Amateur Stage October 2010 by Amateur Stage Limited

amateurstage THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE OCTOBER 2010 www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

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MARKETING YOUR SHOW PLAYSCRIPTS REVIEWED NATIONAL SHOW DIARY DAVINA ELLIOTT WEST END REVIEWS

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amateurstageoct10 FROM THE EDITOR The current economic situation poses some interesting times ahead for amateur theatre groups across the country. This issue is a bit more business oriented than usual as we talk to printers, insurers and look at marketing your show. Over the next few months there will be many changes both here at Amateur Stage and around the UK as we look to the future. It’s going to be an interesting time. To survive, we’re all going to have to be open to new ideas, able to think outside the box and most of all keep thinking positive. We’ve all been through this before and we survived. This will be no different. We’re a resiliant bunch. never forget that!! I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. Doug

AMATEUR STAGE REVIEWS

THIS MONTH A few months ago we sent out word that were would be starting play reviews NEWS of4amateur productions.

News from around the country.

We have subsequently been inundated by people volunteering their services. As 10 THE PLAY PRODUCED you can imagine co-ordinating reviews Godber’s Bouncers. for groups John across the UK is no small feat and as a result the logistics are taking a 15 bit longer INSURANCE little than we anticipated but we Robert Israel looks at insurance issues hope to start bringing you reviews in the next few issues.

NEWS

AMATEUR37 SHOWS HIT TV

At the time of writing Channel 5 have announced two new shows which will feature amateur theatre. According to the broadcaster, the first of these shows “The Show Must Go On” will “reveal the trials and tribulations” of the actors and crew from the chosen theatre company, as they prepare to present a comedy play. In the documentary, Jason will select the comedy play for the chosen society to perform. The society then have three weeks to cast, learn and rehearse the play, and present it in a West End theatre.

Jason, best known for Only Fools and Horses and A Touch of Frost, said: “I was astonished to learn that there are hundreds of thousands of amateur actors and groups around the country enjoying local drama as I did many years ago. It was such a great 17 Ray cowdall liketoyour show reviewed way for me to enter into the theatre and so I was very excited about the prospect of If you could We talk the UK’s foremost theatrical printer. please email a review request to returning to the world of Am Dram and seeing behind the scenes.” editor@asmagazine.co.uk. Please give 19 GETTING YOUR MESSAGE OUTThe second show called “Don’t Stop Believing” will be a reality style show aiming us as much notice as possible and we’ll of Derek Webb’s article about promoting your do our bestPart to Two get one of our reviewers to cash in show on the enormous success of Glee, the television phenomenon which has out to you. proven a massive success in many countries.

NATIONAL SHOW DIARY

We are still Uk listing of shows for November looking for reviewers in and December. More information on both of these production as it becomes available.

London and the south. If you have an interest us. 37 email DAVINA ELLIOTT

Dresser turned theatre novelist chats to Amateur Stage.

credits Published monthly by Amateur Stage Limited Under license from BB Media Established 1971

Lighting, Sound, Drapery, Stage Make up, Scenery, Special Effects, Pyrotechnics in fact we are probably the most comprehensive Theatrical Supplier in the country. Call for a FREE sales brochure or visit our website for all up to date information and prices. OXFORD OFFICE Sales: 01865 722468 Projects: 01865 251398 Fax: 01865 728791 oxford@lancelynoxford.co.uk

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

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Husband and wife Ron and Jacqueline Roberts have been honoured for their services to drama in Somerset. The couple, members of Taunton Thespians, have been awarded Somerset Fellowship of Drama’s Sybil Thorndyke Trophy in recognition of their long-standing contributions to amateur theatre. Fellowship chairman David Jenkins presented the couple with their trophy at the organisation’s annual meeting at Long Sutton on Saturday. The chairman said the award recognised the couple’s longstanding support and leadership over the years. Mr Roberts said: “ I feel very humble to find that our names are to be added to a list of the great and the good in Somerset theatre, people who have created such a viable and vibrant Fellowship encompassing dramatic, musical and pantomime productions.” The pair are long standing members of SFD and helped establish it as an independent organisation in 2000. HUSBAND and wife Ron and Jacqueline Roberts have been honoured for their services to drama in Somerset. The couple, members of Taunton Thespians, have been awarded Somerset Fellowship of Drama’s Sybil Thorndyke Trophy in recognition of their long-standing contributions to amateur theatre. Fellowship chairman David Jenkins presented the couple with their trophy at the organisation’s annual meeting at Long Sutton on Saturday. The chairman said the award recognised the couple’s longstanding support and leadership over the years. Mr Roberts said: “ I feel very humble to find that our names are to be added to a list of the great and the good in Somerset theatre, people who have created such a viable and vibrant Fellowship encompassing dramatic, musical and pantomime productions.” The pair are long standing members of SFD and helped establish it as an independent organisation in 2000.

sales and grants from a range of organisations. Among those grants is the £51,500 from Babergh District Council. However, Babergh has revealed its grant is under review and discussions have taken place with the theatre about what impact a cut in financial support would have. Theatre chiefs said they had expected a cut in grant funding and were building that into their future plans. In their report to the council, Babergh officers Tim Mutum and Chris Foti said cutting its funding was “the only way forward in the current climate”. The pair said if the funding cut was more than £5,500 – and the theatre was unable to find other cash sources – it might choose to consider becoming a “wholly amateur-operated theatre”. “In this scenario,” the officers said, “it is unlikely that the company would be able to continue to present the current level of work, or to be able to sustain its professional programme.” A council spokeswoman said: “Babergh is having to make very tough decisions in the current financial climate and savings have to be made in order to achieve a balanced budget in 2011/12. No decision about the level of grant funding has yet been made but a reduction in grant funding for the theatre is likely.” Robert Benton, chief executive at the theatre, said a drop in funding from Babergh was expected.

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TAUNTON THESPIANS HONOURED

All the news that’s fit to print

He said: “The board (of the theatre) are very much aware of these mattters and are looking to build that sort of thinking in their planning for the future.” He said: “We are very, very happy with the way Babergh has assisted us in the last few years – especially the recessionary years. Life is tough for all of us. This is the community’s theatre and it is for them to support us.” He said he had no objection in principle to the idea of the Quay being an amateur-operated establishment – but only if it made sense financially. He added the current autumn programme was showing ticket sales 15% ahead of the best levels in the last five years. Penny Otton, vice-chairman of the charity Suffolk Artlink, said: “There’s no argument about how drama can help with all sorts of things in the community. “These are difficult times for local authorities but what we need to do in the arts sector is make the case loud and strong about the benefits organisations like the Quay offer.”

BBC PERFORMING ARTS FUND UPDATE

NODA is delighted to be working with the BBC Performing Arts Fund on the Young People’s Musical Theatre Scheme. The scheme will provide grants during 2011 to amateur theatre groups and societies around the UK, to support projects that will benefit people under 25 years of age. The BBC have put £200,000 into the fund, which has been raised from phone votes on shows such as ‘Over the Rainbow’. Grants of between £500 and £5,000 will be allocated to successful applicants. You have until 30 November 2010 to put in your application.

THEATRE FUNDING CUTS A popular riverside theatre is bracing itself for a drop in funding which council officers believe might lead to it becoming a “wholly amateur” venture. The Quay Theatre in Sudbury runs on cash generated from ticket

It is our hope that this scheme will encourage amateur theatre groups to develop innovative proposals for projects which would otherwise not be possible, specifically to help young people develop new skills, encourage young people into the sector, and try out audience development ideas. Although NODA has no direct bearing on who will or will not receive a grant, we will provide support to groups by helping develop ideas for suitable projects, as well as encouraging collaborations between

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NEWS groups in different regions of the UK. NODA Chief Executive, Tony Gibbs adds, “Many amateur theatre groups lack the resources and skills to provide training and development opportunities for young people. The Young People’s Musical Theatre Scheme will support those groups who already have the ideas and the ambition, to try out new ideas which in some cases may also act as a catalyst for future activities. The support of the BBC Performing Arts Fund comes at a much needed time for amateur theatre, with many groups facing the same challenges of how to attract audiences, get more young people involved at all levels, and of course addressing the various financial issues which have been exacerbated by the current economic climate. The wide scope of the scheme resulting in grants being awarded for audience development ideas, such as trying out marketing techniques to attract young people to see an amateur musical, as well as funding for training workshops, means that applicants can consider options for projects most appropriate to meeting their individual needs.” NODA is also working with the BBC Performing Arts Fund and other umbrella bodies in the sector to put in place processes to provide general support and advice to unsuccessful applicants to the scheme.

ELSTREE GROUPS SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

A theatre group from Elstree is seeking volunteers for two new shows.

The Elstree Productions Theatre Group is looking for a talented individual to help make scenery for Cinderella, which will be performed in February 2011, at St Michael and All Angels Church, Brook Road, Borehamwood. Group secretary Josie Shingles said the position wouldn’t be paid and explained: “As with most amateur societies, we have to work to a very low budget and other costs are extremely high. “We have to pay for a professional musical director and orchestra, hire the scenery and set, costumes, lighting, performing rights, publicity, and cost of hiring the theatre.” Josie, who has been involved in amateur dramatics for over 40 years, added: “You do it for the love of it. Our panto is back by popular demand after a successful show last year. And we’re cheaper for people with kids than the professional shows.” For more information, call Josie Shingles on 020 8953 6560.

For more information, visit the BBC Performing Arts website http://www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund/

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE MAD BUT IT HELPS!!

Theatre group Marvellous Amateur Dramatics (MAD) have been crowned the best in Dorset after receiving the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) award for excellence for their debut show ‘Summer Holiday’. The Charmouth-based group beat competition from across Dorset to win the honour, which is only awarded to one production per year in the region. The theatre group were praised for their young and energetic cast, comprising members from Axminster, Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport and Beaminster, who entertained audiences at Axminster Guildhall in February. MAD director Bernie Fallon said: “We were delighted to receive this award from NODA after our first ever show and it was very rewarding to know that all our hard work and effort had paid off. “It was totally unexpected and, not for one minute, did it cross our minds that we would be awarded such an accolade from NODA as there are some incredibly talented amateur theatre companies in the area with very high standards. “This award is for the recognition of the commitment and determination of the whole cast and production team who made our debut so successful and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them.”

MCKELLEN WARNS OF FALLING STANDARDS

The theatre group are now preparing for their second show, which will be performed at Bridport’s Electric Palace in the New Year.

Acting standards are falling and Britain’s reputation for brilliant stagecraft is at grave risk, warns Sir Ian McKellen.

Details of the show and audition dates will be announced next week, for more information visit www.marvellousamdram.co.uk

The 71-year-old actor, who was hailed last week as a candidate for the title of greatest stage performer of all time, believes the decline is due to the dwindling tradition of amateur dramatics. “Standards of performance are being reduced,” he said. “Once someone declares they are a professional actor, they can now perform wherever they want. There is no system any more.” A cut-throat drama school culture, he argues, is replacing the co-operative ethos and wide experience once offered by amateur theatricals and by the old regional repertory companies. McKellen, best known today for his cinema appearances as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magneto in X-Men, is one of six living actors to be nominated for the title of greatest ever stage performers. McKellen was cited on Thursday in the public poll launched by the showbusiness journal the Stage and the winner will be announced at Christmas. Also nominated were Michael Gambon, Mark Rylance, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Vanessa Redgrave and the late stage stars Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Paul Scofield. McKellen, who is a vice-president of the National Youth Theatre and a patron of the Guild of Little Theatres, believes the NYT and other surviving amateur groups provide an invaluable opportunity for young people. “If you go to Eton there are a number of working theatres there for students to use. If you go to a less well-endowed school, then you are lucky if you do the occasional musical production. Something like the NYT is not a drama school and has much more of a connection to the amateur theatre

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movement,” he said. The youth theatre, which works nationally but is based in south London, offers teenagers adventure in a safe environment. “They are not going into the jungle or anything, but it helps them at a critical stage. They learn how to work with other people and develop their self-confidence,” he said. Some newcomers to theatre today are now motivated by the promise of fame and high salaries rather than by a love of the profession, he said. “I was a theatre-goer before I was an actor, and I knew that an actor could play different parts and develop. There was a career path. This is what I wanted and so I started off in the regional repertory companies,” he said. Not everyone he meets in the theatre now has this perspective. “Amateur theatre has underpinned all the theatre in this country and the chance to act with others is useful even for those who do not want to make a career. When you work in a little theatre it can only be done in friendship and by putting yourself out. There are many wonderful actors in amateur shows who could easily make a living for themselves in the professional theatre, but they choose not to.” The NYT, which in recent years has served as a proving ground for talents such as Daniel Craig, Rachael Stirling, Orlando Bloom, and Little Britain’s Matt Lucas and David Walliams, is accepting submissions until 7 January for the next annual auditions, which take place in February 2011.

COMING SOON

We’re always getting sneak peaks from around the world of new shows that may soon be available for Amateur groups here and thought this might be of interest to youth groups. Disney Theatrical Productions (DTP) is releasing CAMP ROCK: THE MUSICAL for licensing by schools and amateur theatre groups in the USA. The play is an adaptation of the 2008 and 2010 Disney Channel Original movies CAMP ROCK. CAMP ROCK: THE MUSICAL includes songs from both Disney Channel movies and a story that’s based on the second TV movie (CAMP ROCK: THE FINAL JAM). Licenses can be obtained through MTI, Disney’s exclusive licensing partner. The theatrical version is 75 minutes long and features more than a dozen songs from the two hit movies. The musical’s release coincides with the debut of a Disney 365 featurette (airing on Disney Channel). The featurette will focus on one of the pilot productions of the musical. CAMP ROCK’S new stage adaptation features a book by Faye Greenberg and Robert L. Freedman, and a score that includes songs from both movies. For more information, visit www.mtishows.com.

Special winter offer for Amateur Groups: 10% discount on hire items until 31 January 2011 Thousands of quality costumes, props, furniture and armour from past National Theatre productions available to hire. The collection is easily accessible at one convenient location, where our friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you find exactly what you’re looking for – from a single costume to an entire production. Chichester House, Kennington Park Estate, 1 – 3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE Costumes Props 020 7735 4774 020 7820 1358

nationaltheatre.org.uk/hire AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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NEWS

SHREK THE MUSICAL TO OPEN IN 2011

2011 is looking like another bumper year for musicals as the announcement is made that Shrek The Musical is headed to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. With a cast headed by Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Amanda Holden as Fiona, Shrek is a larger then life musical. Shrek played on Broadway from 2008 to 2010 and was nominated for 8 Tony Awards. The original creative team has now re-assembled to stage the production with new songs and additional scenes. Shrek the Musical will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May 2011. For further information visit www.shrekthemusical.co.uk

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER HOSTS CENTENARY CELEBRATION FOR THE LONDON PALLADIUM On Tuesday 12 October Andrew Lloyd Webber hosted a celebration to mark the 100th Birthday of London’s Palladium Theatre with stars who have graced its iconic stage over the past century. Russ Abbot, Michael Ball, Brian Conley, Jason Donovan, Ken Dodd OBE, Lesley Garrett, Sheila Hancock OBE, Peter Land, Gillian Lynne, Paul Merton, Des O’Connor, Elaine Paige, Nicholas Parsons OBE, Jonathan Pryce CBE, Philip Schofield, Bruce Welch and Hayley Westenra, were just some of the famous faces in attendance. Bruce Forsyth CBE, who hosted the much-loved Sunday Night at the London Palladium, joined Andrew Lloyd Webber to unveil a commemorative plaque in the Palladium’s foyer in recognition of the theatre’s extraordinary past. Andrew Lloyd Webber welcomed his guests and introduced Danielle Hope, who will play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz alongside Michael Crawford as The Wizard, at the Palladium next year. Guests joined together in a toast to the theatre and to performers past and present and Andrew, Bruce and Danielle cut a specially commissioned cake sculpture by Rachel Mount – an edible replica of the London Palladium with Tiller girls lining the top and previous show production posters lining the bottom. Speaking at the event Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Today’s celebration is about recognising the rich history

of this wonderful theatre and the fantastic performers who have graced its stage. It is also about the beginning of the biggest programme of refurbishment and change in the Palladium’s history and I’m delighted to announce the restoration of the iconic revolving stage and plans for the complete refurbishment of the Front of House areas.” The London Palladium is arguably the world’s most famous theatre, a great favourite with performers and audiences alike, with a rich entertainment history presenting variety, pantomime and spectacular family musicals. The legendary revolving stage which everyone remembers from the finale of television’s Sunday Night at The London Palladium is being restored and will feature in the elaborate stage design of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz, opening at the Palladium in February 2011. Andrew Lloyd Webber also announced his plans for the complete rebuilding and refurbishment of the front of house areas of the theatre. Prior to the first performance of The Wizard of Oz in February 2011 the main entrance facade will be fully repaired and refurbished, a new Box Office area will be created with direct access to the theatre, a new lift will improve accessibility to the stalls level and toilet facilities will be improved . The current Box Office will be converted into three new function spaces, the grandest of these will have the historic roof light reinstated and a new spiral staircase will link it directly with the existing Variety Bar.

MICHAEL CRAWFORD IS BACK IN LONDON’S WEST END Michael Crawford is to star as The Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard Of Oz. Renown for originating the title role in The Phantom Of the Opera, Michael will star alongside Danielle Hope, winner of the BBC series Over The Rainbow when the show opens at the London Palladium next year. “I didn’t hesitate at all when Andrew asked me to take on the role of the Wizard. Working with him and Tim Rice on a brand new production of this timeless classic is so thrilling and I am already looking forward to starting rehearsals later int he year”. Michael said. Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “We will be going a lot further than simply presenting the movie on stage. We have re-visited the original novel and re-conceived our “Oz” as a piece of new musical theatre using the wonderful Arlen/Harburg songs and adding a few new ones where there are gaps. I am really looking forward to bringing The Wizard of Oz to life on stage. I am delighted that Michael Crawford, a legend of musical theatre, will take on the role of the Wizard and can’t wait to work with him once more”. The Wizard Of Oz opens in February 2011. For further information visit www.wizardofozthemusical.com

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PLAY PRODUCED

BOUNCERS

Bouncers is an ambitious play whatever the size of your company. It is easy to set - just a black box with a few chairs and no costume changes and just one or two props. What makes it difficult is the amount of characters your four actors are asked to play. Heather and Roni from the Wheatsheaf Players discuss their production of Bouncers. The players first performed this play back in 2007 but due to popular demand bought it back in 2010 and it was much bigger than before. Read below as they document their production of this fantastic John Godber Play.

THE GROUP

The Wheatsheaf Players are an award winning Theatre Company. We are a small but established group. Founded in 1930 we are based at the Cooperative Theatre Coventry, which is in the West Midlands. In 1980 we moved to our current home, on the site of the old cooperative shop, in Watersmeet Road. This venue offers a large stage and though little wing space. It has two dressing rooms and prop storage back stage, and even offers off site storage for the larger props. Over the past 80 years we have produced a wide range of shows from farce, pantomime and comedy to the more serious drama. Our members even write their own plays and pantomimes for the enjoyment of our patrons. Though as a group we mainly sticks with bums on seats plays murder mysteries, farces, the odd period drama. We have no defined policy in choosing our plays - it is usually down to finding a suitable play that we can easily cast with the members who are willing to perform. A member of the group will usually asks the Artistic director, Heather Evans if they can direct a play they have read. As a company we do try to maintain a balance between the light-hearted and more serious drama. Our past few annual pantomimes have also been written by a few of our members and we are also not afraid to experiment

with more unusual story lines.

THE PLAY

In 2007 we let the theatre to a group doing a cut down version of Bouncers for the Edinburgh Fringe. They were slick, funny and the play was loved. On the plus side for us, they did one night and brought their audience with them. Various conversations followed, but the upshot was if we could find the right 4 guys and it was a big if we could do the full length play. Bouncers is John Godberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular play and it is set in and around a northern nightclub called Mr Cinders, with the action focusing on the exploits of the four doormen and their customers. The play creates a vivid picture of the relentless hedonism of northern night life with its raw energy, flashing disco lights and raucous lads and lasses out on the town. Bursting with imagination and wit, Bouncers is an outrageous and hilarious parody of the disco scene. The four main characters, the Bouncers themselves are quite different. Although they come across as fairly distinct types, belligerent, uncaring, resigned, desperate, they are all very complex and show lots of emotion as they tell the tale of a night out. Then, of course, they also play the girls going out, and the boys, the hairdresser and the barber, the DJ, the hooray Henry, the guy in the video shop and so on and so on. So many characters - all different and distinct, and all played by the same 4 guys in dinner suits.

CASTING

As we are a small group it was not hard to find four

members who would be suited to the parts. Joe, Jonny, Chris and Adam all jumped at the chance to perform the play. They had all seen previous productions of Bouncers and were thrilled to take their respective parts. They also knew just how much hard work was required to make this the slick production it needed to be. Fortunately our technical team (Steve) couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get started as well.

STAGING

The play was relatively easy to stage and lends to the imagination with it being a black box with a few chairs. The stage directions in the script are open to interpretation. There is lots of opportunity to tailor the performance to the actors. Without the reliance on the set, all four actors need to be very precise about the movements and an awful lot of work has to go into this.

SET

The play calls for a minimalistic set which was great. We only really had to source four chairs and black waste paper bins.

LIGHTING

The lighting and sound for the show were fairly complex. With over 106 cues back in 2007 when we first performed it, it was a pretty demanding show. Bearing this in mind we were surprised that Steve wanted to add even more cues to the 2nd production. The cues were increased to over 140! Due to this Steve decided that it would be better not have a stage manager and to do the all the cues visually. So he took out the box window so

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk he could he concentrate on the show and delivery the changes on time. The show features a couple of unusual lighting scenes, one being a rewind of a projector on a big screen during a blue movie. This scene had to be timed precisely to 15 seconds as we used a strobe light for the effect. Both Adam and Joe performed this brilliantly but it took some rehearsing. There was also excellent effects of the inside of the night club when the door opened and the street lights flashing by in the taxi scene. All these effects were timed precisely and made the scene more believable.

SOUND

The script actually suggests songs for the show but Heather and Steve changed some of these to make them more relevant for our production. We also used a lot more music than defined in the script as it helps the atmosphere of the play. The both spent hours researching and listening to music which they both enjoyed. The bar scene featured the song happy hour by the House Martins and it was timed precisely so the last word of the song coincided with the last word of the scene. There were a lot of songs in the production that were timed precisely as the show is very fast paced. The hardest sound effect to find was one called the relay clunk. Steve wanted a sound effect that enhanced the individual bouncers spot light in the opening scene. They spent hours researching what it the effect was called. Knowing what they wanted but not having a name was very frustrating for them but with the determination to find it, they were eventually pleased when they did.

COSTUMES

We are so lucky that the costumes were easy to source. The play is called bouncers so it was literally four guys in suits. With no costume changes needed.

PLAY PRODUCED

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals were pretty intense both times around. On top of line learning, the quick changes of character had to be very definite. The huge amount of lighting and sound queues helps to bring atmosphere to the production and we were working on getting these right throughout most of the rehearsal period too. There was also an element of choreography required and we managed to persuade a dancer friend to help us out both times with the Thriller dance steps. We rehearsed three nights a week to begin with because there is such a lot of movement in the production and the timing has to be perfect. We were also lucky to have all the lighting and sound queues pretty early on, so almost every rehearsal was with full tech. As the production neared we included Sunday afternoons to run through everything and ensure that the changes of character were convincing. It was amazing how well they played the girls!

FIRST NIGHT

The first night was fab in both 2007 and 2010. Everyone was really nervous, especially as they were Bouncing the theatre and audience members kept trying to chat with them. Our theatre is somewhat unique in that all the chairs are arranged around tables, cabaret style, so it really lends itself well to this sort of production. The show started with them wandering down to the stage during a particular song and glaring at the audience until the lighting changed. Everyone was hooked at that point! I believe that one of the guys actually got one lady’s phone number as he wandered round the auditorium before hand. The performance itself was amazing. All the rehearsals had paid off and the production was a huge success. They guys found the humour in the bar scenes, the poignancy into Lucky Eric’s speeches and incredible poise required for the blue movie! It was one of the best

plays Heather has been involved in. The dance is included near the end of the play when the blue movie (with animals in it) is in fact Thriller. A good mist machine and some monster teeth helped to turn the Bouncers into Zombies for a short rendition of the song. To be honest, the Bouncers aren’t dancers, and so our choreographer, Sue, had her work cut out! One long evening she planned out the dance with the guys, ensuring that the moves were relatively simple, yet true to the original music video. We had videoed some of the rehearsal so that we could revisit it as often as necessary and in the end it was a very slick performance. It has now turned into the Theatre’s dance routine, and the youth group attempt it at any opportunity!

CONCLUSION

Bouncers is a fabulous play. The lads were on the door to the theatre at 7pm for opening and stayed in character as they allowed audience members into the auditorium. There was also a staged chucking out of an undesirable guest! Perhaps most importantly, the audience loved it. The response from them was great and some audience members even came back to see it three times throughout the course of the production. From the moment they entered the theatre to when they left at the end of the evening, they were enthralled with the it. The standing ovation and cheers showed just how well everyone had done. Staging a play such as Bouncers is a challenge, and not one to be taken lightly. The sense of achievement at the end though is priceless!

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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CAN YOU HEAR ME AT THE BACK?? Over the course of this year Orbital Sound have been running a series of courses introducing interested people to the world of theatre sound. We caught up with Wesley McCann, who went on an Orbital Sound course to get his impressions.

AS: So tell us a bit about your background?

training session which was great.

and they know the answer.

Wesley: I started in theatre when I was 14, I tried being an actor but wasn’t good at that, and so got involved in working backstage (moving sofas!), and eventually moved into sound when I was about 15. So I did small musicals running radio microphones, anything I could my hands on really.

We went out to Grease and Chicago to look at two different types of theatre sound systems. Grease is very processed and controlled, whereas Chicago is more natural and more about re-enforcement so the actors can be heard all the way to the back. We covered all the basics but what was great was that if you had questions or wanted to know more you could just ask the orbital guys and they’d tell you all you wanted to know.

There are always a lot of the bigger designers hanging around too so we had Gareth Owens, the guy who did the Hairspray tour, and he gave us a chat, and having a chance to speak to someone who works in theatre in the real world was brilliant. Beats a text book any day!!

Eventually, at 18 I got into Mountview Academy, graduated and ended up on the QE2 for a bit.

For further information about the courses offered free of charge by Orbital visit www.orbitalsound.co.uk/training/

AS: So I take it the course was quite theatre oriented? AS: How did you find out about the Orbital course? Wesley: Mountview suggested it was a really good course for learning the fundamentals. It helped to give me a broader knowledge and a chance to look at the new equipment that the university didn’t have.

Wesley: It was very theatre oriented but gave me a great grounding on just how sound works in both a theatre and rock and roll format at the moment. With many shows it seems to be getting closer and closer.

AS: So tell us about the nature of the course?

AS: What would you tell other people who are thinking about undertaking the course?

Wesley: There were about 20 of us on the course. We looked at how a microphone works, how speakers work, and then we went through digital processing and how it works. We looked at how digital desks differ from analogue desks. Yamaha came into the workshops and showed us how the new equipment , very much like a

Wesley: If you are thinking about getting work in sound or just want to know more, Orbital is a great place to start. It’s great to get your face known around the warehouse. It gives you such a broad understanding, and the guys who work there really know just about everything there is to know. You can throw any curve ball at them

OCTOBER 2010 | AMATEUR STAGE

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13 25/10/2010 22:36:17

JOSEF WEINBERGER PLAYS

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

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

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

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

Gordon Steel

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

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

LOOK BEHIND YOU Cast: 5M,6F

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

David Sedaris adapted by Joe Mantello THE SANTALAND DIARIES and

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

CHRISTMAS BELLES Cast: 4M, 7F

playscriptsSEPT10.indd 1

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

13/09/2010 13:45:00

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

FIRST NIGHT INSURANCE

CONTAMINATION IS A DIRTY WORD IN INSURANCE Robert Israel ASCII from Gordon & Co discusses the latest insurance issues affecting amateur theatre. Insurance Policies are, by the nature of them being legal documents, somewhat long and occasionally rather difficult to fully appreciate nuances. Over the numerous! decades I have been an Insurance Broker specialising in Theatrical Insurance, I have had cause to look at the Policies on many occasions, however, very occasionally, a situation occurs in which you have to look at an element of the Policy that you have only ever given a cursory glance to in the past. Pollution and contamination is one such element of the Policy and, because of recent publicity, is somewhat to the fore of many Liability Claims Department employees at this very moment in time. We have only ever been involved in such a claim on one occasion. To try and explain the situation, I think it is important first of all to appreciate that a Public Liability Policy covers your legal liability for injury or damage caused. There are, of course, certain exclusions and one of these relates to “Liability arising from pollution or contamination, which is not insured unless caused by a sudden identifiable, unintended and unexpected incident which takes place in its entirety at a specific time and place during the period of Insurance”. That is the exclusion as shown in the Policy. Probably the best way to explain this is with the use of an example so, let us say that your theatre is situated by a river and that the heating of the theatre is provided by an oil fired based central heating system. The oil is contained in a big tank that sits outside the theatre on the banks of the river. Over the years, oil leaks out of the tank and into the river, with noone from the theatre doing anything about it. At some point, somebody, be it the Local Authority or maybe a land owner further down the river is going to notice the “pollution”. As you own the oil tank, the wrath of everybody will be upon you! and it is in this type of circumstance that your Policy will almost certainly NOT respond because you will be in breach of the exclusion mentioned above. However, as an alternative example, let us say that the tank bursts for some reason and the oil floods out of the tank and into the river as a one-off event. It is in these circumstances that your Policy is likely to respond. As I am sure you can appreciate, the clean up costs could be substantial in circumstances like these so it is important that you do check on a regular basis any structures which you own that contain oil or anything similar that could escape from your land and cause damage. As a separate example, what if part of your ceiling in the theatre collapses and when the investigators look into the ceiling they find asbestos in the roof? In this example, the collapsed element of the ceiling ends up in the orchestra pit and therefore all the musical instruments in the pit have to be destroyed purely because of the potential contamination of the instruments by the asbestos. The situation is, of course, compounded by the fact that the air in the theatre then needs to be checked to see what level of asbestos has escaped, thereby cancelling performances of your forthcoming production. In this particular example the situation is complicated because, whilst the musical instruments themselves are covered under the Material Damage Section of the First Night Policy (as long

as the sum insured is adequate), there is a specific exclusion relating to contamination. However, there is no such exclusion under the Cancellation Section of the Policy, although there could be a problem in that should such an incident occur on a normal Commercial Insurance Policy, Underwriters would not pay a claim under the Consequential Loss Section of a Policy if they haven’t paid a claim under the Material Damage Section of the same Policy. Obviously the situation is slightly different here because the Cancellation Insurance wording is not quite the same as a Consequential Loss Policy and therefore one would argue that the rule does not apply in these particular circumstances. Incidentally, the asbestos example mentioned did actually occur many years ago and the claim was paid by our Insurers, although the circumstances regarding the actual incident itself were not quite the same as in my example. Of course, Policy wordings have changed (tightened up) in the intervening years and I am doubtful that we would achieve an identical result now to what occurred all those years ago and, in the light of recent events, it is likely that Insurers will now be taking an even closer look at the pollution/contamination exclusion clause.

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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COWDALL’S THEATRICAL PRINTERS Cowdall’s Theatrical Printers have been serving the amateur theatre community for many years now. Amateur Stage spoke to Ray Cowdall about proving print for groups around the country. “I’d been involved in amateur theatre for a while” Roy points out. “ Roy Stacey, the former owner and editor of Amateur Stage suggested to me that we start a service for amateur theatre. He said you can get scenery, props and costumes, but at that stage there wasn’t anybody specialising in printing for amateur groups, and really that’s how we got started. He had a library of illustrations for theatre posters and flyers that he used to rent out to societies, but when he sold the magazine on, the new proprietor had no interest in that side of the business, so I bought that library of illustrations from him. We used them for many years, and even though they are a bit old fashioned now, we still have them.” So has there been a radical change in the process in the time he’s been in business. “Groups tend to design a lot of their own stuff now although we can do it all for them if they want. We have built up a huge library of stock imagery and we can illustrate hundreds of plays, musicals and pantomimes. That service is available for anyone who places an order”. He’s quick to point out though that whilst many societies do their own artwork now but you need to realise that it may now always be immediately compatible with the printing processes and plate making systems. Turnaround times have also changed a bit. “They are very quick now”, he says. “There was a time when we’d get a month to do a programme, but now a couple of weeks is a luxury. There is a tendency (and it’s gotten worse with the current economic situation), for people to hold off ordering until the last possible moment until they are desperate. We do a lot of fire engine jobs these days. Flyers now take about a week to 10 days and tickets take about 7 days”. Located in Crewe, Cowdall’s delivers posters, tickets, flyers and programmes nationwide as Ray is quick to point out. “We deliver as far afield as the Shetland Isles and all points in between. We’re centrally located so delivery by overnight courier means we can get deliveries pretty much anywhere in the UK”. “There are 8 people working here and the technology we have here is pretty good. Design is done on Apple Mac. We still use litho printing for longer runs but do lots of posters digitally and that allows us to mix the sizes so you can get 1 or two in A3 and more in smaller sizes” Ray points out. You soon discover talking to Ray that he relishes a challenge and is always happy to talk through problems. He’s a font of knowledge and is happy to share what he knows. “It helps that both Helen and I are involved with the amateur theatre world so we have an idea of what it’s all about. Helen Gresty, my business partner is a well known local actress and between the two of us we have a good knowledge of services required by amateur groups. The best thing to do is pick up the phone and discuss your needs. We’ve been doing it for so longer that if a company has a problem, chances are we solved it years ago. For example with billing for rights holders which need to be on your promotional materials, we can help with what needs to be done to make sure you don’t fall foul of the licensees.” Ray says. To back up his claims, Cowdall’s offers a 10% discount on the first order for new companies to show they really can deliver anywhere. In this economic climate what more can you ask for!! Call Ray or Helen on 01270 212 389 for more information.

OCTOBER 2010 | AMATEUR STAGE

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17 25/10/2010 20:28:31

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Professional sets, costumes and props for hire… As one of the country’s leading producers of touring musicals, UK Productions has an extensive stock of high quality sets, costumes and props available for hire to both professional and amateur companies. Singin’ in the Rain

Additionally, our experienced team can produce bespoke costumes, sets and props just for you from our comprehensive workshop facilities. We also have many other items available for hire including wigs and wardrobe equipment, music stands, communications, glaciator/low smoke machines and pyrotechnic equipment.

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

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13/09/2010 13:49:32

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

In the last article we looked at some of the basics of marketing. I gave you a five point plan that would help you target your money properly and keep wastage to a minimum. With the very meagre amounts of money a local drama group can afford, it’s important that you get the ‘most bangs for you bucks’. The first two points of the plan were: Define the Target Market and Decide the Media. This month I’ll deal mainly with the third point of the plan: Design the Creative Work.

Basic dos and don’ts There are a million different ways to get your message across. There are also some things that should be avoided at all costs. Here are a few of them: Don’t confuse obscurity with creativity. Don’t use loads of different typefaces. Don’t include the kitchen sink. Do make sure the important information is clearly visible. Do use an eyecatching visual if possible. As an example let’s look at designing a poster for your latest production. And let’s assume that the play you are about to perform is Alan Richardson’s very funny one-act comedy ‘The Worst Day of My Life’. The reason I’ve chosen a poster is that it’s a very good way of distilling the message. At Saatchi’s we would often start with a poster, even if the job was a TV commercial, for the very simple reason that it has to be simple. And, if the creative thought works in a poster, it will work where you have more space and time. When you put up a poster, you have a maximum of two seconds to catch a person’s attention. Think about it: if you have to think about it for two minutes before you understand what it’s saying, you’ve lost it. How often do you say ‘I need to put that in. And I mustn’t forget so-and-so.’ Well you’re just going to have to be ruthless. There will be opportunities in your flier or press release to expand on the production, but the poster is not the place to do it. What we are looking for is the essence of the show. That is what is going to give us the hook which will catch the attention of the audience.

What’s it all about?

So, in one simple image, the drama group has conveyed a lot of information about the play. But, note that the image is not directly related to the plot. Sometimes, as in this case, it is useful to take a slightly tangential view to come up with an eye-catching poster. Going back to our dos and don’ts however, don’t confuse. Don’t use an image which is eye-catching just for the sake of it, make sure it is relevant in some way.

Where do you find such images? Many are now available on CDs and are royalty free, so you can use them for all your productions. A very valuable source of images is istockphoto.com. Photo libraries generally are very expensive, but istockphoto is a good and relatively cheap source of hundreds of images which you can search for by name, style and type. The banana skin for instance may well have been under ‘humour’ as well as ‘banana’ and ‘fruit’.

What else needs saying? Now let’s look at the other elements which go to make up the poster. Along with the main image, the most important element is the headline. In this case, it is simply the name of the play, but it could be a taster to get the reader to read on, such as: ‘Just when Charlie thought his day couldn’t get any worse, it did!’. Then the name of the play could be displayed prominently at the bottom of the poster together with the venue and date/time/ticket information.

business

ADVERTISING THAT WILL BE ACTED ON

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

So, taking our example of ‘The Worst Day of My Life’, what is the essence of the play? For those who don’t know it, the plot is simple. Charlie is in hospital and, as we discover, he is a bigamist with three wives. To keep them from meeting each other he has arranged each to visit at different times: morning, afternoon and evening. But, inevitably they all turn up at the same time with disastrous consequences for Charlie. The essence is of course comedy, but how to portray that? You can see here a poster that was designed for one production. The most striking thing about it is that banana skin. And what does that tell us? We all know the banana skin gag. Laughing at someone’s misfortune has been a cornerstone of some humour since the Greeks. It is the very stuff of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. And here it epitomises Charlie’s plight. He is about to slip up in an unexpected way when his wives turn up together. The only clue that it is set in a hospital is the syringe held up – but that, in juxtaposition with the banana skin, also takes on a comic, rather that threatening sense.

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

BUSINESS Since this is a poster, we want to keep the amount of other text to a minimum. But, if in a short sentence or two you can add extra enticement, then do so. What you don’t want to do is throw everything but the kitchen sink in, in the hope that there will be something to appeal to everyone. The result will almost certainly be that you appeal to no one. Similarly, don’t be tempted to use every typeface on your computer in the mistaken belief that it adds vitality and variety. If you are an experience typographer, you can mix lots of typefaces successfully. If you’re not, best to keep it simple. It looks more professional, it’s easier to read – and so it communicates quicker. Finally, you’ll need to include the most important information: where and when your show is being performed, and how much the tickets cost. Make sure this is good and bold. Arguably the date should be the largest component, if not the second largest after the venue name. If the poster is only to be displayed at the venue itself then the date naturally takes precedence. Ideally you should also have a call to action. This might be a simple ‘Don’t miss it!’ or something along the lines of ‘Call the Box Office on ... for tickets.’ Here’s another example of a strong visual idea which accurately conveys the essence of the show. John Godpers play ‘Shakers’ is fun, lively, features four women and set mainly in a cocktail bar. So here, what the drama group has done is come up with a design that really does capture what it’s all about. The use of the ‘neon sign’ lettering immediately tells us the style of the piece. Note that here the group has decided to feature the actors who are in the play and has taken the trouble to photography them specially. The result is a striking poster with lots of impact.

Now there’s a good idea... Having come up with ‘the idea’ it should now be relatively easy to translate it into other advertising forms. The same image, style and message can be used on your flier, your programme, even your tickets. Consistency of message and image means you get more cumulative impact. And, because the potential audience become familiar with it in many forms, they warm toward it. In effect, what you are doing is looking to make friends through your publicity. Remember that, and you won’t go far wrong.

Making the message go further Whether you decide to do fliers and posters or both will depend on who your potential

20 businessOCT.indd 4

audiences are and how you can best reach them. You might, if you can afford it, decide to take out some paid-for advertising too. And here again, you can simply adapt your ‘creative idea’ to suit. But do remember to keep it as simple as possible, In a busy newspaper or magazine, you want to ensure your ad will stand out from the crowd. And if you have some one in your group who’s a whizz at computers, then a website is a must-have for any group, but remember people need to find your site, so put your url on everything you can. Fliers as we said last month can double up as mailing shots to specific audiences or to your regular following. The price of stamps means it can work out quite expensive though. A far cheaper alternative is to use e-mailing lists and the same person who helped you set up the website can no doubt look after those for you. Once again, keep the message consistent both in words and pictures to what you have used elsewhere and you’ll find you have a very effective means of communication at your fingertips. At the end of the day, what you’re looking for is publicity that makes your show stand out, get noticed and is acted on.

The last word Finally let’s look at the best publicity of all: word of mouth. It’s the best because it’s not only free, it’s relied on. So it works wonderfully when Mrs James tells her neighbour that the comedy on at the Memorial Hall is so funny she wet herself! Having publicity that is eye-catching, memorable and enticing gets talked about too. Another excellent way to start the conversation going are with press releases. People reading about your show in the local newspaper may well discuss it with their friends and family, and so the word or mouth begins... It is vitally important to build up a good relationship with your local paper. Don’t expect them to print everything you send them though; they won’t. But, the easier you make it for them, the more they are likely to. Submit your press release as an email, so they don’t have to rekey it. Supply them with a good photograph as a JPEG – Newspapers and magazines like pictures. And most importantly try and find an interesting angle for your story. Done well, you will be getting hundreds of pounds worth of advertising for nothing. And that’s a message that’s well worth repeating, time and time again!

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

25/10/2010 13:48:35

Samuel French Ltd

play publisherFrench and leasing agents Samuel Ltd

N eThe w play r epublisher leases! The Adventures of

Jason and the Argonauts

Costume

hire

CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT COSTUME HIRE MONDAY - FRIDAY 10AM - 5PM 01789 205920

costume.hire@rsc.org.uk

www.rsc.org.uk

newsoct10.indd 10

A play freely adapted from the ancient myths by Phil Willmott CasT M7 - 13 F5 - 8 sCene Simple settings Clamber aboard the mighty Argo to join heroic Jason, plucky Medea, Hercules and all the gang in this re-telling of the greatest adventure story ever told! Our heroes must overcome monsters, tricksters and tempests to capture the Golden Fleece, defeat Jason’s evil uncle and win back the kingdom. Seen in 2009 as part of the More London Free Festival, this 80-minute fastpaced adaptation is a lighthearted romp into which your own choice of songs and dances can be inserted. Humour and easy puppetry overcome the difficulties of a fire-breathing bull, a dragon and an army of skeletons! Price £8.95

samuelfrench-london.co.uk

Hi-de-hi!

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

French’s Theatre Bookshop 52 Fitzroy St London W1T 5JR Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161 Email: theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk

Late Night Opening! French’s Theatre Bookshop will be open until 7.30pm on Thursdays in the run up to Christmas, 7th October - 23rd December.

25/10/2010 11:39:53

SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia 13 the Musical

18 - 20 November 2010 Coliseum O & D S Aberdare Coliseum Theratre Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff 01685 882685

42nd Street

10 - 13 November 2010 Wembley O S Winston Churchill Hall Ruislip, Middx 07983 103444

Absurd Person Singular

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

Annie

09 - 13 November 2010 New Earswick Musical Society The Joseph Rowntree Theatre York, York 01904 768182

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

15 - 20 November 2010 Carluke A O S Carluke Lifestyles Centre Carluke, Lanarkshire 0795 7470930

Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Around The World With P&P

09 - 13 November 2010 Carlton D S New Wimbledon Studio Theatre Wimbledon, London 0844 8717646

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

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

Admirable Crichton, The

20 November 2010 Poole & Parkstone Productions Lighthouse Poole, Dorset 07947 061839 www.pandp.org.uk

Be My Baby

25 - 27 November 2010 Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group Southmoor Village Hall Southmoor, Oxfordshire 01865820375 www.kbdgshow.biz

Beauty and the Beast 27 October - 06 November 2010 Darlington O S Darlington Civic Theatre Darlington, Durham 01325 244659

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

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

Aladdin

09 - 13 November 2010 Nottingham O S Theatre Royal Nottingham, Notts

17 - 20 November 2010 Eyemouth & Dist Community Youth Theatre Eyemouth Old School Eyemouth, Berwickshire 018907 50585 30 November - 04 December 2010 Childrens Theatre Bo’ness Society Town Hall Boness, Falkirk District 01324 712443 01 - 05 December 2010 Admirals Players Fisher Hall HMS Excellent, Portsmouth 02392727961

Alarms & Excursions 01 - 04 December 2010 Hayes Players Hayes Village Hall, Bromley, Kent 07905210718 www.hayesplayers.org.uk

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

All Shook Up

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

Allo ‘Allo

24 - 27 November 2010 Pirton Players Pirton Village Hall Hitchin, Hertfordshire 01462 712572

10 - 13 November 2010 Barnstaple M C & D S Queens Theatre Barnstaple, Devon 01271 324242 16 - 20 November 2010 Leeds A O S The Grand Theatre and Opera House Leeds, West Yorkshire 0113 2674249 16 - 20 November 2010 Abergavenny A O & D S Borough Theatre Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 01873 850805 16 - 20 November 2010 Sheffield Teachers O S Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, South Yorkshire 0114 2696568 16 - 20 November 2010 Redditch O S Palace Theatre Redditch, Worcs 01527 527363 23 - 27 November 2010 Hamilton Operatic & Dramatic Club The Town House Hamilton, Lanarkshire 01698 385627 23 - 27 November 2010 Bradford Catholic Players Alhambra Bradford, W Yorks 01274 432000

27 November - 04 December 2010 PADOS Studio Theatre Prestwich, Manchester 0161 7737729 www.pados.co.uk

Cavalleria Rusticana

Bouncers

Chess

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

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

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

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

Bugsy Malone

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

Calamity Jane

16 - 20 November 2010 South Moor Musical Theatre Group The Lightlight Arts Centre Stanley, Co Durham 01207 218899 18 - 20 November 2010 Worle O & D S Playhouse Theatre Weston-super-mare, Somerset 01934 645544 22 - 27 November 2010 Kirkcaldy A O S Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Fife 01592 583302

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

Carousel

02 - 06 November 2010 Hereford Musical Theatre Co. The Courtyard Hereford, Herefordshire 01432 340555 09 - 13 November 2010 Hexham Amateur Stage Society Queens Hall Arts Centre Hexham, Northumberland 01434 604542 10 - 13 November 2010 Whitchurch A O & D S Whitchurch Civic Centre Whitchurch, Shropshire 01948 880200

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

01 - 13 November 2010 Rotherham & District Teachers O S Rotherham Civic Theatre Rotherham, S Yorks 01709 823641

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

Christimas Carol, A

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

Cinderella

09 - 13 November 2010 Minerva Club Glasgow The Mitchell Theatre Glasgow, Glasgow 0141 942 4245 03 - 11 December 2010 Mickleover Players Main Hall Murray Park School, 01332 511 867

Cinderella: A Christmas Adventure 10 - 19 December 2010 Bench Theatre Company Spring Arts & Heritage Centre Havant, Hampshire 02392472700

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

Cold Comfort Farm

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

Communicating Doors 04 - 11 December 2010 Wilmslow Green Room Society Chapel Lane 01625 540933

Crazy For You

08 - 13 November 2010 Cradley Heath A O S Brierley Hill Civic Hall Brierley Hill, West Midlands 0121 585 7380

Curtains

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

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

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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25/10/2010 13:18:36

Wdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>> Dangerous Corner 24 - 27 November 2010 Beaconsfield Theatre Group Beacon Centre Theatre Holtspur Beaconsfield, Bucks 01628 524127

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

Dead Guilty

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

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

Dick Barton - Special Agent 10 - 18 December 2010 Nantwich Players The Players Theatre Nantwich, 01270624556 www.nantwichplayers.com

Dick Whittington 02 - 05 December 2010 Kaleidoscope Players The Guildhall Theatre 01332 255800

16 - 19 December 2010 Starburst Theatre St Nicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School Fleet, Hampshire www.starburst-theatre.org.uk

Dick Whittington and his Cat 25 - 27 November 2010 Aldridge Musical Comedy Society Brownhills Community Sch Brownhill, Staffs 01543 480626

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

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

Ebenezer

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

Fame

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

Fawlty Towers

04 - 11 December 2010 Bolton Little Theatre Bolton Manchester, 01204 334 400 www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk

Flint Street Nativity, The 25 - 27 November 2010 Portchester Players Ashcroft Arts Centre Fareham, Surrey 01329 223100

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

Footloose

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

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

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

Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum, A 09 - 13 November 2010 Finchley & Friern Barnet O S The Intimate Theatre Palmers Green, London 020 8482 6923

Game Plan

10 - 13 November 2010 Taunton Thespians Taachi-Morris Arts Centre Taunton 01823414141 www.tacchi-morris.com 18 - 20 November 2010 Taunton Thespians Strode Theatre Street, 01458552846 www.strodetheatre.co.uk

Gigi

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

Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol, A 26 - 27 November 2010 Chapel End Savoy Players St Johns Church Walthamstow, London 0208 529 3143

BLACKBURN ARTS CLUB - LOST IN YONKERS

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia

TAUNTON THESPIANS - COLD COMFORT FARM

Glad Rags and Ponytails

Guys and Dolls

Glimpse Of Christmas Past, A

02 - 06 November 2010 South Downe Musical Society Kings theatre Southsea, Hampshire 023 9282 8282

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

01 - 04 December 2010 Peterborough Playgoers John Clare Theatre Peterborough, Cambs 01733 452336

Gondoliers, The

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

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

Gown For His Mistress, A 02 - 06 November 2010 Marlowe Players Darley Abbey Village Hall Darley Abbey, Derbyshire 017961 607372

02 - 06 November 2010 Kendal A O S Kendal Town Hall Kendal, Cumbria 01539 727813

09 - 13 November 2010 Chester-le-Street A O S Park View Theatre Complex Chester-Le-Street, Co Durham 0191 584 3061 15 - 20 November 2010 Bingley A O S Bingley Arts Centre Bingley, W Yorks 01274 562988

Every 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

Great Expectations 14 - 18 December 2010 Halifax Thespians Halifax Playhouse Halifax, W. Yorkshire 01422 365998

copy to:

Theatre Record PO BOX 445 CHICHESTER, W. SUSSEX

17 - 20 November 2010 Whitefield A O & D S Radcliffe Civic Hall Radcliffe, Manchester 0161 2788178 17 - 20 November 2010 WOW Youth Musical Theatre Pavilion Theatre Weymouth, Dorset 01305 783225

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

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

Happy As A Sandbag 17 - 20 November 2010 Eastbourne O & D S Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, 01323412000 www.eodsinfo.co.uk

High Society

03 - 06 November 2010 Helensburgh Savoy Club Victoria Halls Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute 01436 675765

Hollow, The

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

COSTUMES 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

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

diaryoct2010.indd 6

25/10/2010 13:19:43

Wdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>> Iver Heath Drama Club - Jack & The Beanstalk

DUSTON PLAYERS - WHAT THE BUTLER SAW

Honk!

06 - 11 December 2010 Mossley AODS George Lawton Centre Mossley, 01457870875 www.maods.org

Hot Mikado

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

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

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

I’ll get My Man

01 - 04 December 2010 Argyle Players Tovey Hall Central Reform Church, Bath 01225858112

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

Iolanthe

15 - 20 November 2010 Haworth-West Lane Baptist A O S West Lane Baptist Chapel Haworth Keighley, W Yorks 01535 603065 24 - 27 November 2010 WLOS Kenton Theatre Henley, Oxon 0844 8801846 www.wlos.co.uk

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

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

15 - 20 November 2010 Walney Musical Theatre Co. Forum 28 Barrow in Furness, Cumbria 01229 820000

Jesus Christ Superstar

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

01 - 06 November 2010 Middlesbrough A O S Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough, Cleveland 01642 815181 03 - 06 November 2010 West Bromwich O S Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, W Midlands 0121 550 3667

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

Jack & The Beanstalk 16 - 19 December 2010 Centre Stage Theatre Arts Robert Ludlam Theatre Duffield Rd, 01332 232 940

Jekyll & Hyde

22 - 27 November 2010 Neath A O S Neath College Neath, Neath Port Talbot 01639 639726 23 - 27 November 2010 Oxted O S The Barn Theatre Oxted, Surrey 01883 714103

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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25 25/10/2010 13:20:07

SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOW Killing Of Sister George, The 09 - 13 November 2010 Stafford Players Malcolm Edwards Theatre Stafford, Staffordshire 01785 254653

Kindly Leave The Stage 17 - 20 November 2010 Cuffley Players Cuffley Hall Herts, 01707873856

Kismet

11 - 13 November 2010 Battle Light Opera Group Memorial Hall Battle, East Sussex 01424 211140 09 - 13 November 2010 Horsham A O & D S The Capitol Horsham, W Sussex 01403 750220

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

Lacrymosa

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

Ladies Day

11 - 13 November 2010 Sawbridgeworth Players Victoria Hall Old Harlow, Essex 07752 161802 01 - 04 December 2010 St Ursula Players Newman Hall Grange Court Hall, Bristol 0117 962 4431 www.stursulaplayers.co.uk

Les Miserables

Lucia Di Lammermoor

Oliver!

Private Peaceful

Mack and Mabel

Orpheus In the Underworld

Red Hot and Cole

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

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

Magic of Disney, The

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

Maskerade

08 - 11 December 2010 Wick theatre Co Barn Theatre Southwick Street, Southwick 01273 597094 www.wicktheatre.co.uk

Me and My Girl 24 - 27 November 2010 Broughty Ferry A O S Whitehall Theatre Dundee, Tayside 01382 779720

Merry Widow, The

Lord Arthur Saviles Crime 24 - 27 November 2010 Ruislip D S Compass Theatre Ickenham, Middx 01895 675343

26 diaryoct2010.indd 8

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

Our House

03 - 06 November 2010 Yeovil Youth Theatre Octagon Theatre Yeovil, Somerset 01935 422884

09 - 13 November 2010 Theatremask Productions Park and Dare Theatre Treorchy, RCT 01443 773112

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

My Fair Lady

01 - 06 November 2010 St Alphege Musical Productions Society Solihull Arts Complex Solihull, West Midlands 01564 776873 24 - 27 November 2010 Petts Wood O S Stag Theatre Sevenoaks, Kent 01689 820448

Nunsense - the Mega Musical

15 - 20 November 2010 Bishops Stortford Musical Theatre Co. Rhodes Arts Complex Bishops Stortford, Herts 01279 651746

09 - 13 November 2010 Derby Shakespeare Theatre Co. Guildhall Theatre Derby, Derbyshire 01332 255800

Music Hall, The

18 - 20 November 2010 Lytham Acadamy of Theatre Arts Lowther Pavilion Lytham St Annes, Lancs 01253 658666

Little Shop of Horrors

Othello

08 - 13 November 2010 Cassio O S Watford Palace Theatre Watford, Herts 01923 225671

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

12 - 20 November 2010 Sussex Musical Productions Pavilion Theatre Worthing, West Sussex 01903 206206

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

01 - 06 November 2010 Letchworth Arcadians The Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Herts 01438 363200

12 - 20 November 2010 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre Trust The Mill Theatre Sharnbrook, Beds 01234 781587

Likes of Us, The

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

25 - 27 November 2010 Hulviz Amateur Musical Society Bob Hope Theatre Eltham, London 02088589803 www.hulviz.co.uk

Odd Couple, The

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

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

Oliver!

24 - 27 November 2010 Mid Argyll Musical Society Village Hall Ardrishaig, Argyll 01546 603412

16 - 20 November 2010 Brassneck Theatre Yeadon Town Hall Yeadon, Leeds West Yorkshire 0113 250 5011

Pantomania

02 - 04 December 2010 Havant Light opera Spring Arts & Heritage Centre Havant, Hampshire 02392472700

Patience

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

Pinocchio

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rent

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

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

Revenge of Sherlock Holmes, The 23 - 27 November 2010 Radlett Light Opera Society The Radlett Light Opera Society Radlett, Herts 01923 859291

Rob Roy The Pantomime 02 - 04 December 2010 Thornhill Players Thornhill Community Hall Stirlingshire 01786 850288

Rock Nativity

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

Role Play

09 - 13 November 2010 Street Theatre Taachi-Morris Arts Centre Taunton, 01823414141 www.tacchi-morris.com 19 - 20 November 2010 Street Theatre Strode Theatre Street, 01458442846 www.strodetheatre.co.uk

Romeo & Juliet

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

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

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

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

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

25/10/2010 13:20:28

ORPEN PLAYERS - LAYING THE GHOST

Season Greetings

Show Stoppers 2006

Songs from the Shows

25 - 27 November 2010 Kibworth Theatre Co. Kibworth Grammar School Hall Kibworth, Leics 07914 264970

Sinbad the Sailor

South Pacific

Skylight

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

23 - 27 November 2010 NOMADS The Nomads Theatre East Horsley, Surrey 01483 284717

See How They Run

30 November - 04 December 2010 Workington Playgoers Theatre Royal Workington, Cumbria 01900602122

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 10 - 13 November 2010 Maghull Musical Theatre Co. Little Theatre Southport, Merseyside 01695 632372 17 - 20 November 2010 Southend on Sea O & D S Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea, Essex 08445 885997 23 - 27 November 2010 Bath Light Operatic Group Theatre Royal Bath, Banes 01225 448844

Show Boat

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

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

01 - 05 December 2010 Collingwood RSC Millennium Hall HMS Collingwood, Fareham 07502037922

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

Sleeping Beauty

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

Sleeping Beauty & the Wicked Witch 06 - 11 December 2010 Riverside Drama Club Cowane Centre Stirlingshire, 01786 811291

Snow White & The Magnificent Seven 09 - 12 December 2010 Crofton Amateur Dramatic Society Theatre Hall Stubbington, Hampshire 01329661143

10 - 13 November 2010 Chesterfield O S The Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Derbyshire 01246 345222

09 - 13 November 2010 Ramsgate O S Granville Theatre Ramsgate, Kent 01843 591750

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

Stepping Out

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

Summerseat Players 04 - 13 November 2010 Theatre Royal Smithy Street Lancashire, 01706 826 760

Sweeney Todd

02 - 06 November 2010 East Berkshire O S South Hill Park Arts Centre Bracknell, Berks 01344 484123

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

Swimming With Sharks 01 - 04 December 2010 CCADS Groundlings Theatre Old beneficial School, Portsmouth 02392737370

Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Wonderful

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

The Flint Street Nativity 30 November - 04 December 2010 Blackburn Arts Club Gibraltar Street Blackburn 01254 664 642 www.blackburnartsclub.co.uk

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

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

Titanic

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

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdia Tom Jones

24 - 27 November 2010 Runnymede Drama Group Rhoda McGaw Theatre Woking, Surrey 08448717645

Topaz

03 - 04 December 2010 Nomads Theatre Nomad Theatre Bishopsmead parade, East Horsley 01483 284 747 www.nomadtheatre.com

Treasure Island

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

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

We Found Love and an Exquisite Set of Porcelain Figurines Abroad the SS Farndale Ave 10 - 13 November 2010 Waterbeach Community Players Waterbeach School Cambs, 01223570109

Wedding Singer, The 03 - 06 November 2010 Five Towns Theatre Stoke Repertory Theatre Stoke on Trent, Staffs 01782 321666

15 - 20 November 2010 St Augustine’s Musical Theatre Co. Solihull Arts Complex Theatre Solohull, West Midlands 0121 705 2789

West Side Story

16 - 20 November 2010 Chelmsford Young Generation A M S The Civic Theatre Chelmsford, Essex 01245 606505 25 - 27 November 2010 Wallasey A O S Floral Pavilion Theatre New Brighton, Wirral 0151 660000

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

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

06 - 11 December 2010 Louth Playgoers Society Riverhead Theatre Louth, Lincolnshire 01507 600350 www.louthplaygoers.co.uk

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

02 - 06 November 2010 Scunthorpe G & S A O S Scunthorpe Plowright Theatre Scunthorpe, North Lincs 01652 655342

Zoo, The

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

Where There’s A Will

25 - 27 November 2010 Horndean Amateur Theatrical Society Merchistoun Hall Portsmouth, Horndean 023 9259 7114

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

THE WOODFORD PANTOMIME - ALADDIN

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

diaryoct2010.indd 10

25/10/2010 13:22:16

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PLAY OF THE MONTH THE RAGGED TROUSERED PHILANTHROPISTS Robert Tressell adapted by Howard Brenton Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781848421073 CAST: 10M 2F

Robert Tressell was a painter and decorator who died almost penniless in 1911. Three years later his account of the lives of the men he worked with was published. He had tried and failed to get his manuscript published during his lifetime and it was left to his daughter to present it to her employer after overhearing him in a literary conversation. A much shortened version was published. The full text was not published until 1955 by which time the story of the philanthropists, poor working men lining the pockets of their rich employers, had already had a huge impact on the labour movement and workers rights. The play begins in the present. Kirsty, an estate agent, is showing prospective buyers around a large Victorian house known as The Cave. She tells them that it was renovated in 1904 but has remained virtually untouched since then. One of the buyers strips away some wallpaper to reveal paintings underneath, at which point Owen appears. ‘I did those paintings’, he tells her, ‘in nineteen hundred and four.’ and we are transported back to find a team of men hard at work on the refurbishment. One of them, Bundy breaks into song and the others join in, except for Owen. He does not approve of the song. It is a Tory song, a capitalist song, designed to keep workers in their place. Wisely, Howard Brenton has shown confidence in Tressell’s original

ALL MY SONS Arthur Miller Josef Weinberger ISBN NO: 9780856763120 CAST: 6M 4F

All My Sons was first performed in 1947 and is the story of two families coming to terms with the aftermath of the Second World War. This publication by Jesef Weinberger coincides with a West End production starring David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker. The main character is Joe Keller, a successful American businessman exonerated after his company supplied faulty aeroplane parts that caused the deaths of twenty-one pilots during the war. His wife Kate though, knows the truth. Whilst Joe maintains that everything was the fault of his business partner, they are both, in fact, equally guilty. Joe and Kate’s son Larry had been due to marry Ann, the daughter of the business partner but when their other son, Chris, announces that he is going to marry Ann, it is only a matter of time before the truth becomes known. If you check the Show Diary pages of this magazine it is very likely that you will see several companies performing Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, but his other plays are seldom performed in the amateur theatre. This is a pity. All My Sons has great characters and a storyline guaranteed to keep an audience gripped.

ANY GIVEN DAY David Muncaster reviews the latest playscript offerings.

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Linda Mclean Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781848420939 CAST: 3M 2F RRP: £8.99

Any Given Day is described in the script as two plays. Play one features Sadie and Bill, two former inmates of a mental institute who have been released into the community and now live together in uneasy companionship in a council flat. They eagerly await the arrival of Bill’s niece, Jackie, and are so excited when the door buzzer goes that a series of clumsy accidents prevents them from opening the door in time. Bill goes out in search of his niece leaving the more vulnerable Sadie on her own. Play one ends with brutality as a boy pushes his way into the flat and subjects Sadie to a humiliating sexual assault.

story and has concentrated on creating a piece of theatre without compromising the impact of the original text. Owen is initially an outsider, mocked and distrusted by the very people he wants to liberate, whilst the bosses see him as a troublemaker. Owen’s isolation is emphasised by the same actors playing his bosses and fellow workers. The men start to come round to Owen’s point of view following his simple explanation of ‘The Money Trick’ – how the capitalist class get richer and richer whilst the working class remain locked in poverty. Owen has a talent for painting and he is kept on after the refurbishment is complete whilst his fellow workers are laid off. Nonetheless, the annual beano (a kind of picnic) is arranged and a fellow socialist, Barrington, uses this as an opportunity to stand up for his principles in front of his masters. This is followed by ‘The Great Oration’ in which Barrington sets out the principles of socialism but anyone expecting a happy ending, where the workers overthrow the bosses, is to be disappointed. The socialists do make some progress but it is the bosses that have the final say with their policy of divide and rule. It wasn’t until 1970 that Tressell’s grave was identified in a Liverpool cemetery. By that time The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists had already been adapted for the stage and there have been further adaptations since, but I doubt if any are as good as this. I believe that Howard Brenton has produced the definitive stage version.

In play two Jackie is in the bar where she works when her boss, Dave, tells her that he has a message from her son. He has said that today is a good day. This triggers the events that lead to Dave opening a bottle of wine and the pair engage themselves in a frank sexual conversation. Any Given Day is a stark and shocking insight into a world where both social and personal responsibilities have been pushed into the background. Is Jackie’s son the boy in the first play? We do not know, but Linda McLean’s play is full of tension and unanswered questions.

LOVE AT LAST Raymond Hopkins Hanbury Plays ISBN NO: 9781852053291 CAST: 3M 7F

Love at Last is set at the Autumn Glade Retirement Home which is occupied by a mixed bag of elderly residents. Frank and Rose are a married couple with a working class background. Frank was nicknamed Swannee when he was younger because, as a shop steward at a car factory, he caused more strikes than a box of Swan Vestas. His nemesis is Helen, described as a well educated snob, persuaded to enter the home by her two sons after her husband had died. Within the first few pages of the script everyone seems to have told us their life stories, which is a little unnatural, but necessary as the subsequent action requires us to know the characters that we are dealing with. Things start to go missing. First it is Frank’s lighter, then a watch and then a necklace. Suspicion falls on the new care assistant, thoughsome of the audience may fall for a rather neat red herring early on in the script. The care assistant is innocent and it seems that Frank, himself, may be the culprit, but with love in the air everyone is acting a little strangely. Finding plays with older casts can be a bit of a challenge but, with seven

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

25/10/2010 13:42:14

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PLAYSCRIPTS

of the characters over seventy, Love at Last is a play well worth considering.

THE LATE MIDDLE CLASSES Simon Gray Nick Hern Books ISBN NO: 9781848421103 CAST: 4M 2F RRP: £8.99

The Late Middle Classes was first published in 1999 after winning the Barclays Theatre New Play Award for its première production directed by Harold Pinter. Despite the accolade the play failed to make it to the West End but a revival at Donmar Warehouse has resulted in this new edition being published by Nick Hern Books. The play is set in the 1950s where Holliday is a twelve year old boy beginning his journey of sexual discovery. His mother, Celia, accidentally stumbles across him in his bedroom on his knees holding a naturist magazine and asks the boy’s father to have the talk that every father and son must have. The subsequent vague and stuttering conversation is indicative of both the times, and the distance between the pair. Whilst Holliday’s father is distant, his mother is suffocating, insisting that the boy tell her that he loves her, not just because she is his mother but in a ‘special way’. Meanwhile, the boy’s piano teacher, Mr Brownlow, harbours desires for his pupil and engineers to be alone with him. However, Brownlow is not depicted as a seedy child abuser. Like the boy’s mother, he is frustrated by the austerity of fifties Britain and is seeking an outlet for his longings. His childish games with the boy are inappropriate, but stop a long way short of exploitation; though we are left to imagine, with horror, how things might have turned out if Holliday’s father had not put a stop to the lessons. The Late Middle Classes is a beautifully understated, thought provoking drama that fully deserves its recent revival.

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS Jill Hyem Josef Weinberger ISBN NO: 9780856763021 CAST: 1M 4F

The back cover of this script explains that Jill Hyem is a former actress who turned to writing in order to ‘provide strong parts for women’. It always worries me when I read something like that. There are many reasons why someone may decide to become a writer but I suppose the foremost one should be the discovery that they can actually write. I assume Jill Hyem was already confident of this skill when she stated her ambition. She certainly has acquired plenty of experience having written extensively for radio and television including work on the Japanese Prisoner of War drama ‘Tenko’, which, by coincidence, is something she shares with the fictional author Ed Reardon, who is currently supplying my bedtime reading. We’ll Always Have Paris is about three English women in their sixties. Nancy is a retired headmistress living in an apartment in the Saint Germain district where she enjoys an easy friendship with Charlot, a resting French actor who does odd jobs for his landlady. They have a game where they each in turn find alternative ways to say the same thing. The first time we hear this it is a direct quote from the Monty Python ‘Dead Parrot’ sketch, on subsequent occasions it is less entertaining. They are joined by the recently widowed Anna, who is visiting from England, and an old acquaintance, Raquel, who has also become a resident of Paris. The three ladies make an attempt at bonding but during a game of monopoly old tensions come to the fore. Tempers are raised, Raquel storms out and Nancy breaks her ankle chasing after her. They manage to reconcile their differences after that but an altercation with the landlady leads to Nancy being given notice to leave and she prepares to return to England with Anna. Some of the dialogue seems unnatural. We learn of Nancy’s background through a series of chunky speeches early in the play and Charlot is totally uninhibited in talking with a relative stranger about the breakup of his marriage. However there are some charming comic moments, such as Charlot being unaware that ‘snuffed it’ is, perhaps, not the best way to refer to a grieving widow’s recent loss, and the made up song in act two is sure to delight the audience. Overall, although it was nice to read a play with good roles for older actresses, the script itself is not strong enough for me to agree that Jill Hyem has achieved her stated ambition.

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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

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

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

“CRY IN THE NIGHT”

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

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Fur Elise

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

MAXINE SMITH PLAYS

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

10/08/2010 14:43:58

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DouG FuLtHorpe tHe View From tHe Gutter Douglas Fulthorpe presents his penetrating view of life as seen from the gutter, in a madcap whirl of chills and thrills. Visit the elusive county of Wessex for an eerie and unforgettable lesson in hygiene in Afternoon Tea, then jet to the west coast of America for Orange Gin with Lieutenant Broccoli, a shabby, unconventional sleuth with an unusual taste in cigars. Finally return to Wessex, and the village of Little Slaughter, where, in Count Your Chickens, a sinister nephew performs his own brand of cosmetic surgery, under the seemingly unsuspecting gaze of his devoted Aunt Millie.

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

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www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk Robert Lindsay and Lydia Leonard (picture by Tristram Kenton)

WEST END Onassis

Novello Theatre, London Martin Sherman, who had his first big hit 30 years ago with concentration camp drama Bent, has returned to recent history for his latest play, Onassis. He reinvents the life of Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis, from his wooing of Jackie Kennedy and affair with opera singer Maria Callas through to his declining years. Sherman’s Onassis views the world and his place in it like a Greek tragedy, filled with conspiracies and driven by the whims of ancient gods. The play is structured like a classic tragedy, with a chorus almost constantly on stage made up of employees and advisers, led by Gawn Grainger who entertainingly narrates much of the back story. Robert Lindsay seizes on the title role with a bravura performance, instilling Onassis with charm, wit and energy, but there is little sense of the ruthless magnate who built up a global business from nothing. His decline into a broken, lonely man recalls the structure of Greek tragedy but suggests that Sherman’s Onassis is not the tragic hero he believes himself to be, but just a frail and vulnerable man. The play has been reworked since its first appearance, as Aristo, in Chichester but it fails to give us real drama or excitement. However, it benefits from strong performances by Lydia Leonard as Jackie Onassis and Anna Francolini as Callas and is well staged, with a stream trickling along the front and some splendid Greek music from two musicians alongside the actors. Despite the play’s limitations, it is an enjoyable and interesting re-creation of the life of one of the epic figures of the 20th century.

Deathtrap

Noel Coward Theatre, London Thrillers aren’t thick on the ground when it comes to London’s West End, so it’s great to see the form so incredibly well represented in the form of this revival of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap. As with most thrillers, it’s difficult not to give the game away. The play relies on audiences squirming and suprises having enough shock value to get you jumping out of your seat. I’m pleased to report that Deathtrap has enough of these to keep audiences guessing for most of the night. Twists and turns abound in Matthew Warchus’ pacey production. It’s a star turn for Simon Russell Beale and Jonathan Groff. Beale plays Sidney a once celebrated author of stage thrillers who theatrical muse has long since departed leaving him desperate for inspiration and that all important next hit. Groff is Clifford, young, idealistic, inspired by Sidney and the author of a perfect thriller - one set, two acts, five characters. Throw in a panicked wife, a strange psychic and the inevitable lawyer and you’re set for a great night in the theatre. Admittedly, the play has dated slightly since its original outing in 1978 when it smashed Broadway records, but Deathtrap still makes for a solid evenings entertainment. Full marks must go to designer Rob Howell who created the most wonderful setting for Groff and Beale to play out the murder game. A vaulted ceiling, a huge barn space, and an abundance of weapons from Sidney’s plays provide Groff and Beale with a veritable playground. A must see, but don’t give away the secrets of Deathtrap after you see the show lest you spoil it for others.

LES MISERABLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOURING PRODUCTION Barbican Theatre, London

Celebrating Les Miserables’ 25th Birthday has given producer Cameron Mackintosh the perfect reason for a month of epic celebrations which sees the original production now ensconsed at the Queens Theatre, joined by this newly staged touring production at the Barbican (the show’s original home) and at the O2 for one enormous concert production. This new stage production which takes signature elements from Trevor Nunn and John Caird’s original production and adds new sceneic elements and orchestrations is quite remarkable. Gone is Les Miserables’ renown revolve, replaced by a system of small moving trucks and component pieces that make up everything from the barricade to Thenardier’s Inn. Sceneic backgroups are made from projected tableaux taken from and suggested by Victor Hugo’s own paintings. The effect of this is to give Les Miserables a colour pallette rarely associated with the show and its quite remarkable. John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter command this production as Valjean and Javert respectively. Les Miserables only really works when its two male leads are matched vocally and physically and Owen-Jones and Carpenter are fomiddable. The pair are supported by a superb line up of principals including Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Gareth Gates (Marius), Rosalind James (Eponine) and Katie Hall (Cosette). It’s great to see Les Miserables getting a face lift 25 years on. Sitting in the Barbican theatre watching this production and listening to the timeless score, you can’t help but wonder how the critics got it so drastically wrong 25 years ago. Unfortunately the London season for this touri is tragically short and will be gone by the time you read this review. Make sure you catch the national tour if you have a chance. Here’s hoping that Cameron Mackintosh may have heart and bring this production back for an encore season.

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

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books We look at the latest offerings from the publishers.

DRAMA GAMES FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO SAY NO

Moody provides frank and fascinating insights into the attention to detail involved in creating characters, the role of anarchy and clowning in his performances, and the nature of comedy itself. He also reveals how tensions both on and off stage - as there were in Oliver! - can stimulate actors to create something especially memorable.

A further title in the popular Drama Games series, this dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book will provide an inspirational guide for teachers and workshop leaders working with difficult or reluctant students, youth groups, young offenders, and all those who seem intent on saying “no” to whatever is offered them.

Moody’s performance of Fagin will forever be his trademark, but this book reveals Moody’s career which spans over 50 years of work including stage, film and television.

By Chris Johnston Published by Nick Hern Books ISBN 9781848420496 RRP: £8.99

For these groups, drama games and activities need to be robust and engaging, and the dozens that appear in this book have been devised with this in mind - and then tested by their target players. Each page features clear instructions on How To Play, notes on the Benefits of the Game, and advice on age range, number of players and timing. Following the ninety games and exercises aimed at developing core skills, the book offers scenarios for a series of improvisational challengesthat test participants’ abilities in mediation, communication, negotiation, assertiveness and managing emotions. Also included is a collection of games aimed at preapring teachers and workshop leaders for facilitating challenging sessions.

ACTORS’ YEARBOOK 2011 Edited by Simon Dunmore Published by Methuen Drama ISBN 9781408128404 RRP:£14.99

Actors’ Yearbook is a leading contacts directory for finding work in television, film, radio and theatre. the listings include all sections of the industry, from agents and casting directors to producing theatres, showreel companies and photographers. Articles and commentaries provide a valuable insight into the profession, auditions, interviews and securing work. The information in this edition has been thoroughly updated and the companies and individuals listed are expertly selected to offer the very best and most reliable contacts. Entries list the contact person at every company, and other features include a casting calendar, and tax, financial and contractual advice for actors. New material includes Casting for Film and Television, Exploring Fringe Theatre and Site Specific Theatre. Year on year Simon Dunmore edits this staple text for the acting community and he is again to be commended for a job well done. If you are starting out as an actor there i no finer text to help you on your way.

A STILL UNTITLED (NOT QUITE) AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Ron Moody Published by J R Books ISBN 9781907532115 RRP: £18.99

Ron Moody has enthralled generations with his masterly performance as Fagin in both the stage and film versions of Oliver! (for which he was nominated for an Oscar). Now, in this highly original and idiosyncratic memoir, he reveals the twists and turns of his career, and the people he met and worked with along the way. Planning to become an academic, Moody first took to the boards in student revues at the London School of Economics. But his ability to create a string of eccentric and original characters quickly caught the attention of West End producers, and the course of his life changed for ever.

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WORDS INTO ACTION

By William Gaskill Published by Nick Hern Books ISBN 9781848421004 RRP £10.99 “When I start preparing a production I always work form the text outwards.” Theatre director William Gaskill was on of the founders of the Royal Court, whose ethos, as Christopher Hampton says in his Foreword, “this book goes a long way to defining”. Gaskill’s acclaimed work as a director always begins with the words of the playwright, and here, starting with a chapter on “Trusting The Writer”, he takes the actor through the vital steps needed to find the life of the play and then to articulate it on stage. Drawing instances from his own work in the theatre and from teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he looks at action and intention, stillness and movement, sentences and rhetoric punctuation and pauses. he pays detailed attention to staging Shakespeare’s plays and there are also chapters on masks, on language as character, and on verse and prose. Gaskill is, says Maggie Smith, “the best teacher in the world.”

CLIMBING THE CURTAIN By Davina Elliott Published by Puck Books ISBN 9780956096012 RRP £7.99

Many of you will remember our review of Chewing The Scenery, the remarkable first novel by Davina Elliott. If the first rule of writing is to write what you know, then Davina knows a lot about the backstage machinations of a West End Show. So much so that would have to be considered dangerous. Chewing the Scenery was one of those great books that any theatre lover should take on holidays to devour uninterupted, and with Climbing the Curtain, Davina not only equals her first novel but surpasses it by a country mile. Climbing The Curtain sees the return of nearly all of the characters from her first novel and the introduction of some memorable others. Judith Gold, grande dame of the British Theatre, has chosen her lastest venture - a stage version of the classic film All About Eve, written to her specifications (of course!). Insisting on total creative control, the fun begins!! We’re not going to give away more of the plot here - you’ll have to find out for yourself. Davina’s insight, bighting observations and perfectly formed characters make them incredibly real to anyone who has ever worked in the profession. Any outsider reading the antics behind this latest Judith Gold production would have to wonder just how the West End functions if this is the standard, but function it does in this fabulous page turner. We’ve heard that a third installment of Judith and crew is on the way and I for one can’t wait. It’s not often that I get to enjoy a good read about a subject I love but this (and it’s predecessor) tick every box for me. I dare you to read Climbing The Curtains without casting it in your mind. You’ll be hard pressed not to. It’s a brilliant read!!

AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

25/10/2010 14:03:21

TELLING TALES

Davina Elliott is the author of two highly praised theatrical novels, Chewing The Scenery and Climbing The Curtains. Amateur Stage took time to chat with her and discuss her transition from backstage to novelist. AS: So where do the characters in your novels come from? Are they based on people you have worked with? Davina: I have written about an amalgm of people I suppose none of them based on any one person. There are lots of pits from lots of different people I have worked with, so yes they are based on real people. AS: What prompted you to start writing? Davina: I started off as a dresser, I always loved writing but was told I wasn’t very good at it at school, and that put me off it. I wrote a backstage spoof of the Sound Of Music when I was working on a touring version of the show with Christopher Cazenove and he said “you really should try writing because you’re very good at it”. So I started writing short stories and they weren’t very good, but they got better. I joined a creative writing group and started writing more, and one of the girls in the group said “I’m going to write a novel” and I thought I couldn’t write a novel I’m not ready for that yet, but she encouraged me to write about the theatre. So I sat down in Starbucks one night with a notebook and started scribbling away, and wrote what turned out to be the prologue for Chewing the Scenery. AS: Is there a structure to how you write? Davina: I do it all the wrong way, I don’t plan anything out, I don’t know where I’m going really, the characters kind of take over and do it themselves. It sounds silly to say they tell me what to do, but I feel I know them so well that I know how they would react in certain situations. AS: Perhaps that’s partly why the read as such real people? Davina: I’m glad, because they feel like real people to me, but sometimes when you write things you aren’t convinced that everyone will think so. I’ve had actors coming up to me, especially with the director in Chewing The Scenery (the dreadful Alexander Columbus), saying I know him he’s based on such and such, isn’t he. I’ve

had about six or seven people say that about different directors and none of them have got it right, which I suppose means there’s an awful lot of idiotic directors out there.

and that was probably a good thing as I got a lot more say that I probably would have with a larger publisher like Bloomsbury. The publishers allowed me an awful lot of say which was really nice.

AS: How long did it take to write the books? Davina: The first took about a year to write and about another six months to edit ready to publish. The second one took slightly less because I was off work with a knee injury for six months, so I did nothing else but write, then another six months of editing.

AS: So do you have any plans to see them made for TV or film? Any casting thoughts if they were made? Davina: I don’t know who would play the parts. I don’t visualise anyone, I try not to visualise actors because they have become very much real characters. Amanda Holden is desperate to be in it if it’s every made. I have to admit that I’ve written a screenplay for the first book (not that anyone has asked for it). The first novel was one of the winners for the Summer Book Awards for the People’s Book prize which was very nice. Let’s just say I have hopes.

AS: What was the reaction to the books been like? Davina: It’s been a slow burner as I’m working with a small publisher. They are wonderfully supportive but the budgets are small. The first one sold quite well, and the second one has been doing well. It was a two book deal so if the second one keeps doing well there’s hope for a third. AS: So will there be more of these characters? Davina: Yes indeed and I’m about to start on a fourth which will be completely different. People seem to like the continuation of the characters but the second novel does stand up in its own right. Some people like the second better than the first, but perhaps that’s because they know the characters from the first novel. AS: Was there any difficulty in getting them publsihed? Davina: YES!! I went to a lot of agents and they said, “yes we think it’s great but we don’t think it’s very marketable, people aren’t interested in theatre”. Then I got a great agent, they were practically drooling over the characters which was great. She said “this will be great, I’m sure people will love it as much as I do”, then she came back to me and said “Actually, they don’t!”. “They all liked it apart from one but they all thought it wasn’t going to be marketable, it may not make us enough money”. We ended up with a small theatrical publisher who loved it,

AS: You’ve mentioned a third novel, can you give us some hints on what’s to come? Davina: Without giving it away, it’s about All About Eve going off to Broadway. Judith and Rupert go off with it, but they can’t take the rest of the English cast for Equity reasons, so they get a whole new American cast. Obviously, there’s the whole thing of Judith having to deal with Americans which is providing me with loads of material. I’m hoping the second one does well enough for the third one to come out. I have a small clique of fans who keep asking me when the next one is coming out, which is really, really nice. The nicest compliment I had was from one actor who was having a rather unpleasant time with a director and she said that reading Climbing The Scenery reminded her of why she was in acting in the first place. That alone made it all worthwhile. Chewing The Scenery and the sequel Climbing The Curtains are published by Puck Books www.puckbooks.com

OCTOBER 2010 | AMATEUR STAGE

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37 25/10/2010 16:41:50

the last word

Wisteria Cottage Garrick Lane.

Hail and well met, I am pleased to tell you that Campton Royal Amateur Players are well into rehearsals with The Cemetery Club. We have made great progress, Vera has learnt her first four pages, and still a month to go before performance. It has not all been so easy. The first hurdle came a couple of weeks ago when I arrived at the church hall to find the vicar already there. It was pouring with rain and I had donned an ancient cloak, last worn, I think, when I played Mrs Danvers in Rebecca. It has the virtue of being long, voluminous and with a fetching hood. The vicar waved a crucifix in front of my nose and cried ‘Begone, foul fiend.’ I could only assume that he had not recognised me and, at great risk of drowning, threw back the hood and went to unlock the door. Again, he barred my way, saying ‘Over my dead body.’ I remarked that if we stood outside much longer, then there was every chance of pneumonia leaving two dead bodies, a leaderless cast and one less audience. His jaw dropped and he stepped back. Cutting a long story short, it seems that some busy-body of a parishioner had heard about the words ‘cemetery club’ and a chain of Chinese whispers had led him to believe that we were some sort of Satanic cult. By the time all this had been settled, my poor cast resembled something that the cat would never have touched, let alone dragged in! There was, however, a great bonus. Attracted by the brou-haha (wonderful word that I rarely find an opportunity to use), Darren the caretaker came to investigate, and clinging to his arm was Nikki! Now, at this point, I was a cast member down, Mildred. I had not enquired after Nikki since I had heard she was ‘carolling’ with Crispin. To my delight, the girl immediately offered her services. She had been playing a ghost but had walked out when informed that his lordship intended to suspend her over the nave attached to a fishing rod. He had reassured her that he used this equipment for shark fishing; she told him what he could do with his tackle and left. The rehearsal continued. At one point, I noticed that Vera was ignoring my instructions and remaining steadfastly at the front of the stage. I gently pointed out that she was supposed to be in conversation, not delivering a monologue. She protested that her current position would benefit the elderly. This made no sense, unless of course she proposed to stand there rattling a plastic bucket for Age Concern, and I said so. Vera retorted that the ladies of the over 60’s luncheon club had complained that they were too deaf to catch words from any other location. Ignoring a smothered bout of coughing from Nikki, I snapped back that if said ladies did not insist on munching crisps, rustling chocolate wrappers and discussing their in-growing toenails throughout the performance we would all be in with a chance. Truly, the older generation have no idea how to behave in a theatre. Farwell for now,

Doris Richardson-Hall Note to self: cancel the over-60’s concession prices.

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AMATEUR STAGE | OCTOBER 2010

25/10/2010 15:00:40

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