particularly enjoyed Jamie’s description of his father: “He has the reflection of deep-fried penguins in his eyes. He’s a septic mess.” and Bunny’s reaction, in her North East Scottish accent, “Och weel, each tae their ain”. Jamie and George-Michael are a peculiar mix of worldly and innocent which adds to the enigmatic nature of the play until, in the end, we realise that we cannot really trust anything to be what is seems.
WISHFUL THINKING
Danny Kilpatrick Published by Alan Ogden ISBN NO: 869813235 2M 2F Eddie and Connie have just returned home from a funeral. Connie had nursed her mother for three years but, according to her husband, everything she did was wrong.. With the funeral over they now have the chance to get back to normal, or at least they will once Connie’s Sister Daphne and Eddie’s brother Bernard leave them in peace.
THE MAKE-UP SCHOOL &
From the characters’ names you would be forgiven for imagining them to be in their seventies but, according to the script, they are actually in their Make-up thirties. Nor is the play a period piece, Hair Prosthetics Ai though it does have quite an old fashioned feel to it. This is not necessarily a bad thing; for Fashion / TV / Film / Theatr there is a big market for traditional comedies.
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The Importance of Being Alfred Louise Welsh
It is 1918 and Britain is still at war. Patriotism has become confused with anti-Semitism, bigotry and intolerance. Lord Alfred Douglas, best known as the lover of Oscar Wilde, has become an ardent homophobe and supporter of Hugh Pemberton-Billing, MP and owner of a right wing newspaper. The action takes place in Alfred’s sitting room where Bosie, a young attractive man taunts and challenges Alfred for his views. Just as the pair seem to be making a connection Pemberton-Billing arrives and Alfred reverts to his normal self. PembertonBilling plans to use his newspaper to print a story about Maud Allan, a German dancer that would be so inflammatory the dancer would be forced to sue for libel and, in doing so, bring the world in which she exists to the attention of the public. He believes that by doing so the public will be disgusted by the depravity and persuaded to accept Pemberton-Billing’s belief that Britain is losing the war because German spies such as Maud Allan had corrupted forty-seven thousand prominent citizens into homosexuality. The Importance of Being Alfred is a portrait of a man wrestling with his conscience but not a man for whom it is easy to have much sympathy.
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Although Wishful Thinking takes quite a while to get going, it starts to get interesting when we discover that Mother had inserted quite an unusual clause in her will. If one of the sisters were to diewithin thirty days of their mother then all the money would automatically go to the other. A motive for murderinfo@greasepaint.co.uk if ever I heard one! Eddie gives his sister-in-law a lift to the station leaving his wife alone with his brother and we learn that things are not all they should be between the in-laws. When Eddie and Daphne return, following a near-fatal car crash, Connie and Bernard are nowhere to be seen and Eddie tries a little in-law indiscretion himself.
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Into act two and tempers flare and die down with remarkable regularity until there is quite an entertaining exchange where Connie finally gives voice to fourteen years of frustration with Eddie. The air cleared, and with Daphne and Bernard finally departed, the couple realise that perhaps things are not so bad after all. Wishful Thinking has some nice moments but I found it difficult to believe that the characters could really exist and, with a formatting of typographical error every few pages, the script could really do with a tidy up.
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CoMEdIES BY IAn hoRnBY nEWLY PUBLIShEd
Samuel French Ltd
play publisher and leasing agents Samuel French Ltd New releases! The play publisher
ThE Ex FACToR CoMEdY 3M 4F, SInGLE SET
(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.
Lingua Franca
A play by Peter Nichols CasT M3 F4. sCene A classroom Based around a leading character in Peter Nichols’ Privates on Parade, and inspired by his own experiences, Lingua Franca is a fast-paced story that plays with notions of xenophobia and cultural stereotypes to comic effect. It’s the mid1950s and Steven has travelled to Florence to teach English in a chaotic language school, Lingua Franca. As he tries to make sense of his life and a Europe at peace after so many years of war, his colleague’s unrequited obsession leads to highly dramatic consequences. Price £9.25
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.
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Party
And not forgetting the very popular favourite
A comedy by Tom Basden CasT M4 F2. sCene A garden shed In a humble garden shed in deepest Suburbia, four young idealists have decided to form a new political party to save the world from itself. The new fifth member, Duncan, sets about saving the world from them. Party is a comic play about small minds tackling big issues. “Tom Basden’s astonishingly well written and incredibly funny debut play ... by turns hilarious and incisive, poignant and tragic. Don’t miss this...” Time Out. Price £8.95
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
French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy St London W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk Open 9.30 - 5.30 Monday - Wed and Fri and until 7.00 on Thursdays. 11- 5 Sat
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Free evaluation copies on request. Visit our for details of these and the rest of Ian Hornby’s 36 published plays.
Contact ian@scripts4theatre.co.uk tel: 01925 485605 Or write to Ian at 2 Hereford Close, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4HR
20/12/2010 10:22:00
THIS PLAYWRIGHT’S DIRECTORY IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY WWW.PLAYS4THEATRE.COM From 17thC murder to vigilantes in a town near you,
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It is, it seems, an ordinary evening in the security control room of the Oaks Shopping Centre. Ordinary, that is, until the arrival of Keith, a robber of quite breathtaking incompetence. See what happens on the other side of those security cameras in this terriÞ c new comedy. “...a well written, very funny play that is sure to please.” Amateur Stage review May 2010
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
CLASSIC PANTOMIMES WITH A NEW TWIST!
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JOSEF WEINBERGER PLAYS
Josef Weinberger Plays is proud to announce the release of three new acting editions of plays by Arthur Miller.
ALL MY SONS: Cast: 6M, 4F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 312 0 A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE: Cast: 12M, 3F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 327 4 THE CRUCIBLE: Cast: 11M, 10F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 317 5 The scripts for these are all priced at £8.00
IT’S PANTO TIME! Its nearly time for Panto season and for those of you looking for a seaonal alternative, then Josef Weinberger has some interesting titles that might be just what you are looking for; embracing the festivities with the same comedic appetite as pantomime, but with a little more comedic drama!
Latest News from Josef Weinberger We have a brand new website that has just gone live. Please visis us at:
Gordon Steel
A KICK IN THE BAUBLES Cast: 4M, 5F (3M 3F possible with doubling) Peter Whelan and Bill Alexander
NATIVITY Cast: 10M, 6F (doubling possible) Daniel Wain
LOOK BEHIND YOU Cast: 5M,6F
www.josef-weinberger.com We’re adding new play information to our site all the time, so have a look and please feel free to drop us a line with any comments.
David Sedaris adapted by Joe Mantello THE SANTALAND DIARIES and
SEASONS’ GREETINGS One Act Monologues Cast: 1M, 1F Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten
CHRISTMAS BELLES Cast: 4M, 7F
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Josef Weinberger Plays 12-14 Mortimer Street London W1T 3 JJ T: 020 7927 7325 F: 020 7436 9616 E: plays@jwmail.co.uk
13/09/2010 13:45:00
www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk Andy Secombe J R Books ISBN 9781906779894 RRP£18.99
This is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the Goons. When Andy Secombe was young, his father Harry Harry Secombe would come home like a whirlwind late on a Sunday night, wake him and his sister with a snatch of an Italian aria and a fanfare of raspberries, and act out The Goon Show he’d just done, playing all the parts and breaking into song at every opportunity. Celebrities of the day - Alma Cogan, Frankie Vaughan, Tommy Cooper, Stanley Baker and many more - were regular visitors to their house in Cheam. For them this was normal family life. But what was it like for the other Goon children? Andy Secombe decided to find out. In Growing Up With The Goons, he reveals the thoughts, stories and feelings of the children giving a remarkable and unique insight into what it was like, and sometimes how difficult it was, to be the offspring of this legendary comedy collective. Andy Secombe also presents a full history of the Goons, and has interviewed those who worked with and knew them, including Lord Snowdon, the surviving Bentine children, Sile Milligan and Sarah Sellers, as well as those who the Goons have influenced, inlcuidng comedians such as Steve Punt.
books
GROWING UP WITH THE GOONS
PLAYING SHAKESPEARE John Barton Metheun Drama ISBN 9780713687736 RRP £9.99
John Barton has been with the Royal Shakespeare Company since 1960 and has been an Associate Director and Advisory Director since 1964. The book springs from a ninepart London weekend television series screened on Channel 4 in 1984, in which various topics were investigated in front of the cameras by Barton and a group of well-known Shakespearean actors, whose contributions form and important element of the book, guaranteeing that what Barton says is constantly tested by the actor’s own pragmatic approach. Useful for actors and scholars, this book will also aid teachers and students working on Shakespeare’s plays in the classroom. In the second half Barton concentrates on the more subjective areas such as irony and ambiguity, passion and coolness. He also looks specifically at Shylock’s character and way of playing it and rehearses a passage from Twelfth Night. In this re-issue of John Barton’s seminal work, the text is unchanged from the original, but the book is further enhanced by bonus DVD material featuring John Barton in conversation with four of the actors who took part in the original programme: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Jane Lapotaire.
THE ART OF ACTING AND HOW TO MASTER IT
David Carter Kamera Books ASIN NO: 9781842432211 £12.99 The Arts Of Acting and How To Master It, offers a basic introduction and general guide to people wishing to develop their skills as an actor. It is aimed at both the amateur enthusiast and those who want to undertake professional training. Topics covered include:- Breathing and voice control, Body language, timing and mime, Handling the audience, the actor/director relationship, acting for stage and screen, mastering accents, and period manners and make-up. The ideas of famous theorists, actors and directors are also summarised, from Stanislavsky, Lee Strasberg, Michael Checkov and Dorothy Heathcote, through peter Brook and Peter Hall to John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Simon Callow, Judi Dench and Michael Caine.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT amateur stage December 10 | amateurstage | 29
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the last word
Wisteria Cottage Garrick Lane.
Seasons Greetings! The Campton Royal Amateur Players production of The Cemetery Club has been, gone and, as far as I am concerned, is definitely buried. I have absolutely no intention of resurrecting the beast any time soon. All was going swimmingly until the dress rehearsal, when things began to fall apart, literally. I should have known it was not going to be a good day when I inadvertently ruined my spectacles. The sink was full of hot soapy water for the washing-up, my lenses steamed up, so I removed them for a quick polish. I felt around in the suds for a cloth, plunged the specs into the foam, gave them a brisk rub, dried them on my apron and put them back on my nose. They seemed cloudier than ever, so I repeated the process. This did not help. I drained the sink, intending to use clean water and to my horror found two cloths staring at me, one soft, the other was one of those prickly green scourers. I went hot-foot to my optician and demanded he rectify the situation. He said he could do nothing with them. I said this was not good enough - the legend, SpecSavers was emblazoned on the shop front and my specs were definitely in need of saving. Finally, I grudgingly ordered a replacement pair on condition I had them before the weekend. As I emerged, I saw Nikki across the High Street coming from the direction of the local hairdresser. She appeared to be wearing a charming blue cloche hat which I thought would look superb on stage, so I went over with the intention of asking her to bring it along. As I approached, I realised to my horror, that she was bare-headed and the hat was her own hair, now dyed electric blue with three pink streaks. This, in my view, made her look like a demented parrot and was certainly unsuitable for her character, Mildred. Nikki was totally unphased and said she would bring a hat. So, that evening, Nikki appeared sporting a fetching ladies topper, adorned with a long, flowing chiffon bow. This would have worked well, had not her appendage become entangled with Marjorie’s flowing drapery. Vera went into help, her fake diamond bracelet became entangled and there was an ominous sound of tearing. Marjorie’s costume was reassembled with many safety pins and, I think, a staple gun, but it would never be the same. Not that it really mattered, because on the afternoon before the first performance it snowed and our little village was cut off from civilisation. Apparently, Crispin considered ski ing down his extensive drive to get to us, but realised that he had neglected to install a chair-lift. His return home would therefore involve crampons and an ice axe. Jeff came down with a dreadful cold, but said that Doctor Theatre would prevail provided there was a large box of man-size tissues on the set. This worked in the living room, but the box of Kleenex perched on a gravestone took away from the credibility of the scene. In the end, we played to the sum total of three hardy souls, myself and a stranded motorist who was waiting for the AA. The following night, the roads were open, but the ancient boiler in the hall failed completely. The girls refused to act in a fridge and the project was abandoned. There was some discussion about doing the show again in the spring, but I have to tell you, I really don’t think I can face it. C’est la vie!
Doris Richardson-Hall
30| amateurstage | December10
dorisdec.indd 2
20/12/2010 10:10:19
TICKETS
Two or Three-Part with different colour of paper for each performance.
Southport Amateur Operatic Society present
Anything Goes Little Theatre, Southport
SATURDAY MATINEE 10TH JULY, 2010
eratic Society Southport Amateur Op present
Anything Goes UTHPORT LITTLE THEATRE, SO
SATURDAY MATINEE 10TH JULY, 2010 at 2.00 p.m.
at 2.00 p.m.
TICKET £9.00
TICKET £9.00
ROW & SEAT NO.
ROW & SEAT NO.
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1
2-part – row and seat numbered ONLY £7.28 per 100* 3-part – row and seat numbered * Y £7.75 per 100 L N O
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DOOR 1
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13/09/2010 13:47:27
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