OVERTURE
Rosebowl Winners. Photo courtesy of Stewart McPherson
ROSE BOWL AWARDS WINNERS
A capacity audience of 450 were present at the annual Rose Bowl Awards Ceremony, a glittering evening held on 16 October at The Winter Gardens Pavilion on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare. Entries into the competition at 106 and comprised teams representing amateur companies ranging from Exeter and Taunton in the West of the region to Dursley in the North and Bradford-on-Avon to the East. The number of entries during the year was: 49 plays; 52 musicals; 4 opera/operetta and 1 Shakespeare production (106 in all). The seven adjudicators, one of whom visited each of these companies at their home venue had the unenviable task of deciding nominations for awards in each of the eighteen categories. Their collective judgement identified over 76 nominations representing 35 different companies. The award winners are as follows: BRISTOL HIPPODROME AWARD FOR BEST VARIETY/REVUE/PANTOMIME STARLITE PRODUCTIONS, Bristol - ALADDIN COUP de THÉÂTRE AWARD NAILSEA MUSICALS, North Somerset CURTAINS - Christine Richards playing Jessica Cranshaw AWARD FOR BEST OPERA/OPERETTA BRISTOL CATHOLIC PLAYERS - THE MIKADO STAGE ELECTRICS AWARD FOR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT BRISTOL LIGHT OPERA CLUB BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - For a huge variety of techniques BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (DRAMA) ACTONIANS, nr Bristol THE WINTERS TALE - Robbie Creer as Autolycus BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (MUSICAL) BRISTOL OPERA MANON LESCAUT - Brendan Casey as Lescaut WALTER HAWKINS AWARD FOR CREATIVITY AND DESIGN BRISTOL AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - Choreography
EVENING POST AWARD FOR BEST PUBLICITY MATERIAL MERLIN THEATRECOMPANY, Frome - PETER PAN YOUTH AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR BRISTOL MUSICAL YOUTH PRODUCTIONS BILLY ELLIOT - Ben Richer as Billy BARBARA MACRAE YOUTH AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS ZENITH YOUTH THEATRE COMPANY, Bath ROSES OF EYAM - Sabrina Messer as Katherine Mompesson JEAN FENNELL AWARD FOR BEST YOUTH PRODUCTION BRISTOL MUSICAL YOUTH PRODUCTIONS - BILLY ELLIOT JOAN HAWKINS AWARD FOR BEST SHAKESPEARE ACTONIANS, Nr Bristol - THE WINTER’S TALE JOHN LEWIS AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR (DRAMA) AMATEUR PLAYERS OF SHERBORNE THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Adrian Thorpe as Toad EILEEN HARTLY HODDER AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) ST ALBANS PLAYERS, Bristol THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET - Sarah Down as Elizabeth MARKS & SPENCERS AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL) BRISTOL CATHOLIC PLAYERS THE MIKADO - Matthew Toffolo as Ko-Ko MELANIE EVANS AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL) BRIDGWATER AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY SWEET CHARITY - Katy Gunningham as Charity JOHN COE AWARD FOR BEST DRAMATIC PRODUCTION AMATEUR PLAYERS OF SHERBORNE - THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS EVENING POST AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION EXIT STAGE LEFT, Bath - A NEW BRAIN Further awards photographs are now available on our website www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk
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festivalnews
FESTIVALS
SKEGNESS PLAYGOERS 14TH YOUTH ONE ACT FESTIVAL RESULTS
Skegness Playgoers 14th Youth One Act Festival was opened by chairman Ken Blankley who welcomed all the teams, the adjudicator Paul Fowler GoDA, Anne Key-Huckerby who is the NODA representative from the East Midlands Region and the Mayor of Skegness, Steve Kirk. (see pictures right). The evening started off with The Elephant’s Child performed by Fusion Youth Theatre from NE Lincolnshire, followed by The Story of Coppelia by Migrant Youth from Bridlington;- Passion, Poison and Pertifaction by Boston Children’s Theatre:-- and finally An Inspector Tries To Call by Penguin Pie Productions from Bridlington. At the end of the evening, Paul Fowler gave his summing up of each play and performers and said he was looking forward to the following evenings selection. Sunday evening started off with Dreaming, a clown play performed by Spotlight Youth Theatre from Bridlington. This was followed by Dracula performed by PerfAct Youth Theatre from Grantham. The final play of the evening was A Walk In The Park performed by Skegness Playgoers Youth Theatre. There was a short interval after which Paul spoke about the three plays and the performers. The Chairman, Ken Blankley, thanked all the teams who had taken part and all who helped in any way to help make the festival a success, including the small, but very appreciative, audience. He also gave thanks to Sue Sharman whose hard work and dedication throughout the year made the festival possible. Then Anne Key-Huckerby (who has never missed a festival) spoke a few words about how much she enjoyed coming every year and remarked how the children were our future actors and should be encouraged. She then presented a certificate to all teams taking part.
Chris Darling
Karon Deeks
Paul Fowler then gave a final summing up about the two evenings and gave some good constructive advice to all taking part and hoped they would take note. He said he had a difficult task in choosing and the decisions were his and hoped we agreed with him. He then awarded the trophies which were presented by Anne Key-Huckerby. Lots of nominations were made for the awards and the final results were:Alan Watkins-Grove Shield for Best Original Play or AdaptationDreaming by Spotlight Youth Theatre, Bridlington The Rotary Club of Skegness, Matthew Dickinson CADS Founder Member Trophy for Teamwork - Penguin Pie Productions, Bridlington. Stuart Parkins Trophy for Special Moment of Theatre - The lightning sequence in Passion, Poison and Petrifaction Boston Children’s Theatre. The Andrea Hall Trophy for Best Young Actress went to Karon Deeks, Skegness Playgoers Youth Theatre. The Sue Sharman Trophy for Best Young Actor went to Fergus Davison, Penguin Pie Productions, Bridlington. The Skegness Playgoers Trophy, Runners Up went to Passion, Poison and Petrifaction Boston Children’s Theatre. The Gertrude Nelson Memorial Trophy, Winner was An Inspector Tries To Call by Penguin Pie Productions from Bridlington
MANX AMATEUR DRAMA FESTIVAL
The Manx Amateur Drama Federation (MADF) have been organising an Easter Festival of Plays in the Isle of Man for 60 years and last year celebrated their Diamond Anniversary. The event takes place in the beautifully restored Gaiety Theatre which is a Frank Matcham gem known throughout the world of theatre. The festival runs for 7 nights and has very generous travel allowances. The adjudicator in 2012 will be Jan Palmer-Sayer who is a very accomplished member of GODA. We have local hosts to look after teams who come from all over the British Isles including Eire. We are known as the Friendly Festival, why not find out for yourselves ? For further information of upcoming events, please contact Festival Coordinators Olga Gray olgagray@manx.net or Bob Brown bobbrown58@hotmail.com.
WOKING DRAMA FESTIVAL RESULTS
The Bruzaud Challenge Cup (Festival Winning Play) Lighted Fools Theatre Company with Visitors by Peter Tinniswood
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festival news oct 11.indd 2
Boston Youth Theatre
Winning Teams The Eileen Harper Memorial Trophy - (Festival Runners Up) Runnymede Drama Group with A Kind of Alaska by Harold Pinter The Edna Nash Cup (Third-place Play) The Pranksters Theatre present Hidden in This Picture by Aaron Sorkin The Janes Walters Youth Award Woking College Theatre Company with Pool no water by Mark Ravenhill The Huntley Cup (Adjudicator’s Award) Pyrford Little Theatre present The Droitwich Discovery by Nick Warburton The Godalming Theatre Group Celebration 85 Salver (Directing) Claire Nevers with Pool no water The Iain Home Rose Bowl (Best Actor) David Webb from Lighted Fool Theatre Company as Shacklock in Visitors The Richards-Smith Cup (Best Actress) Frankie Godliman from Runnymede Drama Group as Deborah in A Kind of Alaska The Handley-Jones Cup (Best Supporting Actor) Nathan Jones from Pranksters Theatre Company as Craig in Hidden in This Picture The Irene Hutchence Cup (Best Supporting Actress) Caroline Ross from Runnymede Drama Group as Pauline in A Kind of Alaska
24/10/2011 09:50
INSURANCE
FIRST NIGHT INSURANCE
OVERSEAS TOURS Robert Israel ACII talks about insurance updates relating to amateur theatre.
W
e had an enquiry a couple of days ago from an Amateur Society who have been invited to perform in France and they were asking what the position is as far as their current Insurance Policy is concerned and what, if any, additional insurances they need to consider. Talking only about the First Night Insurance policy because obviously I have no idea as to the exact terms of any other Amateur Theatre Society policy, I can confirm that when we first designed the First Night package, extensions were put into the policy wording to take into account the possibility that societies would occasionally perform in Europe, following the opening up of the borders and the growth in the European Union. The First Night policy, therefore, does cover amateur societies for performing in Europe for up to 30 days during any one period of Insurance and therefore there is no need to extend the policy, unless, of course, you are intending to hire in additional equipment for the period of your trip. Obviously if this is, indeed, the case then we will need to be informed and will of course charge an additional premium. Irrespective of this you should let us know in order that we can note on the file the appropriate dates.
a problem however, if you decided to perform in the United States of America, then we would have major Public Liability Insurance issues due to the fact that the US Liability laws are very slightly different to their UK equivalent and therefore need special consideration. It is usual for us to obtain separate Liability Insurance through a firm of Brokers in the United States and not extend the UK policy. Unfortunately, US Liability premiums are significantly higher than they are in the UK, so this must be factored into your budgets.
However, there is also the necessity of considering Travel Insurance which is a completely separate class of insurance to the cover provided by First Night. The problem with Travel Insurance is that most Travel Insurance that is available in the UK is designed to cover holidays and may have within the wording an exclusion relating to manual work. Some policies have a blanket exclusion relating to work, some will allow work of a clerical nature. Performing/Stage Managing/Backstage Crew is classed by insurers as manual work. Therefore you should be extremely cautious if trying to arrange travel insurance for your group, and must ensure that such an exclusion does not exist. Because of our involvement with Professional Theatre Companies we do have a specialist travel insurance scheme available and therefore I was able to offer the Amateur Society cover under our facility. This facility is placed with a major UK Insurer who has offices throughout the world and also use the services of a specialist 24 hour Emergency Rescue Service. The last thing you need is a problem with your Travel Insurance where one of the performers has been injured on stage, is in a foreign hospital with you trying to contact your Insurance provider and the provider indicating that there is no cover because the performer was engaged in manual work. I can tell you from experience that when such an injury occurs in a foreign country when language becomes an issue, you really do need all the help you can get with the minimum of fuss. So my advice to you is if you are proposing an overseas trip, you must make sure that the travel insurance is adequate and that you take with you the policy number of your policy and most importantly the emergency rescue telephone number. One final point to remember if you decide to perform in Southern Ireland, please bear in mind that Southern Ireland is outside the UK and therefore travel insurance should be effected. A lot of people forget because they perform in Northern Ireland and then just cross the border to perform in the South forgetting the fact that they have left the territorial limits of the UK. You will see from my comments that we automatically provide overseas cover for European Territories only. If you decide to perform outside the European Union then you need to notify us. Most countries in the World are not
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Photo: Hayes Players - Shadowlands
ONSTAGE
PROP ETIQUETTE Most groups rely upon the services of a props dept to make their shows function smoothly. Amateur Stage takes a quick look at some top tips to keep in mind when renting props. Whilst most props rental companies have more rules than those we are about to outline, the basic rules remain the same. You pay to “borrow” an item, and return it when you’re done. As opposed to spending hours looking for something to buy that may eat a chunk out of the budget and will ultimately sit in prop storage for years afterwards never to be used again, renting props can save money on materials and labour. Rental houses are important, especially in cities where storage space is at a minimum. Unless your company has abundant resources, it is extremely difficult to build your own stock of props that will last for a while. Prop rental houses help bridge this gap. More often than not, prop masters discover that renting a few pieces per show eases their workload, which frees up time to find other pieces—and that is reason enough. And when you rent that perfect piece, there’s definitely a “prop rental etiquette” that needs to be followed. This etiquette is all about good, old-fashioned courtesy, properly handling and caring for items that aren’t yours and following the rules set by the owners. Even before you cart off the props, entering into the prop renting agreement armed with pertinent show and company info and having payment arrangements ready are common courtesies offered towards the owners. Organization and pre planning are also invaluable courtesies. This includes knowing the limits of your budget, the constraints of the set design and production needs, and having a prop list and research pictures with you.
PROP TRANSPORTATION Want to impress the prop owner? We suggest that renters anticipate the weather, the size the rented items will be, and arrive in an appropriately suited vehicle while “showing up at the time agreed upon.” Bringing boxes, packing blankets, ropes, tarps and other packing materials are necessary for transporting the props safely in the vehicle.
ALTERING RENTED PROPS Unless it was discussed with and agreed to in writing by the owner, the rented prop should not be changed. This includes, but is not limited to, not putting gaff tape on furniture or picture frames and not painting things without permission. Owners want their props back the way they originally were lent out. If you know ahead of time that the prop you’d like to rent needs to be altered for a specific look, it’s worth it to talk to the owner first. Sometimes, with permission, it’s okay to repaint a prop, but it is common courtesy to ask before you change the state of a prop since it may never be able to go back to its original condition.
KEEP STAGE MANAGEMENT IN THE LOOP Because props are the most changeable aspect of the production process, careful consideration and collaboration is required between the prop master and the stage management team to note the condition of rented props. A good stage manager understands that rented props come with conditions that limit adjustments and a certain amount of wear and tear during production is to be expected. Each time a rented prop is changed or adjusted it affects the actual life of the prop. Stage managers love to be in the prop loop so they can quickly answer questions and provide pertinent information to many departments during the quick rehearsal process. It’s good to know which props are rented and consequently cannot be altered or changed…then we can communicate to the actors and director the best way to utilize the props and if certain blocking actions cannot take place with such an item.” However, the fact that a prop is rented cannot be used as an excuse to get out of the responsibility of making sure the prop actually fits the productions needs. If the rented prop does not work, return it and find a new one.
OWN UP TO BREAKAGE Rented props break sometimes! The bad news is now you have the task of telling the owner. The good news is that rental prop owners are used to this—they won’t bite your head off or refuse to rent from you ever again, especially if you are up front with them. Most owners have business procedures for handling prop mishaps and fixes. Call to discuss how the prop should be fixed if time allows for that and some renters will even offer a quick fix-it preference. Most renters understand the need to fix something quickly mid-show or mid-run and like to be involved in the repair process if there is time.
RETURN PROPS ON TIME The last major wrap up to prop etiquette responsibilities is returning props to the rental house in good shape and on time. Once a show is over, the rented props need to be restored to the condition discussed in the rental agreement. This includes cleaning and laundering before repacking and returning. Scheduling the return about a week beforehand and honoring that appointment will lead to a successful renting experience for both parties. As you go off prop hunting and renting, enjoy the people you meet. When your kindness and openness towards those that are helping you get your job done is apparent, these same people will be more willing to help you again and again.
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ONSTAGE crime has failed to assuage their personal failures, but finally they come together in the Texas Book Depository to implore Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate JFK. They believe that this terrible act will serve to make them all immortal. The show’s ensemble serve as commentators and bystanders to the various assassination attempts & at the end of the show, during the beautiful song, Something Just Broke, we see the impact of the deaths of the murdered presidents on the American people.
CASTING Casting this show was very challenging, because it demanded a group of actors whose singing & acting abilities were nothing short of excellent, as well as an ensemble who could confidently deliver solo singing lines as well as nail a number of cameo roles. There are nine principal male roles and three principal female roles. Some roles, such as Sara Jane Moore & Charles Guiteau are darkly comic, while others, such as John Wilkes Booth & Leon Czolcosz require great dramatic authority. Squeaky Fromme, a disciple of Charles Manson, was completely unhinged while John Hinckley had an obsessive infatuation with Jodie Foster. Giuseppe Zangara has to have a superb tenor voice as well as be able to speak convincing Italian. Sam Byck is required to deliver two long but intensely dramatic monologues. Not exactly your classical musical theatre characters! The creative team was immensely lucky to be able to draw on an enormous pool of talent from both existing members of the company and new members who wanted to audition to be a part of this fantastic show. Some of the roles were not cast from the first round of auditions, but after a number of phone calls to various contacts whom the director knew from other companies, the show was fully cast within a few weeks. The show ended up with a full cast of 25 people.
REHEARSALS As all member of the production also had full time day jobs, it was important to schedule rehearsals around cast members’ other commitments. Early rehearsals were generally two evenings a week and every Sunday. There was an intensely collaborative relationship between Director Maria Waters & Musical Director Ryan Macaulay which insured that the music & dramatic scenes blended well. The choreographer, Ruth Sullivan, worked with the ensemble more, but there was overlap between all the roles in the creative team to ensure that the scenes ran together smoothly. The production team also wanted to ensure the authenticity of the show’s American identity, as this is so fundamental to the themes that the plot explores. Therefore, the
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Night, where the sound system collapsed entirely 20 minutes before curtain up. Due to the heroic efforts of Sedos treasurer & sound operator, Craig Topp, & lighting designer Steve King, the problem was solved & the show went ahead. The team worked with a professional sound designer to design the sound plot & then from opening night, the show was operated by our own very experienced sound designer Craig. There were also many complicated sound cues, as the show is full of gunshots which have to be coordinated with expert precision. This difficult job fell to our producer Matt Hudson. Lighting design was kept fairly simple using most of the kit which was already present in the Winterflood theatre. There were also festoons of lights strung above the stage & on the Funhouse which flashed to signal a successful assassination. The electrocution of Zangara & ballad of Guiteau were particular highlights. There was a stark uplight in front of Zangara sitting on the electrocution chair creating chilling dramatic effects when he sang. The Ballad of Guiteau led Charles Guiteau up the stairs to the scaffold & there were different lighting effects to contrast the dramatic focus on the noose held above his head by the Proprietor versus the demented dance which he performed in bright coloured circus like lighting.
MARKETING Sedos set up a marketing subcommittee at the start of 2010 and someone from the committee is allocated to each show to ensure that the production gets a great campaign, but also that it links in with all other Sedos marketing activity. (Each year Sedos performs around 10 separate productions!) Marketing subcommittee member Adrian Johnson took on the responsibility of marketing lead for Assassins, but also received assistance from both other members of the subcommittee and the production team alike.
on the 4th July. This offer proved to be a great success and provided a welcomed jump in early ticket sales. As with a lot of modern day marketing campaigns, a large amount of attention was given to promoting the show over the Internet. This included email shots to Sedos members, other local amateur theatre companies and members of the Sondheim Society. Followers of Sedos on Facebook were also provided with regular updates of the show’s rehearsals and in the 10 days working up to opening night were given an introduction to each of the real-life Assassins and the actors who would be portraying them on stage. The show exceeded budgeted sales by around 100 tickets for the run of the show. Three nights were sold out, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night’s gala night, for which tickets cost a little extra and included a free programme and a glass of bubbly at a local pub after that night’s performance.
CONCLUSION Assassins provided members of Sedos with enormous challenges, both in terms of the script and score, and also the unfamiliarity of performance space. They were fortunate however to be able to draw on an enormous wealth of talented and experienced individuals from both existing and new Sedos members and the finished result was something of which all those involved should be very proud. Assassins by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman Performed by Sedos, the City of London’s premiere amateur dramatic theatre company. 9 – 13 August 2011. Photos courtesy of Michael Smith Photography. Performance rights available in the UK through Josef Weinberger
Adrian designed and produced the artwork for the flyers and these were passed to cast and production team for distribution. Flyers were also give out at Sedos’ residential theatre the Bridewell, local City businesses, and musical-related shops in London, as well as the City of London’s tourist office. Sedos member Michael Smith took the show’s wonderful rehearsal and production shots, coming three times to rehearsals; firstly to the read through, one evening at Sedos’ official rehearsal space, Ocean House, and the dress rehearsal at the Winterflood Theatre. An early boost to sales was generated by an Independence Day themed prize draw. The box office for the show had only been open for a week or so and people were given the opportunity to win a bottle of champagne if they purchased their tickets before midnight
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drama training
training
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MONTHLY DRAMA TRAINING SECTION Has your experience in the world of amateur theatre given you the bug to act professionally? It is true that many of the “greats” instigated successful careers in community theatre and it is never too late to consider going professional. There are numerous routes into the industry, but one of the main directions is a proper training in your favoured field. Drama schools throughout the UK cater for young and old, with courses in every area of the industry, and over the coming months Amateur Stage magazine will be bringing
you information on all types of education. It is no secret that the theatre profession is a competitive one, but with the right training, combined talent and drive, there is no reason why you cannot be successful. The most populated area of the industry is ‘acting’. Places at drama schools are becoming even more competitive, but it is also true there are parts of professional theatre that continue to thrive despite cuts to the arts.
want to act, yet with more research and experience, realise there are other areas that interest them. Producing, directing, backstage production, design, management – the list is endless. Join Amateur Stage magazine each month for an range of training ideas that will set you in the right direction. We want to support your future career choices, so expect expert advice and information right here. If you have any questions and ideas for articles, please email us on training@asmagazine.co.uk
Many young people start off thinking they
NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS
WINNERS OF THE LAURENCE OLIVIER BURSARY ANNOUNCED
Seventeen talented drama students from across the UK have been awarded bursaries with a combined value of £56,000. Past winners of The Laurence Olivier Bursary include Ewan McGregor and Michael Sheen, and is an award set up by the Society of London Theatre to realise Olivier’s dream of helping young actors with potential. Each summer SOLT invites the principals of selected drama schools to submit two nominations for the bursary. The nominees should be approaching their final year and fulfil the criteria of financial need and evident talent. The short list of 40 students appear before a panel of theatre industry professionals chaired by West End producer Lee Menzies, where they give a ten minute audition, followed by an interview. “What’s fantastic is that the students who were awarded bursaries today were all put forward by the Principals of their colleges; people who have watched them evolve and really know that they have extraordinary talent, but are facing severe financial hardship,” said SOLT’s President Mark Rubinstein. “It is wonderful that we can provide some extra financial support to ensure they can complete their training and become vital players in the West End and the UK’s great acting fraternity.”
NEW APPOINTMENT AT MOUNTVIEW
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts has appointed a new Deputy Principal and Academic Registrar. William Harris stepped into his latest role in September, following a successful career teaching at Middlesex University, University of Glasgow, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Rose Bruford. Harris has worked in the industry as an actor, director and producer and is no stranger to Mountview, having worked with the school for the last eighteen months on various specialist programmes, among others. He said that he was “impressed” with the quality of training at the school. “It was not a difficult decision to want to join such a dedicated team,” he adds. “I am delighted to join Mountview at such an exciting period of development”. Sue Robertson, Principal of Mountview, said: “We have been delighted to get to know William as Middlesex University’s Link Tutor for our Validation Partnership and have benefited greatly from his insights and expertise in relation to the Theatre Production Arts Degree. We are delighted that he has agreed to “cross the benches” and join us in this very important new role at Mountview”.
Acting course, said she felt “incredibly lucky” and “overwhelmed” at winning. The annual prize is awarded to a graduating drama student for their voice over skills and was set up to encourage development of upand-coming industry talent. Loader, who is currently on-tour in a first professional role of Much Ado About Nothing, will be represented by Hobson Voices for at least two years. She will also receive a bespoke voicereel, promotion to the industry, as well as given the opportunity to ‘shadow’ a professional mentor. The four chosen finalists performed at a London sound studio, in a simulation of a typical, professional voice-over session, with the judges acting as the clients. The finalists then read two commercial scripts, which they had not previously seen, as would usually be the case in a professional scenario. The Prize is only open to graduating students from full-time education at accredited Drama schools, where microphone technique training for commercial and narrative recordings is included in the syllabus. “In this prize we are dealing with raw new talent, and yet the standard was reassuringly high,” said Chairman of the Judges, David Hodge. “It transpires that Gawar is one of those all too rare people for whom performing a voiceover is innate. But the skill of voice work is also about personality and displaying the right amount of exuberance when working with clients and in this Gwawr also excelled. She is what Hobsons are always seeking in an artist: the complete package.” Loader, who follows ex-RWCMD student Rob Brydon onto the agency books, added: “Voiceover is such an important part of an actor’s career and to have such fantastic people supporting me so early on in my working life is very exciting.” Gwawr in the studio
ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE STUDENT TALKS HER WAY TO TOP PRIZE
The leading voice over artists’ agency Hobsons have awarded a Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama student their prestigious Hobsons Prize. Gwawr Loader, a student on the college’s MA
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1911 - 2011 HANWELL & EALING OPERATIC SOCIETY CELEBRATE A CENTENARY OF ENTERTAINMENT
H
anwell & Ealing Operatic Society (now known as HEOS Musical Theatre) is one of the oldest musical societies, if not the oldest, in the area. Its origins can be traced to the late 1800s, but the society was officially founded in February 1911 when The Hanwell Dramatic, Musical & Literary Society was formed. The first 60 members were accepted free, after that there was an entrance fee of 5/- (25p), with an annual subscription of 7/6d (37.5p). New members were not auditioned, but had to be proposed and seconded by existing members. Theatre-going was very popular in those days, and HEOS got off to a cracking start with ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’, performed by the drama section on a small stage with gas lighting. Tickets cost 2/-, 1/- & 6d (10p, 5p & 2½p). The following spring the operatic section performed the ever popular ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ to full houses with people standing (this is the only musical show for which the society does not have a programme; if anyone knows of a copy, they would be delighted to hear!). The first year made a profit of £9 0s 1d, and the name was changed to The Hanwell Dramatic & Musical Society. In December 1913 the society had the honour of opening the rebuilt Park Theatre in Hanwell which now featured electric lighting. They performed their shows there until the theatre closed in 1953. The production of ‘Merrie England’ in 1914 had a cast of 72, with an orchestra of 28. The orchestra cost £20 for four nights and a rehearsal. The figure today would be in excess of £6000. The show was so well received that the Mayor of Ealing asked the society to give two charity performances in the local Walpole Park. A special stage was erected, but owing to the activities of the Suffragettes at the time, the costumier would only supply costumes if adequate protection could be guaranteed for them, so members camped out under the stage each night! At the outbreak of the First World War rehearsals were already underway for ‘Tom Jones’. Over half the male members volunteered for the front, but the government’s ‘business as usual’ policy meant the production carried on, and some members managed to take part and return to camp each night from as far a field as Didcot. Productions ceased for the rest of the war, but musical evenings were held to keep the society together. At one of these evenings Madame Clara Novello asked her son to write a patriotic song for her to sing. So with Ivor Novello playing the piano, Clara sang “Keep the Home Fires Burning” in what is believed to be its world premiere. It subsequently became one of the most iconic songs of the First World War. At the end of the war the following appeared in the Middlesex County Times: “The majority of the male members of the Hanwell Musical and Dramatic Society, to say nothing of the ladies, have returned from visiting various parts of the globe at His Majesty’s expense, and the committee has decided to revive the society in the coming season...” The society name was changed to the Hanwell and Ealing Operatic Society, and Oswald Mosley, MP, was elected president; at this time his fascist views were not known! In the 1920s evening dress was worn for a night at the theatre, so it is no surprise to see in the 1921 programme, “Ladies are requested to remove their hats so as not to obstruct the view of those behind.” During the general strike and the depression HEOS was in debt, and members were ultimately asked for a levy of £1 10s 0d (£1.50) each, causing three members to resign. In fact, losses were made most years for decades, but the society always managed to keep afloat, mostly from the profits of the regular dances they held. There were no performances during the Second World War, but once again the society kept together with social events. By 1947 costs had gone up four fold over 35 years; without entertainment tax it would have been only three fold. That year’s programmes were greatly reduced in size because of government restrictions on the use of paper. With rumours that the Park Theatre was closing, members investigated moving to such illustrious venues as the Guildhall School of Music (Blackfriars Bridge), the Rudolf Steiner Hall (Baker Street), and the Fortune Theatre (Drury Lane), amongst others. But eventually they settled for a more modest, local venue - Acton Town Hall. 1961 was the society’s 50th anniversary year; there was a waiting list for sopranos wanting to join, but men were in short supply, even in those days. At the following year’s AGM a suggestion was put forward that ‘men of good physique in the building or furniture removal trades would be ideal’ for new members.
In the 1965 minutes it is recorded that rehearsal tea breaks would be from 8.45 9pm, and the start and end would be announced by blowing a whistle. The following year the society moved its performances to the newly built Greenford Hall, where they had to hire an attendant to staff the cloakroom at 8/6d (42.5p) per hour. Publicity at this time included slides projected on the screen at the local Odeon Cinema during the interval, posters on the front of local buses, and distributing bookmarks at libraries. The 1972 coal strike meant that several rehearsals were held by candlelight. The society even considered hiring a generator for the run of the show at Greenford Hall, but fortunately this proved unnecessary. When one young musical director was unable to attend rehearsals, his fellow student, Simon (now Sir Simon) Rattle would step in to take up the baton. During the 1980s ‘Yap & Tap’ classes were held in the summer months to keep members involved; the first half of the evening was singing, followed by movement. This activity proved so popular that summer shows, in the form of Old Time Music Halls, were started. 1988 marked the start of a new venture. The London Borough of Ealing approached the society to put on a pantomime. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was produced with only three weeks of rehearsals (one evening and one afternoon a week), quite a feat with a cast of 19 principals and 24 girls from a local ballet school, aged seven upwards, performing in two separate teams in alternate performances. The following year one of the pantomime days fell on a Sunday, and when the vicar at the Methodist Church next door to the Greenford Hall turned on his microphone to deliver his evening sermon, he found the church filled with the sound of ‘Cinderella’; both mics were using the same frequency! The pantomime, now an annual event with a single team of children, is always popular, and is still performed at the Greenford Hall to this day, though the society’s main productions are now held at Questors Theatre, Ealing. Many live animals have appeared on stage over the years, including dogs, cats, a pony, rabbits, and a goat. The least well-trained were the rabbits, who had free run of the stage and left their visiting cards everywhere. Gertie the goat, spotted in a front garden in Northolt, was taken by estate car for her nightly performance in White Horse Inn in 1976, which she apparently thoroughly enjoyed. The show was a sell-out (2800 seats), with a waiting list for returns. HEOS has won a number of NODA trophies over the years, and several members have received NODA Long Service Awards in recognition of their years treading the boards. At present there are two members holding 50 year medals - a wonderful achievement. HEOS Musical Theatre goes from strength to strength. Its production of ‘Half A Sixpence’ this spring - a particularly apt choice as it is set around the time the society was formed - went down well with the audiences. In the 1986 HEOS production of the same show the actual bicycle from the original film with Tommy Steele was used, but the revised version does not feature a bicycle. The society’s next major show will be ‘Follies’ by Sondheim, to be performed at Questors theatre next spring.
Photos: Programme from Merrie England (1914); Yeoman Of the Guard (1924) and above Oklahoma! 2006
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o ev m b n T h e a i st l e C i st l e , L 71 5 7
0 8 - 2 0 S t o ke M S t o ke R S t o ke - o 0 1 78 5 8
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b e r 2 0 1 1 d s A m a te u r O p e r a tic & ty d s,
m b e r 2 0 1 1
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m b e r 2 0 1 1 & F r i e r n B a r n e t O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y heatre n , L o n d o n 6 9 2 3
pirAteS oF penZ Ance, the
r 2 0 1 1 n s H a ll se t
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o ve
m b e r 2 0 1 1 i r e O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y T h e a tre B e r ksh ir e 1 2 3
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m b e r 2 0 1 1 ve n A m O p & D r a m a t i c S o c st
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m b e r 2 0 1 1 T h e a tre w n H a ll e st Y o r ksh ir e 0 1 1
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ve
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o o l H a ll
2 2 - 2 6 N o ve m b e r 2 0 1 1 W h i ckh a m T h e a tr e C lu b S t M a r y’ s C e n t r e W h i ckh a m , T yn e a n d W e a r 0 1 9 1 4 8 8 1 6 2 9
royAl BAccArAt ScAndAl, the 3 0 N o ve m b e r - 0 3 T h e S t U r su l a P l a N e w m a n H a ll W e st b u r y O n T r ym 0 1 1 79 6 2 4 4 3 1 w w w . st u r su l a p l a ye
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m b e r - 0 y A m a te H a ll M a y , W i l t sh 3 4 4 3 4
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ve r id rc r id 9
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roBinSon cruSoe And the cAriBBeAn pirAteS 1 6 - 1 9 E ye m o T h e a tr E ye m o E ye m o 0 1 8 9 0
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o ev m b e r 2 0 1 1 e r a t i c S o ci e t y T h e a tre u rre y 3 0 8 4
N o ve d P l a ye d G a te 2 5 4 6 5 a ffo rd
m b e r 2 0 1 1 i g h S ch o o l F P A L i g h t O p e r a S o c h e a tre a n a r ks h i r e 2
Sleeping BeAuty
2 9 N o ve S a l i sb u r T h e C ity S a l i sb u r 0 1 72 2 4
roAd hill houSe Murder, the 0 9 - 1 2 S ta ffo r S ta ffo r 0 1 78 5 w w w . st
0 7 - 1 2 N o ve O u r L a d y’ s H M o th e r w e ll T M o th e r w e ll, L 0 1 6 9 8 73 3 5 0
Sound oF MuSic, the
return to the F orBidden plAnet 2 2 O xt e T h e O xt e 0 1 8 8
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.u k
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N y H y H y H 8 5
o ev m b e a th A i l l C i vi ill, W e 73 8 0
e r m c H st
2 0 1 1 a t e u r O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y a ll M id la n d s
Suddenly At hoMe 2 2 - 2 6 E n vi l l e S t T h o S to u rb 0 1 3 8 4
N o ve S tre e m a s’ s r id g e , 3 72 9 3
m t D C W 0
b e r 2 0 1 1 r a m a t i c S o ic e t y h u r hc H a l l e st M i d l a n d s
the BeSt little WhorehouSe in texAS 1 5 - 1 9 N o W o ki n g A m R h o d a M cG W o ki n g , S 0 1 4 8 3 72 0
ve
m a te a w u rre 5 9 8
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b e r 2 0 1 1 u r O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y T h e a tre
the gondolierS 1 0 - 1 B a ttle T h e M B a ttle 0 1 4 2 4
2 N L ig e m , E a 2 1
o ev h t o r st 1 1
m b e r 2 0 1 2 O p e ra G ro u p ia l H a ll S u se x 4 0
the K ing And i 0 7M id d M id d L in th 0 1 6 4
1 2 l e sb l e sb o rp 2 8
N o ve o ro ro u e , M 1 5 1
m b e r 2 0 1 1 u g h A m a t e u r O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y g h T h e a tre i d d l e sb r o u g h 8 1
ruddigore, or the Witch’ S curSe
the three toWnS in concert
3 0 N o ve m b e r P u r p le T h e a tr e T h e C o m p a s T I cke n h a m , M id d 0 1 8 9 5 6 73 2 0 0
thiS hAppy Breed
0 9 - 1 2 N o ve Ju l i a n L i g h t Q u e st o r s T h E a lin g , M id d 0 2 0 8 5 6 75 1
m b e r 2 0 1 1 O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y e a tre l e se x 8 4
0 3 D e ec m b e r 2 0 1 1 C o m p a n y h e a tre l e se x
Scrooge 0 7- 1 2 A d lin g to A d lin g to C h o r le y 0 1 2 5 74 2 1 B O S B l a ckf B o st 0 1 2 0
N o ve n M n C , L a 8 0 1
m u is o m n ca 6 6
b e r c a n m u n sh i r
2 6 N o ve m b e M u is ca l T h e r ia r s A r ts C o n , L i n co l n sh 5 3 6 3 1 0 8
e
2 0 1 1 d A r t s S o ci e t y ity C e n tr e
r 2 0 1 1 a tre G ro u p e n tre ir e
1 8 - 1 9 T h e T h T h e L o L e ig h , 0 1 9 4 2
1 6 W o o W o o S t o ckp 0 1 6 1
N o re e w to L a n 8 8 3
ve
m T o w n C ca sh 72 2
1 9 N o ve d fo rd C d fo rd C o rt, C 4 3 9 75
b e r 2 0 1 1 n s O p e r a t i c S o ci e t y i vi c H a l l ir e
m b o m m o m m h e sh 3 5
e r 2 0 1 1 u n i t y P l a ey r s u n ity C e n tr e ir e
toM And viv 1 4 - 1 9 N o T a l i ms a n T T a l i ms a n T K e n ilw o r th 0 1 9 2 6 8 5 6 w w w . t a l i sm
ve
m b e r 2 0 1 1 h e a tre h e a tre , W a r w i cksh ir e 5 4 8 a n t h e a t r e . co . u k
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the last word
CURTAIN CALL W i steri a C ottage G arri c k L ane
M y dears, We finally had our committee meeting as planned. This time, without the errant Siegfried, who had mercifully been returned to his parents. To my surprise, Darren turned up, apparently Nikki had persuaded him to look after our technical side. I asked if he would be so kind as to investigate my doorbell which seemed to have developed a fault. It used to play a fetching version of ‘Greensleeves’, but recently has resorted to ‘green’, long pause, then a discordant ‘delight’. He declined, saying he was not qualified to work on domestic appliances. I ask you – since when has a doorbell been an appliance? Moving on, Nikki asked to see my agenda. I said that as far as I was concerned the only topic for discussion was my intended production of ‘Dangerous Corner’, so had not thought it necessary to have anything in writing. She clicked her tongue, produced a sheaf of paper from her bag and handed a sheet to everyone. There were more than a dozen topics and my hopes of watching the nine o’clock news with a small nightcap began to fade. The first item was ‘the mission statement’. I pointed out that we were in no way a religious organisation, the Players sole reason for existence was, as the name suggested, to do plays. ‘Exactly.’ said Nikki, explaining, rather patronisingly I thought, that we needed to clarify our aims and objectives. Personally, I really could not see the point of this, but it seemed I was outnumbered and for the next hour there was a heated discussion about whether to use the words ‘drama’, ‘theatre’, ‘performance’, ‘entertainment’ and more. I think they settled on ‘visual performance art of a theatrical nature.’ The next item was one word, ‘President’. Wittily, I said that Mr Obama was unlikely to have time to pay us a visit and Vera gave me a withering look and said that they had Dame Judy Dench in mind. I was about to mention that I had heard Dame Judy had joined the secret service when Kath jumped up and said ‘Crispin! Crispin would be perfect!’ Can you imagine my reaction? I loathe and detest the man, particularly after he took the liberty to write in MY space in AS magazine, behind my back and under my nose. Yes, my dears, I was speechless. Nikki poured me a medicinal sherry and the conversation shifted to money matters. Jeff went on at length about mandates and accounts and signatures. I was rapidly losing patience. The group’s profits, such as they are, have always been perfectly safe in the Tupperware box with a blue lid, carefully concealed behind an egg box in my fridge. I broke my silence with ‘A Hotpoint beats a cash point any day.’ This must have been delivered with more vehemence than I intended because the meeting broke up shortly afterwards. I tell you, amateur theatre would be so much more enjoyable without the people. My father would turn in his grave, if he was not in a biscuit tin under the stairs. Yours in despair,
Doris Richardson-Hall
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24/10/2011 11:06