Amateur Stage Magazine Sept 2010 by Amateur Stage Limited

amateurstage 64th THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE SEPTEMBER 2010 www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

£2.95

BIRTHDAY ISSUE

NATIONAL NEWS ROSS SUMMER SCHOOL NATIONAL SHOW DIARY SELLING YOUR SHOW WEBSITE REVIEWS SCRIPT REVIEWS

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John Morley’s Pantomimes “The Doyen Of Good Pantomime Writers (The Times 1994)

Cinderella Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Peter Pan Babes in the Wood Beauty and the Beast The Sleeping Beauty Puss in Boots Red Riding hood Humpty Dumpty Wizard of OZ Mother Goose “No one knows more about Panto than John Morley (Sunday Times) From Noda LTD. 58-60 Lincoin Road, Peterborough PE1 2RZ (01733 865790)

Aladdin Robinson Crusoe Goldilocks & The Three Bears Pinocchio Jack and the beanstalk The Wind in the Willows Sinbad The Sailor Dick Whittington “Written byJohn Morley, this is Panto at its best” (The Guardian) From Samuel French LTD 52 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 5JR (020 7387 9373)

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amateurstagesep10 FROM THE EDITOR Thank you for joining us this month, as we celebrate our 64th Birthday. In preparation for the digitisation of our archive we’ve had a nostalgic month of going through some of our back issues, and it’s incredible to see just how the amateur theatre community has developed over those 64 years. It’s our hope that every single issue from our past will be available online by the end of this year, and we hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we have. I’m pleased to welcome Tony Gibbs, Chief Executive of NODA as a contributor this month. I found his viewpoint quite insightful and I’m sure it will challenge a lot of people to rethink their ideas on amateur theatre. Just as this magazine has had to adapt and grow so too it is imperative that our processes and aims change too. I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. Doug

THIS MONTH 5

NEWS

COMMENT

Tony Gibbs discusses the future of amateur theatre.

ROSS SUMMER SCHOOL

Julian Cound looks at ROSS Summer School.

PRODUCTION DIARY

Comprehensive show listings for October & November

INSURANCE

Robert Israel ASCII discusses the latest insurance issues.

MARKETING YOUR SHOW

Derek Webb looks at getting the punters in to your show.

ONLINE

Ian Hornby highlights some great online resources.

PLAYSCRIPT REVIEWS

David Muncaster reviews the latest offerings.

News from around the country.

the last word

credits Published monthly by Amateur Stage Limited Under license from BB Media Suite 404 Albany House, 324/326 Regent Street, London W1B 3HH www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk Editor - Douglas Mayo : editor@asmagazine.co.uk Subscriptions/ Diary Listings : diary@asmagazine.co.uk Advertising : Craig Davies: craig@asmagazine.co.uk P: 0203 006 2514 All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of Amateur Stage. The views and opinions expressed by the contributors to this magazine may not necessarily represent the views of Amateur Stage.

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A brand new company arrives in Huddersfield this month offering a big platform for budding young opera singers. Huddersfield Youth Opera launches on September 25 with a gala concert featuring some of the brightest new opera talents around. It is a night that should have quite a sense of occasion, not least because for some of the 30 or so young singers who will be performing on the main stage at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, it will be a nerve-wracking debut in company with a full orchestra. That orchestra is Huddersfield Philharmonic and the evening offers a real chance for opera fans to hear young singers of the future. David Heathcote, general director of the company and an accomplished singer, said: “It is a great learning experience for them. “We have people aspiring to opera careers and this whole project will be very useful for them. “For some of them, it will be the first time that they have sung on stage with a full orchestra. “A lot of them have been or are at music colleges, but not all will have had this kind of experience in front of an audience.” When the company auditioned for company members back in June, they saw singers from this country and from Europe. “One singer flew in from Amsterdam to audition for us which seems to indicate that we are right in thinking that there are few opportunities of this kind available for up and coming singers,” said David. “We also have a young singer from Holmfirth who really impressed us.” Although the company aims to showcase the talents of emerging young opera professionals, it is run on an amateur, voluntary basis. Five of the creative team behind this new venture were also involved with Opus 1, the Huddersfield based opera company which closed three years ago. “Opus 1 achieved great things in promoting the talents of young singers, and I’m very pleased that its ambitions and its vocal and artistic strengths can continue through this new venture,” said David. “The main difference between the two projects is that Opus 1 was a professional company and Huddersfield Youth Opera is for amateurs. We are all doing this for the love of it.” The creative team working towards that September 25 performance is led by artistic director Jonathan Clift who has worked as staff director at Welsh National Opera and Opera North. Conductor Fraser Goulding is a former professor of opera at Guildhall. His conducting career includes D’Oyly Carte Opera, Raymond Gubbay Productions, Swansea City Opera and Opus 1. “We have people in our team who are very experienced who can assess very well where young singers are and whether they are ready for particular roles,” said David. Rehearsals begin in Huddersfield in mid September with just a couple of weeks intensive preparation for a gala which will be costumed and semi-staged. The programme should be well received by opera fans as it includes a number of favourites such as The Drinking Song (Libiamo!) from La Traviata, The Flower Duet from Lakme, the beautiful Song to the Moon from Rusalka, and scenes from Carmen, Dido & Aeneas, Fidelio, La Bohème, The Marriage of Figaro and Die Fledermaus. Various scenes will be sung in English, Italian and German. This is a chance for opera fans to show their support for a new generation of singers brought together from colleges, conservatoires and studios across the country. The company hopes to go on to stage a full opera performance in Huddersfield next autumn. They need your support for this debut show. Tickets are £8 to £12 (plus concessions) from the box office on 01484 430528 or via the website: www.thelbt.org

Chairman Ian Robinson said: “It used to be called The Electric Empire and showed short films and musical acts. “It ran as a theatre until 1955, then for a brief spell became a wrestling hall and a car showroom, before it was bought by CADOS in 1959.” It was officially opened in 1960. Membership Secretary, Lindsey Dickinson, 29 and a full-time GP in her ‘spare’ time, has been involved with the society for more than half of her life. She said: “We do four plays a year, one musical and a pantomime and we do youth theatre shows as well. But the theatre is also open to anyone so we get some really good people here doing stand-up as well.” On top of all that, the building is also home to Chorley Empire Community Cinema, formerly Chorley Film Society, and is used by other groups as well. Brian Clarke, 57, has been a member of CADOS for 15 years as an actor and director. He said: “There is nothing else in Chorley. There is no cinema... If this closed there would be nothing! “We get lots of support from the community, but nobody is paid here. Thank God the people of Chorley turn up to see us. “Bums on seats, that’s the way we have raised the money for the building work.” Since rotten timbers were found in the roof last year, the CADOS team have spent £110,000 on repairs and renovations, extending and refurbishing the bar, the ladies’ changing rooms, the kitchen, and decorating the outside of the building. A further £40,000 is being spent on creating a self-contained and sound-proof rehearsal space at the back of the stage which should be finished sometime next year. Described as a “very friendly bunch”, the society is also not short of accolades, having just picked up four cups at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association Awards. 55-year-old Barbara Wilcox still makes the trip to Chorley, despite now living in Blackpool. “I have been directing for about 10 years now, seven pantos and five plays so far. “The people are fabulous, and where else do you get the keys to your own theatre? “I feel very very privileged and I just really love this theatre.” Barbara is directing the next play “Noises Off”, which is a comedy about a theatre company, and runs from September 10th to 18th, at the Theatre on Dole Lane. To find out more, or if you want to get involved as a volunteer, visit www.chorleylittletheatre.com or call 01257 264362.

news

YOUTH OPERA COMPANY LAUNCHES IN HUDDERSFIELD

All the news that’s fit to print

A HUNDRED (AND 50) ENCORES It’s not every year that you get to celebrate your 50th and 100th birthdays at the same time. But, for a group of amateur dramatists who perform on one of Lancashire’s best loved amateur stages, this is the BIG one! Chorley Little Theatre building, on Dole Lane, has been standing for 100 years and the people who moved in to turn it back into a theatre 50 years ago, Chorley Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (CADOS), are still going strong.

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NEWS guaranteed to raise a smile or two. Keighley audiences are very astute when it comes to watching a good play and getting value for money. They tell us what they like and we respond positively.” Ticket prices will remain at the same price as last year for the entire season, which marks the theatre’s 40th anniversary. Mr Moore said: “The curtain goes up at the start of the season with a comedy of excellence, followed by a potent and intoxicating thriller then moves on to a children’s favourite. “We open the New Year with a comedy about life, then a stalwart of inherent comedic value, tagged on with a haunting drama before finally bringing the season to a close with a farce of mistaken identities and misunderstandings. It makes it a season not to be missed.”

Fire - damaged theatre in Long Eaton reopens A Derbyshire theatre that was gutted by fire back in 2003 has officially reopened after being rebuilt at a cost of £250,000. The gala opening of the Duchess in Long Eaton this weekend featured performances by 70 actors from eight different amateur drama societies. The venue, once an old Methodist church, has a new stage and auditorium, as well as space for regular coffee mornings. Work cost £250,000. Leon Wade, one of the volunteers, said it had been a labour of love. He said: “The determination of the members and the societies to come together and get it rebuilt, as a passion, was brilliant, and that’s what’s brought us here today.” A lot of the money for rebuilding came from local fundraisers. The cause of the original fire has never been determined.

Theatre group’s cunning plan to stage Blackadder

Sitting comfortably for drama season Keighley Playhouse is hoping for lots of bums on new seats as it prepares for its new season. The amateur theatre group is installing new seating while its Devonshire Street theatre is closed for the summer. And it has unveiled a season of seven comedies and dramas aimed at meeting its regular audiences’ tastes. The “adaptable, flexible and strong” chairs are being installed despite controversy earlier this year over their choice. Treasurer Mike Boothroyd resigned his post after 20 years because audience members had called for existing seats to be refurbished rather than replaced. Kevin Moore, the chairman, said the new chairs had an “assured comfort factor” that would attract support from patrons. He said: “Our audience told us they requested more leg-room and comfort and we have taken the best advice possible without losing the number of seats while adding durability and high quality.” Mr Moore said the new programme of plays showcased the most talented writers, from Alan Bennett to Michael Pertwee and John Chapman. He said: “They are all

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When it came to choosing what to perform as their summer show, members of Bolton amateur dramatics society the Marco Players came up with a plan so cunning you could brush your teeth with it. They decided that it was time Bolton was treated to a theatrical version of the popular television series Blackadder, originally starring Rowan Atkinson. Not to be put off by the fact that the show has rarely been performed on stage before, the enterprising crew emailed the show’s creator Richard Curtis to ask permission to use his scripts — and were pleasantly surprised when it was granted, on the condition that any money raised was donated to Comic Relief. The hugely popular television show has never been officially adapted for the stage, as it has been performed only a handful of times, and so the company are to be provided with copies of the television script for adaptation. They will be using episodes from series two of the show, which was set in Elizabethan England, and the show will be directed by longstanding Marco member Peter Haslam. Jason Crompton, from the Marco Players, said: “Originally we were intending to do a selection from the first three series, but we realised it might make costuming a bit difficult. “But if this is successful we do plan to do more series in future seasons.” Now they are hoping that the BBC will lend them costumes from the original series. “We have contacted the BBC to ask about the costumes,” said Jason. “I saw a documentary about the show where Miranda Richardson discovered some of her Queen Elizabeth costumes, so we are hoping to be lucky for a second time — and if you don’t ask you don’t get!” Auditions will be held soon, although unsurprisingly local actors are already clamouring for parts. “We have had a tremendous response from everyone so far,” said Jason. The show will run on July 15th and 16th next year, at the Marco Players’ regular venue at Chorley Old Road Methodist Church. For more information, ring 01204 841561 or 01204 306605.

Cockermouth marks 100 years of amateur dramatics A pictorial book on the history of amateur dramatics in Cockermouth was launched

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on Saturday. More than 100 amateur actors, writers and relatives of people who appear in the book gathered at the Kirkgate Centre for the launch of Cockermouth Amateur Theatre – A Pictorial History, which was written by Cockermouth Museum Group member Greg Greenhalgh. The group was granted £5,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund last year to research and publish the book. Mr Greenhalgh, 61, of Cedar Lodge, Papcastle, decided to go ahead with the project when the granddaughter of Lizzie Wilson, the founding member of Cockermouth Operatic Society, donated a case full of photographs, newspaper cuttings and programmes. “I am absolutely delighted with the book and appreciative of everyone who turned up tonight, especially Melvyn Bragg who gave a wonderful speech,” he said. “I think it is just the ticket that Cockermouth needs after everything that’s happened over the past few months.” Peter Hodgson, a former member of Cockermouth Amateur Dramatic Society, said: “I helped Greg in a very small way by giving him a few photos and helping him with a few names of people who I was in the group with years ago. I think the book is really good for the town and reflects its history of amateur theatre beautifully. He’s done a marvellous job of putting it all together.” Copies of the book, which covers the years 1900 to 2000, will be available from Cockermouth, Maryport, Keswick and Workington libraries, Cockermouth Tourist Information Centre and the Kirkgate Centre.

The Young People’s Musical Theatre Scheme will start this September and is being provided through the Performing Arts Fund, which receives revenue from the phone votes of shows such as I’d Do Anything and this year’s Over the Rainbow. Individual grants of up to £5,000, from a total of £200,000, will be on offer to nonprofessional theatre groups that are either made up entirely of members under the age of 25 or which have a youth section and are involved in musical theatre productions. The money will be available to groups which are looking to invest in training and development opportunities or experiment with ways of attracting new members or audiences. This scheme is the first from the fund to target amateur theatre companies, and follows on from last year’s Choral Ambition, which was aimed at providing grants to choirs from around the UK. It will run alongside the annual Training in Musical Theatre scheme, which provides financial aid to students undertaking a musical theatre course and has this year awarded £150,000 to students. BBC Performing Arts Fund manager Miriam O’Keeffe said the money could be used by companies looking to do “something more ambitious than they would normally do”, such as bringing in a choreographer to work on a production, hiring a live band or sending some members off on training courses. She said the grants are aimed at theatre companies where members are under 25 and already stage musicals, but said a theatre company wanting to try out musical theatre for the first time would also be considered. “Because our funding primarily comes from musical theatre shows we want to reflect that back to the sector,” she said. The BBC is working with the Media Trust, the Voluntary Arts Network and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association on the project. NODA chief executive Tony Gibbs said he wanted the scheme to encourage amateur theatre groups to “develop innovative proposals for projects which would not otherwise be possible”. He said NODA would support groups by helping them develop ideas for suitable projects and added: “Many amateur theatre groups lack the resources and skills to provide training and development opportunities for young people. The support of the BBC Performing Arts Fund comes at a much needed time for amateur theatre, with many groups facing the challenges of how to attract audiences, get more young people involved at all levels and addressing the various financial issues which have been exacerbated by the current economic climate.” The scheme, full details of which have yet to be announced, will launch on September 27th, with theatre groups having until the end of November to apply.

New book chronicling history of Swansea theatre It was where Catherine Zeta-Jones appeared in some of her first stage performances and a young Richard Burton acted alongside future Carry On star Kenneth Williams. Now a book billed by publishers as the “first definitive history” of Swansea’s Grand Theatre is about to hit the bookshops. The theatre, now a mix of classic Victorian architecture with a modern touch, was opened in 1897 by the world-famous opera star Dame Adelina Patti, who lived in her own castle in the upper Swansea Valley. The Grand was designed for original proprietors, Morell and Mouillot, by Newcastle architect William Hope. Others to have performed there include arch Goon, singer, actor and comedian, Sir Harry Secombe, Welsh entertainers Ryan and Ronnie, Stan Stennett, Max Boyce and Ivor Emanuel, who famously led the rendition of Men of Harlech in the 1964 film Zulu. Swansea’s Grand is written by Ian Parsons, a former model maker at Swansea’s Corgi Toys factory in Fforestfach and a long-time Grand patron, and published by Bryngold Books. Bryngold publisher David Roberts said: “The Grand has become famous in its own right, with a long list of well-known names having a soft spot for it, having done rep or panto there. “It’s one of the oldest surviving purpose-built theatres in Britain and, despite being opened in Queen Victoria’s day, it continues to play a vital role in Swansea’s cultural life in 2010,” he added. Swansea’s Grand, by Ian Parsons, published by Bryngold Books, is released later this month, priced £18

BBC announces funding for amateur musical theatre Amateur performance groups will have the chance to apply for a slice of £200,000 funding under a new scheme to be launched by the BBC, aimed at encouraging young people to take part in musical theatre.

Amateurs to get first taste of £113m RST

Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd has revealed the reopening programme for the company’s transformed £112.8 million Stratford-upon-Avon home, with an increased focus on amateur theatre. Boyd described the new venue, which features a re-imagined 1,000-seat main auditorium with a thrust stage and a revamped Swan Theatre, as a “miraculous marriage of the ambitious, the large scale, the epic and the intimate”. He added that he wanted to use its opening to put amateur theatre “centre stage” and help overcome the “crucifix and garlic” attitude between professional and amateur sectors. “As part of a programme of work between now and 2012 with the World Shakespeare Festival, we are very interested in trying to renegotiate the relationship between amateur theatre and professional theatre in this country. We’re sticking the amateurs centre stage with our opening - with an open house night of local amateur performers, with another night where there’s amateur choirs from across the UK, as well as a major thing from school kids.” He added: “There’s been a sort of crucifix and garlic mutual relationship between the amateur sector and the professional sector for too long. It’s been fine for professionals

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NEWS to work in ‘community theatre’, that’s been kosher, but to actually acknowledge that quite a substantial proportion of people working in professional theatre started out in local amateur groups, that is a well kept secret. “People pretend they know nothing about it, but it is the case. I think there is something about the relationship that an amateur theatre has with its audience that we in the professional theatre can learn from, and there are obviously skills that we can share.” The redeveloped RST and Swan theatres will open on November 24 with a four-month programme of preview events and activities around the building. These will include the amateur activities and exhibitions, as well as tours around the building and events such as My RSC Gallery - where boxes of art created by audiences are embedded into the walls of the new venue - or an ‘interactive insult throne’, where audiences can sit and have Shakespearean insults thrown at them. Full productions on the RST stage will begin in February 2011, when the current ensemble’s King Lear and Romeo and Juliet are transferred into the venue. Meanwhile, The Swan’s reopening programme will include a new puppet version of The Tempest created by Little Angel Theatre, a sung interpretation of The Rape of Lucrece by Camille O’Sullivan and Love is My Sin, an interpretation of Shakespeare’s sonnets by Peter Brook. Barrie Rutter and Roger Rees will also perform their one-man shows about Shakespeare in the Swan. Boyd said that the preview programme across the two spaces, which also includes a concert performance by O’Sullivan and work by Geraldine Pilgrim, would see the company “reaching out consciously for new audiences”. The first brand new Shakespeare productions to be staged will not be until April 2011 and are yet to be announced. RSC executive director Vikki Heywood added that the new building would be more expensive to run than the old venue, but stressed that there would be extra income streams, with the RSC taking its catering operation in-house. The RSC still has £5 million left to secure to meet the total cost of the project and fundraising will continue for another five months. So far, donations have come from 13,000 people in 55 countries. Ticket prices at the reopened RST will have increased in line with inflation - from £52 for top price tickets to £56 in the new theatre. A simplified pricing structure will be employed and Heywood stressed that the RSC would keep its discounted £5 ticket offer for 16 to 25 year olds

one night during this year’s Festival; however, with such a wide selection of plays and entries from both local theatre companies and those from further afield, I am sure that they will choose to attend more than one evening. “We have maintained value for money ticket prices again for 2010. Our popular Season Ticket has been improved - buy 4 or more tickets online for the competitive performance evenings and all Tickets will be discounted to £5”. Details: 52nd Woking Drama Festival 5th - 9th and 12th - 16th October, 2010 Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Peacock Centre, Woking Curtain up 7.30pm each night, except 6.30pm final night. Tickets £6 per night. Season Tickets: £20 Final night only: £10 Phone 01932 702091 or email chelen.m@gmail.com. For more information, or to book online, go to www.wokingdramafestival.org.uk.

Preston one act Play Festival 2010 The Preston One Act Play Festival was held recently in June at Preston Playhouse. The festival was formed nineteen years ago to encourage new directors,writers and performers. Here are the results of the festival entries from the adjudicator Sue mcKay Best Director Therese Ball, Hoghton Players Best Performance Dean Wallace Longton Players Best Individual Achievement Steve Pearce for new writing Preston Drama Club Adjudicator’s Award Stage Set Hall Players Overall Production Longton Players Fumed Oak Any one interested in the festival contact Adrienne Hurley hurley332@hotmail.com

WOKING DRAMA FESTIVAL The Woking Drama Association is staging the 52nd annual Woking Drama Festival, which takes place at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking, from 5th to 16th October. Each night of the festival will see two or three one-act plays, presented by amateur theatre enthusiasts from all over the south of England. including several prominent drama groups from the Woking area. The plays will be adjudicated by Jan Palmer-Sayer, a member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators. At the end of the festival, Mrs Palmer-Sayer will announce which plays she wishes to see performed again on the final night, after which the presentation of awards, including Best Play, will be made. Tickets cost from £6 per night and are available from the WDA box office on 01932 702091. Stewart Mison, WDA Chairman says: “The Woking Drama Association is dedicated to bringing quality amateur drama to the area. Over the years the Woking Festival has grown to become one of the largest drama competitions in the British Isles and certainly one of the most respected for its quality of performance allied to a wonderful auditorium and stage complete with up-to-date sound and lighting facilities. “As usual, we have attracted some new companies alongside our regular participants to provide a wide and varied programme of 21 one-act plays over our 2 week run, including 6 new plays hitting the stage for the first time. It is so rewarding to have playwrights bring their new work to Woking. “I hope that people will come and join all of us, both on stage and off stage, for at least

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JOSEF WEINBERGER PLAYS

Josef Weinberger Plays is proud to announce the release of three new acting editions of plays by Arthur Miller.

ALL MY SONS: Cast: 6M, 4F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 312 0 A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE: Cast: 12M, 3F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 327 4 THE CRUCIBLE: Cast: 11M, 10F - ISBN: 978 0 85676 317 5 The scripts for these are all priced at £8.00

IT’S PANTO TIME! Its nearly time for Panto season and for those of you looking for a seaonal alternative, then Josef Weinberger has some interesting titles that might be just what you are looking for; embracing the festivities with the same comedic appetite as pantomime, but with a little more comedic drama!

Latest News from Josef Weinberger We have a brand new website that has just gone live. Please visis us at:

Gordon Steel

A KICK IN THE BAUBLES Cast: 4M, 5F (3M 3F possible with doubling) Peter Whelan and Bill Alexander

NATIVITY Cast: 10M, 6F (doubling possible) Daniel Wain

LOOK BEHIND YOU Cast: 5M,6F

www.josef-weinberger.com We’re adding new play information to our site all the time, so have a look and please feel free to drop us a line with any comments.

David Sedaris adapted by Joe Mantello THE SANTALAND DIARIES and

SEASONS’ GREETINGS One Act Monologues Cast: 1M, 1F Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten

CHRISTMAS BELLES Cast: 4M, 7F

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Josef Weinberger Plays 12-14 Mortimer Street London W1T 3 JJ T: 020 7927 7325 F: 020 7436 9616 E: plays@jwmail.co.uk

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comment Tony Gibbs, Chief Executive of NODA ponders the future of amateur theatre.

“for amateur theatre to continue to attract new (younger) practitioners, whether on stage, back stage or (the Holy Grail) to attract young people to sit on committees, means that the sector must also change and evolve. “

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The road ahead Happy Birthday Amateur Stage! As we blow out those imaginary 64 candles, let’s spare a thought for the changes in the amateur theatre sector since 1946. Have we lived though a ‘golden age’ of musicals, cutting edge drama, and witnessed a rebirth of interest in panto’s and Gilbert and Sullivan? Or are we entering a new era of risk averse productions where the only objective is to balance the budget? To answer those questions, it may help to take stock for a moment and consider some of the monumental changes in society that have inevitably had, and are still having, an influence on the hobby we all enjoy. The immediate post-war years are a fading memory for most of us, but the years of continued rationing, a sense of survival and rebuilding, and the discovery of ‘the teenager’, quickly launched the 1950’s, the era of rock and roll, television, and growing optimism. Is it just possible that sense of optimism contributed to many of the lavish musicals that found their way onto the cinema screen and the professional and amateur stage at that time? As the world lurched into the Cold War, and the Vietnam War seemed to start as soon as the Korean War had ended, there was a young charismatic President in the USA who all too soon was assassinated. The Space Race took off, and the Pill heralded a new age of liberation just as feminism was a term becoming more commonplace. On the back of student riots in sixties’ Paris and Ohio, the seventies brought Watergate, a loss of faith in government, and bombings in the UK. Isn’t it interesting to note with this backdrop, the sixties gave us shows such as Hair, Oliver, Joseph and The Sound of Music, which have all enjoyed recent revivals? The eighties saw the arrival of the personal computer, AIDS, the birth of the Yuppy, and growth in share ownership. The nineties witnessed the end of the Cold War, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the explosion of the internet, and the changing face of television and popular entertainment with quiz shows and the re-emergence of the talent show format as a hint of what was to come. As the twenty first century arrived, there was 9/11 and 7/7, and with Desert Storm a memory now some twenty years old, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to provide the backdrop to our lives. Entertainment now consists of hours spent every day on social networking sites, reading and replying to emails and text messages, multi-channel television now dominated by formulaic programming, and a West End catering increasingly for the tourist industry. Think about when you started in amateur theatre, and then reflect for a moment on what was going on around you at that time. Inevitably, the times we grow up in, have a huge impact on our personal values.. For example, if your formative years were the nineteen fifties or sixties, then your outlook may have been coloured more by traditional family values than today, where there are more single parent families than ever before. The days of the entire family gathering together for a meal once a week, let alone once every day, are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. And so on and so on… So what has all this got to do with amateur theatre? It’s got everything to do with amateur theatre! I have heard many times that amateur theatre societies are trying hard to make themselves more appealing to ‘young people’, more often than not followed by the complaint that ‘young people are not like we were’. It’s hardly surprising is it? Of course the young people of today (let’s say, the under 25’s) are not like the under 25’s of the nineteen sixties or seventies. Just look at what they have had, and still have to contend with. As my, albeit very superficial, introduction shows, the under 25’s have grown up in a society very different to the one which someone now in his/ her mid fifties (let alone older) was accustomed to, when in his/her mid-twenties.

entertainment than ever before available on your own laptop or phone. Entertainment on screen (whatever the size of the screen) is now being tailored by the individual to meet his/her particular interests. Where exactly does amateur theatre fit in alongside the ‘must watch’ next episode of your favourite reality TV show? Perhaps the real question is, what can amateur theatre learn from reality TV? A common concern I have also heard aired fairly often is that young people do not show the same loyalty to one amateur theatre society which the society committee members had shown in years past. “What has happened to commitment and the notion of long service?” Well, times have changed haven’t they? Maybe people generally (irrespective of age) simply don’t have the time anymore, disposable income, need to stay with one group over another… there may be a myriad of reasons, but rather than bemoan members who move from one society or group to another, maybe the time has come to simply accept that is now the norm? Alright, it’s different from how it used to be – but look at all the other differences which we have had to get used to over the past sixty four years. Amateur theatre does not exist in a vacuum, and so let us consider and respond to the changes all around us. Amateur theatre has survived for hundreds of years, but just as society continues to change, so too must amateur theatre. If ever there was a golden age, whenever it was is now in the past, and for amateur theatre to continue to attract new (younger) practitioners, whether on stage, back stage or (the Holy Grail) to attract young people to sit on committees, means that the sector must also change and evolve. It may seem a long road, and there are lots of uncertainties ahead, but my belief is that amateur theatre will continue to thrive, but that success will only be achieved with new blood coming in and bringing new and vibrant ideas. The past gives us our traditions and values, but let’s do all we can to encourage and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, acknowledge our differences, and look forward to amateur theatre being celebrated in 2074 and beyond.

Nowadays, there is increased competition for attention, with more

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

13/09/2010 15:24:59

In our July issue I discussed the growing need for companies across the country to look at their ticketing prices, in an effort to bring what we charge for our efforts to a more realistic level. There is little doubt that many groups are paralysed with fear and as a result are falling into dire financial straits as the costs of production spiral and ticketing income remains the same. It was heartening this month to receive the following email: “Dear Douglas Your article on ticket prices in the July issue struck a chord with us here in Bexhill. Our funds had been in something of a downward spiral in the last couple of years, necessitating a thorough review of expenditure and income. Ticket prices were a major consideration, but we had the same fears as those expressed in your article; would audiences drop if we raised prices and would we be worse off than before. Our major annual production here is the open air Shakespeare in mid summer. We had been charging £8 but this year we bit the bullet and put the price up to £10. We felt this was still good value for an open-air Shakespeare in a lovely setting – and for what is a well known “event” here in Bexhill. At the same time we dropped the £1 discount for Seniors, although we introduced a more generous concession of £3 for the under 18s. The thinking here was that many of the seniors who come to this event are likely to be able to afford the full price – and any discounts are more beneficial to youngsters and families. But it was not without some trepidation that we opened the Box Office with these new prices which, for seniors, were over 40% up on last year (£7 up to £10). I am pleased to report that we had the highest paying audience for 9 years, with virtually no adverse comment about the higher prices or the lack of a seniors’ discount. Our funds have benefitted significantly as a result of this move and we are well pleased. You are right to quote things like time, effort and especially financial commitment associated with staging productions. In addition to the cost of mounting individual productions we have overheads to recoup. The cost of our Headquarters and for Insurance runs to £2,700 per year and we have to cover this somehow. We are not in this to make a profit – but we have to exist and to do that we have to charge an economic price for what we are offering. From our recent experience it does seem that people are willing to pay the extra pound or two for something they want to see. It is after all a relatively cheap evening out and good value for money. I think you are right to suggest that we may have been undervaluing ourselves. If we continue to charge low prices then that is what people will come to expect. Perhaps it is all about a change of mindset on both sides, so that our patrons expect to pay a reasonable but more appropriate price - and we can feel more confident about charging it. With best regards Keith Harwood Treasurer, Bexhill Amateur Theatrical Society”

My 6-year-old daughter’s ticket cost is £13, which I find outrageous for a 6-year-old. I thought at least it would be half that price for children. Dont get me wrong, I’m not trying to in anyway undermine the actors’ worth or anything like that, as I think they do a great job. It’s just it doesn’t seem right that there should only be £2 difference between my ticket and a child of this age. After all, this is only Halifax and not the West End where you might expect higher pricing. I don’t know who sets these cost brackets but surely I’m not alone in thinking that this is a bit much. Mrs Sarah Ogden” This comment raised a lot of debate amoungst readers in relationship to what was fair. After all a seat is a seat whether it is occupied by an adult or a child. It’s a cold hard fact that many bigger West End productions with younger appeal such as Lion King have realised. Look at most major West End Productions an you will note that very few childrens discounts still exist. Pricing is based on seating location and family offers apply at certain performances and certain time of the year but the old days of half price children’s tickets are long gone. I also noted with interest Mrs Ogden’s comments about expecting high prices in the West End. The average price for a stalls ticket to a West End Musical at the moment stands in the vicinity of £35, surely paying £15 (less than half that price) is reasonable. Indeed, having taken a look at the Victoria Theatre’s website, I noted with interest that a touring professional production of Tell Me On A Sunday was selling for £25 with a cast of one!!! There is no doubt that great disparity exists in pricing charged by groups across the country but the fact remains, groups should be making a reasonable return on their investment. Bexhill have proven that small steps can bring greater security but we still need to address wider issues of just what people expect for their money. In these times of modern technology I wonder how many audience members would be satisfied to watch a musical without the modern convenience of radio microphones? These devides are expensive but enhance an audiences experience. If amateur groups stopped trying to present high quality productions would audiences still want to attend? Let me know your thoughts. As I mentioned in my last article, it’s not an issue that can be tackled in isolation. One group sticking their neck out doesn’t solve the problem but sharing experiences is a great way to start. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences on ticket pricing. Douglas Mayo Editor editor@asmagazine.co.uk

comment

THE TICKET PRICE DEBATE CONTINUES

The ticket prices debate continues. Are we really charging enough for our productions?

After such a great response, I was disheartened though to read the following in the Halifax Evening Courier:“I felt compelled to write to you on the matter of theatre ticket pricing. I am booked in to see the forthcoming performance of the Halifax Amateur Operatic Society’s Jesus Christ Superstar this coming Friday the 10th September. Myself and my family are avid supporters of the society and usually try to see one performance a year. It is just on this occasion however that I feel strongly that the children’s tickets are not good value for money in comparison to my ticket cost. I will explain why. My chosen seat costs £15, which I am happy to pay for this type of production.

SEPTEMBER 2010 | AMATEUR STAGE

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

TRAINING

anyone soon feel right at home. After a brief introduction to the School by the Course Director, students move into their chosen classes to sing through the audition pieces…. at this point students can still put their names down to audition – or scrub their name off the list.

AUDITIONS… Sunday morning is audition time. Individuals are asked to audition in front of the entire School in the studio theatre. This in itself is a great learning experience, not only do people face up to their ‘fear’ of auditioning but it is a chance to watch, maybe, fifty auditions of hugely varying styles. With each extract being ‘double cast’ there is ample opportunity for people to land a role.

WHAT IS ‘DOUBLE CASTING?’ At the end of the week students perform the extract they have been working on in front of an audience of friends, family and local amateur theatre enthusiasts. There are two performances of each extract on the final Saturday, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. If you land a principal role you will play that role in just one of the performances, for the second performance you will double as ‘chorus’ so in the week you not only have to learn your principal material but also the entire chorus work. This policy is hugely rewarding as from the very outset it creates a strong, supportive bond between people who are sharing a role.

CASTING… Directly following the auditions the casting committee – which is made up of the three Directors and Musical Directors of each class – discuss and cast each class. As this is a school, casting is not necessarily as it would be in your home society… often someone who gave a tentative audition is given the opportunity to play a role, their transformation as a person and their performance at the end of the week is often remarkable. Casts are announced to the School shortly after lunch on Sunday and then the hard work begins.

LEARNING THE MUSIC… It is essential that students, wherever possible, learn fully the music for their chosen class. A Musical Director has just three hours on Sunday afternoon and maybe five hours on Monday to get the class singing through the extract in full harmony and without books wherever possible…. After this time your Director starts ‘floorwork’.

ROSS SUMMER SCHOOL Performing. Learning. Friendship. Fun. These are possibly the four main reasons anyone becomes involved in amateur theatre. This is exactly what the ROSS Performance Summer School has been offering students from all corners of the globe for the past 60 years. The school continually attracts new students each year as well as those who make the week their annual ‘holiday’. It is a perfect opportunity for people of all abilities to work with a professional team of tutors to create musical theatre of the highest quality in just a matter of days.

HOW DOES IT WORK? A year in advance, the school chooses three completely different styles of show to perform. For 2010 the extracts were taken from ‘Parade’ the emotional telling of the trial of Leo Frank following the death of a 14 year old factory

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worker where Leo worked. The Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice favourite ‘Chess’ and a specially created song and dance extravaganza taking numbers from shows such as Footloose, Witches of Eastwick, Les Miserables and Little Shop of Horrors (to mark the Schools 60th birthday). Students apply to the school and at that point will indicate which ‘class’ they wish to work in. A specially revised libretto and score is sent to each student well in advance for them to become completely familiar with the extract before the school commences. Students then have the opportunity (again, well before the school commences) to choose which principal role(s) they would like to audition for (if any). Arriving at the School is a time for old friends to meet up as well as for new students to be welcomed into the ‘family’. People arriving at the School not knowing

It is here where the intense nature of the School starts to pay off. Where else can a Musical Director be confident that everyone in the company will attend every music rehearsal and remember the harmonies because you last rehearsed them an hour ago rather than a week ago!

FLOOR-WORK… Every Director has their own individual way of putting a show together and at the ROSS Summer School it is refreshing that they have three professional Directors each with their own individual style. A huge learning process in amateur theatre is working with different people, getting a different view on putting a show together – a fresh perspective. This is where, for principals especially, the week starts to become a challenge. Remembering your principal moves and then swapping roles to learn your chorus part. Depending on the nature of the extract floor-work can be very intense, but always hugely rewarding.

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

There is never any down-time. While your Director may be setting a scene with four principals, the ‘chorus’ will be away with the Musical Director note bashing, or line crunching…. wherever there is quiet corner of a room there will be a group of people going through lines or dance moves.

Staging… The School is very fortunate to have the support of several well respected theatrical suppliers which enables each class to produce fully staged extracts. Students will be measured for their costumes during singing rehearsals on the Monday and costumes arrive on Wednesday from The Costume House in Denton (in time for any alterations or replacements if necessary). Directors have one evening in which to work with the lighting team from White Light Ltd and West 15 Lighting to create their lighting plot for their extract. Students are welcome to watch this process and learn a little more about the technical aspects of a performance. The resident stage crew work tirelessly all week producing everything a Director requires for their extract. With props supplied by Howorth Wrightson Ltd, everything is done to ensure each extract looks as polished as possible - the School is also one of the few places you may find your stage crew in full costume on stage!!

Extra activites…. As if producing a fully staged 50 minute excerpt of a production is not enough, the School also offers many evening workshops and activities. In 2010 students had the choice of simple singing techniques, how to read music, two extra dance routine workshops, a Sunday sing-along, quiz night, simple make-up techniques and a whole lot more. Every morning there is an optional ‘wake-up’ movement class taken by the resident choreographer.

TRAINING

These simple sessions are intended to get the brain ingear at the start of every day, but above all they are a lot of fun ensuring everyone starts the day with a smile.

Accommodation…. The School is held at the Scarborough campus of the University of Hull. Students enjoy the luxury of individual en-suite rooms in four accommodation blocks sited right next to each other. The location of these rooms and their proximity to the rest of the School facilities makes for an intimate feel to the entire week. Scarborough town centre is just a short five minute drive away if students should need a shopping trip. The food offered at the School is of a very high standard with plenty of choice for everyone, from a full English breakfast, buffet style lunch and a selection of hot meals at dinner. Regular tea and coffee breaks during the day are also included. In the evenings the hub of activity centres around the Bar! Over the years the School has forged great relationships with the bar management and staff and they are always a huge part of making the week something extra special, including putting their own team together for the quiz night!

Find out more… If you are interested in improving your performance skills or you would like to work with new Directors or just different company members, you should seriously consider this course. Not only will you learn a huge amount you will come away from the week with many life-long friends. The School is open to students 16 years of age and over. For 2011 the extracts to be produced are: The Drowsy Chaperone, Merrily We Roll Along and an updated Iolanthe. There will also be a specialist week long makeup class. More information on the School can be found on the website: www.rosssummerschool.co.uk

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia 13 the Musical 18 - 20 November 2010 Coliseum O & D S Aberdare Coliseum Theratre Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff 01685 882685

13th Annual Youth One Act Play Festival 09 - 10 October 2010 Skegness Playgoers Embassy Theatre Skegness, Lincolnshire 0845 6740505

Alice’s adventures in wonderland and through the looking glass 16 - 20 November 2010 Leeds Childrens Theatre The Carriageworks Leeds, West Yorkshire 0113 224 3801

All Shook Up 24 - 27 November 2010 Croydon Stagers Ashcroft Theatre Croydon, Surrey 0208 651 0527

39 Steps 06 - 09 October 2010 Harlow Theatre Co Victoria Hall Theatre Old Harlow, Essex 01279 460 062 www.harlowtheatrecompany.co.uk

‘Allo ‘Allo

42nd Street

08 - 09 October 2010 Denmead Operatic Society Horndean Junior School Horndean, 02392 838683

20 - 23 October 2010 Elstree & Borehamwood Light O S The Radlett Centre Radlett, Herts 01923 859 291 10 - 13 November 2010 Wembley O S Winston Churchill Hall Ruislip, Middx 07983 103444

Absurd Person Singular 03 - 06 November 2010 Harrogate D S Harrogate Theatre Studio Harrogate, North Yorkshire 01423 324295

Accidental Death of an Anarchist 09 - 13 November 2010 Carlton D S New Wimbledon Studio Theatre Wimbledon, London 0844 8717646

Accrington Pals, The 29 November - 03 December 2010 The Chichester Players New Park Theatre Chichester, Hants 01243 864560

01 - 02 October 2010 Denmead Operatic Society Wallington Village Hall Broadcut, Fareham 023 9283 8683

27 - 30 October 2010 Adel Players Adel Memorial Hall Leeds 0113 275 5585 24 - 27 November 2010 Pirton Players Pirton Village Hall Hitchin, Hertfordshire 01462 712572

An Inspector Calls 16 - 20 November 2010 Ecclesall Theatre Company Ecclesall Parish Hall Ecclesall 01785 230 8842 www.ecclesalltheatre.com

And Now For Something Completely Different 01 - 02 October 2010 Falkirk O S Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk, Central Region 01324 506850

Animal Farm Ace Chorus Entertains 13 - 13 November 2010 Artistic Concert Experiences The Clyde Auditorium Glasgow, Strathclyde 01592 203624

20 - 23 October 2010 Cromer & Sheringham A O & D S Sheringham Little Theatre Sheringham, Norfolk 01692 678010

Annie Act Your Age 27 - 30 October 2010 Kingsbury A O S Kaos Theatre Kingsbury London, NW9 9JR 0845 0204240

Admirable Crichton, The 23 - 27 November 2010 Ulverston Outsiders Coronation Hall Ulverston, Cumbria 01229 583504

Aladdin 17 - 20 November 2010 Eyemouth & Dist Community Youth Theatre Eyemouth Old School Eyemouth, Berwickshire 018907 50585 30 November - 04 December 2010 Childrens Theatre Bo’ness Society Town Hall Boness, Falkirk District 01324 712443

06 - 09 October 2010 Mid-Cheshire A O S The Grange School North Church, Cheshire 01606 331557 09 - 13 November 2010 New Earswick Musical Society The Joseph Rowntree Theatre York 01904 768182 15 - 20 November 2010 Carluke A O S Carluke Lifestyles Centre Carluke, Lanarkshire 0795 7470930

Anything Goes 12 - 16 October 2010 Epsom Light Opera Co. Epsom Playhouse Epsom, Surrey 07957 469942 27 - 30 October 2010 Wycombe Society for the Performing Arts Wycombe Swan Town Hall High Wycombe, Bucks 01494 564667

Around The World With P&P 20 November 2010 Poole & Parkstone Productions Lighthouse Poole, Dorset 07947 061839 www.pandp.org.uk

B O S Strikes Gold 50 Years 15 - 16 October 2010 Banbury O S Marlborough Rd Methodist Church Banbury, Oxfordshire 01295 254461

Bakers Wife, The 13 - 16 October 2010 Littlehampton Players O S The Windmill Entertainment Centre Littlehampton, West Sussex 01903 722224

Beautiful Feeling, A 13 - 16 October 2010 Eldorado Musical Productions The Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 0208 850 3702

Beauty and the Beast 12 - 16 October 2010 Good Companions Stage Society The Derby Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 721108 12 - 16 October 2010 Maesteg A O S Maesteg Town Hall Maesteg, Bridgend 01656 733269 16 - 23 October 2010 Worthing Musical Comedy Society Connaught Theatre Worthing, W Sussex 01903 247999 18 - 23 October 2010 Workington A O S Carnbgie Theatre Workinghton, Cumbia 01900 602122 22 - 23 October 2010 Dunstable A O S Grove Theatre Dunstable, Beds 01582 602080 22 - 30 October 2010 Swindon ALOS Wyvern Theatre Swindon, Wilts 01793 852711 26 - 30 October 2010 Local Amateur Music Players Royal Victoria Hall Theatre Southborough, Kent 0845 2412573 26 - 30 October 2010 Bristol Light Opera Club The Bristol Hippodrome Bristol, Bristol 0844 8472325 27 - 30 October 2010 Rhyl & District Musical Theatre Co. Pavilion Theatre Rhyl, Denbighshire 01745 330000 27 October - 06 November 2010 Darlington O S Darlington Civic Theatre Darlington, Durham 01325 244659

09 - 13 November 2010 Nottingham O S Theatre Royal Nottingham, Notts 10 - 13 November 2010 Barnstaple M C & D S Queens Theatre Barnstaple, Devon 01271 324242 16 - 20 November 2010 Leeds A O S The Grand Theatre and Opera House Leeds, West Yorkshire 0113 2674249 16 - 20 November 2010 Abergavenny A O & D S Borough Theatre Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 01873 850805 16 - 20 November 2010 Sheffield Teachers O S Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, South Yorkshire 0114 2696568 16 - 20 November 2010 Redditch O S Palace Theatre Redditch, Worcs 01527 527363 23 - 27 November 2010 Hamilton Operatic & Dramatic Club The Town House Hamilton, Lanarkshire 01698 385627 23 - 27 November 2010 Bradford Catholic Players Alhambra Bradford, W Yorks 01274 432000 27 November - 04 December 2010 PADOS Studio Theatre Prestwich, Manchester 0161 7737729 www.pados.co.uk

Below Stairs 06 - 09 October 2010 Wantage Stage Musical Co. Centre Site Wantage, Oxon 01235 766399

Beyond Reasonable Doubt 11 - 16 October 2010 Louth Playgoers Society Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507 600 350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk

Billy Liar 26 - 30 October 2010 Bedford Marianettes Place Theatre 07508 857217 www.theplacebedford.org.uk

Bless ‘em All 12 - 16 October 2010 Pickering Musical Society Kirk Theatre Pickering, North Yorkshire 01751 477355

Blithe Sprit 08 - 16 October 2010 Chapel Players Chapel Playhouse Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire 01298 813176

Blood Brothers 01 - 03 November 2010 Rainbow Youth Theatre Harraton Community Centre Washington, Tyne and Wear 0191 416 3454

20 - 23 October 2010 Making Waves Headgate Theatre Chapel Street, Colchester 01206 366000

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Wdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>> Boogie Nights

Buggy Wonderland

05 - 09 October 2010 South Staffs Musical Theatre Co. Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, W Mids 01902 429212

05 - 06 November 2010 Belper Stage Productions Robert Ludlam Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 756557

12 - 16 October 2010 Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Co. Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 07856 537168

Bugsy Malone 26 - 28 October 2010 Port Talbot & District A O S The Princess Royal Theatre Port Talbot, Neath 01639 896228

Bouncers 29 October - 06 November 2010 Nantwich Players Players Theatre Natwich 01270 624556 www.nantwichplayers.com

Boyfriend, The 04 - 09 October 2010 Yeovil A O S Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset 01935 422884

Breath Of Spring 29 - 30 October 2010 The Third Age Players Chrysalis Theatre Willen Park, Milton Keynes 01908 368436

Broadway meets Christmas 27 - 27 November 2010 Porthcawl A O & D S Grand Pavilion Porthcawl, Bridgend 01656 815995

02 - 06 November 2010 Day 8 Productions Playhouse Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear 0844 2772771 10 - 13 November 2010 The Hastleons White Rock Theatre Hastings, East Sussex 01424 462288

18 - 20 November 2010 Worle O & D S Playhouse Theatre Weston-super-mare, Somerset 01934 645544

09 - 13 November 2010 Hexham Amateur Stage Society Queens Hall Arts Centre Hexham, Northumberland 01434 604542

22 - 27 November 2010 Kirkcaldy A O S Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife 01592 583302

10 - 13 November 2010 Whitchurch A O & D S Whitchurch Civic Centre Whitchurch, Shropshire 01948 880200

California Suite

Carpe Jugulum

28 - 30 October 2010 Petuaria Players Brough Village Hall Brough, Surrey 01482 668610 www.petuariaplayers.co.uk

13 - 16 October 2010 Little Theatre, Methodist Church The Driver Harold Wood, Essex 01708 762 822

Captain Hook’s Revenge 25 - 27 November 2010 Soberton Players Soberton Village Hall Soberton, Hampshire 01329 833823

Calamity Jane 05 - 09 October 2010 Glasgow Light Opera Club Kings Theatre Glasgow, Glasgow 0141 956 6753 06 - 09 October 2010 St John’s A O S St Johns Church Hall Sidcup, Kent 0208 467 9438 16 - 20 November 2010 South Moor Musical Theatre Group The Lightlight Arts Centre Stanley, Co Durham 01207 218899

Cavalleria Rusticana 11 - 13 November 2010 Fife Opera Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife 01592 596904

Celebration of Song, A

Carousel 19 - 23 October 2010 Bury St Edmunds A O & D S Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 01284 769505 26 - 30 October 2010 Hayling Musical Society Parkview Community Centre Hayling Park, Hayling Island 023 9246 2834 02 - 06 November 2010 Hereford Musical Theatre Co. The Courtyard Hereford, Herefordshire 01432 340555

21 - 23 October 2010 Harrogate Operatic Players The Royal Hall Harrogate, North Yorkshire 0845 1308840

Celebrity 21 - 23 October 2010 Centralian Players Henderson Hall Abbots Langley, Herts 01923 227 392 www.thecentralians.co.uk

DURHAM MUSICAL THEATRE CO - HELLO DOLLY! PHOTOS: DEREK SMITH

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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WOOD HOUSEPLAYERS - AN IDEAL HUSBAND

Cemetery Club, The

Cinderella

Cold Comfort Farm

Copacabana

14 - 16 October 2010 Portishead Players Somerset Hall Portishead, Somerset 01275 843169

09 - 13 November 2010 Minerva Club Glasgow The Mitchell Theatre Glasgow, Glasgow 0141 942 4245

09 - 13 November 2010 Radcliffe On Trent Drama Group Grange Hall Radcliffe On Trent, 0115 933 2906 www.radcliffe-on-trentdramagroup.co.uk

26 - 30 October 2010 Vane Tempest Theatre Group Seaham School of Technology Seaham, Co Durham 0191 581 9631

Charley’s Aunt

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06 - 09 October 2010 Burnley Garrick Club The Garrick Nelson, Lancashire 01282 661080 www.thegarrick.org

08 - 13 November 2010 Louth Playgoers Society Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507 600 350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk

Company

Chess

Cocktail of Cabaret, A

Concert Mikado

05 - 09 October 2010 Sale & Altrincham Musical Theatre Altrincham Garrick Playhouse Altrincham, Cheshire 07909 116921

20 - 23 October 2010 Chesham Musical Theatre Co. Elgiva Theatre Chesham, Bucks 0844 504 2665

08 - 09 October 2010 Cowbridge A D S Cowbridge Town Hall Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan 01446 713110

05 - 09 October 2010 The Savoy Singers The Camberley Theatre Camberley, Surrey 01252 834380 01 - 13 November 2010 Rotherham & District Teachers O S Rotherham Civic Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 01709 823641

Children of Eden 10 - 14 November 2010 Swanbank Music Putney Arts Theatre Putney, London 07944 733425

Christimas Carol, A 30 November - 04 December 2010 Mytholmroyd St Michaels Amateur’s St Michaels Parish Hall Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire 01422 885596

04 - 09 October 2010 Triple Threat Theatre The Pump House Watford, Hertfordshire 0785 5822115

Crazy For You 05 - 09 October 2010 Ferryhill Stage Society Mainsforth Community Centre Ferryhill Station, Durham 01740 652551 08 - 13 November 2010 Cradley Heath A O S Brierley Hill Civic Hall Brierley Hill, West Midlands 0121 585 7380

Every two weeks you can read the complete, un-

COSTUMES

abridged reviews of all the major national drama critics, reprinted with photos in Theatre Record. Send for a free specimen copy to:

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COSTUME HIRE, SHOWS KING & I, PHANTOM, LES MIZ, OLIVER, FIDDLER, KISS ME KATE, FOLLIES, PINAFORE, ANNIE, ALL PANTO SUBJECTS, ORIENTAL COSTUMES www.bpdcostumes.co.uk P: 01273 481004

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WICK THEATRE COMPANY - NOISES OFF PHOTOS: LUCIEN BOUCHY

Curtains

Deck The Hall 2010

10 - 13 November 2010 Nailsea Musicals Scotch Horn Centre Nailsea, Avon 0845 22 7429

27 - 28 November 2010 North Staffordshire A O S Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 336129

Dancing at Lughnasa

Dick Whittington and his Cat

23 - 27 November 2010 Funtington Players The Village Hall West Ashling, West Sussex 07565 464271 www.funingtonplayers.org.uk

Dangerous Corner 24 - 27 November 2010 Beaconsfield Theatre Group Beacon Centre Theatre Holtspur Beaconsfield, Bucks 01628 524127 28 September - 02 October 2010 Blackburn Arts Club Gibraltar Street Blackburn, Lancashire 01254 664642 www.blackburnartsclub.co.uk

Day After The Fair, The 17 - 20 November 2010 Quarndon Amateur Dramatic Society Quarndon Village Hall Quarndon, Derbyshire 01332 840 007

Dead Guilty 17 - 20 November 2010 Rustington Players The Woodlands Centre Rustington, West Sussex 01903 774849

25 - 27 November 2010 Aldridge Musical Comedy Society Brownhills Community Sch Brownhill, Staffs 01543 480626

Disco Inferno 26 - 30 October 2010 Kettering & District Theatrical Society Masque Performing Arts Centre Kettering, Northamptonshire 0845 8738338

Dracula Spectacular 25 - 27 November 2010 Thornton Cleveleys A O S The Little Theatre Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs 01253 860856

Elephant Man, The 03 - 09 October 2010 Teddington Theatre Club Hampton Hill Playhouse Hampton Hill, Middlesex 0845 8387529 www.ttc-boxoffice.org.uk

Drowsy Chaperone, The 07 - 13 November 2010 Players 2 Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middlesex 01895 637200

Fame 09 - 13 November 2010 Masqueradrers Theatrical Society Abbey Theatre Nuneaton, Warks 024 763 93211

Ebenezer 25 - 27 November 2010 Lindsey Rural Players Broadbent Theatre Wickenby, Lincolnshire 01673 885500

Fantastic Mr Fox 25 - 27 October 2010 Victory-Land Theatre Co. St Peters Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9273 2785

27 - 30 October 2010 Crigglestone Theatre Co. Wakefield Arts Centre Wakefield, West Yorkshire 0795 6001834

Don’t Dress for Dinner 12 - 16 October 2010 Wellingborough Technical Players The Castle Studio Wellingborough, Northampshire 01933 270007

Don’t Look Now 29 September - 02 October 2010 Wick Theatre Co. Barn Theatre Southwick, W. Sussex 01273 597094 www.wicktheatre.co.uk

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOW 10 - 12 November 2010 South Shields Musical Productions Customs House South Shields, Tyne and Wear 0191 454 1234

16 - 20 November 2010 Maidenhead O S Desborough Suite Maidenhead Town Hall Maidenhead, Berks 01628 671 589

05 - 09 October 2010 Huddersfield Longwood A O S Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 430528

Full Monty, The

Government Inspector, The 11 - 13 November 2010 Lion and Unicorn Players Festival Hall Petersfield, Hampshire 01730 821491

26 - 30 October 2010 Stockport A O S Plaza Theatre Stockport, Cheshire 0161 427 7121

Fate, Hope and Clarity

05 - 09 October 2010 Orbit Theatre Ltd - Cardiff New Theatre Cardiff, Cardiff 029 208 78889

13 - 15 October 2010 Bourne Players Bourne Corn Exchange Bourne, Lincolnshire 01778 393 787 www.bournplayers.co.uk

17 - 20 November 2010 Porthcawl A O & D S Grand Pavilion Porthcawl, Bridgend 01656 815995

Gown For His Mistress, A

Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen Guild D Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Productions of A Christmas Carol 15 - 16 October 2010 Unnamed Players The Citadel Arts Centre St Helens, Merseyside 01744 735436

Fawlty Towers 13 - 16 October 2010 Dursley O & D S Lister Hall Dursley, Gloucestershire 07890 203318

Fiddler on the Roof

23 - 27 November 2010 Cleckheaton & Spenborough A O & D S Town Hall Cleckheaton, W Yorks 01274 877165

Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum, A

13 - 16 October 2010 City of Plymouth Theatre Co. The Devonport Playhouse Plymouth, Devon 01752 560726

19 - 23 October 2010 West Kirby Light Opera Society Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight, Merseyside 0151 643 8757

13 - 16 October 2010 Zodiac Musical Society Magna Carta Arts Centre Staines, Middlesex 01932 220167

21 - 30 October 2010 Hartley Arts Group Victoria Hall Hartley Wintney, Hampshire 07956 412826

27 - 30 October 2010 Brixham O D & C S Brixham Theatre Brixham, Devon 01803 851267

09 - 13 November 2010 Finchley & Friern Barnet O S The Intimate Theatre Palmers Green, London 020 8482 6923

28 - 30 October 2010 Three Towns Theatre Co. Brook Theatre Chatham, Kent 01634 338338

Gethsemane

Five Wives Of Maurice Pinder,The 27 - 30 October 2010 Southside Players Chestnut Grove School Balham, London 07914657524 www.southsideplayers.org.uk

13 - 16 October 2010 The Oxted Players The Barn Theratre Oxted, Surrey 01883 724852

Haunting Of Hill House, The

Ghost Train, The

26 - 30 October 2010 Ingatestone Musical Operetta Group Ingatestone Community Club Theatre Ingatestone, Essex 01277 234581

28 - 30 October 2010 Curtain Up A D S Totland Church Hall Totland, Isle of Wight 01983 754654

Gigi 02 - 13 November 2010 Hinckley Concordia O S Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leicestershire 07855 746520

25 - 27 November 2010 Portchester Players Ashcroft Arts Centre Fareham, Surrey 01329 223100

Glad Rags and Ponytails

19 - 23 October 2010 Bolton Catholic Musical & Choral Society Albert Halls Bolton, Greater Manchester 01204 334400

Happiest Days of Your Life, The

Hello Dolly!

26 - 27 November 2010 Chapel End Savoy Players St Johns Church Walthamstow, London 0208 529 3143

12 - 16 October 2010 Wayward Theatre Company Aberdeen Arts Centre Theatre Aberdeen, Grampian 01224 641122

12 - 16 October 2010 Maidenhead Musical Comedy Society Desborough Suite Town Hall Maidenhead, Berks 01628 605077

19 - 23 October 2010 Haverhill & District O S Haverhill Arts Centre Haverhill, Suffolk 01440 714140

06 - 09 October 2010 Yeadon A O & D S Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, Leeds 0113 250 5587

05 - 09 October 2010 Colchester O S Mecury Theatre Cochester, Essex 01206 573948

Guys and Dolls

29 November - 04 December 2010 Walton & Weybridge A O S The Playhouse Hurst Grove Walton Walton on Thames, Surrey 01483 770130

09 - 16 October 2010 HIADS Station Theatre Hayling Island, Hampshire 02392466363

Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol, A

Footloose

19 - 23 October 2010 Halifax Thespians Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W. Yorkshire 01422 365998

05 - 09 October 2010 Humdrum The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre Havant, Hampshire 02392472700

Flint Street Nativity

30 November - 04 December 2010 Blackburn Arts Club Gibraltar Street Blackburn, Lancashire 01254 664 642 www.blackburnartsclub.co.uk

Graduate, The

23 - 27 November 2010 Tunbridge Wells O & D S Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells, Kent 01732 355363

19 - 23 October 2010 Waveney Light Opera Group Public Hall Beccles, Suffolk 01502 712329

First Things First 09 - 16 October 2010 Wilmslow Green Room Society Green Room Theatre Wilmslow, Cheshire 01625 540933

02 - 06 November 2010 Marlowe Players Darley Abbey Village Hall Darley Abbey, Derbyshire 017961 607372

26 - 30 October 2010 Burton on Trent & District O S DE Ferrers Specialist Technology College Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire 01283 541552

17 - 20 November 2010 Loughton O S Lopping Hall High Road Loughton, Essex 01992 575502

Golden Jubilee Concert 09 - 09 October 2009 The Elizabethans A O S Town Hall, Ossett, W Yorks 01924 280344

Gondoliers 04 - 09 October 2010 Harpenden Light O S Harpenden Public Halls Harpenden, Herts 01582 624147 27 - 30 October 2010 Ipswich G & S Society Seckford Theatre Woodbridge, Suffolk 01473 624333

02 - 06 November 2010 Kendal A O S Kendal Town Hall Kendal, Cumbria 01539 727813 02 - 06 November 2010 South Downe Musical Society Kings theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9282 8282 09 - 13 November 2010 Chester-le-Street A O S Park View Theatre Complex Chester-Le-Street, Co Durham 0191 584 3061 15 - 20 November 2010 Bingley A O S Bingley Arts Centre Bingley, W Yorks 01274 562988 17 - 20 November 2010 Whitefield A O & D S Radcliffe Civic Hall Radcliffe, Manchester 0161 2788178

27 - 30 October 2010 Nottingham West Music & Drama Society Kimberley School Theatre Kimberley, Notts 01159 770995

High Society 26 - 30 October 2010 Gosport A O S Ashcroft Arts Centre Fareham, Hants 01329 223100 03 - 06 November 2010 Helensburgh Savoy Club Victoria Halls Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute 01436 675765

HMS Pinafore 05 - 09 October 2010 Worcester G & S Society The Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcestershire 01905 611427

Hollow, The 10 - 13 November 2010 St Peters Hill Players The Guildhall Arts Centre Grantham, Lincs 01476 406158

Hot Mikado 09 - 13 November 2010 St Albans O S The Alban Arena St Albans, Herts 01727 844488

17 - 20 November 2010 WOW Youth Musical Theatre Pavilion Theatre Weymouth, Dorset 01305 783225

12 - 16 October 2010 Portsmouth Players Kings Theatre, Southsea, Hampshire 02392660880

Half A Sixpence

Hypochondriac, The

04 - 06 October 2010 Pilkington Musical Theatre Company Theatre Royal St Helens, Merseyside 01744 756000

09 - 13 November 2010 Hull Playgoers Society Hull Truck Studio Theatre Hull 01482 504377 www.hullplaygoers.org.uk

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Crediton Operatic and Dramatic Society JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change 18 - 20 November 2010 Fasten Your Seatbelts The Mill Studio at Yvonne Theatre Guildford, Surrey 01483 440000

Independent Means 30 October - 6 November 2010 Bolton Little Theatre Bolton Manchester, 01204 334 400 www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk

Insignicence 05 - 09 October 2010 NOMADS The Nomad Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284717 www.nomadtheatre.com

Into The Woods 27 - 30 October 2010 Felling Stage Society Dryden Centre Felling, Tyne and Wear 0191 410 4807

Iolanthe 06 - 09 October 2010 Castleford & Dist G & S Soc Town Hall Pontefract, West Yorkshire 0113 2873461 12 - 16 October 2010 Marton O S Lowther Pavilion Lytham St Annes, Lancs 01253 658666 www.martonoperatic.co.uk 15 - 20 November 2010 Haworth-West Lane Baptist A O S West Lane Baptist Chapel Haworth Keighley, W Yorks 01535 603065

24 - 27 November 2010 WLOS Kenton Theatre Henley, Oxon 0844 8801846 www.wlos.co.uk

It Runs In the Family 07 - 09 October 2010 Locko Amateur Dramatic Society Spondon Village Hall Sitwell Street, Spondon 01332 669138

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 25 - 27 November 2010 Spot On Musical Theatre Moldgreen United Reformed Church Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 305421

Jekyll & Hyde 06 - 09 October 2010 Newbury Nomads The Corn Exchange Newbury, Berks 01635 522733 12 - 16 October 2010 Worcester O & D S Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcs 01905 423809 20 - 23 October 2010 Thornbury Musical Theatre Group Armstrong Hall Thronbury, S. Gloucestershire 01454 415331 25 - 30 October 2010 Keighley Playhouse Keighley Playhouse Keighley, W. Yorkshire 08451 267859 22 - 27 November 2010 Neath A O S Neath College, Neath, Neath Port Talbot 01639 639726

23 - 27 November 2010 Oxted O S The Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 714103

16 - 20 November 2010 Springers Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 07765 772059

23 - 27 November 2010 Trowbridge A O S The Arc Theatre Trowbridge, Wiltshire 0845 2990476

24 - 27 November 2010 Exmouth Musical Theatre Co. The Exmouth Pavilion Exmouth, Devon 01395 222477

Jesus Christ Superstar

Khaotic The Fred Karno Story

13 - 16 October 2010 Birkenhead O S Trust Floral Pavilion Theatre New Brighton, Wirral 0151 666 0000 26 - 30 October 2010 West Bromwich O S Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, W Midlands 0121 550 3667 26 - 30 October 2010 KVODS Performing Arts Centre Kingston Grammar School, Surrey 07982 046210 www.kvods.com 01 - 06 November 2010 Middlesbrough A O S Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough, Cleveland 01642 815181 03 - 06 November 2010 West Bromwich O S Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 550 3667 15 - 20 November 2010 Walney Musical Theatre Co. Forum 28 Barrow in Furness, Cumbria 01229 820000

06 - 09 October 2010 From The Top Theatre Co. Old Rep Theatre Birmingham, West Midlands 07974 894542

Killing Of Sister George, The 28 - 30 October 2010 Alexandra Players Alexandra Hall, Charlton, London 0208 858 2769 09 - 13 November 2010 Stafford Players Malcolm Edwards Theatre Stafford, Staffordshire 01785 254653

King and I, The 12 - 16 October 2010 Hitchin Thespians Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, Herts 01438 363200 19 - 23 October 2010 The Arcadians The Cresent Theatre Birmingham, West Midlands 0121 421 7278

Kings New Clothes, The 27 - 30 October 2010 Dragon Tale Theatre Group Prudhoe Community High School Prudhoe, Northumberland 01661 833614

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia Kismet

Loot

Music Man, The

Odd Couple, The

11 - 13 November 2010 Battle Light Opera Group Memorial Hall Battle, East Sussex 01424 211140

21 - 23 October 2010 Lindsey Rural Players Broadhurst Theatre Wickenby, Lincolnshire 01673 885500

19 - 23 October 2010 Keighley A O & D S Victoria Hall Keighley, West Yorkshire 0845 6252550

07 - 09 October 2010 Stewarton Drama Society Stewarton Area Centre Avenue Street, Stewarton www.sdg.cfsites.org

Kiss Me Kate

Lord Arthur Saviles Crime

26 - 30 October 2010 The Haslemere Players Haslemere Hall Haslemere, Surrey 01428 643334

24 - 28 November 2010 Curdridge Amateur Drama Group Reading Rooms Curdridge, Hants 01489 985844

Musical Lorna Doone, The

Office Hours

08 - 09 October 2010 Newtown Musical Theatre Co. Theatre Hafren Newtown, Powys 01686 625007

15 - 16 October 2010 Community Players The Centre New Eltham Methodist Church, New Eltham 01322 613128 www.thecommunityplayers.co.uk

19 - 23 October 2010 Enfield Light O & D S The Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 07770 871140 09 - 13 November 2010 Horsham A O & D S The Capitol Horsham, W Sussex 01403 750220

La Cage Aux Folles 01 - 06 November 2010 Walmsley Church A O & D S Walmsley Parish Hall Bolton, Lancs 01204 3035812 02 - 06 November 2010 Green Room Productions Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Herts 0208 360 1957

Lacrymosa 24 - 27 November 2010 Rug Opera Palace Theatre WestCliffe on Sea, Essex 01702 344108

Ladies Day 11 - 13 November 2010 Sawbridgeworth Players Victoria Hall Old Harlow, Essex 07752 161802

Lady Windermere’s Fan 07 - 09 October 2010 Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group Loddon Hall Twyford, Berkshire 0845 4501308

Les Miserables 12 - 20 November 2010 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre Trust The Mill Theatre Sharnbrook, Beds 01234 781587 18 - 20 November 2010 Lytham Acadamy of Theatre Arts Lowther Pavilion Lytham St Annes, Lancs 01253 658666

Life Goes On 06 - 09 October 2010 Broughton Players Playhouse Theatre Preston, Lancashire 01772 744771

Likes of Us, The 09 - 16 October 2010 Birkdale Orpheus Society Little Theatre Southport, Merseyside 01704 564042 12 - 20 November 2010 Sussex Musical Productions Pavilion Theatre Worthing, West Sussex 01903 206206

Little Shop of Horrors 20 - 23 October 2010 Little Theatre Company Palace Theatre Southend, Essex 01702 351135 15 - 20 November 2010 Bishops Stortford Musical Theatre Co. Rhodes Arts Complex Bishops Stortford, Herts 01279 651746

24 - 27 November 2010 Ruislip D S Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middx 01895 675343

Love Begins at Fifty 13 - 16 October 2010 Clitheroe Parish Church A O & D S St Marys Centre Church St Clitheroe, Lancs 07974 323832

Lucia Di Lammermoor 09 - 13 November 2010 Guildford Opera Electric Theatre Guildford, Surrey 07872 903266

Mack and Mabel 08 - 13 November 2010 Alderley & Wilmslow A O S Wilmslow Leisure Centre Wilmslow, Cheshire 0845 6034505

Magic of Disney, The 11 - 12 November 2010 Blackpool & Fylde Light Opera Co. Thornton Little Theatre Thornton, Lancs 01253 771141

Me and My Girl 04 - 08 October 2010 Huddersfield Longwood A O S Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 430528 24 - 27 November 2010 Broughty Ferry A O S Whitehall Theatre Dundee, Tayside 01382 779720

Merry Widow, The 26 - 30 October 2010 Saddleworth Musical Society Saddleworth School Uppermill Oldham, Lancashire 0161 633 3597 01 - 06 November 2010 Letchworth Arcadians The Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 01438 363200

Murder Is Announced, A 07 - 09 October 2010 Windlesham Drama Group Windlesham Theatre Windlesham, Surrey 01276 472 870

My Boy Jack 14 - 16 October 2010 Henfield Theatre Co. Henfield Hall Henfield, West Sussex 01273 492204

My Fair Lady 19 - 23 October 2010 COS Musical Theatre Hawth Theatre Crawley, W Sussex 01293 553636 19 - 23 October 2010 Murton & East Durham Theatre Group East Durham College Peterlee, Co Durham 0191 526 2532 20 - 23 October 2010 Welwyn Thalians Musical & D S Campus West Theatre Welwyn Garden City, Herts 01707 357117 25 - 30 October 2010 Northallerton A O S Hambleton Forum Northallerton, North Yorkshire 01609 770936 01 - 06 November 2010 St Alphege Musical Productions Society Solihull Arts Complex Solihull, West Midlands 01564 776873 24 - 27 November 2010 Petts Wood O S Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks, Kent 01689 820448

Oh What A Lovely War 11 - 13 November 2010 Whitby Amateur D S Whitby Amateur D S Whitby, North Yorkshire 01947 604855

Oklahoma! 11 - 16 October 2010 Dinnington O S The Lyric Theatre Dinnington, Sheffield 01909 569340

Old Time Music Hall 30 - 31 October 2010 Aycliffe Musical Theatre St Calre’s Church Hall Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham 01325 318968

Oliver! 19 - 23 October 2010 Leamington Spa Opera Group Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa, Warwickshire 01676 532477 21 - 23 October 2010 Stage Door Theatre Co. The Spa Pavillion Felixstowe, Suffolk 01394 282957 24 - 27 November 2010 Mid Argyll Musical Society Village Hall Ardrishaig, Argyll 01546 603412

26 - 30 November 2010 Thornton Cleveleys A O S Marine Hall, Fleetwood, Lancs 01253 860856

30 November - 04 December 2010 Selsig A O S Park and Dare Theatre Treorchy, Rhondda Cnon Taff 01443 425199

Nunsense the Mega Musical

Orpheus In the Underworld

25 - 27 November 2010 Hulviz O S The Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 0208 858 9803

02 - 06 November 2010 Erdington O S Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 0121 360 6627

Murder Mistaken 28 - 30 October 2010 Theydon Bois Drama Society Theydon Bois Village Hall Theydon Bois, Essex 01992 812250 www.theydondrama.org

Music Hall 07 - 09 October 2010 Sidcup O S Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 020 8301 2681

Music Hall, The 23 - 27 November 2010 Potters Bar Theatre Co. Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 01707 880017

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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Wdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>> Othello 09 - 13 November 2010 Derby Shakespeare Theatre Co. Guildhall Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 255800

Pied Piper II The Rats are Back, The 28 - 30 October 2010 Music On Stage Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College Birmingham, West Midlands 07875 699394

Our Country’s Good 29 October - 06 November 2010 Woodhouse Players Welsh Church Hall Leytonstone, London 0208 504 3872 www.woodhouseplayers.co.uk

Pinocchio

Our House

Pirates Of Penzance

05 - 09 October 2010 Splinters Theatre Group Sheffield University Drama Studio Sheffield, South Yorkshire 07910 251584 05 - 09 October 2010 Starmaker Theatre Company The Wilde Theatre Bracknell, Berks 0118 978 9238 12 - 16 October 2010 Blaenau Gwent Young Stars - Youth Musical TC Beaufort Theatre Ebbw Vale, Gwent 01495 301049 13 - 16 October 2010 Nuneaton A O & D S Abbey Theatre Nuneaton, Warwickshire 02476 738007 18 - 23 October 2010 Stourbridge A O S Stourbridge Town Hall Theatre Stourbridge, West Midlands 07504 301767 20 - 23 October 2010 CCADS New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, 02392649000 03 - 06 November 2010 Yeovil Youth Theatre Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset 01935 422884 08 - 13 November 2010 Cassio O S Watford Palace Theatre, Watford, Herts 01923 225671 09 - 13 November 2010 Theatremask Productions Park and Dare Theatre Treorchy, RCT 01443 773112 16 - 20 November 2010 Brassneck Theatre Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, Leeds West Yorkshire 0113 250 5011

Outside Edge 26 - 30 October 2010 Potters Bar Theatre Co. Tilbury Hall, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 01707 880017 06 - 09 October 2010 Hayes Players Hayes Village Hall, Bromley, Kent 07905 210718 www.hayesplayers.org.uk

23 - 27 November 2010 Larbert A O S Dobbie Hall Larbert, Stirlingshire 01324 623365

16 - 20 November 2010 Stewartby A O & D S Stewartby Village Hall Stewartby, Beds 01525 402457

Playboy 25 - 30 October 2010 Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club Jersey Arts Centre Jersey, Channel Islands 01534 700444

Plotters at Cabbage Patch Corner, The 28 - 30 October 2010 Victory-Land Theatre Company St Peters Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9273 2785

Princess Ida 25 - 30 October 2010 Cirencester O S The Barn Theatre Cirencester, Gloucestershire 01285 657110

Private Ear & The Public Eye, The 06 - 13 November 2010 Summerseat Players Theatre Royal Ramsbottom, Lancashire 01706 826 760

Private Fears In Public Places 24 - 27 November 2010 Guildburys Electric Theatre Guildford, Surrey 01483 444 789 www.electrictheatre.co.uk

Private Peaceful 10 - 13 November 2010 One Off Productions New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, Hampshire 023 9264 9000

Proof 19 - 23 October 2010 John Lewis Partnership Dramatic Society Norden Farm Centre For The Arts Maidenhead, Berkshire 01628 788 997

Red Hot and Cole 01 - 06 November 2010 Our Lady’s High School FPA Light O S South Dalziel Studio 1 Motherwell, N Lanarkshire 0141 644 1715

Relative Values

10 - 13 November 2010 Centenary Company Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich, London 020 8858 7755

28 - 30 October 2010 Staines Players John Crook Theatre Halliford School, Middlesex 01276 25208 www.stainesplayers.com

Pefect Days

Relatively Speaking

Patience

27 - 30 October 2010 Giffnock Theatre Players Eastwood Park Theatre Giffnock, Glasgow 0141 577 4970

27 - 30 October 2010 New Forest Players Ballard School New Milton, Hants 0845 166 8775 www.newforestplayers.com

Rent 15 - 19 November 2010 Brassneck Theatre Leeds, Yorkshire 0113 250 5011

Return to the Forbidden Planet 09 - 13 November 2010 Bilston Operatic Co. Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, West Midlands 01902 429212

Reunion 21 - 23 October 2010 Dringhouse Dramatic Society Friaggate Theatre Lowe Friagate, York 01904 613000

23 - 27 November 2010 NOMADS The Nomads Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284717 25 - 27 November 2010 Kibworth Theatre Co. Kibworth Grammar School Hall Kibworth, Leics 07914 264970

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 10 - 13 November 2010 Maghull Musical Theatre Co. Little Theatre, Southport, Merseyside 01695 632372

Revenge of Sherlock Holmes, The

17 - 20 November 2010 Southend on Sea O & D S Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea, Essex 08445 885997

23 - 27 November 2010 Radlett Light Opera Society The Radlett Light Opera Society Radlett, Herts 01923 859291

23 - 27 November 2010 Bath Light Operatic Group Theatre Royal, Bath, Banes 01225 448844

Rock Nativity

Show Boat

24 - 28 November 2010 The Lamproom Youth Theatre Ensemble The Lamproom Theatre Barnsley, South Yorkshire 01226 200075

17 - 20 November 2010 Axminster & District A O S The Guildhall Axminster, Devon 01297 33595

Romeo & Juliet

Show Stoppers 2006

16 - 21 November 2010 Southsea Shakespeare Actors Groundlings Theatre Old Beneficial School, Portsea 023 9273 7370

07 - 09 October 2010 Ellesmere A O S Sheffield Montgomery Theatre Sheffield, South Yorkshire 0114 2444350

Ruddigore

Skylight

05 - 09 October 2010 St Andrews G & S Society St Andrews Church Monkseaton, North Tynside 0191 252 6999

Rumplesillyskin 21 - 23 October 2010 Lees Street CC AMDS Lees Street Church Hall High Openshaw, Manchester 0161 231 0004 www.piczo.com/amdram

Run For Your Wife 10 - 16 October 2010 Club Theatre Altrincham, Trafford, Cheshire 0161 928 1113

Scarlet Pimpernel, The 15 - 20 November 2010 Abbey Players Swansea Grand Theatre Swansea Swansea, Wales 01792 475715

Scrooge the Musical 22 - 27 November 2010 Cotswold Savoyards The Playhouse Cheltenham, Glos 01242 522852 23 - 27 November 2010 New Mills A O & D S The Arts Theatre, New Mills, Derbyshire 01663 743461

Sea, The 12 - 16 October 2010 Kelvin Players Theatre Co The Studios Bishopston, Bristol 0117959 3636 www.kelvinplayers.co.uk

Season Greetings 03 - 06 November 2010 The Harrogate D S Harrogate Theatre Sudio Harrogate, North Yorkshire 07770 630299

24 - 27 November 2010 The Garrick ACE Centre Nelson, Lancashire 01282 439 997 www.thegarrick.org

Sleeping Beauty 29 November - 04 December 2010 Saundersfoot Footlights Amateur Music Theatre The Regency Hall Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire 01834 813128

Snake In The Grass 21 - 23 October 2010 Dollar Drama Club Dollar Academy Studio theatre Clackmannanshire, Scotland 01259 742404 www.dollardrama.org.uk

Snoopy 27 - 30 October 2010 Bath O & D S Rondo Theatre Larkhall, Bath 01225 425509

Some Enchanted Evening 08 - 09 October 2010 Sunningdale Savoy Chorus Cordes Hall Sunninghill Ascot, Berks 01344 297347

Songs from the Shows 10 - 13 November 2010 Chesterfield O S The Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 345222

South Pacific 25 - 30 October 2010 Settle A O S Victoria Hall, Settle, North Yorkshire 01729 825718 09 - 13 November 2010 Ramsgate O S Granville Theatre, Ramsgate, Kent 01843 591750

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia

NOMAD THEATRE - SPLENDOUR

South Pacific

Summer Holiday

Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Wonderful

Three Short Comedies

09 - 13 November 2010 Woking AOS Rhoda Mgaw Theatre Woking, Surrey 01483 725779

12 - 16 October 2010 Market Harborough Musical Theatre Welland Park Octagonal Theatre Market Harboorugh, Leicestershire 07971 764752

06 - 13 November 2010 Topaz Musical Theatre Fetcham Village Hall Fetcham and Cobham, Surrey 01372 458163

14 - 16 October 2010 Coronation Hall Burrell Rd, Compton, Berkshire 07767268634 www.comptonplayers.co.uk

Space Time Mania

12 - 16 October 2010 Briton Ferry Musical Theatre Co. The Princess Royal Theatre Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot 01639 820334

Tales of Hoffman, The

Time to Shine, A

20 - 23 October 2010 Preston Opera Company Preston Playhouse Preston, Lancashire 01772 253731

15 - 17 October 2010 Forest Musical Productions Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford, Essex 0208 553 4466

12 - 13 November 2010 Yaxley Amateur Players Yaxley Public Hall Yaxley, Peterborough 01487 832131

Spotlight on Youth 16 - 16 October 2010 Atkinson St Georges Hall, Bradford, W Yorkshire 01274 432000

Stepmother, The 28 - 30 October 2010 Loughton A D S Lopping Hall, Loughton, E. London 0208 502 5843

Stepping Out 09 - 13 November 2010 Huddersfield A O S Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 01484 430528

Streetcar Names Desire, A 28 - 30 October 2010 Lyndhurst Drama and Musical Society Vernon Theatre Lyndhurst, Hampshire 023 8028 2729

Sugar 27 - 30 October 2010 Benfleet O S The Appleton School Benfleet, Essex 01268 692786

26 - 30 October 2010 Marsden Parish Church A O & D S Marsden Parochial Hall Marsden, Huddersfield 01484 845311

Sweeney Todd 25 - 30 October 2010 Witham A O S Witham Public Hall Witham, Essex 01376 519629 02 - 06 November 2010 East Berkshire O S South Hill Park Arts Centre Bracknell, Berks 01344 484123

This Must Be The Place 04 - 06 November 2010 Alton O & D S Assembly Rooms, Alton, Hampshire 01730 827200

Thoroughly Modern Millie 02 - 06 November 2010 Hatton O S Magna Carta Arts Centre Staines, Surrey 01784 256320

Titanic 16 - 20 November 2010 Centenary Theatre Co Brindley Theatre Runcorn, Cheshire 01519078360 www.centenarytheatre.co.uk

Treasure Island 30 November - 04 December 2010 Garforth Musical Society The Miners Welfare Hall Garforth, Leeds 0113 2863534

09 - 13 November 2010 Stoke Youth Musical Theatre Co. Stoke Rep Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 659156

Sweet Charity 26 - 30 October 2010 Falkirk Bohemians A O & D S Town Hall Falkirk, Stirlingshire 01324 506850

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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Wdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>> Trial By Jury 02 - 02 October 2010 Wolverton G & S Society West End United Loverton Milton Keynes, Bucks 01908 262250

When The Lights Go On Again 26 - 30 October 2010 Brigg A O S Vale of Ancholme School Brigg, Lincs 01724 330874

Unexpected Guest, The 08 - 13 November 2010 Tynemouth Priory Theatre Tynemouth Priory Theatre North Shields, Tyne and Wear 0191 2929292

04 - 09 October 2010 Sidmouth Arts Club O S The Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth, Devon 01395 514413

Vampires From Space

When You Wish Upon A Star

27 - 30 October 2010 BATS Next Gen Everest College Everest Thetre Basingstoke, Hampshire 01256 816960

03 - 03 October 2010 Brentwood O S The Queens Theatre Hornchurch, Essex 01708 443333

02 - 06 November 2010 Scunthorpe G & S A O S Scunthorpe Plowright Theatre Scunthorpe, North Lincs 01652 655342 05 - 09 October 2010 Putteridge Bury G & S Society The Queen Mother Theatre Hitchin, Herts 01462 455166

Where There’s A Will 25 - 27 November 2010 Horndean Amateur Theatrical Society Merchistoun Hall Portsmouth, Horndean 023 9259 7114

20 - 23 October 2010 Generally G & S Majestic Theatre, Retford, Notts 01777 706866

Will Rogers Follies, The

Zoo, The

Viva Mexico 06 - 09 October 2010 Chesterfield G & S Society Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 233394

02 - 06 November 2010 Halifax G & S Society The Halifax Playhouse Halifax, West Yorkshire 01422 365998

06 - 09 October 2010 Tees Valley G & S Society Middlesborough Theatre Middlesborough, Cleveland 01642 815181

Vicar Of Dibley, The 07 - 09 October 2010 Blaby Drama Group Blaby Social Centre Leicester Rd, Blaby 0116 2771157

Yeoman of the Guard, The

16 - 20 November 2010 BROS Musical Productions Alexandra Theatre Bognor Regis, West Sussex 01903 856345

26 - 27 November 2010 Sheringham Savoyards Sheringham Little Theatre Sheringham, Norfolk 01263 822347

Fabulous 1-act plays for children – and childish adults – to perform. Perfect for ‘showcase’ evenings. Ideal for making an impact at festivals. Visit the shop at www.artsonthemove.co.uk to see the range of titles and read sample pages. Simple to stage. Easy to expand. Downloads are just £10.00 – including your performing rights licence! Arts On The Move – for all your drama needs… Website: www.artsonthemove.co.uk Email: achaplin@artsonthemove.co.uk Call: 0161 881 0868

Voyage Round My Father, A 19 - 23 October 2010 Henley Players Kenton Theatre New Street Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 01491 576293

Wedding Singer, The 03 - 06 November 2010 Five Towns Theatre Stoke Repertory Theatre Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 321666 15 - 20 November 2010 St Augustine’s Musical Theatre Co. Solihull Arts Complex Theatre Solohull, West Midlands 0121 705 2789

West End Blockbusters II 13 - 16 October 2010 Harrow Light Opera Co. Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire 0208 427 7448

West Side Story 06 - 09 October 2010 Tamworth Arts Club Tamworth Assembly Rooms Tamworth, Staffs 01827 709618 06 - 09 October 2010 The Kings Lynn Players Corn Exchange King’s Lynn, Norfolk 01553 764864 20 - 23 October 2010 Epsom Players Epsom Playhouse Epsom, Surrey 01737 279289 16 - 20 November 2010 Chelmsford Young Generation A M S The Civic Theatre, Chelmsford, Essex 01245 606505 25 - 27 November 2010 Wallasey A O S Floral Pavilion Theatre New Brighton, Wirral 0151 660000

When The Lights Go On Again 12 - 16 October 2010 Five Saints Amateur Theatre Co. Theatre Church Bolton, Lancs 01204 402052

Will You Still Love Me In the Morning 17 - 20 November 2010 Garforth Miners Welfare Hall Main Street Garforth, Leeds

Wind In The Willows 09 - 14 November 2010 Rickmansworth Players Watersmeet Theatre Rickmansworth, Herts 01923 711063

Wiz, The 26 - 30 October 2010 STP Musicals Ferneham Hall Fareham, Surrey 01329 231942

JOHN LEWIS DRAMATIC PARTNERSHIP THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

Wizard of Oz, The 18 - 23 October 2010 Braintree Musical Society The Institute Briantree, Essex 01376 553395 26 - 30 October 2010 Haywards Heath O S Clair Hall Haywards Heath, West Sussex 01825 723035 26 - 30 October 2010 Long Eaton O S Trent College Long Eaton, Derbyshire 01332 874352 28 September - 02 October 2010 Tudor Musical Comedy Soc. Crescent Theatre Brindleyplace, Birmingham 0121 643 5858 www.crescent-theatre.co.uk

Woman in Mind 28 - 30 October 2010 Little Bridge Theatre Co. Tonbridge School Tonbridge, Kent 01892 523962

WYRD Sisters 15 - 16 October 2010 Skegness Playgoers The Embassy Theatre Skegness, Lincs 0845 674 0505

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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13/09/2010 16:40:00

FIRST NIGHT INSURANCE

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

IT’S PANTO SEASON - OH NO IT ISN’T, OH YES IT IS!! Robert Israel ASCII from Gordon & Co discusses the latest insurance issues affecting amateur theatre. Around this time every year I dedicate my article to the pantomime season. This year I propose to try and concentrate on a couple of situations that have recently come to light and have not formed part of a previous article on this particular subject. The very uncomfortable subject of abuse does, unfortunately, need to be addressed. In a different guise, my company act for a significant number of dance teachers and, where any of them are involved in teaching children or vulnerable adults, we insist that the teachers are CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checked. The Scottish equivalent to this approval is also necessary.

major problem. In addition to these points, please remember to make sure that your overall sum insured is adequate (you may be hiring in extra equipment), that you are not using any livestock such as ponies, and if you are flying make sure that the equipment has the necessary inspection certificate. We would, of course, expect to be told should you be undertaking any of these activities.

Unfortunately abuse can, of course, occur at any time and if your Society are using children in a pantomime then we would expect the chaperones and/or anyone responsible for the primary care of the children to be checked by the appropriate authority. I am pleased to say that, up to the point of writing this article, no such claim for abuse on our account has surfaced and I truly hope that it never does, but obviously one has to move with the times and be ever watchful. Should such a situation occur, not only could the claim be considerable, but the publicity involved would be, in my opinion, be extremely detrimental to the Society themselves. On a slightly more upbeat note, it has come to our attention that some pantomimes may not be taking place in what one would consider to be a standard building. Due to a significant amount of re-building works currently taking place throughout the country to theatres, a number of shows are taking place in temporary structures. These structures range from sturdy temporary buildings to what could be considered tents. Whilst the First Night Insurance Policy does not define a building, it is my opinion that Underwriters are fully entitled to be informed should you undertake a production in a structure which is not “permanent”, i.e. a tent. It is my firm opinion that by not disclosing such information Underwriters would be perfectly within their rights to consider declining a claim for nondisclosure of a material fact. You may recall that a number of years ago I pointed out to you that Insurance was based on a number of fundamental principles, one of those being the disclosure of all material facts. Such a fact is defined as a piece of information which is likely to affect an Underwriter’s decision on whether to accept a risk, and at what premium. It is clear in my mind that any performance which takes place in a tent would certainly be considered a material fact. I would therefore urge you to notify either us or your Insurers should you consider this to be an issue. As far as a tent is concerned, it is not only the equipment which could be vulnerable to a loss, but also the Cancellation Insurance Section because weather risks suddenly become a

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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18/05/2010 14:02:18 14:04:54 13/09/2010

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

After all that time and effort selecting the right play for your group and casting it, and then all those weeks rehearsing it, the last thing that often gets considered is publicising it. In fact, of course, it should be one of the first.

In this first of two articles, I will give you a five point plan that will help maximise the effectiveness of any promotional campaign. When I worked at Saatchi and Saatchi, the principles were much the same, and equally effective. They are tried and tested and hold true, whether your budget is a few pounds or a good few million. Lord Leverhulme of Lever Brothers once famously said that half the money he spent on advertising was wasted. The trouble was he didn’t know which half. At Saatchi we used to say that we wanted to make every 30 secs TV commercial as effective as anyone else’s 60 seconds commercial and every half page advertisement as effective as someone else’s full page. The point is that if you target your money properly and keep wastage to the minimum, then it will prove to be vastly more effective. So here’s the plan: 1. Define the target market 2. Decide the media 3. Design the creative work 4. Deliver the message 5. Delight the audience

Let’s go through them one by one:

Who’s your target market? By which I mean who will come to see your play? Your regular following? Local community? Specific groups of people? Holidaymakers? This might depend on the play you are putting on. For example, if the play is a light comedy, you might target holidaymakers as well as your regulars. If it is a play about a particular issue, you might want to invite those groups of people who will be most interested in it. Think broadly about groups too. People can be grouped by leisure activity (clubs and societies etc), by work (a large office, store or factory) by age (old people’s homes, U3A members) by common interest (woman’s institute, local history). You should always of course aim to appeal to the local community in one way or another. If you can build up a feeling amongst them that you are ‘their’ drama group, you are well on the way to adding to your loyal following. In that respect it’s very important that you have a clear and consistent presentation about who you are and what you want to achieve as a group. Make your pitch, stick to it and don’t confuse the public by suddenly changing your approach. That doesn’t mean you should never do straight dramas, if you normally do comedies. But it does mean that if your passion is for highly charged political drama, putting on a Ray Cooney farce might undermine the reputation you’ve carefully cultivated. You might simply say that ‘quality’ is what distinguishes your group. That’s fine. But if you make a promise, remember you need to deliver. Let’s now look at each ‘target market’: Your regular following: It’s a good idea to build up a mailing list of postal and or email addresses from regular attendees at your performances. Then you can let them know in good time when you have a show on. To collect names, consider a slip in your programmes to the effect of: “If you’ve enjoyed tonight’s performance and would like to be kept informed of future events, simply fill in this request slip and hand it in at the end of the show.” To encourage people further, you might announce that one slip each performance will be entered for a prize draw. Remember that the Data Protection Act requires you to only use the data you collect in the manner for the purpose intended and is with the approval of the people on the list.

business

GETTING YOUR MARKETING ACT TOGETHER

PUBLICITY FOR YOUR SHOW IS PARAMOUNT Derek Webb discusses ways to get your message out.

Armed with such a list, you can now specifically target people you know are interested in what your group is doing and you can begin to use the list in other ways too. For example you can offer discounts for early booking, or try an ‘introduce a friend’ scheme with an incentive to increase your audience base. In the jargon, this is known as ‘relationship marketing’. You are establishing a one-toone dialogue with the very people you want to influence. In addition, of course, your loyal audience will be exposed to the other forms of advertising you choose: posters, fliers, press etc.

Sometimes you have to work hard to grab attention!

The local community: Much of your loyal following will no doubt be made up of people from the local community anyway, but you should look for additional ways of integrating what your group does into the community. So advertise in places where they go: the library, the leisure centre,

AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

BUSINESS doctor’s surgery, if they will allow. A large local factory or office might let you put posters on their internal notice boards or have fliers in the staff restaurant or rest room. Similarly a local shop might be prepared to become involved in some way, supplying props for instance, publicising your productions to their customers. Specific groups of people: Think about the sort of people who might want to come and see your performances. The age group that the play aimed at might lead you to consider targeting a certain section of the community. Many older people go to community centres and attend evening classes for instance. Posters or fliers might be the best way of reaching them. Or you could look at mailing clubs and societies in the area whose interests have a link in some way to your show. Just think laterally... you’re doing a performance of Coward’s ‘Still Life’ (which became the film ‘Brief Encounter’) and the members of the local railway preservation society might be exactly the right sort of audience, as might the film society. Holidaymakers can be counted as a specific group too. And, while they might have very varied tastes, you could target them specifically with a sparkling summer comedy that will appeal to their holiday mood.

Put simply, how will your reach them? Mailings – conventional and emailers? Internet? Fliers? Posters? Press? Broadcast media? Word of mouth? As we have seen, who you are trying to reach often dictates the means by which you can reach them. What then are the pros and cons of the various type of media available to you? Posters: These can be an effective way of publicising your group or production. But there are some golden rules to follow and these we will cover in the next article. In terms of effectiveness however, posters do not score very highly as a way of encouraging traffic. In shop windows they are competing against a great deal of other advertising; and expecting someone to be able or willing to note down times, price, venue – rather than trusting to memory – is often asking too much. At the venue itself of course, posters are essential for announcing that the production is on. And here you should endeavour to make them as large as practicable. In fact, if you are able to produce posters in a variety of sizes, including A3 and A4, so much the better. The larger the poster the more attention it will attract. But a shop that refuses a poster because it is too large for their window is an opportunity wasted, so have smaller ones available too. Mailings: – These can be an excellent way of getting right to your target market, but remember postage can work out very expensive and you have the cost of printing the mailings in the first place to consider. If you shop around though, you can get very good deals on printing – remember to search the internet too. And, of course, the same print can cover both mailings and fliers – some you post, some you hand out! Another very cost-effective way is to produce emailings. These can be as simple as a text-only message or a well designed graphic embedded in the message or attached as a pdf file.

What will entice them through the doors?

28 business.indd 4

Plenty of people, but what will attract them to your show? Press and Broadcast media:- Newspaper and magazine advertising can be an excellent way of getting your message across. It can also be very expensive. But tightly targeted magazines can be cheap and effective – the local parish magazine for example, while not having a large circulation may be reaching exactly the people you want. At the other end of the scale, TV and radio advertising – unless your name happens to be Bill Kenwright – is probably out of the question. But local radio stations are often pleased to have a good story. And may carry a regular ‘what’s on’ programme, and being listed is generally free for groups such as yours. Similarly, you can achieve fantastic results with PR. Get to know the local journalists, give them a good story and you can get hundreds of pounds of free advertising. Not only that, but because it’s news, people are more inclined to read it. I’ll give you some tips for getting stories into the press in the next article. I’ll also look specifically at creating a message that will communicate as effectively as possible. I will show how you should think about the interplay between words and AS autumn:Layout 10/09/2010 Pageout, 1 get noticed images to make your creative1 work – whatever form15:19 it takes – stand and most importantly get ACTED on.

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AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

13/09/2010 14:52:57

PANTOMIMES By JOHN CROCKER The Smaller Cast Versions ALADDIN “PEAK OF PANTO PERFECTION” Exeter Express & Echo MOTHER GOOSE “FUN FILLED SCRIPT” Western Morning News SLEEPING BEAuTy “ A RIP-ROARINg SUCCESS” Exmouth Herald CINDERELLA “TRADITIONAL PANTO AT IT’S BEST” Hampshire Gazette DICK WHITTINGTON “A CRACKER OF A PANTO” Evening Herald, Plymouth BABES IN THE WOOD “WONDERFUL NEW ChRISTmAS PANTO” Herald Express and the latest JACK AND THE BEANSTALK “gIANT ChRISTmAS TREAT” Tiverton Crediton, Culm Valley Gazette PLUS the much loved favourites with music and lyrics by ERIC GILDER CINDERELLA, PuSS IN BOOTS, DICK WHITTINGTON, ALADDIN, BABES IN THE WOOD, SINBAD THE SAILOR, MOTHER GOOSE, ROBINSON CRuSOE, SLEEPING BEAuTy, HuMPTy DuMPTy, QuEEN OF HEARTS, RED RIDING HOOD, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK And a zany potted panto sketch POTTy PANTOMIME Also a Rock Musical THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER SHOW By JOHN CROCKER and TIM HAMPTON Music by KEN BOLAM Lyrics by LES SCOTT All obtainable from SAMuEL FRENCH LIMITED Training52course Mar10 11:51 Page Fitzroy St, London11/2/10 W1P 6JR Ph: 020 7387 93731

Professional sound for the amateur stage weekend of 8–9 May 2010 Place theatre sound at the top of your 2010 agenda by signing up for one of our free two-day courses. Theatrical sound can be a demanding subject, but many of its mysteries can be unlocked by learning a few tricks of the trade. Held at our base in Brixton, Orbital Sound’s newly-developed series of training courses are structured to broaden your theatre sound skills, irrespective of previous experience. For more information on our courses and modules, please visit: www.orbitalsound.co.uk/training/

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Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

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Our catalogue includes shows such as Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, South Pacific, Jekyll and Hyde, Singin’ in the Rain and Disney’s award winning Beauty and the Beast. We also have a large collection of sets and costumes from our range of traditional family pantomimes including Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood and Dick Whittington.

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13/09/2010 13:49:32

In what is hoped will become a regular feature, below are a few Internet Sites that may be of interest to theatre companies. We invite you to contribute your own links and a few words reviewing them for future issues. We’ll provide all these links on an area of our website in the next few weeks. http://www.asmagazine.co.uk/ - the website for this magazine. Need we say more? Doollee - http://www.doollee.com/ - this (free) website isn’t especially pretty but contains a HUGE database of plays and playwrights. If you’re looking for a particular play or playwright, you’ll probably find it here, searchable in alphabetical order. There’s a useful little feature they don’t highlight that allows you to search plays based on the cast size (m and f) – you can reach that from http://www.doollee.com/Main%20 Pages/1Characters.htm

DMOZ Open directory project - http://www.dmoz.org/ Arts/Performing_Arts/Theatre/Community_Theatre/ United_Kingdom/England/ - Again a vast database, this time of theatre companies, arranged in alphabetical order. Why isn’t your group on it? If it’s not, there’s a “suggest url” link at the top to get yourself added, all free of charge.

online

Internet Links for Theatre Groups

Ian Hornby profiles some great online resource sites for amateur theatre.

AmDram - http://www.amdram.co.uk/ - Run by the always helpful Jane, here is a place to search for theatre groups, events, plays, etc., and it has a lively forum. Basic membership is free and there are very many informative articles for you to read.

NODA – The National Operatic and Dramatic Association - http://www.noda.org.uk/ The umbrella organisation for dramatic and operatic groups throughout the country. The site is currently being redesigned to bring in all the regional NODA sites. Blue Room Technical Forum - http://www.blue-room. org.uk/index.php?act=idx – This site is an interactive forum for all things backstage, with contributor comments on lighting, sound, set construction, etc., etc. It’s free to join and you can get answers to all those difficult questions you always wanted to ask.

Sound Dogs - http://www.sounddogs.com/ - A vast array of downloadable sound effects – including some music – for theatre work. It’s American, so occasionally you have to narrow your search (for example searching for “car arriving” is likely to give you Cadillacs, Pontiacs and Dodges, and police sirens aren’t much use – searching for police siren gives you 586 hits, narrowing it to UK police give you one), but most things are catered for. Let us know your favourite website by emailing editor@asmagazine.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2010 | AMATEUR STAGE

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THIS PLAYWRIGHT’S DIRECTORY IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY WWW.PLAYS4THEATRE.COM From 17thC murder to vigilantes in a town near you,

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It is, it seems, an ordinary evening in the security control room of the Oaks Shopping Centre. Ordinary, that is, until the arrival of Keith, a robber of quite breathtaking incompetence. See what happens on the other side of those security cameras in this terriÞ c new comedy. “...a well written, very funny play that is sure to please.” Amateur Stage review May 2010

TWO GREAT ONE ACT COMEDIES BY DEREK WEBB Man's View

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After a reunion in a wine bar Carol, Ann and Judy are the worse for drink. So, when Carol suggests a sort of truth game, secrets they have kept hidden for years emerge with disastrous consequences.

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Restless Hearts 1. A full length play by Stephen O’Sullivan 6f 3m A supernatural tale, that rips open the emotions of a Tom and Emily Wilks, who are mourning the loss of their only child Louise. A hundred years of torment are brought together in one day, when the past comes forward to meet with the present and the truth is finally brought to the surface Other plays by this author The Contract - A Full Length comedy play – 10m 3f A Last Supper – A very dark One Act play – 1m-1f or 2m or 2f www.plays4theatre.co.uk

Both available from New Theatre Publications www.plays4theatre.com

“Superb material. That rare gem, a genuinely funny feminist play.” Amateur Stage

Socks Go in the Bottom Drawer a one act comedy by Claire Booker (1m, 4f + female walk-ons, one set) Looking for a festival winner? Claire Booker’s award-winning one act and full length plays include comedies, historical drama and hard-hitting contemporary theatre. She has been nominated for a Writers Guild MacAllan Award and short-listed for the Arts Council of Great Britain’s prestigious John Whiting Award. Her stage work has been produced as far afield as France, Australia, Romania, Spain and the UK. For a free play list, or to order a script: Tel. +44 (0)20 8673 6147 or bookerplays@yahoo.co.uk Excerpts available at www.bookerplays.co.uk

“MARY SLESSOR: GREAT WHITE MA” Drama. A play by C.G. Wilson A truly inspirational story recounting the life of a lowly Christian Scotswoman who goes to Nigeria in 1870 to become one of the greatest women of all time. Flexible casting: minimum 6F 6M (30 plus roles). Suggested music. Easy to stage.

“CRY IN THE NIGHT” Thriller. A play by C.G. Wilson A young woman returns to the family home after a horrific motor accident on a remote Caribbean island. She finds her father has recently married but is missing, leaving her in the company of strangers including a sinister doctor who purports to know her father well. Then the cries in the night begin. Casting 5F 4M Go to www.cgwplays.co.uk for other plays written by C.G. Wilson

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Fur Elise

A black comedy by Tim Kenny Elise, the wife of Dennis, has died after winning some money. Dennis’ lodger, Edmund, a gay embalmer, has taken care of Elise’s body which now rests in the funeral home. Edmund tries to persuade Dennis that they should both go away on a cruise. But Dennis has a murky past which begins to emerge as others learn of Elise’s death and her fortune. Elise’s death certificate says a natural cause. Or was it? The flamboyant sexy Alma arrives. She has taken a fancy to Dennis and a cruise - much to the annoyance of Edmund. The plot twists and turns against a background of murders in which Dennis appears to be implicated. This 8-person play is easy to stage and is for 4M, 3F although two male parts can be played by females. Tim Kenny is an award-winning writer. His 30 minute plays (some of which are with NTP) have won several AmDram festivals. He has also won a prestigious ‘Writer of the Future’ Award. www.plays4theatre.co.uk

MAXINE SMITH PLAYS Original playscripts that are like real life but not quite, that balance humour and tragedy in equal measure, that appeal to wide audiences, with challenging roles but simple production demands. “Vaulting Ambition” – Echoing Lady Macbeth, retired librarian Gaynor’s ambitions get the better of her. Wanting to see her pole vaulting grand-daughter become Olympic Champion, catapults her into an unreal situation. (3F, 2M, 2hours running time) “Oakes’ Last Run” – Jane Eyre found Rochester, but Kat Thomas’s romantic fantasies are reduced from toying with James Bond to an unexpected romance with Alex Flint, a washed up 1970s TV actor. Alex and his camper van are a mess, but is he better than her selfish, wife-beating partner, Will? And do they ever have chance to find out? (Flexible casting min. 3M, 3F, 2 hours running time) www.plays4theatre.co.uk

10/08/2010 14:43:58

CLASSIC PANTOMIMES WITH A NEW TWIST!

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08/10/2009

19:01

Page 1

A Sound Solution For Your Production

Pantomime scripts with highly original, innovative plots which are gripping and hilarious for adults as well as children. Written with the needs of amateur groups in mind, these scripts require few scene changes or technical wizardry. Instead, their remarkable plots keep the audience delighted. Based on familiar tales, these pantomimes are up-to-date, in story-line and humour. Goldilocks & The Three Martians, or Red Ridinghood Goes Out West will make your cast laugh loudly in the firstRadio reading. - The Sequel (or How I Ran Away to Join a MicCinderella Hire Specialist Pirate Ship and Found True Happiness) or Sleeping Beauty Goes Sound Operation Back to theDesign Future&are ideal choices for the group that has done the usual old pantos and is looking for something to wow it’s audiences!

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Douglas Fulthorpe presents the wittiest writing to emerge from the Tyne since the Great Flood, convulsing the north bank, or for that matter, south bank, Lloyds Bank, Barclays Bank or any other bank. Thrill to the biting conflict between the Real and False Comperes as they introduce twelve hilarious situtions Struggle with a young couple as they strive desperately and painfully to fit in. Share the adventures of two alert, eagle-eyed lifeguards. Meet the quiz team straight from the joke-factory, then delve deep into fundamental, irreligious history, before completing your education with a crash-course in Marketspeak. www.plays4theatre.com

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GET ONE FREE Eve Blizzard New Theatre Publications ISBN NO: 1840944722 CAST: 5F A

funeral parlour: such a popular setting for plays presented in amateur theatre. We imagine a sombre mood broken by incompetent funeral directors, a missing body, perhaps a ghostly apparition. Thankfully, with Get One Free, Eve Blizzard has created a very different establishment. The impression from the set description is one of a modern travel agent and Furzman Funeral Directors, or at least the grandson of old Mr Furzman, has made a unique offer to clients: Buy One, Get One Free! To her daughter’s consternation, Edie wants to know more about the offer and while she is waiting we learn what an independent old lady she has become. Into the scene comes Winnie, distraught that her great aunt has finally passed on, but frustrated by the fact that the funeral parlour cannot take her booking because the new system is all on young Mr Furzman’s computer and he is away at the moment. Get One Free bobs along at a jolly pace but I thought that the conflicts got resolved rather too quickly and when the precise details of the Get One Free offer are finally revealed it felt neither significant nor funny enough to justify being the focus of the play.

RED HERRINGS

Steph Deferie www.productionscripts.com ISBN NO: None CAST: 3M 3F In Red Herrings we are transported to Blue Diamond, a small town outside Las Vegas. It is 1961 and Madame Lacy Eugenia has a nice little reputation for using her “psychic gift” to help people communicate with their lost loved ones. Sherrif Buckman is convinced she is a fake and that her information comes not from beyond the grave but from his own mother. Nevertheless, she requested to help find the kidnapped grand-baby of a local millionaire. Things start to get complicated when Madame Eugenia’s estranged daughter Sophie arrives on the run from her abusive boyfriend Eddie. Then, inevitably, Eddie turns up and things get pretty hot as the characters attempt to out manoeuvre each other, find the baby and claim the reward. Red Herrings is a clever and funny romp which pays homage to murder mysteries of the fifties and sixties and is great entertainment.

LOVE’S YOUNG DREAM Ros Moruzzi J Garnet Miller ISBN NO: 9780853436560 CAST: 4M 4F

David Muncaster reviews the latest playscript offerings.

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Avril and Trevor are preparing for a family gathering. Their daughter, Jill is going to marry Peter and they nervously await the arrive of their future sonin-law’s parents. Apparently, they haven’t spoken for years so the meeting promises to be difficult but when Peter’s mother and father each arrive with new partners it is time to fasten your seatbelts: we are in for a bumpy ride. The introduction of so many characters so early in the play can lead to an audience becoming confused as to who is who, but Ros Moruzzi’s characters are so well defined it should not be a problem

in this case. The two mothers have very different views about the forthcoming wedding but Avril insists that there is no point in discussing it until her daughter arrives. Unfortunately, she never does arrive for a very good reason – as Peter eventually explains – she has called the wedding off. In the second scene the two mothers are at it again. This time we are in a maternity ward, Jill having just given birth, and the argument this time is about the baby’s name and who is going to be ‘Nana’. Love’s Young Dream is a fast paced, accessible and funny one act play with characters that seem all to familiar.

THE REUNION

Peter Gordon Josef Weinberger ISBN NO: 9780656763359 CAST: 4M 4F The Reunion is a play about old friendships and the settling of old scores. Nigel has returned to Yorkshire for a reunion to be held in a rather seedy pub that was once the regular haunt for himself and his mates. Though he didn’t order it, there has been a buffet laid on and the play starts with a nice piece of slapstick style action from Jenny, the waitress, which means that an audience will immediately warm to her. As Nigel queries why the buffet has been provided, Jenny assures him that this is the five-fifty a head buffet: you get fancy cut tomatoes for that, but she doesn’t mention her own reservations about the sausage rolls. Peter Gordon has effortlessly, and impressively, set the scene within the first few minutes and we are just getting comfortable when the first twist comes along. Not only did Nigel not order a buffet but now a character, by the name of Mugsy, has turned up to do the disco. In itself, that is not a problem. When you book the function room you get a disco thrown in, but the trouble is that Mugsy is an old acquaintance: one that didn’t get invited to the reunion. The laughs come thick and fast as more characters arrive. Thommo is a dodgy car dealer who arrives with someone who is clearly not his wife. Malcolm is the quiet one of the group who is suddenly saddled with Thommo’s lady friend when Mrs Thommo arrives. It soon becomes clear the this reunion is one sausage roll short of a buffet in more ways than one, and when it turns out that Thommo is not the only one who is apparently playing away from home, fists start to fly in a chaotic end to the first act. Things have calmed down as we enter act two and we now start to learn a little more about the characters. One might expect them to have grown apart over the years but the truth is that they were never very close. Calling themselves the Magnificent Eight, having a secret handshake and an initiation ceremony, is no substitute for making the effort to understand each other and building proper friendships. It is Mugsy, however, who stuns the group with the course his life has taken since they last met. This is a well constructed and very satisfying play. The characters are realistic and Peter Gordon manages to avoid any clichés as the script takes one or two surprising turns. The Reunion should prove a popular play with many audiences.

PREPARE TO MEET THY TOMB Norman Robbins Samuel French ISBN NO: 9780573113598 CAST: 4M 6F

When Norman Robbins wrote A Tomb With A View thirty two years ago he couldn’t have imagined how popular the play would become. In fact, typing the play title into a search engine on my computer results in no less than 36000 matches. It is no surprise then that the author received many requests to write a sequel. But how do you do that when you have killed off most of the characters? In nineteen-

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PLAYSCRIPTS

ninety-eight Robins came up with the answer with Tiptoe Through The Tombstones. This had a whole new load of oddball members of the Tomb family gathered in the library at Monument House for the reading of yet another will. We now have the final instalment with just two remaining Tombs running the Monument House and Alternative Health Farm. As night falls, and the fog inevitably descends, Hecuba Tomb and her niece, Drusilla, receive a series of visitors. There is Sir Beverley Cornstock, on the trail of Drusilla’s double-crossing grandmother. Then there is novelist, Phillipa, and her assistant, Daphne, who fear that they are being followed by the notorious ‘Norfolk Strangler’. Robert and Miranda, are a pair of honeymooners, and Quentin Danesworth, a TV historian. For all these unexpected visitors their first mistake was to seeki refuge in Monument House, their second was to start asking too many questions. This is the sort of thing that Norman Robins does best: eccentric characters; secret panels; plot twists that are every bit as shocking, and frequent, as the violent deaths suffered by the cast list; and a gloriously funny sense of the macabre throughout. He may not be pushing any boundaries but Prepare To Meet Thy Tomb is all jolly good fun and is bound to be a popular choice amongst theatre groups.

WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS – THEN Nick Hern Books ISBN 9781848421165 £9.99

Women, Power and Politics is a collection of plays, commissioned by the Tricycle Theatre in London, on the subject of women in politics and published in two volumes by Nick Hern Books. Last month we featured the volume Now; this month we feature the volume Then.

The Milliner and The Weaver Marie Jones CAST 1M 2F

Set in Belfast in 1914 The Milliner and The Weaver examines the friendship two women formed through the Suffragette movement. Henrietta is the weaver, living in relative poverty whilst Elspeth, the wife of a Dublin businessman, is her unlikely ally. The latter has put the pair of them at risk by visiting Henrietta to question her about why she no longer attends the meetings. Although united by their commitment to women’s suffrage, they are divided by the question of Home Rule for Northern Ireland. Elspeth believes that the movement stands a better chance of success if the whole of Ireland is allowed to govern itself, whilst Henrietta considers that there already so many divisions in the movement such as; Catholics, Protestants, Northerners, Southerners, Christians, Heathens, that it hardly has the right to call itself a movement at all. The script is excellent and this short play oozes class. It is original, provocative and highly accomplished.

The Lioness Rebecca Lenkiewicz CAST 3M 1F + extras

The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex was given the Hollywood treatment way back in the 1930s starring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn. Whilst this play takes their relationship as its central theme, Lenkiewicz’s Essex is no swashbuckler and Elizabeth is portrayed as a strong woman (weak and feeble body apart) who thrives in a male dominated world. Whilst I imagine this would be diverting enough for the twenty minutes or so this play would run, I didn’t find the characters to be particularly memorable or engaging and was ultimately disappointed by the script.

Handbagged Moira Buffini 2M 4F

Handbagged is a play that grabs the attention from the very start. Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth are very old and seem somewhat institutionalised but they are soon joined by younger versions of themselves. The women discuss their relationship allowing us to enjoy the differences of opinion between both pairs and, delightfully, their older and younger selves. It is the interjections of the older pair, Queen Elizabeth in particular, that adds humour

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PLAYSCRIPTS

and understanding to the dialogue. The first meeting between the newly elected Mrs Thatcher and her Queen is awkward until they find common ground: their mutual admiration for Ronald Reagan.

1984 and Helen, a heavily pregnant young mother, describes the effects of radiation on human beings. The imagery continues as a young child decorates the fence with ribbons before turning to the audience to reveal her bleeding gums.

However, it is Reagan that introduces the first note of conflict. His invasion of Grenada over concerns that Russia and Cuba were planning to use the island as a re-fuelling stop were highly criticised by the British monarch, Head of State of the island, and her government. However, it was Mrs Thatcher that Reagan chose to apologise to by telephone. “Why didn’t he ring me?” asks Queen Elizabeth.

Then, in the midst of the horror, comes humour. Two protesters, Margaret and Lorraine, discuss the problems of trying to keep everyone happy: the difficulties in arranging the cooking roster, how to avoid upsetting delicate emotions and how to remain ‘politically correct’ years before the term had even been invented. Within the first few pages the author has presented us with the both big picture and the practicalities of organising a protest. When Helen is the victim of an attack by local residents, angry at the notoriety caused by the campaign, she returns home to a confrontation with her husband. For seven weeks she has been away ‘registering her protest’ leaving him feeling inadequate and unable to cope with running the house on his own. In an allusion to the cold war the arguments leads them both to threatening to unleash their weapons, the power to hurt one another, unless the other backs down. They don’t want to use these weapons, they just want the other side to know that they have them.

After this episode the relationship between the two women begins to break down. The monarch’s concern for the commonwealth conflicted with Mrs Thatcher’s desire to do what was best, in her opinion, for Britain and Britain alone. Disagreements over sanctions against South Africa, the government’s handling of the miner’s strike and an agreement with the USA to allow missiles to be launched against Libya from our shores led to newspapers carrying stories that the Queen was dismayed with her government’s policies. It was the Queen’s Press Secretary, Michael Shea, who paid the price for the public squabble between the elected government and the House of Windsor and his fate was sealed with just three words from Mrs Thatcher as he sought to apologise for the trouble he had caused. These words were “Never mind, dear”.

THE MAKE-UP SCHOOL &

Make-up Hair Prosthetics Ai Suddenly it is 2009. Another protest but now the participants are slick, choreographed for Fashion / TV / Film / Theatr and breathtakingly efficient. They have people responsible for talking to the press, to Short courses the police even, and the arguments are not about who is going to cook, but whointensive is going

This is a very absorbing play about a fascinating period in recent history and another piece of quality drama from a highly acclaimed writer.

to appear on Newsnight. The child Helen was carrying in 1984 is James, a product of Greenham Common and very much his mother’s son who is dismayed at how things have changed, but it is Lillian, a woman already in her fifties at Greenham, who brings info@greasepaint.co.uk home why it is important that ordinary people continue to stand up for what they believe in, and why protest is still relevant.

PLAY OF THE MONTH

Having read some of Lucy Kirkword’s work before I expected to enjoy Bloody Wimmin and I was not disappointed. This is another fine play from a remarkably gifted writer.

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Bloody Wimmin Lucy Kirkwood CAST 7M 8F

Lucy Kirkwood excels in strong imagery. Even her description of the set is powerful: an angry barbed wire fence – we know exactly what she means. Bloody Wimmin is about the legacy of the Greenham Common protests and as the action begins it is

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CoMEdIES BY IAn hoRnBY nEWLY PUBLIShEd

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New releases! Hi-de-Hi!

by Paul Carpenter and Ian Gower. Adapted from the original TV series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Cast M9 F8. sCene Various simple settings. Revisit the 1950s and Maplins Holiday Camp with its host of colourful characters. It’s the start of a new season and a “Miss Yellowcoat” contest is announced, with fierce competition between the girls to win the coveted yellow sash. The camp rumour mill goes into overdrive when Gladys has to escort a very intoxicated Jeffrey Fairbrother back to his chalet. Hi-de-hi, campers! Price £8.95

ThE Ex FACToR CoMEdY 3M 4F, SInGLE SET

(No, nothing to do with the game show!) Imagine it - you and your wife-to-be are struggling to open your bed and breakfast. The B&B inspector is due any moment. So it is for Phil and Jane. Except the imminent inspector is Phil’s ex-wife Felicity, and there never was any love lost between the two women. And there’s a rumour that Felicity’s latest beau used to be a Chippendale - not good when your first guests - two matronly women - are also due to arrive. And the place is almost - but not quite - finished, the rising wind threatening to blow the roof off the barn. The stage is set for misunderstandings, jealousy, women at war and even a burglary. That all-pervading scent of the farmyard doesn’t help either.

ConFEREnCE PAIRS CoMEdY 2M 5F, SInGLE SET

Each and every year, the members of the national sales team of JW Roberts Ltd. meet in a hotel for their sales conference. And each and every year they continue their “liaisons” with other members of the sales team. Afterwards they will go back to their everyday lives, but this weekend they’re out to enjoy each other. Peter and Eve have conveniently-opposite rooms in the hotel, but just about anything that can prevent their continued relationship actually does prevent it, including fire alarms, falls, difficult hotel staff, visiting bosses, lost keys, two pairs of handcuffs and a surprise visit from Peter’s wife.

Micky Salberg’s Crystal Ballroom Dance Band

A play with music by Ade Morris Cast M2 F1. sCene A farmhouse and yard. It’s 1952 and Jewish Polish immigrant Micky Salberg and his daughter Sam are struggling to make a living from their smallholding on the outskirts of Stoke-onTrent. They decide to reform Micky’s old jazz band to raise cash — with a little help from bailiff’s apprentice Tommy. A very funny play about love, loss and rock ‘n’ roll, with fantastic original music by Paul Kissaun. Price £8.95

And not forgetting the very popular favourite

hELLo, IS ThERE AnY BodY ThERE?

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FARCE 4M 5F, SInGLE SET

All is dull and peaceful at Squire Grange. Lady Amelia searches for new ideas for her latest mystery novel as Sir Malcolm sleeps off the excesses of another idle day. Family friend Freddy is persuaded to try and think of new ideas. Meanwhile the hapless Vic Tim arrives and is promptly dispatched by an unknown assailant. Everyone tries really hard to discover the murderer, but not in time to prevent the Producer being murdered. And someone else. This hilarious farce steadfastly refuses to take itself (or anything else) seriously.

www.scripts4theatre.com samuelfrench-london.co.uk French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy St London W1t 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk

Free evaluation copies on request. Visit our for details of these and the rest of Ian Hornby’s 36 published plays.

Contact ian@scripts4theatre.co.uk tel: 01925 485605 Or write to Ian at 2 Hereford Close, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4HR AMATEUR STAGE | SEPTEMBER 2010

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the last word

Wisteria Cottage Garrick Lane.

Salutations, The dust has settled a little since this space was high-jacked by his lordship. Indeed, I am pleased to report that I have been able to steal a march on him! Let me explain. As luck would have it, I bumped into Vera Derby on my way out of the Post Office. (I had discovered a large tablet of soap that seemed to have inadvertently fallen into my luggage at the guest house. Once unwrapped it proved to be lily-of-the-valley which I cannot abide, so I thought it only proper to parcel it up and return it from whence it came.) Where was I? Oh yes, Vera was eager to tell me that Crispin is indeed planning a production of A Christmas Carol, and that he was writing the whole thing in iambic pentameters as a tribute to the Bard. The gem of information was that auditions had been delayed for a couple of weeks because he was having trouble with what Vera termed the ‘Fuzzypeg’ scene. I commented that I was not aware of small talking hedgehogs in Dickens, but my acerbic wit fell on stony ground. Nevertheless, I pressed on, seized the moment and said, did that mean she would be unavailable to play in The Cemetery Club. Again, she got the wrong end of the stick and said that acting in a church was one thing, but performing in a graveyard was not her preferred activity. Cutting a long story short, after a show of reluctance, she finally agreed to audition. As I hoped, flattery will get you anywhere, though she became animated and enthusiastic when I mentioned that Jeff was a possible candidate. (You may remember he played Condomine for me last year) It seemed that he had had ambitions to be Scrooge, but Crispin wanted the role for himself. I never thought I would have cause to be grateful to the egotism of my Nemesis. I lost no time in booking the church hall and calling my two other candidates to order. The evening arrived and thankfully, the chosen quartet turned up. Kath expressed surprise that so few people had come forward and I hastily turned the conversation to the fact that this was a blessing since our space was a little restricted due to innumerable trestle tables and bin liners stuffed with old clothes and dented saucepans from an earlier jumble sale. Thankfully, no more was said. We retrieved enough unbroken plastic chairs and began. Half an hour later, I had a cast. I have a couple of little problemettes to overcome, however. Firstly, the New York accent. Jeff made a brave attempt; he put it down to watching a box set of something called ‘House’. I had not realised he was a devotee of American DIY and made a mental note to ask him to help build the set. As for the others Marjorie’s effort came out Irish, Kath seemed to find herself in the West Indies and Vera – well, Vera was indescribable. I suspect that the best course of action will be to abandon the idea and do a little judicious rewriting, which would probably improve the script anyway. Secondly, the bridesmaid’s dresses will be an issue. Marjorie, as you know, is not the smallest actress, so I shall have to trust in Providence, or my sewing machine. I was sorely tempted to go through some of those bin liners, but one never knows what one might find and I am not in the habit of bringing Marigolds to rehearsal. So, with the sense of a job well done, I am off to the charity shop in search of gowns. And before you ask, I will be taking my yellow gloves. Yours

Doris Richardson-Hall

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