asmagazine OCTOBER 2008 £2.40
THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE
IDINA MENZEL BROADWAY’S FIRST LADY
THE MUSICAL PRODUCED GIGI IN THE ROUND THE PLAY PRODUCED BAR TALK PINT SIZED PLAYS NEWS ROUND UP IMAGINE THIS WEST END REVIEWS Untitled-1.indd 1
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WELCOME
WELCOME TO AS MAGAZINE!! Welcome back to AS Magazine. Over the past few months we have been trying to define a new mix of content for the magazine. You will have noticed new articles on business, interviews with professional practitioners and an attempt to spend a bit more time on musical theatre. We are appreciative of the phone calls and feedback we’ve been getting. Based on your comments we are continuing to develop and modify the magazine. This month sees both a Play Produced and a Musical Produced as a result. AS was lucky enough this month to meet and chat with Idina Menzel, star of Broadway’s Wicked and Rent. It was refreshing to meet such a delightful lady and talk about how she started in the business and the spark that drives her. Finally please note that our contact details have changed recently. Please make sure that your enquiries and submissions are sent to the correct addresses so that nothing is omitted from AS. Please keep the feedback coming, we are still have along way to go. We hope you enjoy this issue. Regards The Editorial Team
TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
5
INTERVIEW: IDINA MENZEL
9
News stories from the theatre world.
AS talks to one of the brightest stars of Broadway musical theatre.
PINT SIZED PLAYS
12
THE PLAY PRODUCED - BAR TALK
15
THE MUSICAL PRODUCED
18
BOOKS AND CDS
22
Derek Webb talks about this unique performance idea.
Stephen Smith discusses his new play Bar Talk
Lucy Ellen talks about Gigi staged in the round.
AS looks at the latest new releases.
THEATRE PREVIEWS
24
AS DIARY
27
AS speaks to Beth Trachtenberg about the new West End musical Imagine This.
Who’s doing what and where.
AS MAGAZINE
CLASSIFIEDS
38
Published monthly by Next Phase Media Ltd Suite 404 Albany House. 324/326 Regent Street London W1B 3HH P: 0870 233 2040 www.asmagazine.co.uk
We would like to thank the following for their contributions to this magazine:Jeffrey Jones, Derek Webb, Stephen Smith, Lucy Ellen
Business Development Manager PAUL WEBSTER
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AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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Samuel French Ltd the play publisher
NEW RELEASES!
The Titfield Thunderbolt a play by Philip Goulding, based on the original Ealing comedy screenplay by T.E.B Clarke CAST M10 F4 or M3 F2 (with doubling) Includes staging suggestions. Upon learning that their branch railway line is about to be axed, a group of villagers decide to buy and run the railway themselves. “For collectors of cherishable English comedy, this enjoyable chaotic show is a real find. First class.” Daily Telegraph
CAST M5 F5 (with doubling) 1 boy, 1girl. This superb adaptation of E. Nesbit’s English classic brings a masterful emotional depth to this rite of passage story, developing from youthful passion for adventure to an adult sense of responsibilty, whilst featuring heartfelt ballads, stirring choral numbers and tuneful melodies.
French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk
www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk
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NEWS
The Laurence Olivier Awards seeks theatre aficionados! Can you judge the best acting, most spectacular dancing or pitch perfect opera of the year? If you can, then the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) needs you … Theatre-going members of the public are being called on by SOLT to take part in the judging panels for the Laurence Olivier Awards. This unique year-long opportunity is open to anyone who would like to see the best of London’s theatre, opera or dance for free. Ten public panellists, together with professional judges, will then decide the winners of UK’s most prestigious theatre awards. Whatever age or profession, applicants must have a proven passion for the theatre, opera or dance. They will be required to dedicate themselves to attending a vast array of productions staged throughout the year in London and consider each of these performances with perception and clarity. In order to enter, each applicant must be over 18 and live within easy access of London. Each entrant must write a detailed 150 word review of a production they have seen recently and they must also list all the productions they have seen
in the last 12 months. There are separate panels judging theatre, opera, dance and the SOLT’s affiliate members. Anyone wanting to apply can pick up a leaflet from any West End theatre, apply online at www.olivierawards.co.uk, or they can request a form from SOLT, via:
awards@solttma.co.uk or send an SAE to: Awards Office (P), 32 Rose Street, London WC2E 9ET. Closing dates for applications is 28th November 2008 with interviews taking place in early December. The Awards year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
and the Best 30 Seconds Award for the opening scene of “It’s About Forgiveness”, in which Sue Wilding as Myrna won the Adjudicator’s Award. Best Supporting Actor and Actress were Doug Clayton of Richmond ADS in “The Last Bread Pudding” and Lin Blyth of Masham Players in “Costa del Packet”. Rowan Pierce won the Ray Tate Award for Endeavour for her direction of Saltburn 53 Youth Group in “The Cagebirds” Adjudicator Colin Dolley, on his sixth visit to Sedgefield , was very impressed by the standard of the Festival, stating that
any one of the top five productions would have won many another festival. He also expressed admiration for the wonderful refurbishment of the Parish Hall, which had been under threat of closure on his last visit in 2005. Mayor Tim Jeanes, who had been instrumental in the development of the hall, and his wife Ann presented the awards. (The photograph above shows the Mayor and Mayoress of Sedgefield, Tim and Ann Jeanes with members of Sedgefield Players and SPYS with their awards.)
SEDGEFIELD DRAMA FESTIVAL RESULTS The 33rd Sedgefield Drama Festival of One Act Plays held in September was a great success, with packed houses every night and a very high standard of performance throughout the week. Overall winners were Saltburn 53 Drama Group with “Only a Matter of Time” and the Audience Award went to “Seven Stages of an Affair” by Cliffe Theatre, whose Barrie Robinson won Best Actor. Sedgefield Players won the Mayor’s Runner-up Award for their production of “High Brave Boy”, in which won Sarah Jones won Best Actress and Sarah McGuinness won the individual youth award. Both actresses gave outstanding performances under the talented direction of Thomas Guest. The Peter Young Quaich for Youth was awarded to the SPYS (Sedgefield Players Youth Section) for “The Wind in the Willows”, which also won the Costume Award and the Cameo Award for Janine Yaxley as the Washerwoman. Sedgefield Players also won the John Walker Memorial Award for Technical Presentation for the very effective music in “Melody”. Statement Drama Company of Scarborough won Most Effective Set for “Do Us Part”
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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NEWS
L to R: Rhodri Harris (Stage Manager), Peter Magyar (Sound), David Boyd (Lighting & Set Design), Sheila Carr (Director), Jill Hirchfield (Continuity), Bryan Hirchfield (Stage Crew), front row: Sara Watkins (“Liz”), Chris Butler (“Jack”).
A WINNING YEAR - ST PAUL’S DRAMA GROUP St. Paul’s Drama Group were fortunate in being chosen to take part in the 35th British All-Winners Festival held in the Isle of Man this year. After winning the Southern Counties Drama Festival, progressing through the eliminating rounds to the English Final of the All-England Theatre Festival and representing England at the British Final in Swansea held earlier this month, the AllWinners Festival was the culmination of a highly successful festival run. The All-Winners Festival had groups from all over the UK, Northern Ireland and the
NATIONAL DRAMA FESTIVALS ASSOC. in conjunction with MANX AMATEUR DRAMA FEDERATION presented 35th BRITISH ALL WINNERS FESTIVAL The Gaiety Theatre Douglas, Isle of Man 19th to 25th July 2008 Adjudicator: Colin Dolley GODA FESTIVAL WINNERS Full Length Plays OVERALL WINNER - The Mary Blakeman Trophy Everyman Productions - Co Sligo “Juno and the Paycock” by Sean O’Casey RUNNER UP - The Amateur Stage Trophy Wakefield Little Theatre - Yorks “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller ADJUDICATOR’S DISCRETIONARY AWARD The Felixstowe Festival Trophy
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Channel Islands. This year there were seven other one act plays, a couple of full-length plays and a youth section. The Adjudicator for the Festival was Colin Dolley GoDA. There was the added bonus of performing in the Gaiety Theatre, Douglas, a truly remarkable and stunning Victorian theatre, designed by Frank Matcham. The theatre has been lovingly and painstakingly restored to its former glory and still fully operational. This added greatly to the experience of those taking part. The final evening of the Festival was a Gala Evening with Sir Derek Jacobi in which he
answered questions put by the audience and recounted a number of amusing and informative anecdotes from his time in theatre, film and television. There then followed the presentation of the awards. “Happy Jack” received the NDFA Council Trophy for the Runner-up in the One Act Section, just one mark behind the winning team that was also from Surrey, the Send ADS and their production of “The Island” by Athol Fugard.“Happy Jack” was however a winner with the audience because we won the Isle of Man Newspapers Award for Audience Appreciation.
Nick Gillott as Biff in Death of a Salesman
Thorpe Hall School - Essex “The Glint of Gold” by Vivienne Cunningham
BACKSTAGE AWARD - The Sydney Fisher Trophy Everyman Productions - Co Sligo “Juno and the Paycock” by Sean O’Casey HALIFAX EVENING COURIER AWARD - Audience Appreciation Everyman Productions - Co Sligo “Juno and the Paycock” by Sean O’Casey One Act Plays OVERALL WINNER - The Irving Trophy Send ADS - Surrey “The Island” by Athol Fugard
ISLE OF MAN NEWSPAPERS AWARD Audience Appreciation St.Pauls Drama Group - Surrey “Happy Jack” by John Godber Youth Entry WINNER OF YOUTH SECTION - The NDFA Trophy Wessex Youth Theatre - Hants “Warrior Square” by Nick Wood
RUNNER UP - The NDFA Council Trophy St.Pauls Drama Group - Surrey “Happy Jack” by John Godber
MOST PROMISING YOUTH PARTICIPATION AWARD - The Buxton Trophy Thorpe Hall School - Essex “The Glint of Gold” by Vivienne Cunningham
ADJUDICATOR’S AWARD - The Amateur Theatre Trophy Guernsey ADOC “The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish” by David Tristram
ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH THEATRE Nan Nuttall Award Manx Gateway Drama Group “The Boy Dancer” by Janine Murray
BACKSTAGE AWARD - The Sydney Fisher Trophy
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
14/10/2008 01:08:45
NEWS
Pauline Quirke Celebrates First Anniversary of Arts Academies The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA) will be celebrating its first anniversary this September, having successfully launched fourteen Academies nationwide over the last twelve months. The Pauline Quirke Academy is the brainchild of actress Pauline Quirke and her husband Steve Sheen, and Pauline is delighted that her ‘fun not fame’ weekend drama classes have been such a hit with youngsters across the UK: ‘Launching the PQA was a real leap of faith for me, but the response has been overwhelming. From an idea in a bar in Pinewood two years ago to having fourteen thriving Academies is amazing. It’s so exciting to be involved with so many inspirational teachers and wonderful children.’
Pauline and Steve opened the first Academy in their home town of Beaconsfield, Bucks, in September 2007, and have since gone on to open PQAs in Belfast, Bristol, Cambridge, Essex, Huddersfield, South Staffordshire and many other locations nationwide. PQA is aimed at children and young people aged from six to seventeen, and provides a wide range of performing arts modules including drama and comedy, musical theatre and film and television. The idea behind PQA is to allow children to get involved with all areas of performing arts without the pressure of end of term performances, exams or running an agency.
Steve is thrilled at the progress of the Academies: ‘The past year has shown us that there really is a need for a drama school which provides a variety of modules and focuses on fun rather than the competitive side of the performing arts. We hope that PQA will continue to go from strength to strength and open in more locations, allowing children from all parts of the UK to explore the performing arts.’ For further information about the Pauline Quirke Academy, please visit www. pqacademy.com or call the PQA on 08456 732022.
THEATRE TRAIL WRITERS COMPETITION 2009 The Arundel Festival Theatre Trail, conceived and presented by Drip Action Theatre Company, is now in its ninth year. It performs at the end of August, on each of the Festival’s eight days, eight short plays at eight different venues all over Arundel – last year, for example, in a living room, a kitchen, an art gallery and a pub. An audience of over 1,800 came to see the 2008 Theatre Trail, making it the most successful ever. (www.dripaction. co.uk) Writers are invited to submit plays for
next year’s Trail. Plays should be 30 40 minutes long, suitable for day-time performance with practicable cast and props. All entries should be submitted to:Drip Action Theatre Trail 2009 1 Norfolk House 28 High Street Arundel West Sussex BN18 9AB
(not e-mail). Please enclose SAE if you’d like your play returned. Our reading committee will select the plays that will be performed, with the best submitted play receiving the Joy Goun award of £200 at our Theatre Trail launch in May 2009. Each successful playwright will receive a £150 writer’s fee.
Entries must be received by 31st January 2009. There is no reading fee.
For further information call 01903 885250 or e-mail dripactioninfo@ btinternet.com
One play only per entrant, in hard copy
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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8/10/08 4:42:25 pm 14/10/2008 01:24:42
IDINA MENZEL
NO DAY LIKE TODAY!!
There are a few amazing talents in the world that have managed to forge cross over careers in an industry that is determined to pidgeon hole artists. Performers such as Streisand, Midler, and Minnelli have made their mark on the worlds of theatre, film and recording. Idina Menzel is fast emerging as a talent to be reckoned with. Not content to stick to the norms, she is engaged in building a career that encompasses all of her passions. With the release of Rent for amateur production, AS took time to catch up with Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Maureen on stage and recreated the role in the film of the musical. AS: Welcome back to London. How do you find London audiences compared to US audiences? Idina: I had the time of my life doing Wicked in London. It was a chance for me to rediscover the role after Broadway and I had a bit more confidence and allowed myself to take some more risks. They had forewarned me that the British audience might be more reserved, but I didn’t get any of that, what I found was a desire for the show to succeed and an incredible warmth from the audiences. AS: Tell me a little bit about your background pre – Rent and Wicked. Idina: I’m a bit of a hybrid – indie, pop, Broadway. I struggle with it sometimes. When I was young I studied classically, and when my parents were divorced I was 15 and I got the chance to audition for a wedding band in Long Island. I thought well that sounds glamorous, so I told them I was 18 because I thought that sounded more professional, and I went out and bought all these dresses and did my hair ( this was in the 80’s so you can imagine) and I learned the minimal amount of songs you could to get through, so 2 Motown songs, 2 Jazz Songs, a Bosa Nova, whatever the Madonna and Whitney song of the moment was and Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You. Then each week I’d learn ten more songs and so forth, so I went from a classical background to diversifying into all types of music and in the process building a tough stage persona because let’s face it people don’t listen to you when you are singing at these weddings. Something weird about singing other people’s material when you are so young is that you can either lose yourself in it or find a way that you can interpret their songs. From that I started song writing. My dreams kind of shifted from classical to wanting to be a rock star. So I did the wedding thing for a few years and I couldn’t get a break. Then Rent came along and I did my last wedding on New Years Eve just before we opened Off Broadway. I got the job in Rent because of my rock background and my ability to be very instantaneous and raw even though I was classically trained. AS: Given that “instantaneous” quality in you how do you cope with the rigid structure that sometimes has to be imposed in the world of theatre? Idina: I have a hard time with it, because I think the best actors are the ones that are in the moment and I do find that theatre audiences are sometimes more impressed with range and the length of a high note and the virtuosity of something rather than that thing that gives you Goosebumps. I’m not sure they are one and the same. If you listen to rock and roll it’s not always perfect, it’s a challenge to try to work out how to keep both the technique, without sacrificing the moment and the raw emotion that comes across. I try to be as
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INTERVIEW serendipity or whatever you want to call it. We knew what we were doing would be special but had no concept that it would become the phenomenon that it became. For me, that experience (especially this year as its just closed)was amazing because we were all really young and it really grounded us all. Everyone could have been going crazy with agents but it gave us something outside of ourselves and bigger than ourselves, because Jonathan had passed away and it became about making sure his work and his story got out there in the truest way possible. We never went below 100%, no one took a night off sick for the first six months, which in theatre terms is just unheard of – especially in a show like Rent, and believe me the really worked us hard. It was hard, we were going through a lot of stuff, physically and emotionally, all of a sudden one day they bought us out before the show and told us Jonathan had won the Pulitzer Prize and we just sat there feeling so lucky to be part of it and gutted at the same time because he wasn’t here and you feel unworthy. I try to keep that experience with me through every other experience in my life. It is all about being in the moment. genuine as I possibly can, so through all the roles whether you are playing a gay performance artist in the East Village who is somewhat arrogant and has no perception of just how bad she is or you if you are playing Elphaba where everyone hates her, it’s helped me as a woman to find myself and I think that’s true for all performers. Each project teaches you something about yourself. I am always fighting my own insecurities and the self destructive, sabotaging voices in the back of my head. These characters in some ways have forced me to sort of fake it til you make it. I have to be something that maybe I’m not in real life and then I try to infuse it into my real life. AS: And then there’s Disney! (Idina recently appeared in Disney’s smash hit film Enchanted). Idina: Yes (she laughs), Versatility can be a curse sometimes, people don’t want to be confused. I try to keep my voice as the common denominator, sometimes I play with keys, a much higher key will brings out a different quality in my voice but I try to stay true to my style.
AS: So what’s next? Idina: I just want to do everything. The older I get the less regimented I feel about how things have to go. Let’s face it when you try to follow a blueprint it never happens. I love live performance and touring, so if I can do that and see the world that’s great. I had fun with Chess and Andrew’s 60th, Of course, I’d love to be invited to sing in a Sondheim concert but that hasn’t happened as yet!! I try not to worry about labels and just keep challenging myself.
RENT the musical is now being licensed for amateur production by Josef Weinberger. Idina Menzel has just released her new album “I Stand”
AS: We’ve seen a fair bit of you in London in recent months. What have you been up to? Idina: I just have to keep going and doing stuff I really love, I came over here and was honoured to be asked to sing at Andrew Lloyd Webber 60th Concert. I did Chess which was so scary. We got into the Royal Albert Hall on the day and I got lost. I was running in my gown and it felt like I was just going round and round and as I result I missed my entrance!! It was such a great time. It was great to work again with Adam Pascal. He’s an old friend, we actually grew up around the corner from each other. AS: You originated the role of Maureen in Rent and not so long ago got to reprise the role for the film. What was it like going back to Rent after all that time? Idina: We just kept pinching ourselves. We couldn’t believe that 10 years later we were being allowed to do it. I was so happy that my skin hadn’t sagged so much!! I met my husband in rehearsals for that show, so it was such a joy. It was also my largest role on film to date. It was great to be on set and learn the technicalities of film making. Most times when you are a supporting role, you don’t know the crew and you feel a bit funny asking lots of questions about the process. With Rent, I got the chance to really enmesh myself in the process and learn. AS: I suppose everyone asks this but when you were involved in Rent did you have any expectation of just how huge it might become? Idina: Everything just fell into place. I think it was just fate or
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AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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PINT SIZED PLAYS
Pint-sized plays are an enormous success. Derek Webb talks to AS about how Pembrokeshire drama groups reached new audiences in pubs. Having had a short play of mine performed in pubs in Cumbria during the WordMarket festival, I was taken with the possibilities of introducing the concept to Pembrokeshire. It seemed to me to offer many benefits to the local drama scene. It could be a way to help local groups work together to advantage, while getting themselves better known and reaching out to the public more generally. And so ‘Pint-sized Plays’ was born. A committee was formed with representatives from various local drama groups and we launched a playwriting competition earlier this year, aiming to find 5-10 minute plays that could be performed in pubs. We asked Phil Clark – a freelance theatre director who champions new writing – to act as judge. And we decided on the Tenby Arts Festival, which is held in September, as a good time to begin the actual performances. Essential to getting the competition launched was a website: www. pinsizedplays.org.uk carried full information about the writing competition, with a downloadable entry form. This was also printed and distributed throughout Pembrokeshire by ourselves and, thanks
to the County Council, to libraries and community centres. And, while we had many local entrants, the effect of the website was extraordinary – bringing in entries from as far afield as Singapore, Finland and the USA! Not only did we receive over 120 entries, but the quality was generally of a pleasingly high standard. And writers showed considerable ingenuity and originality in writing such short plays which could be performed in a pub setting. One in particular gave us cause to reconsider the entry criteria. It was actually set in an aeroplane – but simply used three bar stools. The actors were to wear helmets and goggles, with parachutes on their backs, ready to go free fall sky-diving – at which point they lay stomach-down on the stools! It seemed to us to be so innovative – and, yes, ‘used’ a pub setting – that it should go through. And, in fact, it was eventually chosen by Phil Clark as one of the six to be performed. Performance of the play was of course the prize offered to entrants, and six plays eventually went
into rehearsal. We asked directors from local groups to express an interest in directing any of the six ‘winning’ plays and/or the ‘runners up’. All ten plays eventually to go on to a Script Slam at a local theatre once the
Actors in freefall during ‘Manage a Trois (|Thousand) Feet!’
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PINT SIZED PLAYS A would-be terrorist in ‘Who’s Joe?’
Pint-sized Play Organiser, Derek Webb
pub run had finished. After a degree of bartering, the plays were all allocated directors and we held an audition evening to which everyone was invited. Here was where a true spirit of co-operation evolved. We were able to cast plays from the whole pool of local talent, not just an individual group. It therefore meant that many of the directors and actors were working with completely new people from other groups around the county. We approached Tenby Festival week with some trepidation it must be admitted. Normally on a stage, you have the barrier of the lights. Here we would be able to see the whites of the audiences eyes! We produced thousands of flyers which were distributed to hotels and houses in Tenby, as well as the participating pubs, and we got a good deal of local press coverage. But I don’t think any of us thought that we it would be quite the success it turned out to be. We ended up playing to capacity houses! We performed in three pubs a night and in each we performed three plays. Remarkably a section of the audience followed us to the next venue to see the plays all over again. On the following night the pattern was repeated. And what was truly remarkable was that, even in the noisiest pub, a theatrical hush descended as the plays started. Even more remarkable was the feedback we were getting. We distributed feedback forms to the audience and received comments ranging from ‘most unexpected’ to ‘very impressive’ to ‘Happy, happy, happy!’ The programmes that we handed out carried contact details of the local groups, and the actors all had a share of the bucket
The Pint-sized Plays website that was passed around at the end of each performance – while publicans all reported a healthy increase in takings due directly to the plays. Finally, and most importantly, over 50% of the people who had not seen a play in the past six months now said they intended to! So, all in all, the ‘Pint-sized Plays’ model
is, I, believe something which could successfully be adapted by other drama groups as a good way of publicising what they are doing, recruiting new members, raising awareness about theatre and generally having a lot of fun!
An annoyed Santa in ‘Hi Santa, Remember Me?’
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Tim Rice – Andrew Lloyd Webber The National Operatic and Dramatic Association in collaboration with The Really Useful Group proudly launch
The debut work from the world’s leading musical partnership The ďŹ rst musical that Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote together, over 40 years ago, is making theatre history as it is launched to NODA members prior to its professional release. Find out more visit: www.noda.org.uk/thelikesofus
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14/10/2008 02:19:45
THE PLAY PRODUCED Donna, Majorie, Vera & Sandra in Psychic Babble
BAR TALK Stephen Smith discusses the development and premiere of his latest two plays in a production called BAR TALK that also celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Waterbeach Community Players. INTRODUCTION
Waterbeach is a village five miles north of Cambridge and is home to the 39th Engineers Regiment. In March 1978 Colonel David Adamson at Waterbeach Barracks placed a small advertisement in the local newsletter to ascertain interest in forming a drama group for both the local population and the military. Three months later Waterbeach Community Players performed their first play A NIGHT MUST FALL by Emlyn Williams. Since then the Players have staged 105 productions, comprising 134 different plays and pantomimes, with the latest production BAR TALK marking their thirtieth anniversary. These days the membership is mainly civilian, as army life dictates that new recruits can only stay a few years before moving on - though from time to time we still have army members. WCP now present a varied programme of two productions a year, a home-grown pantomime, and usually a drama festival play. I joined WCP in 1980 when I moved to the village, and although I left five years later, I remain, like so many others in my position, a member of this very friendly and supportive society. I started acting
in 1977 in Cambridge and WCP gave me my first chance of directing with THE WINSLOW BOY in 1984. Writing seemed the next step, so I wrote and directed my first play THE LAST RESORT the following year. I was aware of the need for independent opinion and so wrote a one-act play that could be judged at local drama festivals. I was lucky enough to win several awards which encouraged me to write more, and since then WCP have premiered all fifteen of my plays, nine of which have since been published. I have written three full length plays but found it far more difficult to get them published. I now concentrate on one-act plays that not only cater for the drama festival market but can also be linked as a double bill to form a full length play. Generally the play I feel is stronger competes at drama festivals first. My last two double bills were linked by one character in both plays. However, with BAR TALK I decided that I wanted the linking character to be the set, so both plays take place in the same bar of a provincial hotel but on consecutive days during a summer weekend.
PLOT
Most of my plays start from a personal experience that I feel would be an interesting subject for a play. They are always character based, single set and usually in real time. Perhaps rather unconventionally I start without knowing where the play is going or how it will end. This of course leads to a slow process of constant rewriting, but the fun in not knowing where the play is going and building the personal lives of characters
is my motivation. I’m sure that if I had it all worked out before hand, I would not have the incentive to start. I decide on as few characters as possible because it makes the play much tighter and more of a challenge. I hate authors who bring on a vicar in the last scene or get rid of a character after page two (both sins I committed early on) because it is too easy and, probably because I’m an actor, I like to give all the cast a decent part. However I also aim for the maximum number of women and fewest men because that is the make up of most societies, including WCP. Without a linking character BAR TALK gave me the opportunity to write two totally different plays. I had already started writing ONE MISTAKE, which was to become the second-half, before I thought of the concept of BAR TALK. The idea for ONE MISTAKE came from my time at the 2005 NODA Summer School where one evening I attended an acting for TV course in which we were given an anonymous page of dialogue to work on. Myself and the actress I was paired with decided it was a drunken woman pouring out her heart to a bartender late night, as the dialogue concerned how her husband couldn’t bear to touch her anymore. Mentally I filed it away as a great start to a play. I decided the husband was now dead, killed in a car accident. She was a singer called Clare who had been a child popstar and now forced to go back on the road after the death of her husband. I gave her a teenage daughter, Saskia, who had to reluctantly follow and cope with her
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THE PLAY PRODUCED However to balance casting for the society we held open auditions for PSYCHIC BABBLE, which I was to direct, and had a very pleasing turnout which was larger than normal. The idea was to have two totally separate casts but the young actress I cast as Donna had to drop out shortly before we started rehearsing due to exams, so the easiest option was to recast with my daughter who would now play two totally different roles.
REHEARSALS Past & Present members of WCP celebrate 30th Anniversary drunken mother in the holidays. I work closely with my designer Mark Easterfield and he is first to read the original draft. He was unhappy with several elements of the first draft. The barman, Alan, was too nondescript and none of the characters were likeable. We decided to ‘nice everyone up’ and give Alan a stronger back-story. After being a high-earner in the City he had given it all up to become a reclusive barman. We also thought it a good idea to build a relationship between Alan and Saskia. I gave them both a love of sci-fi and, learning about his previous wealth, Saskia, was keen to pair him off with her mother. This was helped with some sexual chemistry between Clare and Alan. I wanted them to fall for each other before the denouement. The final result, after a couple of rewrites, saw a strong storyline emerge that revealed Alan responsible for the death of Clare’s husband. One Mistake that changed the lives of three people. Hopefully the audience wouldn’t see it coming.
in. I now had an ideal cast that spanned three generations with a thick teenager, a batty old woman and three middle-aged characters desperate to get something out of life. On the face of it caricatures, but give them lives and they emerge as realistic people. One of the ironies of writing is that most characters have to be inherently sad, if they were happy the play would be very boring, but more often than not they don’t know they are sad. I particularly like writing for elderly characters because, as in real life, they can get away with much more than younger people and say what they think. The three women would be linked by disappearing husbands. One died, one ran off with a younger woman and one got arrested. Jim, not a great catch, was up for grabs. His one moment of glory is at the beginning then it’s all downhill as it transpires that he could have had a peek at the answers, but got them in the wrong order. The ladies, now with all the answers, happily desert him and he is left on his own at the end of the play.
PSYCHIC BABBLE would start the evening and was set on the Saturday afternoon. As a comedy it was easier to write because it only needed minimal plot. In fact the performance version was the first draft. I had a private reading with Mark and the production team and we didn’t change a word - which was a first! It was inspired by our Thursday night visits to the pub after rehearsal. We always managed to arrive as the answers to the quiz were announced which I found a bizarre experience if you hadn’t heard the questions. I decided to write a play that started with a self proclaimed psychic, Jim, predicting the answers to the hotel quiz in order to impress his new girlfriend, Sandra, and get her to invest in his proposed Psychic Roadshow. He mistakenly believes she has come into money and the comedy emerges as his predictions unravel. I made Sandra the housekeeper at the hotel with two former colleagues as friends, retired Marjorie and Vera, with an unseen son whose not very bright girlfriend, Donna, kept popping
CASTING
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Nowadays our drama festival play tends to be precast as it is representing the society. However due to casting problems several years ago I was forced to appear in one of my own plays and asked Mark if he would direct. It worked well and now Mark has directed me in my last three drama festival plays as he prefers directing to acting and I prefer to be ‘out on the pitch’. It strengthens the play by adding a new dimension but needs trust from both parties as the director must have free rein even if the author doesn’t always agree with some of his ideas. I try very hard to be just the actor but I have been known on occasions to rewrite lines and suggest cutting ones that I feel are not working. Luckily we had a very committed cast as this play was designed to be very ‘in house’ with Mark’s wife, who is an accomplished actress, and my fifteen year old daughter, who has been ‘brought up in the business’, playing the parts of Clare and Saskia.
WCP rehearse for two hours on Mondays and Thursdays and with a double bill we rehearse the drama festival play first and once it’s up and running we start rehearsing the the second play. Unfortunately with Easter so late this year our first drama festival was also late and therefore the rehearsal time for PSYCHIC BABBLE was squeezed. I had to bring in Sunday afternoon rehearsals to make up the time, which I find very useful because it allows for three hours and in reality this is as good as two evenings. We generally allow 10 weeks for a full length play and six weeks for a one-act. We started rehearsals for ONE MISTAKE in February. The transformation from author to actor is a strange experience for the first rehearsals, but that coat is soon shed, and creating Alan the barman becomes the main priority. With PSYCHIC BABBLE I arranged an early meeting and readthrough before rehearsals started so we could discuss the characters. I am not a rigid director or author and like to encourage the cast to provide their own input in the early stages. With a new play these parts are being played for the first time and the cast will probably shape how they will be played in the future. I also always stress the importance of a team ethic and that every member of the cast is there to support each other. The biggest question in the play was “Is Jim a real psychic?”, I had deliberately left it
Kattreya Smith wins Best Under 18’s Actress Cambridge Drama Fest
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THE PLAY PRODUCED ambiguous as although he wasn’t any good he could have had some sort of powers. However the actor playing Jim wanted him to be a conman and I was quite happy to go in that direction. We also developed the relationships between the three women that I found quite touching in performance.
PRESENTATION
From a design point of view Mark found One Mistake one of the more challenging plays he`d had to stage. Ostensibly very simple – a barman and a customer at a bar late at night – the problem was to create a setting where both could engage the audience despite the very static nature of the situation. The play took place at night, and this became an advantage because light could be used much more to focus attention, and he decided on a simple bar placed DSL. He also wanted to ensure visual variety, so Alan was given lots of bar-type jobs to do – drying glasses, wrapping cutlery, and later, tidying the bar area. This kept him permanently on the move, and evoked praise from both adjudicators for his bar-tending skills (something I was very proud of as in real life they are non-existent ! ). The bar had rounded ends, which helped place Claire on a bar stool somewhere where she could look either downstage or across the bar quite naturally: it also necessitated using bendy-MDF, which led to an extremely sturdy construction. All WCP festival sets have to travel round in the back of a Volvo, so such considerations take on added significance! For the same reason, we limited the bar area to two armchairs and a single low table, leading to a very minimal set. The bar itself was dressed with a small amount of paraphernalia – bar taps, ice bucket and bar mats – and the net result was definitely a case of ‘more is less’. For the festival production, he decided to
set the bar indoors, because an exterior set potentially requires a lot of dressing. However, in Bar Talk itself, where transport was no longer an issue, he decided on an exterior setting – a small terrace outside the hotel. Part of the reason was that in Psychic Babble, the bar on stage is not actually used – there is no barman, and the cast go offstage to get drinks – which made sense if it was only somewhere where it would only be used on special occasions. The other reason was that it created a more visually interesting contrast between the two plays, bright and sunny in the Psychic Babble, well focussed in specific areas in One Mistake, and reinforced their different natures in a satisfying manner.
DRAMA FESTIVALS
With my first plays, we went to as many drama festivals as possible with the most being five. Over the years this has diminished for various reasons. Some festivals have folded, most notably for us Letchworth, and both Mark and myself are usually always committed to other productions in the summer. We therefore cannot fit in extra festivals after the play appears at Waterbeach which means if we do well, unfortunately the play cannot go on to further rounds. It is the downside of a full dairy but we are reluctant to sacrifice a project on the gamble that the drama festival play may do well. This year we only had two festivals to go to, Sawston and Cambridge. Our first performance at Sawston seemed to go well and was well received. The adjudicator only had minor criticisms but I was disappointed he didn’t seem to have an opinion on the play. On the last night we had plenty of nominations but left Sawston empty handed. With little to change we made some minor alterations at out next rehearsal and hoped for better things at Cambridge. We had the Tuesday night slot and everything once again went very well but this time the adjudicator was full of praise for the play. This really pleased me, but being on so early in the week and with so many other plays to come we didn’t really expect to be in the running at the end of the week. We were therefore completely dumbstruck at the events on the Saturday night. First we won the Backstage award, voted by the stage crew, followed by my daughter Kattreya winning Best Under-18 Actress and finally ONE MISTAKE was named the winner of the fifteen play Festival. Despite having come second and third in the past, it was the first time WCP have won the Cambridge Drama Festival and a great way to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary.
BAR TALK IN PERFORMANCE Mark Easterfield receives Best Play Award at Cambridge Drama Festival
Apart from pantomimes, we seat our audiences around tables and have a bar
which always leads to a very friendly atmosphere. In fact we often have problems getting the audience to leave at the end of performances as sitting at tables means many conversations begin when the lights come up! We wanted to make the performances celebratory evenings and had photo displays of our past thirty years as well as our three cups on show. Although for ONE MISTAKE it was a coming home in triumph, for PSYCHIC BABBLE it was a premiere and I’m always nervous with comedies because they have an instant verdict. If the audience don’t laugh you have failed - it is as simple as that. Luckily they did and as the four night run went on the laughs increased as the cast honed their timing. It also had some poignant moments which pleased me as the characterisations came through. It meant that for the second half ONE MISTAKE received more laughs than at the festivals as the audience were in a happy mood. However serious the plot, I always try to put in as much comedy at the beginning as possible to settle the audience and then shock them with a twist of the knife. Once again this worked a treat and going from raucous laughter to complete silence with the audience hanging on every word is the greatest feeling an actor can get on stage. Surprisingly for me the majority of the audience didn’t guess how the play would turn out and every night we had some gasps in the audience when Claire discovers that Alan is responsible for husband’s death. The biggest worry when writing a thriller is that the audience can see the denouement coming a mile off, but pleasingly this didn’t happen and afterwards we were greeted by many impressed punters.
CONCLUSION
Five weeks later on Saturday June 28th we had a 30th anniversary party at Mark’s house with as many past members invited as could be tracked down. It turned into a great evening with a seventies theme as sixty people came including Colonel Adamson, who had also attended BAR TALK, and some of the cast of A NIGHT MUST FALL. We had celebrated thirty years in style and I was very proud of the cast and crew who had brought BAR TALK to life and to Mark who had turned ONE MISTAKE into my most successful play.
Photos and additional material courtesy of Mark Easterfield. Stephen Smith`s plays are published by Samuel French Ltd, Cambridge Publishing Services and soon Jasper Publishing Ltd More details about Waterbeach Community Players can be obtained on the website wcponline.org.uk
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GIGI Lucy Ellen looks at staging Gigi in the round.
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THE MUSICAL PRODUCED
Ombersley Amateur Dramatic Society have been producing and performing plays and musicals since 1958 but had never, until this year, performed one in the round. To celebrate their 50th year they decided to treat their audience to a week long run of ‘Gigi’ and to invite a guest professional director to give them something different. PLOT ‘Gigi’, written by Lerner and Loewe, can be compared to ‘My Fair Lady’ or ‘Pygmalion’. It follows a young girl, Gigi, who lives in Paris with her grandmother Inez Alvarez, as she is trained in the art of being a respectable young lady by her formidable Aunt Alicia. Gigi enjoys visits from Gaston Lachaille, local celebrity and playboy, who is a friend of the family. They play cards and chat about his many girlfriends. Gigi is curious as to how love works; “It doesn’t work” is Gaston’s reply. Inevitably, Gigi grows up into a beautiful and spirited young woman and Gaston falls in love with her. Alicia predicts this and negotiates with her lawyer for a suitable marriage contract to ensure that Gigi is well provided for. Set in 1901 the musical is an endearing representation of life in Paris in 1901 with familiar numbers such as ‘The Night They Invented Champagne’ and ‘Thank Heaven For Little Girls’ which was made famous by Maurice Chevalier in 1958.
CASTING The initial problems that were encountered when casting ‘Gigi’ were that most people are very influenced by the film with Louis Jordan as Gaston Lachaille and Leslie Caron. Martin Copland-Gray, the show’s director, was very keen to cast the show in such a way as to suggest that the
characters were much more universal. It wasn’t necessary for Aunt Alicia or Inez (Mamita) Alvarez to look much older than the rest of the cast. Copland-Gray wanted a much more ‘modern family’ feel to the production. What he did insist on was that principals looked and sounded right together. At first glance, ‘Gigi’ does not seem to have a huge cast list. There are a couple of chorus numbers, notably ‘I Never Want to Go Home Again’ (sung at Trouville) and ‘Paris is Paris Again’ (sung by the ladies and gentlemen of Paris) and yet for a 50th anniversary production ‘Gigi’ seemed a little short of things for the non leads to do. This was where Copland-Gray’s concept came in. In order to make this a special production and to give the society something to be proud of he decided to dispense with the usual Memorial Hall stage plus extension and to stage it in-theround in the hall itself. This would allow for the space to become Paris and Trouville, with the cast setting up café scenes and beach settings as necessary. Casting became much easier when he knew that he would be needing waiters, waitresses, hotel porters, receptionists and the like to people the acting area. Suddenly, there was a lot of acting for the company to do and because it was in the round they weren’t going to be able to switch off.
REHEARSALS
‘Gigi’ rehearsed for sixth months and performed for 6 nights in April 2008. The beauty of working in the Ombersley memorial hall was that the company could work within the marked out space from day one. Entrances and exits (5 of these) where indicated and ‘Gigi’ in the round began to take shape. When working in these unusual conditions it is even more important than normal to have a great attention for detail. The Ombersley audience were going to be very close to the action and therefore focus and concentration was essential. Social and period movement was crucial to get a sense of the piece being set in 1901. We were lucky enough to draft in a contact from Birmingham School of Acting to work with the cast on their deportment. This worked wonders and gave ‘Gigi’ some grace and fluidity. Choreography was organically developed by Copland-Gray as rehearsals progressed with one workshop on musical theatre being inserted in February to lift energy and spirits. The danger with ‘Gigi’ is that companies forget that they are doing a musical and start rehearsing it as if it is a play.
SCORE AND MUSICIANS ‘Gigi’ the musical and ‘Gigi’ the film are quite musically different. Ombersley Amateur Dramatic Society ending up performing a combination of the two. The most challenging number for us was ‘The
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THE MUSICAL PRODUCED Contract’. This is the scene where Aunt Alicia bargains with Lachaille’s lawyer for decent marriage terms. It is a combination of several different songs and tempos making it particularly stretching. We solved this eventually with very strong characterisation of the two lawyers and the humorous battle of status between them and Aunt Alicia. The show was performed with one pianist and drummer as accompaniment. What worked in the round was the audiences’ chance to get close to the singing as it was inevitable that one of the company would be singing close by their seat. Musical highlights were Gigi’s beautiful number in the first half ‘In this Wide World’ and Honore Lachaille’s (Gaston’s uncle) ‘I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore’.
SCENERY With the show being in the round the production team were not dealing with conventional scenery. The production used the stage to pinpoint several entrances and the number ‘Paris is Paris Again’ where the demimondaines of Paris were ‘revealed’ by the tabs with parasols surrounding Honore. Therefore on the stage our production manager (Brain Hooper) constructed the feet of the Eiffel Tower from hardboard and painted them silver. The effect of this was that the band were continually framed by “the world’s largest, useless object” (to quote Honore Lachaille) and the audience were reminded of our French setting. We added to this with café style chairs and
tables plus French paintings (ToulouseLautrec) adorning the walls of the hall. To change the scene to Trouville the company brought on 4 half pillars painted in a pale blue to represent the sea and the Grand Hotel.
LIGHTING Lighting ‘Gigi’ was a challenge due to the fact that there was a shortage of lighting bars in the Memorial Hall. Working in the round means that you really do need to be able to light from all sides. For this particular production a scaffolding tower had to be erected at the back of the hall in order to light the acting area fully. Copland-Gray wanted to be able to use spotlights for certain moments such as the two separate acting areas in the split scene where we see Honore and his man servant Manuel on one side of the stage and Aunt Alicia and her butler Charles on the other. Lighting designer, Richard G James, worked hard to define the different acting areas used in the production and also to give us the different times of day too. Very little colour was used as he relied mainly on straw or open white. With a larger budget a follow spot would have been used for numbers such as ‘Gigi’ (Gaston’s realisation that he is in love) and ‘I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore’. James used a mirror ball here instead which really helped to create the effect of a dance floor in Maxim’s. Copland-Gray attempted to move away from the traditional scenes followed by
blackouts and began to use these cues sparingly as punctuation rather than as a signal for a scene change,
COSTUMES Costume was such an integral part of this production of ‘Gigi’. With the audience being so close there really was little room for mistake; everybody needed to look like they had stepped out of 1901. The company hired from Stage World, the theatrical costumiers of Wolverhampton. The social and period movement workshop really helped here as company members gradually became aware of how to move in their costumes. One of the tricky parts of costuming ‘Gigi’ is the transformation of Gigi from little girl to young lady. Elsa O’Neil (Wardrobe) stuck with the blue sailor suit image used in the film to represent Gigi as a youngster. It gives her a sense of fun and innocence and links nicely to her visit to Trouville when we next see her in a royal blue bathing suit. For her transformation she used a beautiful cream silk gown with train. Gigi has to show that she feels comfortable in this outfit as she strolls through Maxims with the eyes of Paris upon her in Act 2. O’Neil and Copland-Gray agreed to use a simple palette of colours. Most company members were in shades of blue when at Trouville and then brighter, primary colours when in Paris. Gaston and Honore were both in soft grey for Act 1 and then black evening dress for Act 2.
MUSIC Aside from our two musicians two extra pieces of music were used within the show. To set up the Parisian Café at the start of the show we played ‘Clair de Lune’ as the company entered to take up their positions around the chairs and tables. To close the show Copland-Gray made the brave choice of using a contemporary song by Goldfrapp called ‘A and E’. This played as the cast members slowly drifted off stage after the curtain call leaving just Honore, Gaston and Gigi. Honore and Gaston remove top hats, jackets and gloves and leave them on stage symbolising that the story has come to an end as the music plays them off. Gigi is the last to leave; it is her story.
SPECIAL EFFECTS / PROPS
We tried to be as minimalistic as possible with our props. Anything that was used obviously needed to look authentic because we were so close to our audience. The biggest problem for Stage Management was finding someone who would lend the company a chaise. This important piece of furniture was to become the focal point of
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THE MUSICAL PRODUCED
Mamita’s apartment; the seat where Gigi and Gaston would play cards and where Gaston felt able to relax. Eventually the Bishop of Worcester graciously agreed to lend us the cream embossed chaise that was to become the subject of several scene changes. These scene changes were all performed by the cast, in character. Therefore, backstage crew were mainly responsible for setting and resetting props during the show and assisting with quick changes and entrances/exits.
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REVIEWS
BUZZ BUZZ - PLAYWRIGHTS, ACTORS AND DIRECTORS AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE Jonathan Croall A & C Black Paperback ISBN 9781408105207 This great book containes over 100 interviews conducted over an extended period with some of the leading creatives from the National Theatre. If you are involved in staging drama or simply performing this is a great reference book. The frank discussions by playwrights, actors and directors alike about their motivations, inspirations and process are both education, informative and entertaining. Broken into three sections interview subjects include Michael Frayn, David Hare, Pam Gems, Kenneth Branagh, Peter Hall, and Fiona Shaw.
GREAT SHOWBIZ AND THEATRICAL ANNECDOTES - A CONNOISSEUR’S COLLECTION. Ned Sherrin J R Books Paperback ISBN 9781906217846 Containing thousands of anecdotal gems, witty or malicious putdowns, potted biographies and caustic one-liners, collected and collated by the master of gossip and connoisseur of showbiz lore, this is the ultimate collection of theatrical anecdotes.Which Lyric writer perpetrated the immortal line ‘Every pedagogue goes to bed agog?’ Which Holly wood Actress was told by an even more famous British one that she was ‘so sane for a movie star’? And who, in response to an estate agent giving details of a possible house to purchase that came with a maid, a secretary and a chauffeur, wrote a telegram: ‘Airmail Photograph Of Chauffeur’?From Norma Shearer to Showbiz Telegrams and from Casting to George Clooney, this is a treasure trove of fascinating stories. Lovers of showbiz in all its forms, from theatre to television and musicals to operatta, will welcome this new much-admired work. This is the ultimate collection of showbiz tales.
KENNETH TYNAN- THEATRE WRITINGS By Kenneth Tynan selected and edited by Dominic Shellard with a foreward by Tom Stoppard. Nick Hern Books Paperback ISBN9781854595430 Born in 1927, Kenneth Tynan was perhaps one of this country’s influential theatre critics having served on The Evening Standard and The Observer. Tom Stoppard’s remark in the foreward that “ you can open this book at almost any page and come across a phrase or vignette which is the next best thing to having been there” is about as concise as it gets. This volume includes reviews of all the greats in historic productions including Gielgud’s Hamlet, Olivier’s Richard III, Loesser’s Guys & Dolls, The Chalk Garden with Enid Evans, and Burton’s Othello. Interspersed are commentaries on everything from theatre censorship to several of his much anticipated End OF Year Reviews. Theatre Writings is one of those books that you will pick up and devour and then keep coming back to with suprising regularity to revisit favourite reviews. A great reminder of just what a true critic should be.
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REVIEWS
ELAINE PAIGE - MEMORIES Elaine Paige Oberon Books Hardback ISBN 9781840028522 With a foreword by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Elaine Paige is the undisputed First Lady of musical theatre, famous for her starring roles in some of the most iconic and successful shows of the modern era, including Cats, Evita, Chess, Piaf and Sunse t Boulevard. Memories is the story of Elaine Paige in her own words and pictures, and celebrates an extraordinary forty-year career. An enduringly popular star, Elaine shares reflections of her life and career in this remarkable book. This is likely to be a hot title this Christmas for anyone who loves modern musical theatre. The book is superbly illustrated with photographs from Elaine’s private collection and with some of the best theatre photography you are likely to find. Above all it is an insight into the life and career of a true
DAVID MAMET - A LIFE IN THE THEATRE A biography by Ira Nadel A & C Black Hardback ISBN 9781408104514 David Mamet has been described as the greatest living American playwright of his generation and the quintessential American writer for his work as author, essayist, playwright and screenwriter. His works are known for their clever and terse dialogue and have earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Glengarry Glen Ross and Oscar nominations for House of Games as well as The Spanish Prisoner, Wag the Dog, and The Verdict. This comprehensive biography represents a landmark study of one ofthe great writers and directors of our time. Detailing Mamet’s ideas onwriting,acting and directing, Nadel provides an insightful and authoritative guide to the genesis, text and productions of many of his plays and screenplays. Beginning with his Chicago origins, the biography goes on to cover Mamet’s relationship to Judaism, his reputation for machismo, as well as discussions of and excerpts from early plays and stories that havenever before been referenced in print. Also included are interviews with key actors and directors such as William H. Macy, Mike Nussbaum, Robert Brustein, and Neil Pepe.
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER - 60 A 3 CD Set Polydor Records celebrates the 60th birthday of Andrew Lloyd -Webber, indisputably the most successful composer of our time, with the release of `60’. This amazing 3 CD, 60 track set spans the whole of Andrew’s illustrious career and includes hits from all of his most famous musicals - Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats,Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, Evita, Sunset Boulevard and of course The Phantom Of The Opera. The album features hit recordings, hits from cast albums all sung by a diverse range of superstar and original artists. From Elvis Presley singing It’s Easy For You (the song that Andrew and Tim Rice wrote especially for him) to Barbra Streisand, Sarah Brightman, Shirley Bassey, John Barrowman, Michael Crawford, Madonna, Tom Jones and rocker Alice Cooper (singing King Herod’s Song) this collection has it all.
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THEATRE PREVIEWS
IMAGINE THIS Beth: Tim Sheader is probably best known recently for his work at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. He has the ability as director to plumb depths of character that i seldom seen in musical theatre, you see it in plays, indeed you expect it, but sometimes musicals tend to be light on character.
In just a few weeks time, an exciting new musical will open in London’s West End. Imagine This has been in development in various forms for the past ten years first as a concept recording, then as workshops and finally now as a full West End Production. Set in Poland during 1942, a group of actors in the Warsaw Ghetto stage plays to inspire hope and optimism within their community. However, with rumours of the Final Solution in the air, their play merges with the reality they are trying to escape and a dramatic love story unfolds. AS was recently invited to a sneak preview of a few moments from the show in rehearsal and was blown away by what we saw. Following the preview we had a brief word with Beth Trachtenberg – the show’s producer to discuss this new show and just how it was conceived. AS: At a time when musicals are predominantly light and frothy, Imagine This looks set to bring some serious content back into musical theatre. Beth: Yes, Imagine This is a universal story, that any person who is trapped in horrific circumstances can find a way to encourage resistance and maintain hope. It gives a timeless quality to this story that could apply to any period in history even the one we live in today. I think that audiences really want to be swept up in epic stories and want to fall in love with characters and walk out of the theatre with great melodies in their heads. It will rely on a few brave souls to come into the theatre to experience Imagine This and then go out and spread the word. Hopefully there are enough people out there who love musical theatre so much that they are prepared to give something new and original a go. AS: Tell us about your director Timothy Sheader
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AS: This musical has been in development for quite a while now. Tell us a bit about the process of bringing Imagine This to the stage. Beth: Shuki Levy had it in his mind to create a musical called Masada and recorded a concept album of that name about 10 years ago. Seven years ago he was introduced to a book writer (Glen Berenbeim) who conceptualised just how to tell the story as a show within a show, which was possibly the ground breaking moment. Several years ago I was send a rough script and demo tape to listen to. My background is in television and film so it was not something that was really in my background. I had always been a fan of musical theatre, it’s such a unique and special art form that could become a dinosaur if people don’t develop new exciting ideas and scores. After listening to it I truly believed that audiences should have an opportunity to see it and if they did they would fall in love with it. Soon after taking it on, I made a decision that the best place to start the show would be in the UK.
as a producer what’s it like to have to raise that amount of money? Beth: The one big difference with theatre is the way that it is financed. It’s an incredibly different world to that of film and television. With theatre you have to go to human beings who you hope will respond to this piece of work that you believe in so strongly. You have to hope that they will be willing to enter into the spirit of it by writing a cheque. It’s a really difficult thing to have to go and ask people for money, but by the same token so many of them have really come on board with a dedication and enthusiasm to make the show work. It’s an enthusiasm that transforms anything you normally find in the corporate world. I can’t imagine not having the support of the investors over the past few years, they have helped me get to where we are today. The show is budgeted at £5 million. That figure included workshops and out of town try outs to work out the bugs. The exposure to an audience and the ability to rip the piece apart and put it back together has been invaluable. AS: From what we saw of the show I can see amateurs embracing this show in the future. It has such a diverse group of
AS: Was that purely a cost based decision? Beth: No, If you look at the flourishing regional theatre that exists in the UK, there exists a culture of theatre that is longstanding and perhaps more willing than anywhere else in the world to take a chance on something and help develop new exciting material. AS: You tried out the show in Plymouth, how was that experience? Beth: We had a try out of the show in Plymouth and a workshop and that was truly a work in progress. But the support of Plymouth was invaluable in shaping the show that is now headed to London. Plymouth is such a great city and very supportive of its theatre and they were incredibly helpful in giving us feedback on what they liked and didn’t like about the show. AS: So what’s the budget for the show and
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THEATRE PREVIEWS characters and such an epic score. Beth: I agree, I can’t wait to see just how different people put their stamp on this show. Just working with our creative team has been so inspiring, I can imagine that in the future others will find Imagine This just as challenging and inspiring. AS: If you had to try to break Imagine This down to its simplest element what would that be? Beth: Imagine This transcends ethnicity, religion and nationality. It’s a story about people – pure and simple. Imagine This premieres on November 19th at the New London Theatre. www.imaginethisthemusical.com Bookings 0844 412 4654 Picture credits: Opposite Page Top Left - Beth Trachtenberg Bottom Right - Adam (Simon Gleeson) & Rebecca (Leila Benn Harris) Photo by Alistair Muir. This page left: Daniel Warshovsky played by Peter Polycarpou. Photo: Alistair Muir.
FREE CD AS Magazine hopes that you enjoy the free sampler CD of IMAGINE THIS That is included with this month’s magazine. Our thanks to the show’s producers for generously providing it for our readers. Please note that the CD may only be available to UK Subscribers.
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DO YOU WANT PLAYS THAT WIN FESTIVALS & ENTHRAL, ENGAGE & ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE? OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A PLAY TO PERFORM IN-HOUSE OR TOUR WITH? EITHER WAY CONTACT
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14/10/2008 10:47:15
DIARY
DIARY - OCT 08 - DEC 08 42nd Street 21 - 25 October 2008 Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Colne, Lancs 01282 612402 21 - 25 October 2008 Bristol Musical Youth Prod Redgrave Theatre, Clifton Bristol, 01179 623286 11 - 15 November 2008 Bath Light Operatic Group Theatre Royal Bath, BANES 01225 863740 75 Years Celebration Show 30 October - 01 November 08 Congleton AOS Daneside Theatre Congleton, Cheshire 01260 276371 A bequest to the nation 16 - 18 October 2008 Court Players The Memorial Hall Rangeworthy, South Glos 01454 321149 A Cabaret of Song and Dance 29 - 29 November 2008 Applause Dovehouse Theatre Solihull, W Midlands 0121 628 4244
A Proms Brass and Voices 19 October 2008 Wakefield Amateur Operatic Soc Theatre Royal & Opera House Wakefield, West Yorkshire 01924 211311 A Savoy Christmas Carol 27 October - 01 November 2008 Dagger Lane Operatic Society The Northern Academy of Performing Arts,Hull 01482 310690 A Slice of Lennon 04 - 08 November 2008 Wellington Arts Association The Arts Centre Wellington, Somerset 01823 663597 A Touch of Danger 11 - 22 November 2008 Highbury Players Highbury Theatre, Sheffield Road Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 373 2761 A Voyage Round My Father 16 - 18 October 2008 Henfield Theatre Company The Henfield Hall Henfield, W Sussex 01273 492204 A Winter Serenade 23 - 29 November 2008 Harrogate Operatic Players The Sun Pavilion, Cornwall Road Harrogate, N Yorks 01423 528435
A Christmas Wish 11 - 13 December 2008 Starlight Productions Focus Theatre Southend on Sea, Essex 01702 612351
Accrington Pals 10 - 15 November 2008 Talisman Theatre Company Talisman Theatre, Barrow Road Kenilworth, Warks 01926 856548
A Doll’s House 18 - 22 November 2008 Forest Players Forest Row Village Hall Forest Row, East Sussex 01342 323640 www.forestplayers.org.uk
ACE Chorus Entertains 15 - 15 November 2008 Artistic Concert Experiences The Clyde Auditorium Glasgow, Strathclyde 01592 203624
A Man For All Seasons 28 - 30 November 2008 Bexhill Amateur Theatrical Society De La Warr Paviion Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex 01424 229111 www.thebats.co.uk A Musical Miscellany 09 - 09 November 2008 Vaughan Singers Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 353 3942
Adam’s Ark 29 October - 01 November 2008 New Forest Players The Performing Arts Centre, Ballard School New Milton, Hampshire 0845 166 8773 African Jigsaw 01 - 01 November 2008 Alive Axminster Guildhall Axminster, Devon 01297 33595 07 - 08 November 2008 Alive
The Warehouse Theatre Ilminster, Somerset 01460 57049 Aladdin 26 - 29 November 2008 Ponteland Repertory Society Memorial Hall Ponteland, Northumberland 01661 822985 05 - 13 December 2008 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre Trust The Mill Theatre Sharnbrook, Beds 01234 781587 22 Dec 2008 - 03 Jan 2009 Paignton Pantomime Productions Palace Theatre Paignton, Devon 01803 290371 28 Dec 2008 - 03 Jan 2009 Bedford Pantomine Company The Corn Exchange Bedford, Beds 01234 269519 Ali Baba 09 - 17 January 2009 Arrow Players St. Edmund’s Hall Northwood Hills, Middlesex 020 8868 7785 17 - 20 December 2008 The New Strolling Players The Memorial Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight 01983 752956 Alice in Pantoland 08 - 13 December 2008 Seaford Musical Theatre The Barn Theatre Seaford, East Sussex 01323 893699 All New Showstoppers 23 - 25 October 2008 Montrose Amateur Operatic Soc Town Hall, Melville Gardens Montrose, Angus 01674 830204 Allo ‘Allo 19 - 22 November 2008 Ruskin Players Ruskin Hall Carshalton, Surrey 020 8647 5844 An Evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein 19 - 22 November 2008 Loughton Operatic Society Lopping Hall Loughton, Essex 01992 575502
An ideal Husband 04 - 08 November 2008 Taunton Thespians Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Somerset 01823 283244 Annie 03 - 08 November 2008 Minerva Club Glasgow Mitchell Theatre Glasgow, Scotland 0141 942 4245 04 - 08 November 2008 St Andrews Players Harrogate Theatre Harrogate, N Yorks 01423 502116 Annie Get Your Gun 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Kingsbury Amateur Operatic Soc KAOS Theatre, Kingsbury High School, Princes Ave Kingsbury, London NW9 9JR 0845 020 4240 Annie Get Your Gun 29 October - 01 November 2008 Brixham OD&CS Brixham Theatre Brixham, Devon 01803 857654 03 - 15 November 2008 County Amateur Op & Dram Soc Theatre Royal Lincoln, Lincolnshire 0845 6525021 10 - 15 November 2008 Alderley & Wilmslow Am Op Soc Evans Theatre, Wilmslow Leisure Centre Wilmslow, Cheshire 0845 603 4505 24 - 29 November 2008 Bradford Catholic Players Alhambra Theatre Bradford, West Yorkshire 01274 432000 Anything Goes 14 - 18 October 2008 Shrewsbury Amateur Op Soc The Music Hall Shrewsbury, Shropshire 01743 281281 14 - 18 October 2008 Harrow Light Opera Company Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth, Herts 0845 450 0865 21 - 25 October 2008 Hatton Operatic Society Magna Carta Arts Centre Staines, Middx 01784 256320
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY 29 October - 01 November 2008 City of Plymouth Theatre Co The Devonport Playhouse Plymouth, Devon 04 - 15 November 2008 Hinckley Concordia Operatic Society Hinckley Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leics 01455 615005 Anything Goes 04 - 14 November 2008 Hinckley Concordia Operatic Soc Hinckley Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leics 01455 615005
Giffnock, Glasgow 0141 571 8228
Lancaster, Lancs 01524 64695
Babes in the Wood 03 - 07 December 2008 Margate Operatic Society Winter Gardens Margate, Kent 01843 299803
Billy 04 - 08 November 2008 Green Room Productions The Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 020 8360 1957
20 - 30 December 2008 (not 22-26) Deben Players Seckford Theatre Woodbridge, Suffolk 01394 615015
10 - 15 November 2008 Lamproom Musical Theatre Co. Lamproom Theatre Barnsley, S Yorks 01226 20075
04 - 08 November 2008 Zodiac Amateur Operatic Society The Brindley Theatre Runcorn, Cheshire 0151 907 8360
Back to the 80s 22 - 25 October 2008 Clydebank Musical Society Clydebank Town Hall, Dumbarton Road Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire 01389 386 455
11 - 15 November 2008 The Phoenix Theatre Company Doncaster Civic Theatre Doncaster, S Yorks 01302 342349
04 - 08 November 2008 Generation X The Customs House South Shields, S Tyneside 0191 454 1234
13 - 15 November 2008 Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society Rainhill Village Hall, Weaver Avenue Rainhill, Merseyside 0151 292 4458
Barnum 14 - 18 October 2008 Walney Junior Amateur Operatic Society Forum 28 Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 01229 820000
18 - 22 November 2008 Bishops Stortford Musical Theatre Company Playhouse Theatre Harlow, Essex 01279 431945 25 - 29 November 2008 Croydon Stagers Ashcroft Theatre Croydon, London 0208 6510527 25 - 29 November 2008 Potters Bar Theatre Company Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Herts 07985 542204 Arsenic and Old Lace 22 - 25 October 2008 Cosmopolitan Players The Carriageworks Leeds, W Yorks 0113 224 3801 Autumn Concert 29 - 29 November 2008 Southminster Operatic & Choral Society St Leonard’s Church Southminster, Essex 01621 740787 Babes in the Wood 25 - 29 November 2008 Harlequin-Eastwood Theatre For Youth Eastwood Park Theatre
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Black Comedy 23 - 25 October 2008 St Nicholas Players The South Holland Centre Spalding, Lincs 01775 764777 Black Widow by Paul Thain 23 - 25 October 2008 30 Oct - 1 November 2008 Cowes Amateur Op & Dram Soc Trinity Theatre Cowes, Isle of Wight 01983 295229 Blithe Spirit 25 - 29 November 2008 Enville Street Dramatic Society St Thomas Church Hall, Market St Stourbridge, W Midlands 01384 372930
21 - 25 October 2008 Long Eaton Operatic Society Trent College Long Eaton, Notts 01332 874352
Boogie Nights 11 - 15 November 2008 The Grove & Rawdon Theatre Co Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, Leeds, W Yorks 0700 044 6267
03 - 08 November 2008 Walmsley Church AODS Walmsley Parish Hall, Blackburn Rd, Egerton Bolton, Lancs 01204 305812
Boyfriend, The 15 - 18 October 2008 Ravensbourne Light Operatic Soc The Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London SE9 0208 850 3702
04 - 08 November 2008 Spotlight Theatre Company Treorchy Park & Dore Theatre Treorchy, Rhonda 01656 732280
28 October - 01 Nov 2008 The Arcadians The Crescent Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 643 5858
Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, The 11 - 15 November 2008 Redditch Operatic Society Palace Theatre Redditch, Worcs 01527 527363 26 - 29 November 2008 Petts Wood Operatic Society Stag Theatre Sevenoaks, Kent 01689 820448 Big The Musical 04 - 08 November 2008 Morecambe Warblers Am Op Soc The Grand Theatre
28 October - 01 Nov 2008 The Arcadians Crescent Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 421 7278 14 - 22 November 2008 Holmer Green Players Holmer Green Village Centre, The Common Holmer Green, Bucks 07778 175616 Brass, Opera and Song 22 - 23 November 2008 Bromsgrove Operatic Society Artrix Theatre Bromsgrove, Worcs 01527 871426
Brigadoon 13 - 17 October 2008 Jarrow Musical Theatre Co Jarrow Community Centre Jarrow, Tyne and Wear 14 - 17 October 2008 South Yorkshire Musical Comedy Society Goldthorpe Dearne Community Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 01709 515642 28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Falkirk Bohemians Am Op & Dramatic Soc Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk, Stirlingshire 01324 557233 05 - 08 November 2008 Waterside Musical Society Waterside Theatre Holbury, Southampton, Hants 012 8084 9708 24-29 November 2008 Kirkcaldy Amateur Operatic Soc Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife Broadway - Songs from the Shows 16 - 18 October 2008 Forest Musical Productions Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 020 8553 4466 Bronte by Polly Teale 24 - 31 October 2008 Harleston Players Archbishop Sancroft High School Harleston, Norfolk 01379 588043 Bugsy Malone 07 - 11 October 2008 Three Towns Theatre Company Brook Theatre Chatham, Kent 01634 338338 30 October - 01 Nov 2008 Goldsmiths Musical Theatre Co Goldsmiths Community Centre Catford SE6, London 020 8244 2151 31 October - 01 Nov 2008 Beverley Musical Theatre Longcroft School & Performing Arts College Beverley, E Yorks 01482 215303 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Southside Players Chestnut Grove Theatre Balham, London 07914 657524 www.southsideplayers.org.uk
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY Bye Bye Birdie 19 - 22 November 2008 Nailsea Musicals Scotch Horn Centre Nailsea, N Somerset 0845 224 7429 Calamity Jane 14 - 18 October 2008 Waveney Light Opera Group Public Hall Theatre Beccles, Suffolk 01502 712329 22 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Curzon Centre, Maxwell Road Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire 01494 813518 28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Circle Light Opera Company Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 353 0633 28 - 31 October 2008 Haywards Heath Operatic Society Clair Hall Haywards Heath, W Sussex 01444 455440 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Chingford Amateur Dramatic & Operatic Society Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 0208 553 4466 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Nottingham West Music & Drama Society Kimberley School, Newdigate St Kimberley, Notts 01159 770995 27 - 29 November 2008 04-06 December 2008 Egerton Players Egerton Millennium Hall Egerton, Ashford, Kent 01233 756138 Carmen - The Musical 18 - 22 November 2008 Ramsgate Operatic Society Granville Theatre Ramsgate, Kent 01843 591750 Carousel 11 - 15 November 2008 Winchester Operatic Society Theatre Royal Winchester, Hampshire 01962 840440 12 - 15 November 2008 Greenock Light Opera Co Greenock Arts Guild Theatre, Campbell Street Greenock, Renfrewshire 01475 520056 Cash on delivery 04 - 08 November 2008 Newcastle Players
Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffs Cause Celebre 14 - 15 November 2008 Princess Theatre Club Princess Theatre Hunstanton, Norfolk 01485 532252 Cavalleria Rusticana & Gianni Schichi 24 - 25 October 2008 South Wessex Opera Company Layard Theatre, Canford School Wimborne, Dorset Children of Eden 23 - 25 October 2008 Stevenage Lytton Players Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 0870 013 1030 25 - 29 November 2008 Slough Musical Theatre Company The Desborough Suite, Maidenhead Town Hall, St Ives Road Maidenhead, Berks 01628 624798 Chorus of Disapproval 12 - 15 November 2008 Abbey Foregate (Shrewsbury URC) Drama Group St Nicholas Hall, United Reformed Church, Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury, Shrops 01743 245092 Christmas Carol, A 09 - 13 December 2008 Fakenham & District Light Opera Society (FADLOS) Fakenham Community Centre Fakenham, Norfolk 01328 862622 12 - 14 December 2008 The Uptown Players Hampden Park Community Hall Eastbourne, E Sussex 01323 722895 Christmas Concert 20 - 20 December 2008 Harrogate G & S Society Harrogate International Centre Harrogate, N Yorks 01423 537230 Christmas Cracker, A 12 - 13 December 2008 Abertillery Amateur Drama & Musical Society The Metropole Cultural and Conference Centre Abertillery, Gwent 01495 322510 Christmas Spectacular 11 - 21 December 2008 Ipswich Co-Op Juniors Snape Maltings Concert Hall Snape, Suffolk 01728 687110
27 - 28 December 2008 Ipswich Co-Op Juniors Charter Hall, Colchester Leisure World Colchester, Essex 01206 282020 Chu Chin Chow 04 - 06 December 2008 Una Voce Opera Company The Theatre, Southport Arts Centre, Lord Street Southport, Merseyside 01704 540011 Cinderella 27 October - 01 Nov 2008 St Luke’s Arts & Drama Society St Luke’s Parish Hall Salford, 0161 281 7423 12 - 14 November 2008 Eyemouth & Dist Community Youth Theatre Eyemouth High School Eyemouth, Berwickshire 01890 750585 25 - 29 November 2008 Chester-le-Street Theatre Group Park View Theatre Chester-le-Street, Durham 0191 388 3778 27 - 29 November 2008 Tread the Boards Theatre Group The Madcap Theatre Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Bucks 01908 377449 03 - 06 December 2008 Youth Onstage Dovehouse Theatre Solihull, W Midlands 09 - 13 December 2008 St Herberts Amateur Dramatic Society St Herbert’s Parish Centre Chadderton, Oldham, Lancs 0161 624 5856 18 - 21 December 2008 Act One Pantomimes Eric Morecambe Theatre, Harpenden Public Halls Harpenden, Herts 0870 774 3638 19 - 21 December 2008 Rosehill Youth Theatre Rosehill Theatre Whitehaven, Cumbria 01946 692422 29 - 30 December 2008 HEOS Musical Theatre Greenford Hall, Ruislip Road Greenford, Middlesex 01784 255164 Cinderella (R&H) 14 - 18 October 2008 Newcastle Amateur Operatic Soc Mitchell Memorial Theatre
Hanley, Stoke on Trent 01782 565873 Cinderella Interstellar 25 - 29 November 2008 Overton Dramatic Society St. Mary’s Hall Overton, Basingstoke, Hampshire 01256 770333 City of Angels 22 - 25 October 2008 Company MK Stantonbury Campus Theatre Milton Keynes, Bucks 01908 324422 Cold Comfort Farm 03 - 06 December 2008 The Chichester Players New Park Centre Chicester, West Sussex 01243 786650 Comfort and Joy 27 - 29 November 2008 East Bergholt Dramatic Society Constable Hall East Bergholt, Suffolk 01206 396674 Company 18 - 22 November 2008 Lookout Theatre Company Malcolm Edwards Studio Theatre, Stafford Gatehouse Stafford, Staffs 01785 254653 26 - 29 November 2008 Shilo Theatre Company Studio Theatre, Royal Northern College of Music 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, 0161 907 5555 Concert - Stage to Screen 29 - 31 October 2008 Felling Stage Society Gateshead College Theatre Gateshead, Tyne and Wear 07961 809389 Copacabana 27 October - 01 November 2008 Letchworth Arcadians Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 0870 013 1030 28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Halifax Amateur Operatic Society Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W Yorks Cranford 04 - 06 December 2008 Cherryhill Players The Avenue Theatre Sittingbourne, Kent 01795 471140 Crazy For You 14 - 18 October 2008 Stafford & District Operatic Soc Gatehouse theatre
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY Stafford, Staffordshire 01785 254653 28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Brigg Amateur Operatic Society Westmoor Hall, Vale of Ancholme Music & Tech College Brigg, Lincs 01724 330874 11 - 15 November 2008 Horsham Am Op & Dram Soc The Capitol Horsham, W Sussex 01403 750220 25 - 29 November 2008 Tunbridge Wells Op & Dram Soc Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells, Kent 01892 530613 Dangerous Corner 03 - 06 December 2008 Argyle Players Tovey Hall Central United Reformed Church, Bath 01225 858112 Dear Octopus 12 - 15 November 2008 Woodford Community Players Woodford Memorial Hall Stockport, Cheshire 0161 439 7535 Deck the Hall 08 29 - 30 November 2008 North Staffordshire Am Op Society Victoria Hall Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 336129 Deck the Halls 06 - 06 December 2008 Topaz Musical Theatre Fetcham Village Hall Fetcham, Surrey 01372 454165 Dick Whittington 19 - 23 November 2008 Touchwood Musical Company Globe Theatre Plymouth, Devon 07999 639888 27 - 29 November 2008 Hockwold Am Theatrical Soc Hockwold Village Hockwold, Norfolk 01842 828468 Dick Whittington and Sam the Cat 03 - 06 December 2008 Caistor Amateur Theatrical Soc The Town Hall Caistor, Lincs 01472 851212 Die Fledermaus 27 October - 01 November 2008 CAOS Musical Productions Minerva Theatre Chichester, W Sussex
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01243 781312
Braintree, Essex
19 - 22 November 2008 Wimbledon Light Opera Society Secombe Theatre Sutton, Surrey 020 8947 0401
20 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Phoenix Theatre Blyth, Northumberland 01670 356102
26 - 29 November 2008 Rug Opera Palace Theatre, Westcliff-On-Sea Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex 01702 351135
28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Washington Musical Theatre Co Oxclose Community School Washington, Tyne & Wear 0191 416 9751
Disco Inferno 21 - 25 October 2008 Mid Rhondda Amateur Op Society Parc & Dare Theatre Treorchy, Rhonda Cynon Taff 01443 773112
08 - 14 November 2008 Burnley Light Opera Society Mechanics Theatre Burnley, Lancs 01282 664400
Disco Inferno 11 - 18 November 2008 Spa Theatre Company Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa, Warks 01926 334418 Doctor in the House 14 - 18 October 2008 Wisbech Players The Angles Theatre Wisbech, Cambs 01945 474447 Encore 07 - 08 November 2008 Rhyl & District Am Operatic Soc Pavilion Theatre Rhyl, Denbighshire 01745 330000
01 - 06 December 2008 Walton & Weybridge Am Op Soc The Playhouse Walton on thames, Surrey 01483 770130 Finian’s Rainbow 27 October - 01 November 2008 Congleton AOS Daneside Theatre Congleton, Cheshire 01260 276371 Fourplay - an evening of four one-act plays 15 - 18 October 2008 Belmont Theatre Company The Pump House Theatre Watford, Herts 0845 5213453
Fame 02 - 06 December 2008 Selsig Amateur Operatic Society Parc and Dare Theatre Treorchy, Mid Glam 01443 773112
From Pinewood to Hollywood 17 - 18 October 2008 Gainsborough Amateur Op Soc Trinity Arts Centre Gainsborough, Lincs 01427 676655
21 - 25 October 2008 Birmingham & Midland Operatic Society (BMOS) Old Rep Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 303 2323
Full Monty, The 14 - 18 October 2008 Worcester Operatic & Dram Soc Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcestershire 01905 611427
Family Concert by the RAOST Singers 26 October 2008 Redruth Amateur Dram Op Soc St Peter’s Cathedral Lancaster, Lancashire 01524 384820 www.raost.co.uk/singers
03 - 08 November 2008 Kendal Amateur Operatic Society Kendal Town Hall Kendal, Cumbria 01539 727813
Fawlty Towers 03 - 14 December 2008 Bolton Little Theatre Hanover Street Bolton, Lancashire 01204 334400 www.blt.org.uk Fiddler on the Roof 13 - 18 October 2008 Braintree Musical Society The Institute
Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum, A 18 - 22 November 2008 Oxted Operatic Society The Barn Theatre, Bluehouse Lane Oxted, Surrey 01883 714103 Gang Show ‘08 18 - 22 November 2008 Edinburgh Gang Show Kings Theatre Edinburgh, Scotland 0131 529 6000
GasLight 10 - 13 December 2008 Wick Theatre Company Barn Theatre Southwick, West Sussex 01273 597 094 www.wicktheatre.co.uk Gondoliers 12 - 15 November 2008 Hounslow Light Opera Company Hampton Hill Playhouse Hampton Hill, Middlesex 020 8898 2971 Grand Duke, The 18 - 22 November 2008 Tinkers Farm Opera Company Crescent Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 643 5858 Gypsy 20 - 25 October 2008 High Green Amateur Operatic Soc EPPIC Theatre Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S Yorks 0114 286 9135 Happy As A Sandbag 28 - 30 November 2008 Hulviz Operatic Society Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 020 8858 9803 Harlequinade Terence Rattigan 24 - 25 October 2008 Winscombe Youth Theatre Productions Churchill Community School Churchill, nr Weston-super-Mare, N Somerset 01934 843952 Hay Fever 17 - 25 October 2008 Lane End Players Lane End village hall Lane End, Bucks 01494 881981 Hello Christmas 25 - 29 November 2008 Barnsley Amateurs Musical Theatre Group Lamproom Theatre Barnsley, S Yorks 01226 200075 Hello Dolly! 14 - 18 October 2008 Anstruther & District Amateur Operatic Society Waid Academy Anstruther, Fife 01333 311306 28 October - 01 November 2008 Lichfield Operatic Society Garrick Theatre Lichfield, Staffordshire 01543 412121 28 October - 01 November 2008
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY Rochdale Amateur Op Soc Gracie Fields theatre Rochdale, Lancs 01706 640292 11 - 15 November 2008 New Earswick Musical Society The Rowntree Theatre York, 01904 768182 12 - 15 November 2008 Axminster & District Am Op Soc The Guildhall Axminster, Devon 01297 33595 Hickory Dickory Dock 23 December 2008 - 03 Jan 2009 Highbury Players Highbury Theatre Centre, Sheffield Rd Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 373 2761 High Society 05 - 09 November 2008 Swanbank Music Putney Arts Theatre Putney SW15 6AW, London 0208 2860229 Highbury Rocks at Christmas 11 - 13 December 2008 Highbury Players Highbury Theatre Centre, Sheffield Rd Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 373 2761 HMS Pinafore 15 - 18 October 2008 Littlehampton Players Operatic Society Windmill Theatre Littlehampton, W Sussex 01903 722224 22 - 25 October 2008 Generally G & S Majestic Theatre Retford, Notts 01777 706866 18 - 22 November 2008 Eastleigh Operatic and Musical Society The Point Eastleigh, Hants 02380 623555 Hobson’s Choice 15 - 18 October 2008 Clitheroe Parish Church AO & DS St Mary’s Centre, Church Street Clitheroe, Lancs 01254 248679 Hot Mikado 27 - 31 October 2008 Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Soc Palace Theatre Paignton, Devon 01803 290371 04 - 08 November 2008 Coventry Youth Operetta Group
City College Theatre Coventry, W Midlands 024 7649 0939
Palace Theatre Southend on Sea, Essex 01702 351135
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gilbert & Sullivan 24 - 25 October 2008 Stratford Upon Avon G & S Soc Civic Hall, Rother Street Stratford upon Avon, Warks 01789 207100
11 - 15 November 2008 Rickmansworth Players Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth, Herts 0844 745 1944
Inspector Drake’s Last Case 30 October - 01 November 2008 Newchurch Drama Group Community Hall, School Lane Newchurch, Sandown, Isle of Wight 01983 867189 Inspector Drake’s Last Case 30 October - 01 November 2008 Barton Players Barton Village Hall Barton-le-Clay, Beds 0844 8842281 Into The Woods 08 - 13 December 2008 Pershore Operatic & Dramatic Society (PODS) Number 8 Community Arts Centre, High St Pershore, Worcs 01386 555488 Invitation Only 05 - 08 November 2008 Poulton Drama Thornton Little Theatre Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs 01253 894330 Iolanthe 27 October - 01 Nov 2008 Cirencester Operatic Society The Barn Theatre, Beeches Road Cirencester, Glos 01285 654046 18 - 22 November 2008 Stewartby Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Stewartby Village Hall Stewartby, Beds 01525 402457 Jack and the Beanstalk 12 - 13 November 2008 St Hilda’s Entertainers St Hilda’s Church Hall, Woodthorpe Road Ashford, Middlesex 01784 245298 Jack the Ripper 16 - 18 October 2008 Newbury Operatic Society Trinity School Newbury, Berkshire 07747 060462 Jekyll & Hyde 28 October - 01 Nov 2008 Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Soc
Jock and the Amazing Technicolour Beansprout 25 - 29 November 2008 Ormskirk Theatre Company The Rose Theatre, Edgehill University Ormskirk, Lancs 01695 572611 Kes 04 - 08 November 2008 Western College Players Athenaeum Theatre Plymouth, Devon 01752 266104 Kind Hearts and Coronets 10 - 20 December 2008 Chelmsford Theatre Workshop The Old Court Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01245 606505 King and I 21 - 25 October 2008 Ellesmere Port Musical Theatre Company Ellesmere Port Civil Hall Ellesmere Port, Cheshire 0151 339 4390 King and I 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Cranbrook O & DS (CODS) Queens Hall Theatre Cranbrook, Kent 01580 713887
22 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Curzon Centre Beaconsfield, Bucks 01494 673092 03 - 08 November 2008 Hexham Amateur Stage Society Queens Hall Hexham, 01434 652477 www.queenshall.co.uk 18 - 22 November 2008 Esna Players Loughborough Town Hall Loughborough, Leics 01509 231914 L’Elisir d’Amore (Elixir of Love) by Donizetti 25 - 29 November 2008 Guildford Opera Company Electric Theatre Guildford, Surrey 01483 444789 06 - 09 November 2008 Hampstead Garden Opera Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate Village, London N6 020 8340 3488 13 - 16 November 2008 Hampstead Garden Opera Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate Village, London N6 020 8340 3488 La Belle Helene 11 - 15 November 2008 Maidenhead Operatic Society Desborough Suite, Town Hall Maidenhead, Berks 01628 671589
02 - 06 December 2008 Salisbury Amateur Operatic Soc City Hall Salisbury, Wilts 01722 434434
Ladies Day 20 - 25 October 2008 Highbury Players Highbury Theatre Centre, Sheffield Road Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 383 2761
King Humpty Dumpty 25 - 29 November 2008 St Matthew’s Theatrical Society The Parish Centre, Church Street Rastrick, Brighouse, W Yorks 01484 710846
Lady Be Good 18 - 22 November 2008 Vane Tempest Theatre Group Vane Tempest Welfare Hall Seaham, Co Durham 0191 581 9631
Kiss Me, Kate 13 - 18 October 2008 Bishop Auckland Amateur Operatic Society Eden Theatre, Bishop Auckland Town Hall Bishop Auckland, Durham 01388 602371
Lend Me a Tenor 16 - 18 October 2008 Thurrock Courts Players Thameside Theatre Grays, Essex 0845 300 5264
14 - 18 October 2008 Thornbury Musical Theatre Group Armstrong Hall Thornbury, South Gloucestershire 01454 415850
Les Miserables (School Edition) 11 - 15 November 2008 Stoke Youth Musical Theatre Co Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs 01782 659156
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DIARY 17 - 22 November 2008 Abergavenny Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society (AAODS) Borough Theatre Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 01873 850805 19 - 22 November 2008 Calder Valley Youth Theatre The Halifax Playhouse Halifax, Yorkshire 01422 365998 Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The 09 - 13 December 2008 St Peter Players The Community Centre, Gravel Hill Chalfont St Peter, Bucks 01494 874431 Little Me 22 - 25 October 2008 Cuffley Operatic Society Cuffley Hall, Maynards Place Cuffley, Herts 01707 888415 Little Night Music, A 20 - 25 October 2008 Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society (TAODS) Redannick Theatre Truro, Cornwall 01872 222272 Little Shop of Horrors 21 - 25 October 2008 Masqueraders Theatrical Society The Abbey Theatre and Arts Centre Nuneaton, Warwickshire 024 7639 3211 30 October - 01 November 2008 Barking Music and Drama Broadway Theatre Barking, Essex 020 8507 5607 20 - 22 November 2008 Chadsmoor Choral Society Prince of Wales Centre Cannock, Staffs 0154 357 8762 Lord Redbourn’s Treasure 04 - 06 December 2008 Redbourn Players Redbourn Village Hall Redbourn, Herts 01582 792783 Love Letters 26 - 27 November 2008 St. Paul’s Drama Group Adrian Mann Theatre Ewell, Surrey 01737 213387 www.fusionplayers.org Love Makes the World Go Round 29 - 29 November 2008 Southminster Operatic &
32 diary.indd 6
Choral Society St Leonard’s Church Southminster, Essex 01621 740787 Mack and Mabel 11 - 18 October 2008 Dereham Operatic Society The Memorial Hall Dereham, Norfolk 01362 851919 28 October - 01 November 2008 Tavistock Musical Theatre Co The Wharf Tavistock, Devon 01822 611166 05 - 08 November 2008 Balliol Opera Royal Grammar School, Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland 01912 846718 Magic Lozenge, The 28 - 29 November 2008 Sheringham Savoyards The Little Theatre Sheringham, Norfolk 01263 822347 Maid in China 20 - 22 November 2008 Haslingfield Little Theatre Society Haslingfield Village Centre Haslingfield, Cambs 01223 871490 Map of the Heart 23 - 25 October 2008 Loughton Amateur Dramatic Soc Lopping Hall Loughton, Essex 020 8502 5843 www.lads.org.uk Maria Marten 03 - 06 December 2008 Blackburn Drama Club Thwaites Empire Theatre Blackburn, Lancs 01254 685500 Master to Master - the story of Gilbert & Sullivan 19 - 22 November 2008 Rock Ferry Amateur Operatic Soc Carlton Little Theatre Grange Road West, Birkenhead, Merseyside 0151 645 1369 Matchgirls, The 18 - 22 November 2008 Radlett Light Opera Society The Radlett Centre Radlett, Herts 01923 859291 Me and My Girl 16 October - 01 November 2008 Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club Jersey Arts Centre St Helier, Jersey 01534 700444
20 - 25 October 2008 Linlithgow AMP Linlithgow Academy Linlithgow, W Lothian 01506 510928 21 - 25 October 2008 Dronfield Light Opera Group Civic Hall Dronfield, Derbyshire 01246 211590 23 - 26 October 2008 Thistles Musical Theatre Co Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 020 8553 4466 27 October - 01 November 2008 Burton on Trent & District Operatic Society DeFerrers Specialist Technology College Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs 01283 541552 28 October - 01 November 2008 Oswestry Musical Theatre Co The Marches School, Morda Road Oswestry, Shropshire 01691 655490
Aberdare, RCT 01685 882685 25 - 29 November 2008 Heswall Operatic Society Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight Village, Wirral 0151 648 5316 26 - 29 November 2008 Heswall Operatic Society Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight, Wirral 0151 648 5316 Meet Me in St. Louis 27 October - 01 November 2008 St Thomas Amateur Dramatic & Operatic Society Golborne St Thomas School Golborne, Cheshire 01942 683825 Merry Widow, The 28 October - 01 November 2008 Sunningdale Savoy Chorus Britvic Theatre, Ascot, Berkshire 01344 627946
03 - 08 November 2008 Our Lady’s High School FPA Light Opera Society Motherwell Theatre Motherwell, N Lanarkshire
29 October - 01 November 2008 Sunningdale Savoy Chorus Licensed Victuallers School, Britvic Theatre, London Road Ascot, Berks 01344 627946
03 - 08 November 2008 Cassio Operatic Society Watford Palace Theatre Watford, Hertfordshire 01923 225671
04 - 07 November 2008 Tayside Opera Dundee Bonar Hall, University of Dundee Dundee, Scotland 01382 380279
11 - 15 November 2008 Bristol Light Opera Club The Hippodrome Bristol, 0844 847 2325
18 - 22 November 2008 Bury St Edmunds Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 01284 769505
11 - 15 November 2008 Bilston Operatic Company The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, W Midlands 01902 429212 11 - 15 November 2008 Sussex Musical Productions Pavilion Theatre Worthing, West Sussex 01903 537383 12 - 15 November 2008 St Paul’s Church Dramatic Society JohnstoneTown Hall Johnstone, Renfrewshire 01505 342433 13 - 15 November 2008 Worle Operatic & Dramatic Soc Playhouse Theatre Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 01934 645 544 17 - 22 November 2008 Coliseum Operatic & Dramatic Society Aberdare Coliseum Theatre
Mikado, The 21 - 25 October 2008 Leamington Spa Opera Group Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa, Warks 01676 532477 28 October - 01 November 2008 Saddleworth Musical Society Saddleworth School Uppermill, Greater Manchester 01457 874940 30 October - 01 November 2008 Kington & District Am Op Soc Lady Hawkins Community Leisure Centre Kington, Herefordshire 01544 231501 03 - 08 November 2008 Scunthorpe G & S Am Op Society Plowright Theatre Scunthorpe, North Lincs 01652 655342
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY 05 - 08 November 2008 Buttington Musical Theatre Co Trewern Community Centre Nr Welshpool, Powys 01938 552053 12 - 15 November 2008 Bexhill Light Operatic & Dramatic Society (BLODS) De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill-on-Sea, E Sussex 01424 229 111 Move Over Mrs Markham 06 - 08 November 2008 Alton Operatic & Dramatic Society Assembly Rooms Alton, Hampshire 01730 827200 Movies N Musicals 08 - 09 November 2008 Milton Musical Society Ballard School New Milton, Herts 01202 517117 Murdered to Death 23 - 25 October 2008 Leyburn Amateur Dramatic Soc Picture House Leyburn, North Yorkshire 0969 640689 Music Man 14 - 18 October 2008 Haverhill & District Operatic Soc Haverhill Arts Centre Haverhill, Suffolk 01440 714140 21 - 25 October 2008 Ingatestone Musical Operetta Group Ingatestone Community Club Theatre Ingatestone, Essex 01245 360532 28 October - 01 November 2008 Stockport Amateur Operatic Soc Plaza Theatre Stockport, Cheshire 0845 3307 304 11 - 22 November 2008 Basingstoke ATS The Haymarket Basingstoke, Hants 01256 844244 15 - 18 October 2008 The Opera Club of Reigate and Redhill The Harlequin Theatre Redhill, Surrey 01737 765547 Musical Stages 11 - 15 November 2008 Ayrshire Philharmonic Op Society Gaiety Theatre Ayr, Ayrshire 01292 611222 My Fair Lady 20 - 25 October 2008
Centre Stage of Exmouth The Pavilion Exmouth, Devon 01395 222477 27 October - 01 November 2008 Abingdon Operatic Society The Amey Theatre, Abingdon School Abingdon, Oxon 01235 834383 04 - 08 November 2008 South Downe Musical Society The Kings Theatre Southsea, Hants 02392 451044 06 - 08 November 2008 Sandown Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Shanklin Theatre Shanklin, Isle of Wight 01983 868000 10 - 15 November 2008 Bingley Amateur Operatic Society Bingley Arts Centre Bingley, W Yorks 01274 432000 11 - 15 November 2008 WBOS Youtheatre Lichfield Garrick Lichfield, Stafford 01543 412121 25 - 29 November 2008 Woodley Light Operatic Society Kenton Theatre Henley on thames, Oxon 0845 521 3459 26 - 29 November 2008 Broughty Ferry Amateur Op Soc Whitehall Theatre, Bellfield Street Dundee, Tayside 01382 434940 Night of Miracles 13 - 13 December 2008 The Elizabethans Am Op Society Ossett Town Hall Ossett, W Yorks 01924 280344 Nine 19 - 22 November 2008 Junction 21 Productions Bridgwater Arts Centre Bridgwater, Somerset 07504 108365 No Song Unsung 28 - 30 November 2008 Exmouth Musical Theatre Co The Exmouth Pavilion Exmouth, Devon 01395 222477 Oh What A Lovely War 15 - 18 October 2008 KLOS Musical Theatre The Winston Churchill Theatre Ruislip, Middlessex 0208 869 4096
10 November 2008 Vale G & S Society The Court Theatre Tring, Hertfordshire 01296 662745 24 - 24 November 2008 Colin Smith Luton Youth Music Theatre Denbigh High School Luton, Bedfordshire 07802 415693 Oklahoma! 21 - 25 October 2008 Glasgow Light Opera Club Kings Theatre Glasgow, Lanarkshire 0141 240 1111 18 - 22 November 2008 Grimsby & Cleethorpes AOS Grimsby Auditorium Grimsby, N Lincs 0870 060 2331 18 - 22 November 2008 BROS Musical Productions The Alexandra Theatre, The Regis Centre Bognor Regis, West Sussex 01243 861010 Old Time Music Hall 14 - 18 October 2008 Woodmansterne Op & Dram Soc St Peter’s Church Hall Woodmansterne, Surrey 01737 555009 Old Time Music Hall 20 - 21 November 2008 Avalon Theatre Company New Horizon Community Hall Mitcham, Surrey 020 8647 3933 Oliver Twist 03 - 06 December 2008 Ottershaw Players Rhoda McGraw Theatre Woking, Surrey 01932 702091 Oliver! 21 - 25 October 2008 Elstree & Borehamwood Light Operatic Society The Radlett Centre Radlett, Herts 01923 859291 22 - 25 October 2008 Wallasey Amateur Operatic Soc Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight Village, Wirral 0151 632 3640 22 - 25 October 2008 Heywood Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Heywood Civic Centre Heywood, Lancs 01706 368904 22 - 25 October 2008 Hayling Musical Society
Hayling Community Centre Hayling Island, Hants 023 9246 2834 26 October - 01 November 2008 COS Musical Theatre The Hawth Theatre Crawley, W Sussex 01293 553636 27 October - 01 November 2008 Settle Amateur Operatic Society Settle Victoria Hall Settle, N Yorks 01729 825718 28 October - 01 November 2008 Caldicot Musical Theatre Society Caldicot School Caldicot, Monmouthshire 01291 422207 03 - 08 November 2008 Trafford Margaretians Am Op Soc Altrincham Garrick Theatre Altrincham, Cheshire 0161 962 4328 03 - 08 November 2008 Middlesbrough Amateur Op Soc Middlesborough Theatre Middlesborough, 01642 815181 03 - 08 November 2008 St Alphege Musical Productions Society Solihull Arts Complex Solihull, West Midlands 0121 704 6962 03 - 08 November 2008 Saint Alphege Musical Society (STAMPS) Arts Complex Theatre Solihull, West Midlands 0121 705 1435 04 - 08 November 2008 Gosport Amateur Operatic Society Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hants 01329 231942 05 - 08 November 2008 Zodiac Musical Society Magna Carta Arts Centre, Thorpe Road Staines, Middlesex 01932 782571 05 - 08 November 2008 Helensburgh Savoy Club Victoria Halls Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute 01436 673118 11 - 15 November 2008 Nottingham Operatic Society Theatre Royal Nottingham, Notts 0115 989 5555 18 - 22 November 2008 Sheffield Teachers Operatic Soc Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, S Yorks
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DIARY 0870 774 3422 18 - 22 November 2008 Abbey Players Swansea Grand Theatre Swansea, 01792 520630 18 - 22 November 2008 Leeds Amateur Operatic Society (LAOS) Grand Theatre Leeds, W Yorks 0844 848 2701 03 - 06 December 2008 Southampton Operatic Society The Plaza Theatre Romsey, Hants 01794 512987 Once On This Island 23 - 24 October 2008 Spennymoor Youth Theatre Group Bishop Auckland Town Hall Bishop Auckland, Durham 01388 602610 Orpheus In the Underworld 22 - 25 October 2008 Lutterworth Opera Group Lutterworth College Theatre Lutterworth, Leciestershire 01455 553402 18 - 22 November 2008 Cleckheaton & Spenborough AO & DS Town Hall Cleckheaton, W Yorks 01274 877828 Our Town 06 - 08 November 2008 Lion and Unicorn Players Festival Hall, Heath Road Petersfield, Hants 01730 821491 Out of Sight, Out of Murder 05 - 08 November 2008 Theatre 48 Capitol Studio Horsham, West Sussex 01403 750220 www.theatre48.co.uk Pack of Lies 13 - 15 November 2008 Dorchester Drama Corn Exchange Dorchester, Dorset 01305 257694 Patience 21 - 25 October 2008 Worcester G & S Society The Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcs 01905 611427 Picnic at Hanging Park 29 October - 01 November 2008 Norfolk Youth Music Theatre Maddermarket Theatre
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Norwich, Norfolk 01603 620917 Pirates Of Penzance 22 October - 01 November 2008 Darlington Operatic Society Civic Theatre Darlington, Co Durham 01325 468555 27 October - 01 November 2008 Witham Amateur Operatic Society Witham Public Hall Witham, Essex 01376 512902 29 October - 01 November 2008 Weston-Super-Mare Op Soc Playhouse Theatre Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 01934 628707 11 - 15 November 2008 Churches Drama & Opera in Thurrock (CDOT) Thameside Theatre Grays, Essex 12 - 15 November 2008 WOW Youth Musical Theatre Pavilion Theatre Weymouth, Dorset 12 - 15 November 2008 Churches Drama & Opera in Thurrock (CDOT) Thameside Theatre Grays, Essex 01375 673237 12 - 15 November 2008 Ipswich G & S Society Corn Exchange Ipswich, Suffolk 01473 433100 18 - 22 November 2008 Meltham Parish Church G & S Society Meltham Parish Church Hall Meltham, Holmfirth, W Yorks 01484 349037 20 - 22 November 2008 Battle Light Opera Group Memorial Hall Battle, E Sussex 01424 211140 21 - 25 October 2008 The Haslemere Players Haslemere Hall Haslemere, Surrey 01428 642161 13 - 18 October 2008 Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society Town Hall Theatre Stourbridge, West Midlands 07504 301767 21 - 25 October 2008 The Haslemere Players Haslemare Hall Haslemere, Surrey 01428 642161
Play On 17 - 18 October 2008 Chapel Players Chapel-en-le-Frith Playhouse Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire 01298 813176 Princess Ida 28 October - 01 November 2008 Savoyards 2000 Dayncourt School Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire 0115 9123 660 Pull The Other One 16 - 18 October 2008 Heaton Amateur Op & Dram Soc Bradford Playhouse Bradford, W Yorks 01274 820666 Puss In Boots 04 - 06 December 2008 Rayleigh A O & D S Rayleigh Arts Centre Rayleigh, Essex 01268 771751 Ragged Child, The 15 - 18 October 2008 Gasleak Theatre Company Melton Theatre Melton Mowbray, Leics 01664 851111 Railway Children, The 15 - 18 October 2008 Blaenau Gwent Young Stars Youth Musical TC Beaufort Theatre Beaufort, Ebbw Vale, Gwent 01495 301049
04 - 07 December 2008 Kaleidoscope Players Guildhall Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 281900 Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood 05 - 06 December 2008 Manor Theatre Group North Heath Hall Horsham, West Sussex 01403 267589 Robin Hood and his Merry Damsels 27 November - 06 Dec 2008 Boroughbridge Hightimers Coronation Hall, Milby Boroughbridge, N Yorks 01765 608729 Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood 04 - 20 December 2008 Attic Theatre Aberdeen Arts Centre Aberdeen, 01224 641122 Robinson Crusoe 27 December 2008 - 03 Jan 2009 Strode Productions Strode Theatre, Church Road Street, Somerset 01458 442846 Rock Nativity 27 - 29 November 2008 Bradford Players St Paul’s Church, Buttershaw Bradford, W Yorks 01274 594313
Rats 27 - 29 November 2008 Revellers Music & Dramatic Soc Peterborough High School Peterborough, Cambs 01733 755176
Ruddigore 17 - 22 November 2008 Three Counties Musical Society Chatsworth Theatre Long Eaton, Notts 01332 609130
Return to the Forbidden Planet 28 October - 01 November 2008 Orbit Theatre Ltd - Cardiff New Theatre Cardiff, Cardiff 02920 878889
Run For Your Wife 18 - 22 November 2008 Rossendale Players Leisure Hall Bacup, Lancashire 01706 228720
Revue 22 - 24 October 2008 South Norfolk Op & Choral Soc Central Hall Wymondham, Norfolk 01953 604881 Robin Hood 26 - 29 November 2008 Rugeley Musical Theatre CO Rose Theatre, Taylor’s Lane Rugeley, Staffs 02 - 06 December 2008 Garforth Amateur Dramatic Soc The Miners Welfare Hall Garford, Leeds, West Yorkshire 0113 2863534
Salad Days 28 October - 01 November 2008 Woking Amateur Operatic Society Rhoda McGaw Theatre, The Peacocks Woking, Surrey 01483 836031 Sand Castles 30 October - 01 November 2008 Curtain Up Amateur Dram Society Totland Church Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight 01983 755160 Santa and the Vikings 13 - 14 December 2008 Auchenblae Drama Group Auchenblae Village Hall
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
14/10/2008 02:42:11
DIARY Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire 01561 320222 Santa in Space 18 - 22 November 2008 Whitechapel Players Whitechapel Village Hall Preston, Lancs 07969 964434 Scrooge 23 - 25 October 2008 Utopian Operatic Society Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London SE9 01322 402528 28 October - 01 November 2008 Ulverston Amateur Operatic Soc Coronation Hall Ulverston, Cumbria 01229 587140 04 - 08 November 2008 Wembley Operatic Society Winston Churchill Theatre Ruislip, Middlesex 07983 103444 11 - 15 November 2008 Hamilton Operatic & Dramatic Co Motherwell Concert Hall Motherwell, Lanarkshire 01698 385627 12 - 16 November 2008 Bolton Premier Productions The Albert Hall Bolton, Lancs 01204 371983 18 - 22 November 2008 Cleckheaton & Spenborough AO & DS Town Hall Cleckheaton, W Yorks 01274 877828 28 October - 01 November 2008 Kettering & District Theatrical Soc The Lighthouse Theatre Kettering, Northants 01536 414141 www.kdts.co.uk 28 November - 05 Dec 2008 Ketton Players Kedington Community Centre Kedington, Suffolk 01440 713137 Scrooge - The Panto 02 - 04 December 2008 Garstang Theatre Group Arts Theatre, Garstang High School Garstang, Lancs 01994 600649 Seasons Greetings 06 - 08 November 2008 Sawbridgeworth Players Victoria Hall Theatre Old Harlow, Essex 07931 590464 24 - 28 November 2008
Encore Theatre Club Bridport Arts Centre Bridport, Dorset 01308 424204
Huddersfield Amateur Op Society Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, W Yorks 01484 430528
25 - 29 November 2008 Encore Theatre Club Bridport Arts Centre Bridport, Dorset 01308 424204
Sleeping Beauty 11 - 15 November 2008 St Cuthberts ADS Darwen St Chad’s Theatre, St Cuthbert’s Primary School Darwen, Lancs 07804 681778
Seussical 05 - 08 November 2008 Mayhem Musical Theatre Co Secombe Theatre Sutton, Surrey 020 8770 6990 20 - 22 November 2008 Lytham Acadamy of Theatre Arts Lowther Pavilion Lytham St Annes, Lancs 01253 658666 02 - 06 December 2008 Todmorden Am Op & Dram Soc Todmorden Hippodrome Todmorden, Lancs 01706 818181 Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 19 - 22 November 2008 Barnstaple Musical Comedy & Dramatic Society The Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple, Devon 01271 324242 Shell Seekers 29 October - 01 November 2008 Ringwood Musical & Dram Soc Ringwood School Theatre Ringwood, Hants 01425 470837 Show Boat 24 October - 01 November 2008 Goole Amateur Op & Dram Soc Vermuyden Hall Goole, Yorks E R 01405 763146 Showstoppers - from Fantasy to Reality 24 - 25 October 2008 Zenith Theatre Company St Aldhelm’s Community Hall Branksome, Poole, Dorset 01202 723588 Showtime 2008 11 - 15 November 2008 Bollington Light Opera Group Bollington Civic Hall Bollington, Cheshire 01625 431038 Sinbad The Sailor 25 - 29 November 2008 Larbert Amateur Operatic Society Dobbie Hall Larbert, Stirlingshire 01324 623365 Singin’ In The Rain 10 - 15 November 2008
Snow White and the Magnificent Seven 07 - 08 November 2008 Belper Stage Productions Robert Ludlam Theatre, St Benedict’s School Derby, Derbyshire 01332 666404 Some Enchanted Evening 20 - 22 November 2008 PHEOS Musical Players Winston Churchill Theatre Ruislip, Middlesex 01923 285882 20 - 21 November 2008 PHEOS Musical Players Watersmeet Rickmansworth, Herts 01923 285882 Some Like It Hot 11 - 15 November 2008 Southey Operatic Society The Montgomery Theatre Sheffield, S Yorks 0114 243 5587 Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me 15 - 18 October 2008 The Southwick Players The Barn Theatre Southwick, W Sussex 01273 597094 Something Wonderful The Legacy of Rogers & Hammerstein 29 October - 01 Nov 2008 Banbury Operatic Society Wykham Hll Banbury, Oxon 01295 711681 Songs from the Shows 26 - 30 November 2008 Chesterfield Operatic Society Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 345222 Songsational 26 - 29 November 2008 Batley Amateur Thespian Society Batley Town Hall Batley, W Yorks 07792 634 360 Sorcerer, The 28 October - 01 November 2008 Bournemouth G & S Operatic Society
Lighthouse Poole, Dorset 0870 066 8701 04 - 08 November 2008 Halifax G & S Society Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W Yorks 01422 365998 17 - 22 November 2008 Haworth-West Lane Baptist Amateur Operatic Society West Lane Baptist church Haworth, Keighley, W Yorks 01535 643425 24 - 29 November 2008 Cotswold Savoyards The Playhouse Cheltenham, Glos 01242 522852 Sounds Familiar 08 - 11 November 2008 Ipswich Operatic & Dramatic Society Spa Pavilion theatre Felixstowe, Suffolk 01394 282126 South Pacific 13 - 18 October 2008 Carpet Trades Operatic Society Stourport Civic Centre Stourport on Severn, Worcs 01299 403851 27 October - 01 November 2008 Northallerton Amateur Op Society Hambleton Forum Northallerton, N Yorks 01609 770936 10 - 15 November 2008 Cradley Heath Amateur Op Soc Brierley Hill Civic Hall Brierley Hill, W Midlands 0121 585 7380 12 - 15 November 2008 Bourne End Amateur Operatic Society Bourne End Community Centre Bourne End, Bucks 01628 673648 18 - 22 November 2008 South Moor Musical Theatre Group Lamplight Arts Centre Stanley, Durham 01207 218899 Spotlight on London 07 - 08 November 2008 Topaz Musical Theatre Cobham Village Hall Cobham, Surrey 01372 458163 Star Quality 03 - 08 November 2008 South Shields Westovian Theatre Society Pier Pavilion South Shields, Tyne & Wear
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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DIARY 0191 456 0980 Steel Magnolias 21 - 29 November 2008 Kibworth Theatre Company Kibworth Grammar School Hall Kibworth, Leics 07950 306968 Stepping Out 04 - 06 December 2008 Hayes Players Hayes Village Hall Hayes Street, Kent 020 8462 5194 www.hayesplayers.org.uk 21 - 25 October 2008 The Willington Players Hazlitt Theatre Maidstone , Kent 01622 758611 Summer Holiday 14 - 18 October 2008 Allegro Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh, Midlothian 0131 332 0806 21 - 25 October 2008 Keighley Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Victoria Hall Keighley, W Yorks 01535 211421 Super Sleigh Ride 11 - 13 December 2008 Lindsey Rural Players The Broadbent Theatre Wickenby, Lincs 01673 885500 Sweeney Todd 27 October - 01 November 2008 Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Soc Little Theatre Torquay, Devon 01803 299330 28 October - 01 November 2008 Keynsham Youth Theatre Broadlands School Keynsham, Bristol 0117 986 4860
Tal of the City 26 - 29 November 2008 St Austell Players St Austell Arts Theatre St Austell, Cornwall 01726 879500
The Hollow 20 - 22 November 2008 Bungay Theatre Group The Fisher Theatre Bungay, Suffolk 01986 897130
Talking Heads 16 - 25 October 2008 Sutton Arts Theatre Sutton Arts Theatre Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 355 5355
12 - 15 November 2008 Stafford Players The Gatehouse Theatre Stafford 01785 254653
The Anniversary 15 - 18 October 2008 The Oxted Players The Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 724852
The Love of Four Colonels by Peter Ustinov 20 - 22 November 2008 Amateur Players of Sherborne The Digby Hall, Hound Street Sherborne, Dorset 01935 431321
The Borrowers 18 - 22 November 2008 Leeds Childrens Theatre Carriageworks Theatre Leeds, West Yorkshire 0113 224 3801
The M Factor 22 - 22 November 2008 Audley Players Audley Little Theatre Audley, Staffs 7504610071
The Curious Savage 12 - 15 November 2008 Preston Drama Club Preston Playhouse Preston, Lancs 01772 744771
The Merry Wives of Windsor 05 - 08 November 2008 Fife Opera Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife 01592 596904
The Fix 24 - 29 November 2008 Deeside Musical Society Theatre, Deeside Community Centre Aboyne, Aberdeenshire 01339 886222 The Ghost Train 19 - 22 November 2008 The Ashtead Players Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall Ashtead, Surrey 01737 640352 12 - 15 November 2008 Wymondham Players Central Hall, Back Lane Wymondham, Norfolk 01953 605523
27 - 30 November 2008 Chippenham Light Opera Group Neeld hall Chippenham, Wilts 01249 721171
19 - 22 November 2008 Ruislip Dramatic Society Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middlesex 01895 637422/01895 673200 www.ruislipdramatic.org
Sweet Charity 20 - 25 October 2008 Adlington Music & Arts Society Adlington Community Centre Chorley, Lancs 01257 480166
The Graduate 26 - 29 November 2008 Stevenage Lytton Players The Lytton Theatre, Vardon Road Stevenage, Herts 01483 726847
24 - 29 November 2008 New Mills Am Op & Dram Society Art Theatre New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire 01663 743461
The Heiress by Ruth & Augustus Goetz 27 - 29 November 2008 Avonside Players Wesley Hall, Old Town Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks 01789 296789
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The Odd Couple (female version) 20 - 22 November 2008 The Grayshott Stagers The Village Hall Grayshott, Hants 01428 605464 The Producers 03 - 08 November 2008 Worthing Musical Comedy Society Connaught Theatre Worthing, W Sussex 01903 206206 The Ragged Child 15 - 18 October 2008 Gasleak Theatre Company Melton Theatre Melton Mowbray, Leics 01664 851111 The Rock Shop 20 - 22 November 2008 Thornton Cleveleys Youth Theatre The Little Theatre Thornton, Lancs 01253 860856 The Secretary Bird 23 - 25 October 2008 Kings Lynn Op & Dramatic Society Kings Lynn Arts Centre Kings Lynn, Norfolk 01553 764864 The Three Musketeers - Le Panteau 16 - 18 October 2008 Maldon Drama Group Town Hall
Maldon, Essex 01621 854289 The Three Towns Operatic Society in Concert 21 - 22 November 2008 Three Towns Operatic Society Lowton Civic Hall Lowton, Cheshire 01942 897053 The X-Press Factor 28 October - 01 November 2008 Variety Express Plinston Hall Letchworth Garden City, Herts 01767 600330 There Goes The Bride 29 October - 01 November 2008 Wilmslow Guild Players Wilmslow Guild Wilmslow, Cheshire 01625 520126 www.wgp.org.uk There Goes The Bride 27 - 29 November 2008 Thornton-le-Dale Players Village Hall Thornton-le-Dale, nr Pickering, N Yorks 01751 474335 Thoroughly Modern Millie 14 - 18 October 2008 Maidenhead Mus Comedy Society Desborough Suite, Maidenhead Town Hall Maidenhead, Berks 01628 624798 23 October - 01 November 2008 Swindon ALOS Wyvern Theatre Swindon, Wilts 01793 524481 24 October - 01 November 2008 Hereford Musical Theatre Company The Courtyard Hereford, Herefordshire 0870 1122330 03 - 08 November 2008 Rotherham & District Teachers Operatic Society Civic Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 03 - 08 November 2008 Newcastle Musical Theatre Co Theatre Royal Newcastle upon Tyne, 08448 112121 04 - 08 November 2008 Local Amateur Music Players Royal Victoria Hall Theatre Southborough, Kent 0845 241 2573 11 - 15 November 2008 Halifax Light Opera Society Victoria Theatre Halifax, W Yorks
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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DIARY 17 - 22 November 2008 Knighton Park Amateur Op Soc The Little Theatre Leicester, Leics 01509 816592
Burley Millennium Theatre Group Queens Hall, Main Street Burley-in-Wharfedale, W Yorks 01943 863478
03 - 08 November 2008 Newcastle Upon Tyne Musical Theatre Company Theatre Royal Newcastle Upon Tyne 0870 9055060
Trival Pursuit - A play by Frank Vickery 25 - 29 November 2008 Company of the Curtain The Parish Hall Water Orton, Warks 0121 747 2139
Three One-Act Plays 23 - 25 October 2008 Wetherby Drama Group Linton Memorial Hall Linton-Wetherby, Yorkshire 01904 782466
Under Milkwood 05 - 08 November 2008 Second Thoughts Drama Group Civic Hall Stratford upon Avon, Warks 01789 299621
Time of My Life 22 - 25 October 2008 Godalming Theatre Group The Ben Travers Theatre Godalming, Surrey 01483 425556
Valentino 11 - 18 October 2008 Talisman Theatre Company Talisman Theatre, Barrow Road Kenilworth, Warks 01926 856548
Titanic 12 - 15 November 2008 Herne Bay Operatic Society The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Kent 01227 787787
Wait Until Dark 19 - 22 November 2008 Pattingham Drama Group Pattingham Village Hall Wolverhampton, W Midlands 01902 700918
16 - 22 November 2008 Henley-on-Thames Op & Dram Soc Kenton Theatre Henley on Thames, Oxon 01491 575698
Waiting for Godot 06 - 08 November 2008 Richmond Amateur Dram Society Georgian Theatre Royal Richmond, N Yorks 01748 825252
To Kill a Mockingbird 30 October - 08 November 2008 Gallery Players Sir John Mills Theatre Ipswich, Suffolk
Wallop on Tour 25 - 29 November 2008 Wallington Operatic & Dram Soc Wallington Public Hall Wallington, Surrey 020 8642 7590
Tom, Dick and Harry 22 - 25 October 2008 Todmorden Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Todmorden Hippodrome Todmorden, Lancs 01706 818181 Tons of Money 13 - 15 November 2008 Bidborough DS Bidborough Village Hall Tunbridge Wells, Kent 01892 523499 Topping the Pops 29 October - 01 November 2008 Dawlish Operatic Society Shaftesbury Theatre Dawlish, Devon 01626 863061 Treasure Island 29 October - 01 November 2008 Eastbourne Operatic & Dramatic Society Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, E Sussex 01323 412000 10 - 13 December 2008
West End Calling 26 - 29 November 2008 Banstead & Nork Amateur Operatic Society Banstead Community Hall Banstead, Surrey 01737 370344 West End Highlights 2 The New Millennium 21 - 25 October 2008 Keynsham Light Opera Group Saltford Hall Saltford, Bristol, 0117 986 3399
01935 422884
0121 704 6962
19 - 22 November 2008 Southend on Sea Operatic & Dramatic Society Cliffs Pavilion Southend on Sea, Essex 01702 351135
18 - 22 November 2008 Potato Room Players Leeds City Varieties Music Hall Leeds, Yorkshire 08456 441 881
01 - 06 December 2008 Mosley OADS George Lawton Centre Mosley, 01457 870875 www.maods.org When the Curtain Falls (Murder Mystery) 11 - 15 November 2008 Luton St Andrews Players Stopsley High School Luton, Bedfordshire 01582 725975 White Horse Inn 29 October - 01 November 2008 Cowbridge Amateur Dramatic Society Llantwit Major School Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan 01656 881907
WYRD Sisters 07 - 08 November 2008 Ace Theatre Company Chequer Mead Theatre East Grinstead, West Sussex 01342 302000 Yeoman of the Guard 04 - 08 November 2008 Erdington Operatic Society Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 0121 360 6627
TO PLACE YOUR DIARY ENTRY IN AMATEUR STAGE PLEASE SEND YOUR LISTING TO diary@asmagazine.co.uk
Witches Of Eastwick 14 - 18 October 2008 Epsom Light Opera Company Epsom Playhouse Epsom, 0208 715 4048 15 - 18 October 2008 The Kings Lynn Players Corn Exchange Kings Lynn, Norfolk 01553 764864 29 October - 01 November 2008 Sainsbury Singers The Hexagon Reading, Berks 0118 960 6060 04 - 08 November 2008 Finchley & Friern Barnet Operatic Society Millfield Theatre Edmonton, London 020 8482 6923 11 - 15 November 2008 New Lyric Operatic Company Grand Opera House Belfast, N. Ireland 02890 241919
West End Nights II 28 - 29 November 2008 Wimborne Musical Theatre Society Tivoli Theatre Wimborne, Dorset 01202 885566
Wizard of Oz 27 - 29 October 2008 Port Talbot & District Amateur Operatic Society Princess Royal Theatre Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot 01639 896228
West Side Story 29 October - 01 November 2008 Yeovil Youth Theatre Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset
17 - 22 November 2008 St Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company Solihull Arts Complex Solihull, W Midlands
AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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CLASSIFIEDS WIGS FOR YOUR NEXT PRODUCTION? Call Derek Easton on 01273 588262 or 07768166733 www.derekeastonwigs.co.uk Email: wigs@derekeastonwigs.co.uk Individual artists or complete shows. (Mikado, Me & My Girl, Patience, Amadeus, Restoration, Pantomimes and more) . 1 Dorothy Ave, Peacehaven East Sussex BN10 8LP
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ONE ACT PLAYS by HARRY GLASS Award Winning Scottish Playwright. www.harryglass.org.uk or for a free catalogue Email: admin@harryglass.org.uk
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AS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2008
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Love grows in the most unexpected places
Poland 1942. Where freedom was found through imagination. Where hope and laughter could conquer fear. Where love knew no boundaries.
From 4 November
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