THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE
SEPTEMBER 2008 £2.40
The Musical Produced
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER CELEBRATING HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY Latest West End Reviews * Online Ticketing 50th Woking Drama Festival * News & Diary COVER.indd 1
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WELCOME
WELCOME TO AS MAGAZINE!! We’re slowly finding our feet here at AS Central. Thanks to everyone who emailed, wrote and called us after the first issue of new look AS. Your comments have been noted and we are starting to develop some of the many ideas that were forthcoming. PLEASE REMEMBER that we rely on you, our readers to send in information on what your group is doing so that we can include it in the magazine. We are currently seeking the following PLAY/MUSICAL PRODUCED Ideally submissions should follow our traditional format. Submissions should be approx 1200 words and should include a selection of high quality photographs. SPECIAL EVENTS Is your group celebrating an anniversary, a new venue or any special event. Send us some information - approx 600 words and some photos for inclusion. TECHNICAL PRODUCTION We will be expanding the technical section of the magazine over future issues. If you have discovered new innovations which you think might be of interest to other groups please let us know. We are very pleased this issue to be celebrating the 60th Birthday of musical theatre prower house Andrew Lloyd Webber. Continuing with a musical theme we take a look at a new production of Annie Get Your Gun. Again, our thanks for your feedback and positive comments. We hope you enjoy this issue. The Editorial Team
TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
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KINGSTON UPON THAMES ARTS CENTRE
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News stories from the theatre world.
AS looks at this great new venue
SELLING TICKETS ONLINE
Richard Jones talks about selling tickets to your show online.
INTERVIEW: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER 12 Mark Shenton talks to Andrew Lloyd Webber on the occassion of his 60th Birthday to talk about the future of musical theatre.
THE MUSICAL PRODUCED
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FIRST NIGHT INSURANCE: GOING FOR GOLD
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NEW PLAY REVIEWS
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THEATRE REVIEWS
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PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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AS DIARY
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CLASSIFIEDS
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Stephen Duckham talks about the new version of Annie Get Your Gun
Robert Israel talks insurance.
AS looks at the latest new play scripts.
AS MAGAZINE
Published monthly by Platform Publishing UK Limited Suite 404 Albany House. 324/326 Regent Street London W1B 3HH P: 0870 233 2040 www.asmagazine.co.uk
We would like to thank the following for their contributions to this magazine:Robert Israel, Mark Shenton, Stephen Duckham, Richard Jones, Russell Hawkins, Stephen Collins
Business Development Manager PAUL WEBSTER
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The AS Team reviews the latest offerings and looks at forthcoming shows.
AS looks at great new books, cds and dvds
Who’s doing what and where.
Please contact Doug on 0870 233 2040 or email sales@asmagazine.co.uk Rates available on application
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(c) 2008 Platform Publishing UK Limited AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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Samuel French Ltd the play publisher
NEW RELEASES!
The Titfield Thunderbolt a play by Philip Goulding, based on the original Ealing comedy screenplay by T.E.B Clarke CAST M10 F4 or M3 F2 (with doubling) Includes staging suggestions. Upon learning that their branch railway line is about to be axed, a group of villagers decide to buy and run the railway themselves. “For collectors of cherishable English comedy, this enjoyable chaotic show is a real find. First class.” Daily Telegraph
CAST M5 F5 (with doubling) 1 boy, 1girl. This superb adaptation of E. Nesbit’s English classic brings a masterful emotional depth to this rite of passage story, developing from youthful passion for adventure to an adult sense of responsibilty, whilst featuring heartfelt ballads, stirring choral numbers and tuneful melodies.
French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk
www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk
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NEWS
50TH WOKING DRAMA FESTIVAL Woking Drama Association present the 50th Woking Drama Festival of One-Act Plays, from Tuesday 30th September to Saturday 11th October, at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Peacock Centre, Woking. Performances begin at 7.30pm (7.00pm on Saturdays). Woking Drama Association present the 50th consecutive Woking Drama Festival of One-Act Plays. The cream of the area’s amateur acting and directing talent battle it out to prove which company can put on the best performance. The 16 awards that the players will compete for include trophies for the cast, technical excellence, sound, original play and, of course, the performance as a whole. Two or three plays will be performed on each night of the festival at The Rhoda McGraw Theatre in Woking. From the twenty competitors, two will be chosen by adjudicator Rex Walford at the end of the fortnight and asked to repeat their performance on the final Saturday after which prizes are awarded. Audience members often buy tickets for every night of the competition or may pick and choose evenings to be entertained by thoughtful, dynamic performances of an exciting range of pieces, performed by both adult and youth theatre groups. Woking Drama Association chairman, Stewart Mison is expecting this year’s
festival to be better than ever: “Every year I am amazed at the high quality of theatre produced by local groups at the Festival. Indeed, in recent years, the winners have gone on to triumph at the British All-Winners Drama Festival, proving that they are the cream of the crop. But I think that this year will be even more special as all the competing groups will want to win in the festival’s 50th year”. The festivities kick-off on Tuesday 30th September when the WDA will be hosting a reception, at The Lightbox, for Woking’s mayor, civic dignitaries and stalwarts of the local drama scene. The competition itself starts at 7.30pm that night with performances by Woking College Theatre Company and Lighted Fools Theatre Company. Alongside the Festival Woking’s Lightbox gallery and museum is hosting a free exhibition, celebrating 50 years of the Woking Drama Festival. The exhibition, running from 29th September to 18th October, will include historic costumes, trophies and other souvenirs representing the festival from its first incarnation at The Lion Works in 1959. Tickets from the WDA Festival box office on 01932 702091 or email chelen.m@googlemail.com.
GEOFFREY WHITWORTH TROPHY RESULTS There were 24 entries in this year’s Geoffrey Whitworth Competition. Entries are submitted from the All England Theatre Festival, The Drama Association of Wales, the SCDA and the Association of Ulster Drama Festivals. The new professional judge this year was Ron Nicol who was ably assisted by his wife, professional actress Norma. There was a clear winner, but the allocation of Highly Commended and Commended awards was particularly difficult. The winning play was “Popper” by Chris Adams of Bristol. Highly commended awards went to “The Dressing Room” by Mark Rees of Castle Douglas and “When We Were Full Of Hope” by Les Clarke or Bournemouth. “Burning Questions” by Margaret Kynaston of Cardiff; “Four and Twenty Blackbirds” by Douglas Skelton of Cumnock; “The Only Woman In The World” by John Shaw of Leicester; “Wide Innocent Eyes” by Mike Newbold
of Bressay; “You’re In Room Eight” by Les Clarke of Bournemouth were all Commended. Judge Ron Nicol commented “Most scripts were well laid out, many with a synopsis and list of characters included, some even included indications of running time and props list. In some instances though scripts were poorly presented with spelling errors and little or no punctuation made clear understanding at the first reading almost a matter of guesswork.” Ron found the task of Chief Judge “demanding but very absorbing and enjoyable.” The winning playwright, Chris Adams, received the Geoffrey Whitworth Trophy at the British Drama Finals in Swansea.
Conning, Pyrford Little Theatre, and Connie Jenkins, Woodham Drama Society, winners of Best Actor and Best Actress prizes at the 1st Woking Drama Festival, October 1959.
Prices are £8 (£7 concessions) for each competitive night and £10 for the final awards evening. For more information, visit www.wokingdramafestival.org.uk.
UPCOMING FEATURES In the very near future AS will be running some monthly special features. If you would like to contribute please feel free to contact the editorial team on editor@asmagazine.co.uk. Upcoming Features List Costume Design/ Hire & Manufacture Scenic Design Training & Education Youth Theatre Playwriting
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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NEWS
JOIN THE AS ONLINE REVOLUTION
(l-r) Gaynor Faye, Patricia Hodge, Julia Hills, Elaine C Smith, Sian Phillips and Lynda Bellingham
CALENDAR GIRLS HITS THE STAGE Based on the hit film Calendar Girls is heading to the stage in a great new adaptation by Tim Firth. North West audiences will have the chance to see the stage version of Calendar Girls in the flesh before London’s West End. The stage show heading for the North West will have an all-star cast including Lynda Bellingham, Patricia Hodge, Sian Phillips, Gaynor Faye, Brigit Forsyth, Julia Hills and Elaine C Smith. A group of extraordinary women, members of a very ordinary Yorkshire WI, persuade one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference! Puzzling their husbands, mortifying their children and riding the wrath of an outraged WI, they inadvertently spark a global phenomenon. As interest in the calendar snowballs, the ladies find themselves revealing more than they’d ever planned. Calendar Girls is directed by Olivier Award winner Hamish McColl. Hamish is probably best known as half of the double act The Right Size, who from 1988 created a unique style of comic theatre culminating in the smash hit The Play What I Wrote which won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. Other credits include Hysterium in Edward Hall’s production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the National Theatre.
Online promotion is fast becoming one of the fastest, and indeed the cheapest way of promoting your theatre company, society or arts event. Online networking systems such as Facebook and My Space offer so many people, whether they be actors, production teams or societies a great way to network and say hi right across the world. To help facilitate communication between our readers AS Magazine is now developing it’s online presence. So how can you take part we hear you ask. Your choices are many fold:Our Website www.asmagazine.co.uk Sign up for one of our online mailing lists to get access to the latest news, special offers and helpful tips. Facebook Go to Facebook groups and search for AS Magazine. Take a minute to join our onlne group. My Space Visit us at http://www.myspace.com/amateurstage. The trick to getting your message out is not just to join our groups but to tell all your friends about your group and our pages and ask them to join to. Online promotion is the best form of PR for groups on a tight budget. Let’s face it you can blast your message to potential millions for FREE.
Mon 20 - Sat 25 October 2008 Box office: 0870 787 5793 or www.thelowry.com
CALLING ALL PRESS OFFICERS
Over the next few months AS Magazine plans to devote more space to showcasing and publicising local groups and their activities. We can only do this if we know about it. Please make sure you keep us abreast of your actions by sending your press releases and editorial ideas to editor@asmagazine.co.uk When sending your submissions don’t forget to send high resolution interesting pictures that we can run alongside your story. PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS DETAILS ON PAGE 3
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AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
21/09/2008 12:16:09
NEWS
PRISCILLA THE MUSICAL HITS LONDON IN 2009
Jason Donovan, Tony Sheldon and Oliver Thornton will lead the cast in the West End production of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. The spectacular new stage musical, directed by Simon Phillips, will open at the Palace Theatre in March 2009. Based on the Oscar® award-winning film, Priscilla tells the story of Tick (Jason Donovan), Bernadette (Tony Sheldon) and Adam (Oliver Thornton), a glamorous Sydney-based performing trio that agree to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. Priscilla Queen Of the Desert The Musical is a heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus (nicknamed Priscilla) searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and featuring a score of dance-floor classics, this new musical is a sensational journey to the heart of fabulous. Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical - adapted from the Oscar®-winning film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert starring Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving - is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Direction is by Simon Phillips, choreography is by
Photo: James Morgan
Ross Coleman, arrangements, musical direction and supervision by Stephen ‘Spud’ Murphy and production designs are by Brian Thomson. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner have re-created their Oscar®-winning costume designs which were originally designed for the film. Lighting designed by Nick Schlieper and Sound design by Michael Waters. Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical made its world premiere in Sydney in
October 2006. has subsequently wowed audiences and critics alike in Melbourne and New Zealand to become the most successful Australian musical of all time. A Sydney return season due to popular demand will commence in October 2008 and plans are afoot for a North American production to open in Toronto and another in Germany in Autumn 2009. A Swedish production will open in 2010.
DERBY COUNCIL FORCES OWNER TO REPAIR DAMAGE In May 2008 we reported on the actions of the owner of the Derby Hippodrome when he initiated “repairs” on the historic theatre. Derby City Council is now set to force the owner of the Hippodrome to carry out repair work. The planning control committee has approved the authorisation of an enforcement notice, which will be served on the current owner Christopher Anthony. The council is currently seeking recovery of funds spent by council on his behalf and are considering prosecuting Mr Anthony for damaging a listed building. The Grade 2 listed Hippodrome suffered extensive damage in March when major structural beams were removed and the side walls of the building were destroyed, along with the stage house and fly tower. Mr Anthony then tried to secure demolition approval claiming that structural engineers had ruled the building as unsafe. The Council acted quickly to secure a High Court injunction to prevent him from taking any further action. The Councils actions will force Mr Anthony
to restore the building to at least the state it was in prior to his repairs commenced. Representatives of Mr Anthony have stated that he is intending to appeal the decision. This could delay any works for up to year - a potentially catasprophic result as most
of the building is currently open to the elements and damage over this time from the weather is inconceiveable. AS will keep you updated as more news on the Derby Hippordrome comes to hand.
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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VENUES
KINGSTON UPON THAMES PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
The Performing Arts Centre is part of a 12 million pound development at Kingston Grammar School in the heart of Kingston upon Thames and is now offered to community and professional theatre companies to stage productions. AS takes a look at this great new venue. This striking performance space is receiving enthusiastic reviews from visitors to the centre and from those amatuer companies who have been the first to use the Performing Arts Centre. On arriving at the Centre, you are met by impressive modern large glass-fronted foyers and box office area. A Plasma screen projecting on to the busy street offers a free advertising space for hiring companies From the largest conference to the simplest meeting, the Theatre is able to tailor its superb facilities to your particular function. With the seating fully extended the Theatre can seat up to 216 guests very comfortably for Meetings or 192 for Conferences. The venue can make the stage deeper by going down to 176 seats making it a more intimate venue for dance, theatre and musicals. The Theatre is a flexible space that is available in number of different seating and staging options; the whole floor is sprung, and covered in Rosco twin black / gray dance floor which is suitable for all dance forms, but making it exceptional for ballet and contemporary dance. When all the seating is retracted it makes a large sprung 14m by 15m dance / rehearsal studio. It is also equipped with a large amount of generic and moving lights and high-end sound equipment. Including a Frog 2 Digital Lighting Desk running 60ch of 2.5k Digital Dimming and a Yamaha LS-9 32ch Digital Sound Desk. The venue has a fixed FOH catwalk system. On stage there is a mixture of electric winch, hemp and dead hung bars. There are four internally wired bars on winches for the Lighting bars. The main burgundy House Curtain & border are fixed under the Catwalk.
air foyer space. This area would make a stunning setting for productions of Shakespeare, with the balcony on 3 sides used as acting areas or used for the audience on three levels with staging erected on the ground floor. A large licensed café bar is available for pre show and interval drinks and a central open air courtyard offers audience an al fresco area for pre-show cocktails. The Green Room offers separate male and female dressing rooms with showers including those with disabled access. The Performing Arts Centre’s most recent visiting companies have included Edge from London Contemporary Dance, Kingston Vale Operatic and Dramatic Society who performed a hugely successful week-long runs of their productions of Oliver! and Guys ‘n’ Dolls, Maroon Town, Allegro Youth Theatre, Radio Jackie’s Battle of the Bands, Bounce Theatre’s production of The Vagina Monologues and The 51st State Band, Momentum and About Time Tap. Daniel Dar-Nell is the Performing Arts Centre’s Technical Manager and is a fully qualified lighting and sound engineer. Daniel can create a bespoke and sophisticated lighting design system for hiring companies. With his wealth of knowledge Daniel is able to answer complex specialised questions regarding all aspects of theatre production. To arrange an appointment to view and for details of their highly competitive hire rates, please telephone the Events and Lettings Coordinator on 020 8546 5875.
The venue features a stunning glass fronted foyer space also a separate bar / café . The whole Performing Arts Center is licensed for alcohol and entertainment . There is a large Courtyard just off from the Foyer with three levels of covered walkways on 3 sides this is also licensed for Alcohol and Public Entertainment. Mainly used when warm as an open
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Photo: Daniel Dar-Nell
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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TECHNOLOGY
ONLINE BOX OFFICE SALES patrons who were regular supporters and who would never dream of falling into the ‘no show’ category. The argument was therefore put forward that the booking system should enter the 21st Century and offer an on-line booking system. The technophobes were sceptical as to the take up on this but it was decided to implement it for a short trial period. Four productions later and on-line bookings currently account for 40.3% of ticket sales. Payments are made up front by credit card to the company running the system (in this case Ticketsource). There is a booking fee of 10% of ticket prices scaling down for larger group bookings – this is the Ticketsource fee. Customers get an e-ticket which they bring to the box office on the night. The production box office manager has to ‘book out’ all postal bookings received (no charge incurred for this) and all on-line bookings are confirmed by a daily e-mail. Bookings can also be viewed on screen. Ticket monies are paid into the Kelvin bank account the week after a production ends. The surprising fact is that a number of Kelvin’s own members who have access to the free no-booking fee club booking arrangements are choosing to buy their tickets on-line presumably for ease and immediacy of booking. So there it is, modern technology showing itself to be a valuable tool in box office management. Worthwhile? Definitely yes.
ABOUT TICKETSOURCE With developments in computer technology becoming more and more accessible it was only a matter of time before online ticketing systems became available to community groups. Richard Jones looks at how online ticket sales has worked for Kelvin Players. Kelvin Players, a non-professional theatre company based in Bristol, stages up to six productions annually in its Studio Theatre. A problem that has become apparent staging productions in this way relates to the box office. Kelvin, for ease of management has one box office number that can be accessed
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by special code by whoever is doing box office for that particular show from their own phone. Patrons would book tickets and pay for them on the night when they picked them up. By and large this went well except when a show sold out. It was extremely galling to have a number of tickets on the box office that not only had not been picked up but equally importantly had not been paid for. During the winter or other times of inclement weather the no-shows could account for a significant proportion of box office money. So the decision was taken to adopt a payin-advance system. Not popular with some
Kelvin’s ticketing system was provided by www.ticketsource.co.uk. Simple Facts You don’t need a website top be able to sell tickets online. The system is free and is paid for by a small ticket surcharge. Tickets are dispatched online as e-tickets which can either be used at the venue or exchanged for a more conventional ticket on the night. Ticketsource can help you develop a database of clients to make it easier to market future productions.
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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Regenerating Musical Theatre & Keeping It ALIVE!!! alwinterviewl.indd 2
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INTERVIEW Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs and musicals are performed all over the world – but now he’s a TV celebrity, too. London theatre critic Mark Shenton applauds a man who stays ahead of the game by constantly breaking the rules. “Andrew at 60 is coming up with ideas that younger producers should be having”, said Madeleine Lloyd Webber earlier this year after her husband had appeared on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction as he played himself offering the leading role to a fictional character in his London Palladium production of The Sound of Music. While the original BBC1 special “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” originally set out to discover a complete unknown and turn her into a star (which it duly did with the drama school trained Connie Fisher), this time around a professional - Summer Strallen, who had some seven prior West End credits, and even an Olivier nomination, to her name – was turned into an amateur, “infiltrated” into the series in a storyline that had her aspiring to be in The Sound of Music. The maestro is unapologetic, even proud, as he sits in the glass-covered conservatory of his West End office and says of this latest casting stunt, “There’s no point sitting trying to do things in the old conventional ways – we are living in a completely different world.” It’s a world that he has personally changed forever in theatrical terms – and clearly is going to keep changing. “When I was starting back in the 1970, we had Jesus Christ Superstar issued as a double album set first. That was because we couldn’t get a stage production for it – nobody was interested, so it was the only means open to us; we had no other way of getting it out. We didn’t know then that we’d created something nobody had done before.” It became an invaluable marketing tool that led to the show being produced onstage; and together with his lyricist partner, Tim Rice, they repeated the exercise on Evita, and it was another smash, first on record, then onstage. But it was in the 1980s that Lloyd Webber’s love of breaking the rules really took hold: even he admits of Cats that the idea for it seemed “beyond-the-pale frightful – setting a dead poet’s cat poems to music and asking people to believe that the actors are cats dancing is not the stuff that investment in theatre is made of!” But it was – and soon became an international phenomenon. So did Starlight Express, a musical that put its cast on rollerskates to pretend to be trains and as well as running for 17 years in
the West End, it also took off globally - one production in Bochum, Germany, celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. Then came The Phantom of the Opera – a show that has grossed over £1.7 billion worldwide, more than any other film or stage play in history, including “Titanic,” “ET” and “Star Wars.” No wonder he was once dubbed Andrew Lloyds Bank. But as well as the great financial wealth that has led to one paper calculating that he is richer than the Queen, his biggest impact has been on the growth and perception of musicals, period. “It did look in the late 60s as if the musical was pretty much a finished form,” he recalls now. “I vividly remember how deeply unfashionable musicals were when I was a child.” The son of a classical composer father and violinist/pianist mother, he went to Oxford to read History – but dropped out, knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in the theatre. Through an actress aunt Viola, he tells me “I was lucky enough to meet a lot of people who were big names”, and he would soon join their genre-breaking ranks. What’s his proudest boast now? “The fact that I was able with Tim and others to bring the musical back and to see it flourish as it has done now is an achievement.” He’s convinced that musicals are about to evolve again: “It will continue to change in ways that neither you nor I can see at the moment. In the next year or two – and it sure as hell won’t be me – there will be some kind of musical or entertainment that is evolved on the net. Quite what it is I don’t know, but I sense that’s where it will come from.” He suspects that part of the impetus will come from the TV casting programmes, of which he has been such an integral part. “Three years ago, if anybody had really thought there would be a prime time TV show devoted to musicals, people would laugh at you – and they did.” Though there was initially some hostility in the theatre industry to the idea, the public quickly adopted it; and he says now, “What it has I suppose most importantly done is completely brought a new public in, not just to West End theatre but to theatre right across the board – even amateur operatic companies have reported a huge increase in interest since we did the programmes.” And if amateur rights in shows like The Phantom of the Opera are a long way off, the astute businessman in him (who has seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
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INTERVIEW
Photo: Joan Marcus
Dreamcoat build its fan base largely by school and amateur productions, that in turn help to drive audiences to the professional production) has found a creative way of exploiting a past, very early property: The Likes of Us, his and Tim Rice’s first collaboration written shortly after they met in 1965, has been made available for amateur groups through a partnership with the National Operatic and Dramatic Association. The work has only been seen twice before: “We did it at Sydmonton in 2005 [the private festival he holds at his Berkshire mansion every year] and then at London’s Mermaid Theatre [where it was recorded for an album release], and it was quite funny. We didn’t have a script – nobody could find the one we wrote originally – so we got a narration written by Tim and Stephen Fry; but the whole score is there, so it could be interesting for people to see what we started out doing!” The musical is based on the true-life story of Dr. Thomas Barnardo, whose 19th-century crusade to rescue abandoned or orphaned children living on the streets of London led him to set up homes to house them. For the
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amateur productions, the Really Useful Group will licence the performance rights at 11 percent of the gross boxoffice receipts, and will donate a portion of its own share of receipts to Barnardos until the end of 2010. In the process, a show about homeless kids finding a home has itself found a home. Lloyd Webber, meanwhile, has found a new home for himself as a TV star. “It’s very, very young people who tend to come up to me in the streets and want autographs – kids from 8 to 10 and upwards to about twenty; they are the ones who are really interested, and I think it’s great. It really has excited an ordinary public to go to the theatre again. One of my favourite letters was from a school who said they’d gone to see Joseph because of the TV show and then went to see War Horse at the National – and how much better they thought War Horse was!” He’s currently weighing TV offers for next year – “television has opened up a whole new area of things that I never really thought I would be doing, so whether I like it or not I am going to have to get someone to represent me for television work” – but says it won’t be another reality casting.
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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INTERVIEW
Photo: Tristam Kenton
He’s also very busy writing his next musical: a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, currently subtitled Love Never Dies. Isn’t it dangerous to revisit a past success? “It really isn’t like that – though everyone is going to call it Phantom 2 whether we like it or not, sequel is slightly the wrong word for it. It is a development of the whole thing, it doesn’t go over any of the old ground of the original, and there is no music at all from the original other than one or two little quotes in the orchestrations, which are there for colour.”
the first act, and rather like The Woman in White where the first act worked wonderfully, what we cannot presume is that the second act is going to. So we are going to do a workshop of it, then take a month off and do it again with both halves, and then see.” Those workshops are being done in October and December, and he concludes, “Whether we finally push the button on it we will decide in the New Year. I don’t want to let this one out unless we’re pretty sure about the material we’ve got.”
They tried out the first act of it earlier this summer at Sydmonton, and it went well. But he was burnt by the experience of his last original musical, The Woman in White, about which he says now, “We had a terrific first act but something I had underestimated is that there is no secret that a modern audience today would shocking that you can even remotely put on a stage. It was a novel that was about a faked birth certificate – people said, ‘so what?’ That was our mistake – and if I ever revisited that piece, we would have to stop at the point where it is revealed that the sisters are swapped in the asylum. I don’t want to make that mistake again, so what I am going to do is workshop and workshop it to the nth degree. We’ve done
* Mark Shenton is theatre critic of the Sunday Express, writes a daily blog for The Stage website (www.thestage. co.uk/shenton) and contributes to The Guardian’s theatre blogs regularly. He is also London correspondent for Playbill.com, and has written liner notes for original cast albums of West End musicals including Chicago.
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A BRAND NEW ANNIE!
Giving a beloved favourite a facelift is no easy feat. Stephen Duckham recently directed a production of the “New” version of Annie Get Your Gun and shares his experiences with AS...
UST 2008
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THE MUSICAL PRODUCED This internationally famous musical first burst onto the Broadway stage in 1946. It was an immediate hit and produced a catalogue of songs that have become standards including the ‘theatre anthem’ There’s No Business Like Show Business. Filmed, revived and recorded for TV, this show has always been around, so it was inevitable that following numerous other re-mounted productions of famous musicals, Annie Get Your Gun would undergo the same treatment. Previous revivals reproduced the original with one exception – the addition in 1966 of a new song, Old Fashioned Wedding and some extra verses for Show Business. Author Peter Stone did a complete rewrite of the show in 1999 incorporating Berlin’s new material but changing the story so that it is told by Buffalo Bill’s travelling show. It also eliminated a lot of the Indian references, including the song I’m an Indian Too, that in present day might be deemed non PC! The revival starred Bernadette Peters and reaffirmed what a timeless show it is. Released in Great Britain through Josef Weinberger Ltd, I directed the show in April 2008 for Leamington and Warwick musical Society.
Casting
The cast requires 6 male principal roles, 4 of whom sing and 3 females. Three children (2 girls and a boy) who also have a small amount of singing and three men who can sing in close harmony make up the rest of the vocal requirements. There are a number of small parts, which as it is a ‘show within a show’ can easily double in the chorus.
Tommy and Winnie are the young dancing duo and should be excellent all rounders. Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill and Chief Sitting Bull are strong acting roles for the more mature actor, whilst Charlie Davenport acts as Buffalo Bill’s assistant and stage manager. He also has comic scenes interacting with Dolly. Casting took place during the summer of 2007 with a particularly good turn out for the role of Annie.
Rehearsals
As the show has been completely rewritten I had meetings with my choreographer and musical director before rehearsals commenced so we all had a clear idea of how the production would look on the stage. I wanted the show with in a show feel to be clear from the starts, so every member of the company was given a role whether it be a props person, wardrobe, scenery builder or dancer. This made the opening number – ‘There No Business Like Show Business’ – a scene setter with everyone being introduced with a job to do. The character of Charlie as stage manager calls for each scene change during the show and so the company effect each of these without the need for blackouts. Music rehearsal began in the late Autumn with them first being divided up between principals and chorus and later coming together. Mid January I started blocking
while the choreographer worked on the individual dance numbers. There are quite a few in this version and as musicals are now written for a dancing ensemble I was quite keen to make sure the entire company was involved. Having worked out with the production team before hand how the show will look, I block very quickly to give basic movements etc. This enables the choreographer to know where characters are before and after a number. I then like to set principal songs and work closely with the choreographer on the big production numbers. The set we hired (see scenery) allowed for every scene to be played on a full stage so this meant that there was very little restriction for the dancing. The new script, while retaining all the flavour of the original, is packed with one liners and moments of high comedy. Pace, with a book like this, is all important and a number of the scenes contain just a few characters which means I could break the principal rehearsals down and work with individuals.
Scenery and Costumes
The set was hired from Scenic Projects, Beccles and fitted the show with in show idea perfectly. With a basic set of tent legs and a permanent back cloth all the other scene were just suggestions of a location. Two open trucks made a train complete with bunk beds for the children to sleep in. A porch and door represented a hotel and the addition of an arched cut-cloth and chandelier transformed
Annie Oakley, of course, carries the show. She has to be an excellent singer and mover with the ability to put over the big punchy up tempo songs as well as tender ballads. She is a larger than life comic character who can also show her feminine and romantic side. Frank Butler is not only the lead male character of the story, but also the leading actor of Buffalo Bill’s troupe. He has to have all the attributes of a dashing lead and a great singing voice. The part of Dolly Tate has just a few lines to sing in the opening but is a strong comic character.
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THE MUSICAL PRODUCED the stage into a New York Hotel. A few small flying and freestanding pieces completed the set. Wardrobe was done mainly by the company and wardrobe mistress with special costumes, such as Chief Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill and a number of Annie’s, hired from a costumier.
Props
I was lucky to have an excellent props team who found numerous period items. The show is set around the turn of the 19th century, but because there is very little furniture called for it is mainly hand props that are required. The all important guns and rifles used in the shooting match were hired from Howarth Wrightson. There are numerous ‘shots’ throughout the show, some in rapid succession, so I decided early on to have them all as sound effects rather than risk them not happening ‘live’ and bring the show to a stand still!
Summary
All in all a fun show to do with plenty of work for the company and some great acting scenes for the principals. The original would have run for at least three hours, but this version was down in two and a half with a tight script and all the extra reprises and unnecessary dances removed. And of course the advantage of one of the great Broadway scores.
Contacts
Howarth Wrightson www.hwltd.co.uk Scenic Projects www.scenicprojects.co.uk
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AS MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2008
21/09/2008 12:45:50
INSURANCE
FIRST NIGHT INSURANCE - GOING FOR GOLD Robert Israel ACII A couple of weeks ago, a Society asked me a question that nobody has ever asked me before. They raised the question of whether they would be insured if a First Aider who was a member of the Society was covered. This is particularly relevant because the “Treatment Risk” and “Medical Malpractice” is a highly specialised class of Insurance. I am sure you can appreciate that in an ever changing and more litigious country, the matter of trying to pin the blame on somebody appears to be somewhat of a growth industry. Medical Malpractice claims against Health Authorities is a significant issue for the Health Authorities and the Underwriters for Medical Malpractice Insurance are also facing a substantially higher number of claims than they were receiving even a few years ago. As far as the First Night Amateur Policy is concerned, I was able to confirm to the Society that we do in fact have a First Aid extension under the Public Liability Section of the Policy. This is there specifically to protect the Society in the event that your First Aider has to administer emergency treatment. The wording interestingly enough specifically excludes Medical Practitioners and I suspect that this is because their own Medical Malpractice cover would come into effect in the event that a claim was made by the patient. The extension, in fact, is wider than just covering First Aiders as it goes on to include Fire and Ambulance Services,
although I have to say that I have never ever seen a claim under this extension, but would suspect that it is there in the event that a fire broke out, either on your premises and spread next door, or that in order to help should there be a fire next door, one of your Fire Marshalls rushed around to try to extinguish the fire but in fact made the situation far worse. As I write this article the Olympic Games are just entering their second week and, from an Insurance perspective, it would all appear to be running without problem. Why, you ask yourselves, am I bringing up this particular subject when, on the face of it, it has absolutely nothing to do with you? Well, the answer is that currently some rates in the General Insurance Market are coming under immense pressure and it could well be that we are seeing the cycle moving into a period of rate increase rather than rate decrease. It is widely acknowledged that the largest placement for Cancellation Insurance is either the World Cup or the Olympic Games. Obviously, if there was a claim under one of these two risks then the reverberations throughout the Cancellation Market would be immense and consequently rates would increase. Cancellation Insurance does, of course, form part of the First Night Insurance Package so there would be a rippling effect which ultimately may well affect the premium rating on your Policy. So, I am sure that all of the Underwriters who provided cover for cancellation of the event must be far more comfortable now than they were even a week ago, and will probably be jumping for joy in a week’s time when the closing ceremony has been concluded. The other set of Underwriters who must be nervously awaiting the end of the games will be those specialist people who provide what is called “Failure to Broadcast” cover. This is effectively the insurance taken out by the Television Companies throughout the world in case the satellites fail. From what I understand, the broadcast companies pay a fee for the right to the screen the games and, presumably, try to recover some of the fee from advertising and/or sponsorship revenue derived during the games. Obviously, if the signal fails, then this could have a serious financial effect on the broadcasters. So whilst 99.9% of a nation’s population will be sitting avidly watching the games unfold, there will be a few Insurers in each country desparately waiting for the games to finish. Because the Olympic Games is such an enormous event, Contingency Underwriters are forever being asked to provide cover for extremely unusual risks. As the event affects every country in the world, the number of enquiries coming into London is significant, from Failure to Transmit, as I have shown above, to the more strange requests such as a commercial company giving you your money back on goods purchased if the country involved wins more than a certain number of gold medals (rumour has it that there is a claim in the market already). One of the stranger requests to Underwriters this year was from the sponsors of a specific athlete who wanted to insure the athlete in case of nonappearance at the Games because the individual would not be able to fulfil their sponsorship contract and, being amateur, the athlete would be unable to refund the sponsorship monies. As you can see, Contingency Underwriters live in a weird and wonderful world and have to be able to respond to the strangest requests. How many people do you know will be watching the Games and hoping that a particular country doesn’t win a number of medals?
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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PLAYS DON’T GET YOUR VICARS IN A TWIST A Farce by Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown Jasper Publishing ISBN 9781905993079 6 M, 5W Rights: Jasper Publishing, 115 Harlestone Rd, Northampton NN5 7AQ Jasperpublishing@ukbusiness.com Don’t Get Your Vicars In A Twist is a two act farce set in the hallway of a country vicarage in 1993 – the first year that women priests were ordained. Church Warden George Williams has rented out the vicarage to a travelling drama company for a Murder Mystery weekend to pay for his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, Bishop Herbert, determined to have the first parish with a female vicar, appoints Caroline Timberlake before the weekend can take place. Fortunately Caroline decides to keep a long standing reunion with her college friends and the Murder Mystery goes ahead. Riotous confusion ensues. GEORGE THE GLADIATOR! A Pantomimish Comedy Adventure by Matthew Stevens Jasper Publishing ISBN9781905993000 Cast of 12 or more – 1 male, 1 female and 10 or more male or female. 8 principal characters and groups. George the Gladiator is presented as a pantomime gone wrong combined with costume mix ups. This quite unique, absolute zany and hilarious Panto-ish Comedy Adventure is packed with Roman
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legionnaires, gladiators, chariot races (in wheely bins) and tiger wrestling (with a camel). George the village numpty, becomes a gladiator to save the village, but not without the help of his beloved Sally and his dog Scratch (in a penguin suit). THE CHERRY ORCHARD A Play by Anton Chekhov in a new version by Mike Poulton. ISBN 9780573110696 Samuel French Performance rights through Samuel French , 52 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 5JR. www.samuel-french.co.uk For Madame Ranevskaya, her cherry orchard is more than just land; it is her childhood, her memories and her life. Returning for the first time since her young son drowned there, she must come to terms with the fact that in order to free her family of debt the cherry orchard must be sold, the trees must be cleared and she and her family must prepare for life beyond the orchard. This touching and often hilarious play exercises the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy, through the characters, relationships and observations of society. 9M, 4W + extras ROBIN HOOD AND THE BABES IN THE WOOD A Pantomime written by Ron Nicol ISBN 1904930980 Performance enquiries to Spotlight Publications, 259 The Moorings, Dalgety Bay, Fife, KY11 9GX P: 01383 825737
When Robin is outlawed by the Sheriff of Nottingham, he has to leave his beloved Marian and flee to Sherwood Forest. Meanwhile, Marian’s guardian Baroness Stonybroke wants to get her hands on Jack and Jill’s inheritance for herself and devious Grovel arranges for the children to be kidnapped. In Sherwood Forest they escape from their captors, but fall into the hands of the Sheriff, who has also arrested Marian. Robin has to rescue all three or give himself up, but with the help of the Merry Women he succeeds. A fast moving plot, memorable villains and numerous roles for women. CHILDE ROWLAND A Pantomime written by Ron Nicol with words and music by Barbara Tulloch. ISBN 1904930956 Performance enquiries to Spotlight Publications, 259 The Moorings, Dalgety Bay, Fife, KY11 9GX P: 01383 825737 When Burd Ellen mysteriously disappears, Rowland consults he wizard Merlin, who suspects that she might have been spirited away by Elves. Rowland sets out on a perilous – and hilarious – journey to the Dark Tower to rescue his sister. After a succession of odd encounters in the Land of Faery, Rowland finally enters the Dark Tower and comes face to face with the awesome and all powerful King of Elfland. Rowland saves the day – he’s the hero after all. Childe Rowland is the full length version of Ron Nicol’s award winning one act play “The Spiriting of Burd Ellen”.
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DO YOU WANT PLAYS THAT WIN FESTIVALS & ENTHRAL, ENGAGE & ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE? OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A PLAY TO PERFORM IN-HOUSE OR TOUR WITH? EITHER WAY CONTACT
LES CLARKE
NATIONAL AWARD WINNING PLAYWRIGHT SEEN HERE RECEIVING THE GEOFFREY WHITWORTH TROPHY FOR “THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN BOXES” BEST ORIGINAL PLAY IN THE ALL ENGLAND ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL
LES HAS ALSO WON THE NATIONAL DRAMA FESTIVALS ASSOCIATION-THE GEORGE TAYLOR MEMORIAL AWARD, THE DRAMA ASSOCIATION OF WALES OPEN SECTION, THE SCOTTISH COMMUNITY DRAMA ASSOCIATION “PLAY ON WORDS” PLAYWRITING COMPETITION, BOGNOR REGIS DRAMA CLUB PLAYWRITING COMPETITION & MANY, MANY MORE AWARDS LES’S PLAYS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ACROSS ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND & WALES & AS FAR AWAY AS SPAIN & NEW ZEALAND VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT WWW.LESCLARKEPLAYS.CO.UK TO ENQUIRE ABOUT HIS AWARD WINNING PLAYS lesclarkead.indd 1
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THEATRE REVIEWS
Only The Brave Edinburgh Festival It is not every day that you can imagine what it must have been like to have witnessed the first works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Something raw, intensely musical but full of heart – early versions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat simply must have been like that. This year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival saw something that must have been, at least, the equal of that experience. Only The Brave is not a title that fills you with expectant hope. It sounds like many things you have seen and heard before. And, in many ways, that is precisely what it is: a war torn love story filled with heroic impulses and handkerchief sodden deaths. But, in one key, defining, aspect it is entirely different: it is blessed with a score that is triumphant and inventive, easily the best score written by an English composer in more than a decade. Matthew Brind, who was young in the Mozartian sense when he started work on the score, is a talent to be watched
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– and nurtured. A real gift for melodyprofound, catchy tuneful melody, also Mozartian – and orchestrations and harmonies that leave you reeling and profoundly satisfied. This is real talent. The cast do not let him down, particularly Tom Solomon, Gareth Richards and Cassidy Jackson, each of whom bring real skill, depth, joy and humanity to their very different characters. Of course, the work is new and not without its faults. But only a miserly soul would dwell on those. This was a workshop production of a piece with range, depth and emotion; every member of the cast worked hard and well to weave the magic necessary to propel the audience through the inevitable holes left by the truncation of a longer work into a shorter showcase piece for a festival. The night I saw it, the audience went entirely with the cast – reliving the blindingly exciting, but dreadful, days of the Second World War: a tribute to Steve Marmion’s incisive and creative direction. There were set pieces to rival anything in Les Miserables: stunning numbers like Band of Brothers, Letter Writers and Oh, Mrs Hitler demonstrated the
range and skill of not just the composer but the excellent ensemble cast. Tears and laughs fell in equal measure. These were performers who believed in the work and wanted it to succeed – and it did. Some of the casting will need to be bettered – neither Gerard Bentall nor Laura Kate Harries equalled the text and score – but this is a musical with enormous potential. If Cameron Macintosh wants to know where next to invest, the answer is here: Only The Brave, a sensational musical exposition of the ravages of war which is nothing short of a triumph for audiences and its brave, insightful producers, Daniel Sparrow and Patrick Gracey. Buy the cast recording! Pray that the show transfers to the West End for a full scale production which will remind the world of the power of the old fashioned musical full of truth and heart. It will be a triumph. Stephen Collins
Marguerite Theatre Royal Haymarket
Being big fans of Les Miserables, a show
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THEATRE REVIEWS that will have exceptional longevity in amateurland we were looking forward to the new work by its composers. This month though, so many shows that we have looked forward to have been such a disappointment. For us one word sums up Marguerite – Average!.
Photo - Tristam Kenton
Given that its musical pedigree is amongst the finest on offer Michel Legrand (Yentl, Ballroom), Boublil & Schonberg (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), Herbert Kretzmer (Les Miserables) and Jonathan Kent (Director of the triple production season at the Haymarket). This show should be all set to run and run and run, and yet it is an immensely unmoving production which shows none of the brilliance of each of its collaborators previous efforts. There are none of the stunning soaring songs that characterise Boublil & Schonberg’s earlier works, the book is often trite and the whole production is devoid of emotion. Julian Ovendon in his quieter moments is about as good as any leading man gets but when he lets rip he takes on a stiff Nelson Eddie quality that echoes acting styles of oh so many years ago. It’s such a pity, he looks great and is a true leading man but the overproduction of his voice needed to meet the demands of the score kills it dead. Alexander Hanson as Otto is suitably severe and menacing and Ruthie Henshall truly does her best to inject whatever vibrancy she can into a very mechanical show. The saviours of the piece acting wise are Simon Thomas, Annalene Beechey and Matt Cross, the bohemian renegades who carry some of the simplest melodies and turn them into some of the shows most poignant moments. Kudos too to designer Paul Brown for his ingenious design that encompassed mirrors, sliding panels, and a triple revolve that enabled scenic transitions of such simple beauty. By the time most of you read Marguerite will have passed memory. Here’s hoping future works are more competent than effort. Jeffrey Jones
The Wizard Of Oz Festival Hall
this into new this
I suppose you could call me a typical musical theatre nut when I say I love ‘The Wizard of Oz’! Find me a musical fan who isn’t affected by Garland’s haunting rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’
and her the Technicolor adventures in Oz!... Therefore, I was looking forward with great hope and anticipation to Jude Kelly’s latest summer offering at the Royal Festival Hall, the first revival of ‘Oz’ in London for 20 years!
as Dorothy must feel daunted to take on such an iconic role, and Sian Brooke did a reasonable job in carrying the show. Personally I felt she was a little too old to play Dorothy, giving a much heightened adult playing a child performance, with a terribly annoying harsh Kansas twang!
However, I am sad to report that I left with a somewhat sour taste in my mouth, and felt this new production rather lack lustre and dull. Indeed, the Festival Hall is a cavernous place at the best of times and not being a purpose built theatre does present a designer with limitations. Michael Vale’s uncreative set did little to conjure up the magic of Oz, opting for distracting and child-like projections to try and evoke some kind of atmosphere.
The lifeless production occasionally gained a pulse during Nick Wilton’s snappy choreographed pieces and the impressive 20 piece orchestra certainly gave rousing renditions of those famous toe-tappers.
The superb Gary Wilmot certainly got my attention as the lovable Cowardly Lion, with the right balance of comedy and vigour. He was ably supported by the nimble Adam Cooper as the tapdancing Tin Man and Hilton McRae’s brainless Scarecrow. Any actress cast
Jude Kelly’s clunky production was severely lacking in the ‘Fairy Dust’ department and at over two and half hours long did drag! Special mention must go to the scene-stealing Toto - who got the loudest applause of the evening, and rightly so! Next time I think I’ll stick to the movie - perfection personified! Russell Hawkins
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THEATRE REVIEWS PIAF Donmar Warehouse If I can recommend anything this season it would certainly be the Jamie Lloyds’ fabulous revial of Pam Gems’ ‘Piaf’, currently enjoying a complete sell-out success at the Donmar Warehouse before transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre. Elena Roger who wowed the critics with her portrayal of Eva Peron in the revival of ‘Evita’ again braves the impossible with her portrayal of another legend, torch singer Edith Piaf. All I can say is Roger’s gives an impressive performance from the young ballsy prostitute to the crippled, drug dependent star. Aging before the audience with just the aid of a wig, Rogers gives a legendary performance with top class vocals too! The fast-paced action takes place in Soutra Gilmour’s simple yet effective set and is a brilliant example of a strong ensemble piece. Particular highlights include Lorraine Bruce’s common and somewhat vulgar Toine to Luke Evan’s touching Jacques. This highly interesting play with music takes the audience on Piaf’s story from the streets of Paris to her worldwide fame, an extraordinary life which captures the glamour and squalor, the rise and fall of this complex, fragile and enigmatic performer. Featuring a live trio, the show features many of Piaf’s signature tunes including ‘La vie en Rose’ and the rousing ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’, performed with gusto by the delicate Rogers capturing the spirit of the ‘sparrow’. Marion Cotillard won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Piaf on film, and I would certainly place my bets that Rogers will be a recipient of an Olivier Award - she certainly deserves to be! Russell Hawkins
Six Characters In Search Of An Author Gielgud Theatre If you read the programme notes to this play you will discover that apparently this play caused uproar when it was first produced in the 1920’s. It certainly caused uproar when friends and I attended a performance just recently. This production is a new adaptation by Rupert Goold and Ben Power based on the original Pirandello play. This new adaptation is set in and around a
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Photo : J Persson
television studio and office and uses all manner of multi media effects to achieve impact. It’s certainly a very abstract piece to say the least. The brilliant Ian McDiarmid leads a very mediocre cast in this production. McDiarmid’s stage presence is overpowering at times but I was aware that a lot of younger audience members had obviously come to see the Emperor from Star Wars, most were quickly bored and a large number left at intermission when they realised what they had let themselves in for. There is not much to recommend this production. Quite frankly I got fed up watching large chunks of pre-recorded video rather than a live show. If theatre is designed to spark debate it certainly did
with my colleagues who attended. Opinions ranged from brilliant, to befudlement to one colleague quite openly asking for two hours of his life back. Did I enjoy the play - No. Did I find some of ideas clever - Yes. I think this is one of those plays where you will either love it or hate with very little middle ground. I have to say I found the acting a little too exaggerated and the whole premise just too melodramatic for it to really work for me. Jeffrey Jones
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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REVIEWS
CD - VICTOR SPINETTI - A VERY PRIVATE DIARY
A sensational evening of comedy, gossip and revelations, the veteran actor and star of Oh What a Lovely War!, Help!, Oliver! and A Hard Days Night, Victor Spinetti shares his stories of legends from the Beatles to Burton and Dietrich to Dali. A great record of a truly great talent.
CD - ONLY THE BRAVE
(see theatre review this issue) A husband and wife separated by war, a soldier and a nurse who find true love on the battlefield and a band of brothers, soldiers who would give up their lives for one another. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, “ONLY THE BRAVE� is a passionate new work of musical theatre inspired by the true life stories of men and women who lived, loved, and fought for freedom. Highly recommended and well worth a listen!
BOOK - THE LITTLE MERMAID - FROM THE DEEP BLUE SEA TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY by Michael Lassell
This oversize, copiously illustrated book traces the evolution of the beloved story, from its inception by Hans Christian Andersen in Denmark to Disney animated classic to the hit stage adaptation now playing on Broadway. In 1989, Disney put little Ariel on film, gave her flaming red hair and an Oscar-winning musical score, and, in the process, reinvented the animated feature as a viable art form. Now the creative powers at Disney have reimagined the mermaid and her friends again, bringing one of Disney`s most beloved princesses to the stage. The Story of a Tale is a look at the process of morphing a 19th-century story and a 20th-century film into a stage event for the 21st century. This oversized, profusely illustrated book traces the evolution of The Little Mermaid from its inception in Denmark, through its triumphant animation, to the hit Broadway stage version now playing in New York. In addition to photographs of the show and its rehearsals, the book will explore the creative process with extensive looks behind the scenes. Writer Michael Lassell interviews Francesca Zambello and choreographer Steven Mear, writer Doug Wright and composer Alan Menken, designers George Tsypin and Tanya Noginova as well as all the stars in the show`s extraordinarily talented cast. This is a grown-up book for children of all ages.
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REVIEWS
BOOK - THE STORY OF 42ND STREET by Mary C. Henderson and Alexis Greene
In this entertaining book, noted theatre historian Mary Henderson traces the rise and fall and rise of the street that symbolises the Broadway experience. The first theatre went up in 1899 and by 1920 there were twelve stretching from avenue to avenue, plus a subway stop at each end and a never-ceasing bustle of activity in between. The 20s and 30s were the golden age, fuelled by Hollywood movies and stories; then there were the war years, when every American soldier and sailor paid a call. After the war, the slow decline of 42nd Street, lined with peep shows, symbolised decay. In the 90s, as theatres were renovated, the street was miraculously reclaimed. “The Story of 42nd Street” captures the colourful characters, shows, scandals and stories of this uniquely American dreamscape.
BOOK - SINGING FOR MUSICALS - A PRACTICAL GUIDE by Millie Taylor
Singing for Musicals is a practical guide to using the body and the voice effectively to perform musical theatre songs. The book offers guidance on developing vocal technique and preparing songs for audition and performance, while empowering singers to understand their own needs and further their development. Topics covered include: An introduction to the vocal mechanism, Releasing tension from the body and the voice, Warm-up exercises for groups and individuals, Exercises for improving technique, Interpreting and shaping a song for musical theatre performance, Techniques for exploring character in song, Songs in different styles including rock, pop, character and comedy.
DVD - Success With Wigs – A NODA DVD Presentation How often have you seen a production where wigs have turned what could be a great show into a laughable joke? It’s a sad fact that so many people think they know what they are doing when it comes to wigs when in fact they have no idea. Luckily, NODA, Derek Easton and Gary Curtis have come to the rescue with a great new DVD that in just 40 mins should help anyone achieve “Success with Wigs”. Just about every possible aspect of “wiggery” is covered in this great DVD. Application, positioning, gluing, maintenance, removal and even packing and storage are covered to ensure your efforts with wigs need never look amateur again. After watching this DVD you will never need worry about wigs falling off or moving during dance routines or looking lumpy because of bad application. Whether you are a beginner or someone with some knowledge of wigs there is something in this DVD for everyone. Even the guys are catered for with a great section on beards and moustaches. Wigs need never be a laughing matter again. We look forward to seeing further tutorial DVD’s from NODA if they are of the same high standard as this one.
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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DIARY
DIARY - SEPT 08 - NOV 08 42nd Street 21 - 25 October 2008 Bristol Musical Youth Productions Redgrave Theatre Clifton, Bristol 01179 623286
A Murder is Announced 09 - 11 October 2008 Centralian Players Henderson Hall Abbots Langley, Herts 01923 227392
21 - 25 October 2008 Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Colne, Lancs 01282 612402
A Musical Portrait 03 - 04 October 2008 Walsall Operatic Society Central Methodist Hall Walsall, W Midlands 01922 640377
23 - 27 September 2008 Fareham Musical Society Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hants 01329 231942 75 Years Celebration Show 30 October - 01 November 2008 Congleton AOS Daneside Theatre Congleton, Cheshire 01260 276371 A bequest to the nation 16 - 18 October 2008 Court Players The Memorial Hall Rangeworthy, South Glos 01454 321149 A Century of Musical Gold 11 - 11 October 2008 The Elizabethans Amateur Operatic Society Town Hall Ossett, W Yorks 01924 263618 A Clockwork Orange 08 - 11 October 2008 Argosy Players Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middlesex 01895 208563 A Concert Version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THESPIS 26 - 27 September 2008 Chapel End Savoy Players St John’s Church, Chingford Road Junction Walthamstow, London 020 8529 3143
A Proms Brass and Voices 19 October 2008 Wakefield Amateur Operatic Society Theatre Royal & Opera House Wakefield, West Yorkshire 01924 211311 A Savoy Christmas Carol 27 October - 01 November 2008 Dagger Lane Operatic Society The Northern Academy of Performing Arts Hull, 01482 310690 A Swell Party 01 - 04 October 2008 East Berkshire Operatic Society Pinewood Theatre, Old Wokingham Road Wokingham, Berks 01344 450327 A Tribute to Cole Porter 06 - 07 September 2008 Bedford Marianettes Amateur Musical and Comedy Society Civic Theatre Bedford, Beds 01234 269519 A Voyage Round My Father 16 - 18 October 2008 Henfield Theatre Company The Henfield Hall Henfield, W Sussex 01273 492204 11 - 18 October 2008 Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre Crayford, Kent 01322 526390
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 30 September - 04 October 2008 Ruislip Operatic Society Winston Churchill Hall Ruislip, Middlesex 07905 932366
Abigail’s Party 03 - 08 November 2008 Arundel Players Priory Playhouse Arundel, West Sussex 01243 542221
18 - 22 November 2008 Oxted Operatic Society Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 714103
Absent Friends 23 - 25 October 2008 The Portchester Players Portchester Community Centre Portchester, Hampshire 023 9237 7175
A Little Night Music 20 - 25 October 2008 Truro Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society (TAODS) Redannick Theatre Truro, Cornwall 01872 222272
Accrington Pals 09 - 11 October 2008 Hemel Hempstead Theatre Company The Boxmoor Playhouse Hemel Hempstead, Herts 01442 252747
A murder has been announced (Agatha Christie) 07 - 11 October 2008 Henley Players Kenton Theatre, New Street Henley on Thames, Oxon 01491 575698
25 October - 1 November 2008 Chads Theatre Mellor Rd, Cheadle Hume 0161 428 8712 www.chads.co.uk
1 - 8 November 2008 Bolton Little Theatre Hanover Street, Bolton 01204 394223 www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk Adam’s Ark 29 October - 01 November 2008 New Forest Players The Performing Arts Centre, Ballard School New Milton, Hampshire 0845 166 8773 African Jigsaw 1 November 2008 Alive Axminster Guildhall Axminster, Devon 01297 33595 07 - 08 November 2008 Alive The Warehouse Theatre Ilminster, Somerset 01460 57049 All New Showstoppers 23 - 25 October 2008 Montrose Amateur Operatic Society Town Hall, Melville Gardens Montrose, Angus 01674 830204 Amazing Journey 07 - 11 October 2008 Tamworth Arts Club Assembly Rooms Tamworth, Staffs 01827 709581 An Ideal Husband 04 - 08 November 2008 Taunton Thespians The Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Somerset 01823 283244 And A Nightingale Sang 08 - 11 October 2008 Blackburn Drama Club Thwaites EmpireTheatre Blackburn, Lancs 01254 685500 Animal Farm 06 - 11 October 2008 HumDrum Havant arts Centre Havant, Hampshire 023 9247 2700
Annie 03 - 08 November 2008 Minerva Club Glasgow Mitchell Theatre Glasgow, Scotland 0141 942 4245 04 - 08 November 2008 St Andrews Players Harrogate Theatre Harrogate, N Yorks 01423 502116 30 September - 04 October 2008 Acton Amateur Operatic Society Lyceum Theatre Crewe, Cheshire 01270 537333 Annie Get Your Gun 03 - 15 November 2008 County Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Theatre Royal Lincoln, Lincolnshire 0845 6525021 Annie Get Your Gun 22 - 27 September 2008 CODY Farnborough Amateur Operatic Society Princes Hall Aldershot, Hants 01252 654899 29 October - 01 November 2008 Brixham OD&CS Brixham Theatre Brixham, Devon 01803 857654 Another Curtain Goes Up 20 - 20 September 2008 Brentwood Operatic Society Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Essex 01227 223710 Anything Goes 04 - 08 November 2008 Zodiac Amateur Operatic Society The Brindley Theatre Runcorn, Cheshire 0151 907 8360 04 - 15 November 2008 Hinckley Concordia Operatic Society Hinckley Concordia Theatre Hinckley, Leics 01455 615005
Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group
The group has been going since 1949 and has its own website www.kbdgshow.biz We meet every Tuesday night in the village hall for club night, put on two plays a year and enter the ODN festival in June at the Unicorn Theatre in nearby Abingdon. One of our entries has been asked back every year for the last three years. The plays asked back on the Saturday night are the choice of the adjudicator. We also won the first Colin Dexter award to be given at the festival two years ago. Our Chairman is Kate Belcher 01235 867023 Secretary Emily Joyce 01865 730264
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DIARY 06 - 11 October 2008 Newton Abbot & District Musical Comedy Society Alexandra Theatre Newton Abbot, Devon 01626 203570 07 - 11 October 2008 Skipton & District Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Skipton Town Hall Skipton, N Yorks 01756 799600 14 - 18 October 2008 Shrewsbury Amateur Operatic Society The Music Hall Shrewsbury, Shropshire 01743 281281 16 - 20 September 2008 Morley Amateur Operatic Society The Carriageworks Theatre Leeds, W Yorks 0113 224 3801 21 - 25 October 2008 Hatton Operatic Society Magna Carta Arts Centre Staines, Middx 01784 256320 21 - 27 September 2008 Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Civic Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01245 606505 29 October - 01 November 2008 City of Plymouth Theatre Co The Devonport Playhouse Plymouth, Devon 01752 606507 30 September - 04 October 2008 Glenrothes Am Musical Assoc The Rothes Hall Glenrothes, Fife 01592 611101 Arsenic & Old Lace 28 - 30 November 2008 Northern Academy of Perfomring Arts Hull, 01482 310690
22 - 25 October 2008 Cosmopolitan Players The Carriageworks Leeds, W Yorks 0113 224 3801 AT THE SIGN OF THE CRIPPLED HARLEQUIN 22 - 29 November 2008 Heald Green Theatre Club Motcombe GRove, Heald Green 0161 436 5000 www.hgtc.org.uk Back to the 80s 04 - 08 November 2008 Generation X The Customs House South Shields, S Tyneside 0191 454 1234 22 - 25 October 2008 Clydebank Musical Society Clydebank Town Hall, Dumbarton Road Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire 01389 386 455 Barnum 03 - 08 November 2008 Walmsley Church AODS Walmsley Parish Hall, Blackburn Rd Bolton, Lancs 01204 305812 04 - 08 November 2008 Spotlight Theatre Company - Treorchy Park & Dore Theatre Treorchy, Rhonda 01656 732280 14 - 18 October 2008 Walney Junior Amateur Operatic Society Forum 28 Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 01229 820000 21 - 25 October 2008 Long Eaton Operatic Society Trent College Long Eaton, Notts 01332 874352 Benefactors 15 - 18 October 2008 The Oxted Players Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 712241
Romiley Little Theatre has been in existence for over 50 years in Romiley, a suburb of Stockport. The group presents all forms of theatre from drama to musicals and in recent years have presented world amateur premieres of Alan Ayckbourn’s House/Garden, John Godber’s Unleashed and Jim Cartwright’s Eight Miles High along with the regional UK premiere of Return to the Forbidden Planet. We have been featured many times in AS Magazine for our work on brand new and original pieces of theatre which has seen the group perform at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival and Buxton Fringe. Our October 2007 production of One Big Blow is still going strong having toured in the UK including The King’s Head in Islington, London. New members are always welcome. Web. www.romileylittletheatre.org.uk Email: info@romileylittletheatre.org.uk Tel: Peter Wright (Chairman) 0161 320 6990
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Big The Musical 04 - 08 November 2008 Morecambe Warblers Amateur Operatic Society The Grand Theatre Lancaster, Lancs 01524 64695
28 October - 01 November 2008 Falkirk Bohemians Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk, Stirlingshire 01324 557233
Billy 04 - 08 November 2008 Green Room Productions The Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 020 8360 1957
Broadway - Songs from the Shows 16 - 18 October 2008 Forest Musical Productions Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 020 8553 4466
Billy Liar 01 - 04 October 2008 Yeadon Am Operatic & Dram Soc Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, Leeds 0113 250 5587
Bronte by Polly Teale 24 - 31 October 2008 Harleston Players Archbishop Sancroft High School Harleston, Norfolk 01379 588043
Black Comedy 23 - 25 October 2008 St Nicholas Players The South Holland Centre Spalding, Lincs 01775 764777
Bugsy Malone 07 - 11 October 2008 Three Towns Theatre Company Brook Theatre Chatham, Kent 01634 338338
Black Widow by Paul Thain 23 - 25, 30 October 2008 - 01 November 2008 Cowes Am Operatic & Dram Soc Trinity Theatre Cowes, Isle of Wight 01983 295229
30 October - 01 November 2008 Goldsmiths Musical Theatre Company Goldsmiths Community Centre Catford SE6, London 020 8244 2151
Blood Brothers 08 - 11 October 2008 Dursley Operatic & Dramatic Soc Liseter Hall, Long Street Dursley, Glos 07890 203318 Bonaventure 09 - 11 October 2008 Winslow Public Hall Winslow, Bucks 01296 715185 Boogie Nights 07 - 11 October 2008 Splinters Theatre Group University Drama Studio Sheffield, S Yorks 07910 251584 30 September - 04 October 2008 West Bromwich Operatic Society Dormston Mill Theatre, Mill Bank Sedgley, W Mids 0121 550 3667 Brassed Off 01 - 06 October 2008 Otley Little Theatre Club Otley Civic Centre Otley, Leeds, W Yorks 01132 671216 Brigadoon 05 - 08 November 2008 Waterside Musical Society Waterside Theatre Holbury, Southampton, Hants 012 8084 9708 13 - 17 October 2008 Jarrow Musical Theatre Company Jarrow Community Centre Jarrow, Tyne and Wear 14 - 17 October 2008 South Yorkshire Musical Comedy Society Goldthorpe Dearne Community Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 01709 515642
31 October - 01 November 2008 Beverley Musical Theatre Longcroft School & Performing Arts College Beverley, E Yorks 01482 215303 Calamity Jane 06 - 11 October 2008 Hitchin Thespians Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 08700 131030 14 - 18 October 2008 Waveney Light Opera Group Public Hall Theatre Beccles, Suffolk 01502 712329 22 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Curzon Centre, Maxwell Road Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire 01494 813518 28 - 31 October 2008 Haywards Heath Operatic Society Clair Hall Haywards Heath, W Sussex 01444 455440 28 October - 01 November 2008 Circle Light Opera Company Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 353 0633 28 October - 01 November 2008 Haywards Heath Operatic Society Clair Hall Haywards Heath, West Sussex 077 0259 1085 29 October - 01 November 2008 Chingford Amateur Dramatic & Operatic Society Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 0208 553 4466
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DIARY Cards on the Table 16 - 20 September 2008 Sleaford Little Theatre The Playhouse Sleaford, Lincs 01529 414294
Cinderella 27 October - 01 November 2008 St Luke’s Arts & Drama Society St Luke’s Parish Hall Salford, Salford 0161 281 7423
Carmen 01 - 04 October 2008 Sheffield City Opera The University Drama Studio Sheffield, South Yorkshire 0114 269 4958
Cinderella 18 - 21 December 2008 Act One Pantomimes Eric Morecambe Theatre Harpenden Public Halls, Herts 0870 774 3638
Carousel 01 - 04 October 2008 Good Companions Stage Society Assembly Rooms Derby, Derbyshire 01332 255800
Cinderella (R&H) 14 - 18 October 2008 Newcastle Am Operatic Society Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke on Trent 01782 565873
07 - 11 October 2008 Ferryhill Stage Society Mainsforth & District Community Centre Ferryhill Station, Durham 01740 654094
City of Angels 22 - 25 October 2008 Company MK Stantonbury Campus Theatre Milton Keynes, Bucks 01908 324422
Carpe Jugulum 01 - 04 October 2008 Shepperton Players Riverside Arts Centre, Thames St Sunbury, Middlesex TW16 5QF 07973 370303
COMFORT AND JOY 1 - 4 October 2008 Phoenix Theatre Company St Phillips Parochial Hall 01204 840448
Cash on delivery 04 - 08 November 2008 Newcastle Players Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 617055 Cavalleria Rusticana & Gianni Schichi 24 - 25 October 2008 South Wessex Opera Company Layard Theatre, Canford School Wimborne, Dorset 01202 847525 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 02 - 04 October 2008 Phoenix Youth Theatre The Doncaster Little Theatre Doncaster, S Yorks 01302 340422 Chess 06 - 11 October 2008 Harpenden Light Operatic Society Public Halls, Southdown Road Harpenden, Herts 01582 624147 24 - 27 September 2008 Weymouth Operatic Society Pavilion theatre Weymouth, Dorset 01305 783225 Children of Eden 07 - 11 October 2008 Starmaker Theatre Company The Wilde Theatre Bracknell, Berkshire 0118 9789238 23 - 25 October 2008 Stevenage Lytton Players Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 0870 013 1030 24 - 27 September 2008 Hillingdon Musical Society Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middlesex 01923 827345
COMFORT ME WITH APPLES 20 – 25 October Bournemouth Little Theatre Club Jameson Road, Bournemouth 01202 417 484 Concert - Stage to Screen 29 - 31 October 2008 Felling Stage Society Gateshead College Theatre Gateshead, Tyne and Wear 07961 809389 Confusions 30 October - 01 November 2008 Petuaria Players Brough Village Hall , East Yorkshire 01482 668610 Copacabana 06 - 11 October 2008 Dinnington Operatic Society The Lyric Theatre Dinnington, Sheffield 01709 532800 22 - 27 September 2008 Theatre Guild Glasgow RSAMD New Athenaeum Theatre Glasgow, Scotland 0141 332 5057 27 October - 01 November 2008 Letchworth Arcadians Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 08700 131030 28 October - 01 November 2008 Halifax Amateur Operatic Society Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W Yorks 01422 365998 Crazy For You 14 - 18 October 2008 Stafford & District Operatic Society Gatehouse theatre Stafford, Staffordshire 01785 254653
Woking Amateur Operatic Society are an inclusive and diverse group welcoming people with any level of experience to join us both on stage and backstage in all aspects of musical theatre production. Producing two musicals every year, we are currently rehearsing “Salad Days”; show week 28th October – 1st November and our spring 2009 show will be “Into The Woods”. Website: www.waos.info Contact: sam@waos.info Phone: Keith White on 01483 725779
28 October - 01 November 2008 Brigg Amateur Operatic Society Westmoor Hall, Vale of Ancholme Music & Tech College Brigg, Lincs 01724 330874
Disco Inferno 01 - 04 October 2008 Newbury Nomads The Corn Exchange Newbury, Berkshire 01635 522733
14 - 18 October 2008 Portsmouth Players The Kings Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9282 8282
21 - 25 October 2008 Mid Rhondda Amateur Operatic Society Parc & Dare Theatre Treorchy, Rhonda Cynon Taff 01443 773112
Daisy Pulls it Off 29 September - 04 October 2008 Tynemouth Priory Theatre Company Tynemouth Priory Theatre Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear 0191 292 9292
Doctor in the House 14 - 18 October 2008 Wisbech Players The Angles Theatre Wisbech, Cambs 01945 474447
Deckchairs - 3 short plays 02 - 04 October 2008 Civic Hall Stratford upon Avon, Warks 01789 207100
Earlstown Town Hall - The Revue 17 - 20 September 2008 Newton Am Dramatic & Operatic Soc as yet unknown Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside 01942 724842
Dick Whittington and Wondercat 30 October - 01 November 2008 Victory Land Theatre School St Peter’s Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9272 2785 Die Fledermaus 23 - 27 September 2008 Reading Operatic Society The Hexagon Theatre Reading, Berks 0118 960 6060 27 October - 01 November 2008 CAOS Musical Productions Minerva Theatre Chichester, W Sussex 01243 781312 23 - 27 September 2008 Reading Operatic Society The Hexagon Theatre Reading, Berks 0118 960 6060 27 October - 01 November 2008 Chichester Amateur Operatic Society Minerva Theatre Chichester, W Sussex 01243 781312
Encore 07 - 08 November 2008 Rhyl & District Amateur Operatic Society Pavilion Theatre Rhyl, Denbighshire 01745 330000 Extravaganza 18 - 20 September 2008 Ferndown Phoenix Musical Society Barrington Theatre Ferndown, Dorset 01202 894858 Fame -The Musical 21 - 25 October 2008 Birmingham & Midland Operatic Society (BMOS) Old Rep Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 303 2323 Fawlty Towers 03 -14 December 2008 Blackshaw Sykes & Morris Limited The Old School, Bolton 01204 521438
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DIARY Fiddler on the Roof 08 - 14 November 2008 Burnley Light Opera Society Mechanics Theatre Burnley, Lancs 01282 664400
Gigi 06 - 11 October 2008 Sidmouth Arts Club Operatic Society The Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth, Devon 01395 577433
13 - 18 October 2008 Braintree Musical Society The Institute Braintree, Essex
Gondoliers 07 - 11 October 2008 Chesterfield G & S Society The Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 345222
20 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Phoenix Theatre Blyth, Northumberland 01670 356102 20 - 27 September 2008 Thwaites Empire Theatre Thwaites Empire Theatre, Ewood Blackburn, Lancs 01254 685500 28 October - 01 November 2008 Washington Mus Theatre Co Oxclose Community School Washington, Tyne & Wear 0191 416 9751 Finian’s Rainbow 27 October - 01 November 2008 Congleton AOS Daneside Theatre Congleton, Cheshire 01260 276371 Forbidden 26 - 27 September 2008 Falkirk Operatic Society Falkirk Town Hall Falkirk, 01324 637791 Fourplay - four one-act plays 15 - 18 October 2008 Belmont Theatre Company The Pump House Theatre Watford, Herts 0845 5213453 From Pinewood to Hollywood 17 - 18 October 2008 Gainsborough Am Operatic Soc Trinity Arts Centre Gainsborough, Lincs 01427 676655
08 - 11 October 2008 Castleford & Dist G & S Soc The Town Hall Pontefract, W Yorks 0113 287 3461 08 - 11 October 2008 The Island Savoyards Shanklin Theatre Shanklin, Isle of Wight 01983 868000 Groping for Words 02 - 04 October 2008 Colbury and Ashurst Theat Soc Colbury Church Rooms Colbury, Hants 023 8081 1956 Gypsy 01 - 04 October 2008 Medway School of Music The Hazlitt Maidstone, Kent 01622 758611 20 - 25 October 2008 High Green Amateur Operatic Society EPPIC Theatre Ecclesfield, Sheffield, S Yorks 0114 286 9135 Happy Birthday 22 - 27 September 2008 MADS Little Theatre Macclesfield, Cheshire 01625 611974
WOULD YOU LIKE TO FEATURE YOUR THEATRE COMPANY HERE IT’S FREE!! JUST SEND A COPY OF YOUR COMPANY LOGO AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR GROUP TOGETHER WITH YOUR CONTACT DETAILS TO: diary@asmagazine.co.uk
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Harlequinade - Terence Rattigan 24 - 25 October 2008 Winscombe Youth Theatre Prod Churchill Community School Churchill, nr Weston-super-Mare, N Somerset 01934 843952 Hay Fever 17 - 25 October 2008 Lane End Players Lane End village hall Lane End, Bucks 01494 881981 Heatstroke 30 October - 01 November 2008 Lyndhurst Drama and Musical Soc Vernon Theatre Lyndhurst, Southampton 023 8028 2729 Hello Dolly! 14 - 18 October 2008 Anstruther & District Amateur Operatic Society Waid Academy Anstruther, Fife 01333 311306 28 October - 01 November 2008 Lichfield Operatic Society Garrick Theatre Lichfield, Staffordshire 01543 412121 28 October - 01 November 2008 Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society Gracie Fields theatre Rochdale, Lancs 01706 640292 HEROES 12 - 18 October 2008 Club Theatre Ocford Rd, Altrincham, Cheshire 0161 928 1113 www.clubtheatre.org.uk Hi-De-Hi! 15 - 18 October 2008 Rowney Green Players Palace Theatre Redditch, Worcestershire 01527 65203 High Society 05 - 09 November 2008 Swanbank Music Putney Arts Theatre Putney, London 0208 2860229 HMS Pinafore 15 - 20 September 2008 Erewash Musical Society St John Houghton School Ilkeston, Derbyshire 0115 930 1603 08 - 11 October 2008 Bristol Savoy Operatic Society Redgrave Theatre Bristol, 0117 965 1845 22 - 25 October 2008 Generally G & S Majestic Theatre Retford, Notts 01777 706866 22 - 27 September 2008 Tiverton Amateur Operatic Society The New Hall, Barrington St Tiverton, Devon 01884 243067
HMS Pinafore (New version) 22 - 27 September 2008 Tiverton Amateur Operatic Society New Hall Tivertoon, Devon 01884 254818 Hobson’s Choice 15 - 18 October 2008 Clitheroe Parish Church AO & DS St Mary’s Centre, Church Street Clitheroe, Lancs 01254 248679 Hot Mikado 04 - 08 November 2008 Coventry Youth Operetta Group City College Theatre Coventry, W Midlands 024 7649 0939 27 - 31 October 2008 Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society Palace Theatre Paignton, Devon 01803 290371 Hotel Paradiso 03 - 04, 09 - 11 October 2008 The Nomads Nomad Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284747 I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gilbert & Sullivan 24 - 25 October 2008 Stratford Upon Avon G & S Society Civic Hall, Rother Street Stratford upon Avon, Warks 01789 207100 I Have A Song To Sing O 09 - 11 October 2008 Denmead Operatic Society Horndean,Fareham, Hampshire 023 9226 9260 Inspector Drake’s Last Case 30 October - 01 November 2008 Newchurch Drama Group Community Hall, School Lane Newchurch, Isle of Wight 01983 867189 30 October - 01 November 2008 Barton Players Barton Village Hall Barton-le-Clay, Beds 0844 8842281 Invitation Only 05 - 08 November 2008 Poulton Drama Thornton Little Theatre Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs 01253 894330 Iolanthe 17 - 20 September 2008 Staveley Amateur Operatic Soc Staveley village Hall Staveley, nr Kendal, Cumbria 01539 821844 23 - 27 September 2008 Uplands Arts Taliesin Arts Centre, University Swansea, Wales 01792 360867 27 October - 01 November 2008 Cirencester Operatic Society The Barn Theatre, Beeches Road Cirencester, Glos 01285 654046
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DIARY Jack the Ripper 16 - 18 October 2008 Newbury Operatic Society Trinity School Newbury, Berkshire 07747 060462 Jekyll & Hyde 06 - 11 October 2008 Infirmary DO & LS Little Theatre Leicester, Leicestershire 0116 292 0162 28 October - 01 November 2008 Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society Palace Theatre Southend on Sea, Essex 01702 351135 29 September - 04 October 2008 The Tinhatters Concordia Theatre Hinkley, Leics 01455 635774 06 - 11 October 2008 Workington Amateur Operatic Society Carnegie Theatre Workington, Cumbria 01900 602122 Kes 04 - 08 November 2008 Western College Players Athenaeum Theatre Plymouth, Devon 01752 266104 Kindly Leave The Stage 02 - 04 October 2008 Phoenix Theatre Company Christ Church Hall Chelmsford, Essex 01245 468956 King and I 07 - 11 October 2008 Briton Ferry Little Theatre Princess Royal Theatre Port Talbot, W Glamorgan 01639 763214 15 - 20 September 2008 Loughborough Amateur Operatic Society Loughborough Town Hall Theatre Loughborough, Leics 01509 231914 21 - 25 October 2008 Ellesmere Port Musical Theatre Company Ellesmere Port Civil Hall Ellesmere Port, Cheshire 0151 339 4390 23 - 27 September 2008 Lowestoft Players The Marina Theatre Lowestoft, Suffolk 01502 533200 29 October - 01 November 2008 Cranbrook O & DS (CODS) Queens Hall Theatre Cranbrook, Kent 01580 713887 Kiss Me, Kate 03 - 08 November 2008 Hexham Amateur Stage Society Queens Hall Hexham, 01434 652477 13 - 18 October 2008 Bishop Auckland Amateur Operatic Society Eden Theatre, Bishop Auckland Town Hall Bishop Auckland, Durham 01388 602371
14 - 18 October 2008 - 7.30 pm nightly Thornbury Musical Theatre Group Armstrong Hall Thornbury, South Gloucestershire 01454 415850
30 October - 01 November 2008 Barking Music and Drama Broadway Theatre Barking, Essex 020 8507 5607
23 - 27 September 2008 Southampton Musical Society Theatre Royal Winchester, Hants 01962 840440
22 - 25 October 2008 Beaconsfield Operatic Society Curzon Centre Beaconsfield, Bucks 01494 673092
Mack and Mabel 05 - 08 November 2008 Balliol Opera Royal Grammar School, Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland 01912 846718
27 October - 01 November 2008 Burton on Trent & District Op Soc DeFerrers Technology College Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs 01283 541552
L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love) 06 - 09 November 2008 Hampstead Garden Opera Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate Village, London N6 020 8340 3488 La Cage Aux Folles 07 - 11 October 2008 Largs Players Barrfields Theatre, Vikingar! Largs, Ayrshire 01475 689777 Ladies Day 24 - 27 September 2008 Codsall Dramatic Society Codsall Community High School Codsall, nr Wolverhampton, Staffs 01902 755488 Leave it to Psmith 27 - 29 November 2008 Horndean Amateur Theatrical Society Merchistoun Hall Horndean, Hampshire 023 9259 7114 Lend Me a Tenor 16 - 18 October 2008 Thurrock Courts Players Thameside Theatre Grays, Essex 0845 300 5264 Lets Get Loud 01 - 04 October 2008 Michelle Moss Sch of Dance & Perf Arts Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke on Trent 01782 596155 Little Me 22 - 25 October 2008 Cuffley Operatic Society Cuffley Hall, Maynards Place Cuffley, Herts 01707 888415 Little Shop of Horrors 03 - 11 October 2008 The Angles Theatre The Angles Theatre Wisbech, Cambs 01945 585587 16 - 20 September 2008 East Renfrewshire Operatic Society Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock Glasgow, East Renfrewshire 0141 577 4970 21 - 25 October 2008 Masqueraders Theatrical Society The Abbey Theatre and Arts Centre Nuneaton, Warwickshire 024 7639 3211 25 - 27 September 2008 Frome Amateur Operatic Society Memorial Theatre Frome, Somerset 01373 462795
11 - 18 October 2008 Dereham Operatic Society The Memorial Hall Dereham, Norfolk 01362 851919 28 October - 01 November 2008 Tavistock Musical Theatre Co The Wharf Tavistock, Devon 01822 611166 26 - 29 November 2008 Runnymede Drama Group Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking 01784 462358 Map of the Heart 23 - 25 October 2008 Loughton Amateur Dramatic Society Lopping Hall Loughton, Essex 020 8502 5843 Maskerade 01 - 04 October 2008 Trowbridge Players The Arc Theatre Trowbridge, Wilts 0845 299 0476 Me and My Girl 03 - 08 November 2008 Our Lady’s High School FPA Light Opera Society Motherwell Theatre Motherwell, N Lanarkshire 01698 733502 03 - 08 November 2008 Cassio Operatic Society Watford Palace Theatre Watford, Hertfordshire 01923 225671 07 - 11 October 2008 Bolsover Drama Group Moorfield School Theatre, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 850402 08 - 11 October 2008 St Helens Amateur Operatic Soc St Helens Theatre Royal St Helens, Merseyside 01744 756000 16 - 20 September 2008 Carlinghow Theatre Company Batley Town Hall Batley, W Yorks 07786 248683 21 - 25 October 2008 Dronfield Light Opera Group Civic Hall Dronfield, Derbyshire 01246 211590 23 - 26 October 2008 Thistles Musical Theatre Co Kenneth More Theatre Ilford, Essex 020 8553 4466
28 October - 01 November 2008 Oswestry Musical Theatre Co The Marches School, Morda Road Oswestry, Shropshire 01691 655490 Meet Me in St. Louis 27 October - 01 November 2008 St Thomas Am Dram & Op Soc St Thomas School Golborne, Cheshire 01942 683825 MOON OVER BUFFALO 13 - 18 October 2008 The Playhouse Devonshire Street Keighley West Yorks 08451 267859 Move Over Mrs Markham 06 - 08 November 2008 Alton Operatic & Dramatic Society Assembly Rooms Alton, Hampshire 01730 827200 Movies N Musicals 08 - 09 November 2008 Milton Musical Society Ballard School New Milton, Herts 01202 517117 Much Ado About Nothing 24 - 27 September 2008 Leighton Buzzard Drama Group Leighton Buzzard Theatre Leighton Buzzard, Beds 01582 818801 Murder Is Announced 09 - 11 October 2008 The Centralian Players Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley 01923 227392 Murder Mystery & Suspenders 02 October - 04 Octoberl 2008 Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group Loddon Hall, Twyford Reading, Berks 0845 45 01308 Murder Mystery Evening 26 - 27 September 2008 Addlestone Community Theatre Tulk Hall Addlestone, Surrey 01932 343041 30 October - 1st November 2008 Broughton Players Playhouse Theatre Market Street Preston 01772 463122 Murder on the Nile 08 - 11 October 2008 Harlow Theatre Company Victoria Hall Theatre Old Harlow, Essex 01279 420062
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DIARY Murder! Mystery! & Suspenders! 02 - 04 October 2008 Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group Loddon Hall Twyford, Berks 0845 45 01308 Murdered to Death 15 - 18 October 2008 Guildonian PLayers Little Theatre Methodist Church Harold Wood, Essex 01708 762822 23 - 25 October 2008 Leyburn Amateur Dramatic Society Picture House Leyburn, North Yorkshire 0969 640689 Music Man 14 - 18 October 2008 Haverhill & District Operatic Soc Haverhill Arts Centre Haverhill, Suffolk 01440 714140 28 October - 01 November 2008 Stockport Amateur Operatic Soc Plaza Theatre Stockport, Cheshire 0845 3307 304 My Fair Lady 04 - 08 November 2008 South Downe Musical Society The Kings Theatre Southsea, Hants 02392 451044 08 - 11 October 2008 St John’s (Sidcup) Am Op Soc St John’s Church Hall Sidcup, Kent 07766 320888
Coward Studio 90 High Street, Hampton Hill 07957307370 www.ttc-hhp.org.uk Not Now Darling 15 - 18 October 2008 Paget Rooms Penarth, Wales 029 2071 2260 Oh What A Lovely War 02 - 04 October 2008 Claygate Dramatic Society Claygate Village Hall Claygate, Surrey 07983 387585
Oklahoma! 21 - 25 October 2008 Glasgow Light Opera Club Kings Theatre Glasgow, Lanarkshire 0141 240 1111
22 - 25 October 2008 Heywood Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Heywood Civic Centre Heywood, Lancs 10706 368904
Old Time Music Hall 14 - 18 October 2008 Woodmansterne Op & Dram Soc St Peter’s Church Hall Woodmansterne, Surrey 01737 555009
22 - 25 October 2008 Hayling Musical Society Hayling Community Centre Hayling Island, Hants 023 9246 2834
27 October - 01 November 2008 Abingdon Operatic Society The Amey Theatre, Abingdon School Abingdon, Oxon 01235 834383
04 - 08 November 2008 Gosport Amateur Operatic Society Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hants 01329 231942
Nabucco 24 - 26 September 2008 Opera 74 Albert Halls Bolton, Lancs 01204 847543
05 - 08 November 2008 Zodiac Musical Society Magna Carta Arts Centre, Thorpe Road Staines, Middlesex 01932 782571
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16 - 20 September 2008 Limelight Productions Carnegie Hall Dunfermline, Fife 01383 822501
21 - 25 October 2008 Elstree & Borehamwood Light Operatic Society The Radlett Centre Radlett, Herts 01923 859291
03 - 08 November 2008 Trafford Margaretians Am Op Soc Altrincham Garrick Theatre Altrincham, Cheshire 0161 962 4328
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Panic Stations 05 - 06 September 2008 Unnamed Players The Citadel Arts Centre, Waterloo St St Helens, Merseyside 01744 735436
Oklahoma! 07 - 11 October 2008 South Staffs Musical Theatre Co The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, W Midlands 01902 429212
20 - 25 October 2008 Centre Stage of Exmouth The Pavilion Exmouth, Devon 01395 222477
NOT ABOUT HEROES 19 - 22nd November 2008 Teddington Theatre Club
08 - 11 October 2008 Brierley Hill Amateur Operatic Society Brierley Hill Civic Hall Brierley Hill, West Midlands 0845 6588095
17 - 20 September 2008 Testudo Musical Players Seaton Town Hall Seaton, Devon 01297 21623
16 - 20 September 2008 Chester Musicals Brindley Theatre Runcorn, Cheshire 0151 907 8360
Nobody’s Perfect 08 - 11 October 2008 Grantham Dramatic Society Guildhall Arts Centre Grantham, Lincs 01476 406158
23 - 27 September 2008 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre Trust The Mill Theatre Sharnbrook, Beds 01234 781587
15 - 18 October 2008 KLOS Musical Theatre The Winston Churchill Theatre Ruislip, Middlessex 0208 869 4096
Oliver! 03 - 08 November 2008 St Alphege Musical Prod Soc Solihull Arts Complex Solihull, West Midlands 0121 704 6962
Noah The Musical 18 - 22 November 2008 Springers Am Op & Dramatic Soc Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01245 359057
07 - 11 October 2008 Northampton Amateur Operatic Company Derngate Theatre Northampton, Northants 01604 624811
05 - 08 November 2008 Helensburgh Savoy Club Victoria Halls Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute 01436 673118 06 - 11 October 2008 Abergavenny Light Opera Company Abergavenny Borough Theatre Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 01873 850805 06 - 11 October 2008 Macclesfield Majestic Theatre Group Little Theatre, Lord Street Macclesfield, Cheshire 07725 627835
22 - 25 October 2008 Wallasey Amateur Operatic Society Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight Village, Wirral 0151 632 3640 23 - 27 September 2008 Torquay Operatic Society Princess Theatre Torquay, Devon 01626 777623 26 October - 01 November 2008 COS Musical Theatre The Hawth Theatre Crawley, W Sussex 01293 553636 27 October - 01 November 2008 Settle Amateur Operatic Society Settle Victoria Hall Settle, N Yorks 01729 825718 28 October - 01 November 2008 Caldicot Musical Theatre Society Caldicot School Caldicot, Monmouthshire 01291 422207 03 - 08 November 2008 Middlesborough Theatre Middlesborough, Cleveland 01642 815181 Our Town 06 - 08 November 2008 Lion and Unicorn Players Festival Hall, Heath Road Petersfield, Hants 01730 821491
Patience 07 - 11 October 2008 St Andrews G & S Society St Andrew’s Church, Eastfield Ave, Monkseaton Whitley Bay, North Tyneside 0191 252 6999 21 - 25 October 2008 Worcester G & S Society The Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcs 01905 611427 Phoenix Extravaganza 18 - 20 September 2008 Ferndown Phoenix Musical Society Barrington Theatre, Penny’s Walk Ferndown, Dorset 01202 874073 Pickwick 08 - 11 October 2008 Eldorado Musical Productions The Bob Hope theatre Eltham, London 0208 690 2305 Picnic at Hanging Park 29 October - 01 November 2008 Norfolk Youth Music Theatre Maddermarket Theatre Norwich, Norfolk 01603 620917 Pirates Of Penzance 08 - 11 October 2008 Wycombe Savoy Opera Company Beacon Centre Theatre, Holtspur Beaconsfield, Bucks 01494 437969 22 October - 01 November 2008 Darlington Operatic Society Civic Theatre Darlington, Co Durham 01325 468555 23 - 27 September 2008 Stamford G & S Players Corn Exchange, Broad Street Stamford, Lincs 01780 763203 24 - 27 September 2008 Putteridge Bury G & S Society Luton Library Theatre Luton, Beds 01582 461341 27 October - 01 November 2008 Witham Amateur Operatic Society Witham Public Hall Witham, Essex 01376 512902 29 October - 01 November 2008 Weston-Super-Mare Operatic Society Playhouse Theatre Weston-super-Mare, Somerset 01934 628707
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
22/09/2008 15:42:44
DIARY Sounds Familiar 08 - 11 November 2008 Ipswich Operatic & Dramatic Society Spa Pavilion theatre Felixstowe, Suffolk 01394 282126
06 - 11 October 2008 Strode Productions Strode Theatre Street, Somerset 01458 442846
28 October - 01 November 2008 Kettering & District Theatrical Society The Lighthouse Theatre Kettering, Northants 01536 414141
Revue 22 - 24 October 2008 South Norfolk Operatic & Choral Society Central Hall Wymondham, Norfolk 01953 604881
Secondary Cause of Death 01 - 04 October 2008 Kidderminster Operatic & Dramatic Society The Rose Theatre Kidderminster, Worcs 01562 743745
Richard III 26/27/30 September, 01 - 04 Oct 2008 Wick Theatre Company Barn Theatre Southwick, West Sussex 01273 597094
September in the Rain 22 - 27 September 2008 South Shields Westovian Theatre Society Pier Pavilion South Shields, 0191 456 0980
South Pacific 07 - 11 October 2008 Huddersfield Longwood Am Op Soc Lawrence Barley Theatre Huddersfield, W. Yorks. 01484 430528
Ritz 09 - 11 October 2008 Potteries Theatre Company Mitchell Memorial Theatre Hanley, Stoke on Trent 01782 836979
Seussical 05 - 08 November 2008 Mayhem Musical Theatre Company Secombe Theatre Sutton, Surrey 020 8770 6990
13 - 18 October 2008 Carpet Trades Operatic Society Stourport Civic Centre Stourport on Severn, Worcs 01299 403851
30/31 October & 1 November Tenterden Operatic & Dramatic Society Tenterden Town Hall Tenterden, Kent 01580 241966
Robin Hood 26 - 27 September 2008 Lindsey Rural Players The Broadbent Theatre Wickenby, Lincs 01673 885500
Shell Seekers 29 October - 01 November 2008 Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society Ringwood School Theatre Ringwood, Hants 01425 470837
Princess Ida 03 - 04 October 2008 Newtown Musical Theatre Company Theatre Hafren Newtown, Powys 01686 625 007
Roleplay 25 - 27 September 2008 Ravenshead Theatre Group Ravenshead Village Hall Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire 01623 722815
Show Boat 24 October - 01 November 2008 Goole Amateur Operatic & Dram Soc Vermuyden Hall Goole, Yorks E R 01405 763146
28 October - 01 November 2008 Savoyards 2000 Dayncourt School Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire 0115 9123 660
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead 18 - 22 November 2008 Nomad Players Amateur Theatre Group Nomad Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284747
Showstoppers 09 - 11 October 2008 Ellesmere Amateur Operatic Society Sheffield Montgomery Theatre Sheffield, S Yorks 0114 269 0566
RUN FOR YOUR WIFE 18-22 November 2008 The Rossendale Players Leisure Hall Burnley Rd, Bacup, Lancashire 01706 228720 www.rossendaleplayers.org.uk
Singin’ In The Rain 03 - 13 September 2008 Wilton Productions Plowright Theatre Scunthorpe, Lincs 01724 277733
Pirates of Penzance - Broadway Version 21 - 25 October 2008 The Haslemere Players Haslemere Hall Haslemere, Surrey 01428 642161 13 - 18 October 2008 Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society Town Hall Theatre Stourbridge, West Midlands 07504 301767 Play On 10,11,17,18 October 2008 Chapel Players Chapel-en-le-Frith Playhouse Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire 01298 813176 Plaza Suite 23 - 25 October 2008 Theydon Bois Drama Society Theydon Bois Village Hall Theydon Bois, Essex 01992 812250
Pull The Other One 16 - 18 October 2008 Heaton Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Bradford Playhouse Bradford, W Yorks 01274 820666 Razzle Dazzle 05 - 06 September 2008 Beverley Musical Theatre Longcroft School & Performing Arts College Beverley, E Yorks 01482 215303 Remember Remember 01 - 04 October 2008 Lewes Operatic Society Lewes Town Hall Lewes, East Sussex 01273 480127 Return to the Forbidden Planet 06 - 11 October 2008 Strode Productions Strode Theatre Street, Somerset 01458 442846 17 - 20 September 2008 Eclipse Performing Arts Willows Art Centre Corby, Northants 01536 402233 28 October - 01 November 2008 Orbit Theatre Ltd - Cardiff New Theatre Cardiff, Cardiff 02920 878889
Salad Days 28 October - 01 November 2008 Woking Amateur Operatic Society Rhoda McGaw Theatre, The Peacocks Woking, Surrey 01483 836031 Sand Castles 30 October - 01 November 2008 Curtain Up Amateur Dramatic Society Totland Church Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight 01983 755160 Scrooge 04 - 08 November 2008 Wembley Operatic Society Winston Churchill Theatre Ruislip, Middlesex 07983 103444 23 - 25 October 2008 Utopian Operatic Society Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London SE9 01322 402528 28 October - 01 November 2008 Ulverston Amateur Operatic Society Coronation Hall Ulverston, Cumbria 01229 587140
Sleeping Beauty 08 - 11 October 2008 Crigglestone Theatre Company Lupset Lodge Social Club Wakefield, W Yorks 01924 265829 04 - 07 December 2008 Billboard Ensemble Paget Rooms Penarth, Wales 029 2071 2260 Snow White and the Magnificent Seven 07 - 08 November 2008 Belper Stage Productions Robert Ludlam Theatre, St Benedict’s School Derby, Derbyshire 01332 666404 Something Wonderful - The Legacy of Rogers & Hammerstein 29 October - 01 November 2008 Banbury Operatic Society Wykham Hll Banbury, Oxon 01295 711681
08 - 11 October 2008 Ipswich Operatic & Dramatic Society Spa Pavilion Theatre Felixstowe, Suffolk 01394 283303
27 October - 01 November 2008 Northallerton Amateur Operatic Society Hambleton Forum Northallerton, N Yorks 01609 770936 Spotlight on London 07 - 08 November 2008 Topaz Musical Theatre Cobham Village Hall Cobham, Surrey 01372 458163 Star Quality 03 - 08 November 2008 South Shields Westovian Theatre Society Pier Pavilion South Shields, Tyne & Wear 0191 456 0980 Stepping Out –The Musical 22 - 27 September 2008 Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society The Little Theatre Doncaster, S Yorks 01302 340422 Summer Holiday 01 - 04 October 2008 Monklands Light Opera Caldervale High School theatre Airdrie, North Lanarkshire 07900 925448 14 - 18 October 2008 Allegro Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh, Midlothian 0131 332 0806 21 - 25 October 2008 Keighley Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Victoria Hall Keighley, W Yorks 01535 211421 Sweeney Todd 08 - 11 October 2008 GHosTs Electric Theatre Guildford, Surrey 01483 444789 27 October - 01 November 2008 Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society Little Theatre Torquay, Devon 01803 299330
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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DIARY 28 October - 01 November 2008 Keynsham Youth Theatre Broadlands School Keynsham, Bristol 0117 986 4860
15 - 18 October 2008 Ravensbourne Light Operatic Society The Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 0208 850 3702
30 September - 04 October 2008 Bristol Musical Comedy Club Redgrave Theatre, Clifton Bristol, S Glos 01454 773673
28 October - 01 November 2008 The Arcadians Crescent Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 421 7278
Sweet Charity 20 - 25 October 2008 Adlington Music & Arts Society Adlington Community Centre Chorley, Lancs 01257 480166
The Edge of Darkness 27 September - 04 October 2008 Rossendale Players New Millennium Theatre Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire 01706 228720
Talk of the City 26 - 29 November 2008 St. Austell Players St Austell Community Centre & Arts Theatre St Austell, Cornwall 01726 879500
The Full Monty 03 - 08 November 2008 Kendal Amateur Operatic Society Kendal Town Hall Kendal, Cumbria 01539 727813
Talking Heads 18 - 20 September 2008 Talisman Theatre Company Talisman Theatre, Barrow Road Kenilworth, Warks 01926 856548 16 - 25 October 2008 Sutton Arts Theatre Sutton Arts Theatre Sutton Coldfield, W Midlands 0121 355 5355 08 - 15 November 2008 Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre Group Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre Crayford, Kent 01322 526390 25 - 27 September 2008 Taunton Thespians Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre Monkton Heathfield, Tauton 01823414141 Teechers 12 - 15 November 2008 Waterbeach Community Players Waterbeach School, Cambridgeshire 01223 570109 Tell me on a Sunday 05 - 05 October 2008 Millenium Productions The Bull Hotel Gerrards Cross, Bucks 01753 888666
14 - 18 October 2008 Worcester Operatic & Dramatic Society Swan Theatre Worcester, Worcestershire 01905 611427 18 - 20 September 2008 Young Inspirations Theatre Co Palace Theatre Mansfield, Notts 01623 633133 24 - 27 September 2008 Pied Piper Productions The Hawth Crawley, West Sussex 01293 553636 22 - 25 October 2008 STP Musicals Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hants 01329 231942 The Graduate 23 - 27 September 2008 Festival Players The Cope Auditorium Loughborough, Leics 01509 231914 The Great Songwriters 09 - 11 October 2008 Argosy Musical Theatre Company Crescent Theatre, Brindley Place Birmingham, W Mids 0121 643 5858
The Accrington Pals 01 - 08 November 2008 Blackshaw Sykes & Morris Limited The Old School, Bolton 01204 521438
The Happiest Days of your Life 24 - 27 September 2008 Preston Drama Club Preston Playhouse Preston, Lancs 01772 744771
The Anniversary 15 - 18 October 2008 The Oxted Players The Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 724852
The Hollow 18 - 20 September 2008 The Chameleons United Reformed Church, East Lane Wembley, Middx 0208 123 6443
The Boyfriend 06 - 11 October 2008 Taunton Amateur Operatic Society The Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Somerset 01823 283244
THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA 12 - 18 October 2008 Teddington Theatre Club Playhouse Theatre 90 High Street, Hampton Hill 07957307370 www.ttc-hhp.org.uk
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The Killing of Sister George 08 - 11 October 2008 The Phoenix Players St Peter’s Theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9247 0545 The Merry Widow 04 - 07 November 2008 Tayside Opera Dundee Bonar Hall, University of Dundee Dundee, Scotland 01382 380279 06 - 11 October 2008 Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset 01935 422884 29 October - 01 November 2008 Sunningdale Savoy Chorus Licensed Victuallers School, Britvic Theatre Ascot, Berks 01344 627946 The Merry Wives of Windsor 05 - 08 November 2008 Fife Opera Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife 01592 596904 The Mikado 03 - 08 November 2008 Scunthorpe G & S Amateur Op Soc Plowright Theatre Scunthorpe, North Lincs 01652 655342 08 - 11 October 2008 West Wirral Musical Society Westbourne Hall West Kirby, Merseyside 0151 625 9053 21 - 25 October 2008 Leamington Spa Opera Group Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa, Warks 01676 532477 24 - 27 September 2008 Worthing Light Opera Company Pavilion Theatre Worthing, W. Sussex 01903 206206 28 October - 01 November 2008 Saddleworth Musical Society Saddleworth School Uppermill, Greater Manchester 01457 874940 30 October - 01 November 2008 Kington & District Amateur Op Soc Lady Hawkins Comm Leisure Centre Kington, Herefordshire 01544 231501 24 - 27 September 2008 Worthing Light Opera Company Pavilion theatre Worthing, W Sussex 01903 206206 The Music Man 15 - 18 October 2008 The Opera Club of Reigate and Redhill The Harlequin Theatre Redhill, Surrey 01737 765547
THE PRICE 15-19 July 2008 Tamaritans Theatre Company Drum Theatre 01752267222 The Producers 03 - 08 November 2008 Worthing Musical Comedy Society Connaught Theatre Worthing, W Sussex 01903 206206 The Ragged Child 15 - 18 October 2008 Gasleak Theatre Company Melton Theatre Melton Mowbray, Leics 01664 851111 The Railway Children 15 - 18 October 2008 Blaenau Gwent Young Stars - Youth Musical TC Beaufort Theatre Beaufort, Ebbw Vale, Gwent 01495 301049 25 - 27 September 2008 Coliseum Operatic & Dramatic Society Aberdare Coliseum Theatre Aberdare, RCT 01685 882685 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice 09 - 11 October 2008 Memorial Hall Wheathampstead, Herts 01582 763510 The Secretary Bird 23 - 25 October 2008 Kings Lynn Operatic & Dramatic Soc Kings Lynn Arts Centre Kings Lynn, Norfolk 01553 764864 The Shell Seekers 01 - 04 October 2008 WADS Methodist Church Hall Kingswinford, West Midlands 01384 273026 The Sorcerer 04 - 08 November 2008 Halifax G & S Society Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W Yorks 01422 365998 28 October - 01 November 2008 Bournemouth G & S Operatic Society Lighthouse Poole, Dorset 0870 066 8701 The Sunshine Boys 06 - 13 December 2008 Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre Crayford, Kent 01322 526390 THE TAILOR OF GLOUCESTER 25- 29 Nov Dewsbury Arts Group Dewsbury Little Theatre Upper Road, Batley Carr, Dewsbury 01924 465 647 The Three Musketeers - Le Panteau 16 - 18 October 2008 Maldon Drama Group Town Hall Maldon, Essex 01621 854289
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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DIARY The Tinder Box 20 - 22, 26 - 29 November 2008 The Mill Arts Centre Banbury, Oxfordshire 01295 279002 The Unexpected Guest 09 - 11 October 2008 Theatr Elli Lanelli, Wales 0845 226 3508 The Village Hall 02 - 04 October 2008 Compton Little Theatre Compton Village Hall Guildford, Surrey 01483 811344 Thoroughly Modern Millie 03 - 08 November 2008 Newcastle Musical Theatre Company Theatre Royal Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear 08448 112121 03 - 08 November 2008 Rotherham & District Teachers Op Soc Civic Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 04 - 08 November 2008 Local Amateur Music Players Royal Victoria Hall Theatre Southborough, Kent 0845 241 2573 14 - 18 October 2008 Maidenhead Musical Comedy Society Desborough Suite, Maidenhead Town Hall Maidenhead, Berks 01628 624798 23 October - 01 November 2008 Swindon ALOS Wyvern Theatre Swindon, Wilts 01793 524481 24 October - 01 November 2008 Hereford Musical Theatre Company The Courtyard Hereford, Herefordshire 0870 1122330 30 September - 04 October 2008 Loudoun Musical Society Palace Theatre Kilmarnock, Ayreshire 01560 320732 Three One-Act Plays 23 - 25 October 2008 Wetherby Drama Group Linton Memorial Hall Linton-Wetherby, Yorkshire 01904 782466 Time of My Life 22 - 25 October 2008 Godalming Theatre Group The Ben Travers Theatre Godalming, Surrey 01483 425556 To Kill a Mockingbird 30 October - 08 November 2008 Gallery Players Sir John Mills Theatre Ipswich, Suffolk Tom, Dick and Harry 22 - 25 October 2008 Todmorden Am Op & Dramatic Soc Todmorden Hippodrome Todmorden, Lancs 01706 818181
Topping the Pops 29 October - 01 November 2008 Dawlish Operatic Society Shaftesbury Theatre Dawlish, Devon 01626 863061
Waiting for Godot 06 - 08 November 2008 Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society Georgian Theatre Royal Richmond, N Yorks 01748 825252
Touch of Purple 22 - 25 October 2008 Adel Players Adel Memorial Hall Adel, Leeds 0113 2755585
West End Highlights 2 - The New Millennium 21 - 25 October 2008 Keynsham Light Opera Group Saltford Hall Saltford, Bristol 0117 986 3399
TRAINSPOTTING 14-18 October The Masque Theatre Playhouse Theatre Northampton 01604 711 317 Treasure Island 29 October - 01 November 2008 Eastbourne Operatic & Dramatic Society Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, E Sussex 01323 412000 Treats 01 - 04 October 2008 Teddington Theatre Club’s Hampton Hill Playhouse Teddington 0845 838 7529 Trial By Jury & HMS Pinafore 07 - 11 October 2008 Marton Operatic Society Lowther Pavilion Lytham, Lancashire 01253 658666 TRIVIAL PURSUITS 14 - 18 October 2008 The Playhouse Company Playhouse Theatre Northampton 01604 845284 Under Milkwood 05 - 08 November 2008 Second Thoughts Drama Group Civic Hall Stratford upon Avon, Warks 01789 299621 Up and Running 08 - 11 October 2008 Falcon Players Cope Auditorium, Epinal Way Loughborough, Leciestershire 01509 231914 Utopia Ltd 01 - 04 October 2008 Tees Valley Gilbert and Sullivan Society Middlesborough Theatre Middlesborough, Cleveland 01642 815181 Valentino 11 - 18 October 2008 Talisman Theatre Company Talisman Theatre, Barrow Road Kenilworth, Warks 01926 856548 VOYAGE ROUND MY FATHER 11 - 18 October 2008 Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre Beech Walk Crayford, Kent 01322 526390 www.thegwt.org.uk
West Side Story 23 - 27 September 2008 Liberty Theatre Company Mitchell Memorial Theatre Stoke on Trent, Staffs 07879 664931 29 October - 01 November 2008 Yeovil Youth Theatre Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset 01935 422884 When did you last see your trousers? 07 - 11 October 2008 Potters Bar Theatre Company Wyllyotts Theatre Potters Bar, Herts 07985 542204
23 - 27 September 2008 Gateshead Am Op & Dramatic Soc The Dryden Centre, Evistones Road Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear 0191 496 1289 27 - 29 October 2008 Port Talbot & District Am Operatic Soc Princess Royal Theatre Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot 01639 896228 WYRD Sisters 07 - 08 November 2008 Ace Theatre Company Chequer Mead Theatre East Grinstead, West Sussex 01342 302000 Yeoman of the Guard 04 - 08 November 2008 Erdington Operatic Society Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands 0121 360 6627 YOU’RE ONLY YOUNG TWICE 8- 10 October 2008 The Broughton Players Playhouse Theatre Market Street, Preston 01772 463122
When The Lights Go On Again 07 - 10 October 2008 Birkenhead Operatic Society Trust Pacific Road Theatre Birkenhead, Merseyside 0151 677 7084 White Horse Inn 07 - 11 October 2008 The Savoy Singers Camberley Theatre Camberley, Surrey 01252 834380 29 October - 01 November 2008 Cowbridge Amateur Dramatic Society Llantwit Major School Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan 01656 881907 Wind in the Willows 23 - 25 October 2008 Blaby Social Centre Blaby, Leicestershire 0116 2771157 Witches Of Eastwick 14 - 18 October 2008 Epsom Light Opera Company Epsom Playhouse Epsom, 0208 715 4048 15 - 18 October 2008 The Kings Lynn Players Corn Exchange Kings Lynn, Norfolk 01553 764864 29 October - 01 November 2008 Sainsbury Singers The Hexagon Reading, Berks 0118 960 6060 Wizard of Oz 09 - 12 October 2008 Phoenix Theatre Group Arts Centre Evesham, Worcs 07910 499589
AS MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2008
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CLASSIFIEDS WIGS FOR YOUR NEXT PRODUCTION? Call Derek Easton on 01273 588262 or 07768166733 www.derekeastonwigs.co.uk Email: wigs@derekeastonwigs.co.uk Individual artists or complete shows. (Mikado, Me & My Girl, Patience, Amadeus, Restoration, Pantomimes and more) . 1 Dorothy Ave, Peacehaven East Sussex BN10 8LP
Every E two weeks you can read the complete, unabridged reviews of all the major national drama critics, reprinted with photos in Theatre Record. Send for a free specimen copy to:
Theatre Record PO BOX 445 CHICHESTER, W. SUSSEX
www.amdram.co.uk the amateur theatre network * Links * News * Articles * Features * Information * Free Homepages * Nationwide Amateur Theatre Listings Updated Daily amdram the online site for the amateur theatre community
HACKNEY EMPIRE LEGENDARY PANTO We have two brilliant sets from the past two years from our sell out panomimes Cinderella and Dick Whittington at the Hackney Empire for sale or rent. Please contact Brian Wren on brian. wren@hackneyempire.co.uk or call 0208 510 4500 “Spectacular sets and a selection of garish costumes to make even Liberace think twice”, Time Out 2007
ONE ACT PLAYS by HARRY GLASS Award Winning Scottish Playwright. www.harryglass.org.uk or for a free catalogue Email: admin@harryglass.org.uk
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
UK Theatre Web UK performing arts information on-line. Script publishing at ScriptCircle. Performance archive at Arts-Archive. Tickets at Web Box Office.
UK:-) )-:TW
38 classifieds as.indd 2
www.uktw.co.uk www.scriptcircle.co.uk www.arts-archive.co.uk www.web-boxoffice.co.uk
AS MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2008
22/09/2008 10:23:22
Nica Burns, Jane Walmsley, Michael Braham & Max Weitzenhoffer in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert & Dean Stolber
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Tim Rice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Andrew Lloyd Webber The National Operatic and Dramatic Association in collaboration with The Really Useful Group proudly launch
The debut work from the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading musical partnership The ďŹ rst musical that Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote together, over 40 years ago, is making theatre history as it is launched to NODA members prior to its professional release. Find out more visit: www.noda.org.uk/thelikesofus
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