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OVERTURE

Marjorie ‘jo’ Havard19.4.1922 – 24.5.2011

For 40 years Marjorie was a major force in both the British amateur theatre scene, and also worldwide. Her experience and knowledge were matched by her indefatigable energy in promoting drama in all its forms. Her home base was in Grimsby, at The Caxton Theatre. She joined the Caxton Players in 1952; she became treasurer in 1955; then Chairman in 1962, and again for four years in 1970, and again in 1978 for a further seven years. In 1986 she was made Vice President for life! Throughout her many active years with the Players she has included in her portfolio the roles of Public Relations Officer, Studio Group Leader, Membership and Chair of the Productions Sub-Committee, membership of the fund-raising Committee, of the sewing committee, and programmes editor. She was Chairman at the time of the purchase and conversion of new premises and transfer to the Caxton Theatre in 1982. By 1988 she had been involved in one capacity or another in a total of 155 productions for the Caxton Players, which included directing 14 productions, acting in 16 productions, making the costumes for 83 productions, and performing back-stage duties on many others. That tally grew as the years continued to roll on; Marjorie was not the kind of person to sit back and let others do all the work. As a permanent memorial, the gallery coffee lounge at the theatre is named The Havard Gallery, commemorating both Marjorie and Norman. The Caxton Theatre joined the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain in 1952, but it was not until 1961 when Caxton joined the Standing Committee that Marjorie began to make her outstanding mark. As John Anderson (a former Chairman) wrote: “On the 11th March 1961 at a committee meeting in Kenilworth a new name appeared in attendance. The petite blond young lady, in fashionable 1960s gear with mini skirt and a bouffant hairstyle, raised eyebrows and probably blood pressure as she started out on a 40 year career with the LTG”. In 1963 she became Chairman for a year, and proved to be so dynamic that she was co-opted onto the committee when her stint as Chairman finished. In 1966 she was elected National Secretary, a role she filled until 1987, when she was made an Honorary Associate of the Guild. By 1973 she was elected to serve on the boards of both the British Theatre Association and the International Committee of IATA (International Amateur Theatre Association), which reflected the enormously wide range of her interests, and her ability to work tirelessly for the causes she believed in passionately. For most of the years of her heavy involvement in amateur theatre she was loyally supported by her husband Norman Havard, and together they made a multitude of friends over the length and breadth of the UK, as well as in Europe and America. Her lovely Victorian house in Grimsby was taken over not just by Marjorie’s various secretarial duties, but also by Norman’s passion for books. In 1987 Marjorie served a second term as Chairman of the Guild, for two years, and then was appointed the Guild’s National Liaison Officer, a new role which reflected her unrivalled knowledge of amateur theatre worldwide, and which she filled assiduously until 2001. By this time she had worked as Treasurer for CCAT (Central Council for Amateur Theatre) and as Secretary for ITE (International Theatre Exchange – the UK branch of IATA), and made her vivid presence felt as a delegate to meetings of the Theatres’ Advisory Council and the Voluntary Arts Network. She also served on the editorial board of Amateur Stage Magazine, working with her friends Roy Stacey and Charles Vance. In 2006 she was made Honorary President of ITE, after 30 years of service. In the autumn of 1988 recognition of Marjorie’s work in Amateur Theatre came at the annual DRAMA Magazine awards, when she was presented with the award for outstanding contribution in the world of amateur theatre. Charles Vance made the citation: “This year the award goes to an individual and there can be no-one who works in the world of amateur theatre who is not conscious of that individual’s contribution; whether it be her own society or in her many offices at national level, on the Central Council for Amateur Theatre, at the Little Theatre Guild, or in the International Amateur Theatre Association. It would take a volume to enumerate her contributions to the theatre in her native Grimsby and another two volumes to discuss her contributions to any of the national bodies to which I have already referred and whom she also represents on the Theatres Advisory Council. The recipient of the award for 1988 and by the unanimous decision of the judges, is of course Mrs Marjorie ‘Jo’ Havard.” (Other recipients of awards that evening were Peter Brook, Alex Jennings, Tom Wilkinson, Pauline Collins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Michael Hordern).

The late Hugh Lovegrove of ITE wrote in 1988: “The greatest problem one has with Jo is to stop her working”. There will be no-one who knew Marjorie who would not echo that comment!

Some personal memories: “I could write lots of stories about Jo. However I’m not sure they could be printed! Albeit they are very funny. I met her for the first time in Lucerne, and things went rapidly out of control. Naturally there were the serious moments, but the twinkle never left Jo’s eyes. We had a lot of fun in Monaco (with IATA), where a certain gigolo attached himself to her, following her to London. I went along as a gooseberry on several occasions! In Bulgaria (we once shared a room with cockroaches) they provided us with separate interpreters – her being a Brit and me being oirish. They thought we would be fighting – what a laugh we had. Of course Hugh Lovegrove had informed them that I carried bombs everywhere! Memories!” Mary Pears, President, Irish Centre for IATA “Once when the Guild Conference came to Bingley, Mint Imperial entertained on the Friday night, and slotted in a very humorous item using all Marjorie’s ‘committee initials’ like CCAT, ITE, ISCAT etc. It was very well received! But my main memory of Marjorie was when Bingley decided that I should represent the theatre on the LTG committee instead of Ken Paine, whom Marjorie thought was a great chap, but who had succumbed to the demon drink. When she discovered who I was, her reaction was – “But do they realize that YOU will be Chairman in 5 year’s time!”. My bumbling reply was that that was the reason I had been chosen. A super lady with whom I had many happy times in later years. Donald and I represented the Guild at Norman’s funeral. She

was incredibly grateful – and what a surprise to find that Norman, who seemed such a very quiet chap in Guild terms, had had such a distinguished military career.” Patricia Clough “All members of the LTG, especially those who have known Marjorie for many years, will be glowing with pride and delight that the sterling work of our friend in so many areas of the amateur theatre has at last begun to be recognized. Dare we look forward to the day when a theatre will be named after her, like Geoffrey Whitworth? Surely no-one since him has contributed so much to the movement. And we know that Marjorie will not rest on this particular laurel – she will go on being an inspiration to us all.” LTG Newsletter December

1988 “I was always intrigued by her ‘Kestionaire’ rather than Kwestionaire!!” Keith Morris “I first met Marjorie at a one-day event at Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham, when the term LTG Rep was coined. Marjorie was Chairman, and set us an exercise on ‘How to be a good LTG Rep’. I was in a two man group with Brian Cooter, and when we gave our list it was obvious from Marjorie’s expression that we hadn’t grasped the point. However, we were of course excused because we were ‘typical boys’, and thus couldn’t be expected to behave. But when I became LTG Rep for the Lancaster Grand, she always looked after me and was a source of good advice and encouragement.” Carl Hayhurst “As secretary to ITE Jo was known throughout the world as a tireless worker in support of the stated aim of ‘Education and Understanding through Theatre’. Jo was responsible for the organization of major exchanges with countries as diverse Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the USA, to name but a few. She made a unique contribution.” Marjorie Lovegrove “Some twenty years ago Marjorie arrived in Great Asby for the LTG Committee Weekend with her small car loaded to the roof with food and bedding. ITE were supporting a tour of the UK by young people from Bulgaria. Funds for this kind of venture were never easily available, and this time failed promises had reduced the funding to a minimum. Marjorie had to make ad hoc arrangements using all her contacts to have the youngsters transported, housed and fed at every scheduled performance venue. They were due to appear in Kendal on the Monday, and Marjorie had been forced to take on herself the task of feeding them all, as well as providing some bedding. Hence the over-loaded car! We all were then convinced that she was absolutely crazy, and yet over-awed by her sense of duty and commitment to the projects she supported and worked tirelessly for!” Michael Shipley “Marjorie was always very elegant, and had a steely glare which she fixed on people who deserved it – me on more than one occasion. She had a great sense of fun and was a lovely person once she got to know you.” David Supper “I have fond memories of Marjorie and Norman, because Norman was Deputy Head at the then Wintringham Grammar School for boys in Grimsby, my first teaching job! Through Norman and other teaching colleagues, I was introduced to the indefatigable force of nature that was Marjorie! Once met, never forgotten! She, more than anyone, was responsible for introducing me to Caxtons and the LTG - and to quote Stephen Sondheim - “I’m still here!!”. I had the privilege of appearing on stage with her - she was a formidable Jean Brodie - move over, Maggie Smith! - and also of being directed by her. I remember we even took a play out on a tour of Lincolnshire! I was a little in awe of her and in no doubt about the strength of her feelings on what was right in acting, directing and amateur theatre in general - but I learned so much from her as a

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ONSTAGE

For many years I’ve noticed amateur theatre groups using the title of Producer, instead of Director when producing plays or musicals. With the growth of the size of groups and the financial undertakings that most groups have to commit to in modern times, I wanted to open a debate about the mis-use of terminology and whether the growth of true Producers in the amateur sector

might not be such a bad thing.Let’s start with basic definitions. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a Director as “a

person who supervises the actors and other staff in a film, play, or similar production”. Whilst a Producer is defined as “a person responsible for the financial and managerial aspects of the making of a film or broadcast or for staging a play, opera, etc..”

So in basic terms the Director controls artistic elements whilst a Producer (much like the infamous Max Bialystock) handles the business side of the production. Usually, in professional terms it is the Producer who selects and contracts the Director and to whom the Director reports.

I’m not sure quite how the term Producer was introduced to amateur theatredom, whether it was a way for egos to be boosted, or whether it relates back to days when in the past where some entire societies were the domain of individuals who were management, creative and star all rolled into one. I know of at least one in my experience in Australia who fitted that role and I’m sure from chats with other amateurs that many still exist (you know who you are!!).

It’s a misnomer that now seems to be being perpetrated from the highest levels down. I noticed with interest in the NODA advertisement for society badges published in this issue that indeed a badge titled “Director” is apparently no longer available.

Given that so many groups now spend seemingly enormous amounts on mounting productions (with even the smallest productions costing tens of thousands), I wonder how well the old committee structure adopted by most societies is able to cope with the growing challenges inherent in running your theatre business. Perhaps, it is time for societies to embrace and develop a new breed of management “the Producer”.

As a magazine publisher I get a unique opportunity to look at a lot of groups particularly when it comes to how they promote themselves and to be honest many are found woefully lacking and unable to respond to short term requests or sometimes even the most basic of correspondence due to limited time constraints of the many volunteers who help man the fort when it comes to society management. Sometimes just getting a publicity photograph or requesting production dates can become a minefield as committee approval is required or as the request is passed from person to person until the right committee member is found. Bring on the Producer!

Much like a Business Manager, a Producer would be appointed by committee to manage and run a production on behalf of the society. They would put together a budget in conjunction with committee and co-ordinate all aspects of the production from scenery to promotion to costumes and all the staff involved therein. Ultimately reporting to a committee, the Producer would be a front-line manager whose position would ensure that the best business interests of the society were met and that everything needed for the production was done in a timely fashioned. Who knows a true Producer in the making might even add some entrepreneurial flair and come up with ways of making your society more money through innovation.

I realise that many big commercial producers like Cameron Mackintosh do exercise a degree of artistic involvement in their productions, but it is highly unusual for any Director to have production control on a financial level, nor do I know many Directors who would want it, with many opting for just dealing with the artistic side of a show.

I would argue that as an industry we need to be encouraging greater involvement on the business side of the equation. Many, like me, I am sure had very little interest in being onstage but had an enormous interest in the business side of show business. It was once said to me that sometimes the “Business” side is more important than the “Show”, I’d argue that they are complimentary.

With modern marketing meaning an importance of mediums like Facebook and Twitter, with websites and the potential of online ticket sales become more and more important, I argue that the presence of a Producer might help many groups survive tougher financial times. Whilst the role of a Producer may be able to be filled voluntarily, I’d argue that as a paid position many societies might achieve improved financial results as the old excuse of “ I don’t have time” or “I haven’t gotten around to it yet” sometimes proffered by amateurs who have their time constraints stretched by family and work might become a thing of the past. As I said with financial liability for some shows now stretching into the many tens of thousands of pounds groups must now focus on return on investment and long term audience development and company management. Committees could effectively take on the role as a Board of Directors offering help and assistance to a full time or even a part time Producer.

I know that the role of Producer can work, I’ve seen it done to great effect. I know that some theatre companies who own their own venues are implementing the role of Venue manager to help increase their revenues and the operations of their capital assets. I’m interested to know if groups across the UK could see the development of the true role of Producer might ever help them in their endeavours.

Let me know your thoughts.

You SAY Producer,i SAY director...Douglas Mayo discusses the role of The Producer and this common misnomer in amateur circles that Producers and Directors are one and the same.

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ONSTAGEperiod costumes.

Stage left were three tall fl ats, one of which revolved giving variety and providing areas to store props. The intention of the set was to provide an almost invisible yet appropriate backdrop to the narrative and also the aesthetic of the characters themselves, allowing them to literally come to life from the pages of the book, and I believe that this objective was achieved.

SET DRESSING AND PROPS - MARGARET EATONAs the basis for the production was with ‘the chairs’ it was important to fi nd the right

shape, size and style for their ease of use and to change their look from various scenes. Some old school chairs appeared ideal and after some discussion and searching a set was found on E-Bay from an old school in Devon and delivered to the theatre for the cast to begin working with. The choice of the right weight of green material was also crucial so that it worked well for the various scenes and uses throughout the play. A coffi n that was made by our set builder – looking all too real – became a cause for concern when it had to be stored and then manoeuvered through a very small backstage entrance, an ongoing problem with no wing space in our tiny theatre. For the set dressing we used genuine rustic props throughout the production which gave an overall period look.

LIGHTING DESIGN - ALASTAIR GRIFFITHThe lighting must provide the glue that brings together the discreet scenes, smaller fast moving vignettes and the linking Laurie Lee narration. A simple basic set placed considerable emphasis on the lighting to help convey the breadth of locations, moods and time of day. Early discussions on the staging of the play defi ned the lighting needs to be translated to a design to be rigged and focused (for the technical around 60 lamps on 30 dimmer channels). As befi ts the piece the design required sought to convey a warm lyrical feeling based on a full stage cover in a straw/cool (159/203) on which specials, colour/gobo washes could be overlaid. An example of this was a carol singing scene at night in the snow achieved with a white sheet over the stage, a dark blue wash (119) and break up moon gobo, twinkling stars behind the rear gauze, a warm shaft of light from the house in the wings and hand held nightlights (battery!) in jam jars - only a handful of lamps but the look was just right. Whilst Q timing is important on any show for this production it was crucial to maintain the pace and fl ow required, the lighting operation was as much an integral part of each performance as the on stage actors. An example of this was the sequence of vignettes that comprised the annual choir outing comprising states that fl owed from the charabanc ride, Weston Super Mare sea front, fairground ride and the journey home all in the space of 1-2 minutes. The fi nal week of on-stage rehearsals became vital to fi ne tune each Q both in terms of look, fade times and the linkage with the on stage action.

SOUND DESIGN – GARY HAYTONThe overall sound design needed to be rural, to evoke the feel of post World War 1

village life in Gloucestershire as recollected from an adult perspective. The decision was taken to do this primarily with birdsong, which gives a very rural and safe feeling to the memories being portrayed on the stage. It also acts as a good counterpoint to the moments in the play that contrast with this happy mood, such as the fl ooding of the kitchen in a heavy thunderstorm. Jones goat, which is represented entirely through sound, needed some care. It had to have some ambiguity about it, needing to be scary without being a lampoon. To this end, no goat bleats were used for this sound, but chains hoof falls and processed snorts were used to indicate his presence. The music for the show was provided with a live acoustic guitar, which further supported the rural, homespun feeling.

COSTUMES – CAROLE LOWTHER I had always felt that the many ‘pictures’ that we managed to create should have the

look of an ‘old masters’ painting, so having a good wardrobe of costumes at the theatre proved a very good base for all the costumes that were needed for this production – in the main the look needed was very much the ‘make do and mend’ for the family and by using a basic costume with the addition of hats shawls aprons etc. to cope with all the quick changes. A collection of boots in the cupboard amazingly in the cast’s sizes gave them the right footwear and a base for their costume. With some very careful and clever colour choices we were able to end up with a beautiful blend which worked well on the eye, looked authentic and enhanced the overall look.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSBeing set in the Cotswold’s all the characters are required to have a Gloucestershire

accent and convincing enough to believe that they had all grown up in the same village. We used a CD to help us and all the cast worked hard to achieve the required dialect. For Miss Wardsley the schoolmistress – a Birmingham accent and for Vincent a New Zealand accent presented an additional challenge.For the entertainments scene in the second half – the need and opportunity for the

characters to sing and if possible for the young Loll to play a musical instrument can be developed or adapted to suit your cast and was a fi rm favorite with our audiences. I am sure that this production can be achieved and will work well on various levels

but for me I wanted to create a tightly choreographed piece without losing the basic simplicity and feeling of the play. If you have a talented cast with versatile actors, and a dedicated technical team then this play is well worth considering and one that I would fully recommend. The rewards are huge both for the whole team and for our audiences who saw it.

James Roose-Evans adaptation of Cider With Rosie is licensed in the United Kingdom by Samuel French Ltd

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BACKSTAGE

PIERS CHATER ROBINSONInternational Theatre & Music

Know Your Rights

TEll uS A lITTlE BIT ABOuT INTERNATIONAl THEATRE & MuSIC?IT&M is an unusual company in that we are both an international licensor of musicals to amateur and professional markets and a West End artists’ agency. My background, 30 years ago, was as an English, drama and music teacher at a school in Eastbourne. That’s where I cut my teeth on musical adaptations of English classics. I found it easier to tie up what was happening in the English classroom with what my students were doing in drama and music. That is how Peter Pan the Musical and The Adventures of Mr Toad were born. As a teacher I found the major catalogues had little to offer my students, so I started writing my own – it was something I hadn’t done before but it was born out of necessity. I finished teaching in the mid-80s and published Peter Pan the Musical around the same time. In tandem with this I started up an artists’ agency, specialising in musical theatre artists; currently we represent around 40 professional actors all of whom have strong musical theatre skills.

TEll uS A lITTlE ABOuT YOuRSElf ANd THE SHOwS IT&M REPRESENTS?Our most popular show is Peter Pan the Musical. It was published in 1985 by Samuel French, who still handle the English language amateur rights in most territories. After directing a run at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End in 1994/5 I directed professional productions throughout the UK as well as in Ireland, the Benelux and in Denmark many of which broke box office records in their respective territories. I also advised on productions in Jersey, Spain and Canada. We recorded a stunning new backing track CD, a few years ago, with a 36-piece orchestra and IT&M now hire this out direct to numerous schools and amateur theatre groups every year. We are currently in talks with a number of producers and hope to see a new professional production in 2012 and beyond but meanwhile our focus always includes the amateur theatre market

and schools in the UK and abroad. The Adventures of Mr Toad was published by Josef Weinberger in 1988 and remains a favourite amongst youth theatre groups not least because there’s virtually no limit to the number of weasels and riverside animals that can be included in the cast! Last Summer we released A Christmas Carol which was my first collaboration with actor, director and writer Chris Blackwood. Chris’s book is wonderfully Dickensian and went down very well with the major West End producer who asked me to write the music. Their brief to me was to create the same musical atmosphere in this show as Lionel Bart created in Oliver and I believe we have achieved that.

wHAT IS THE MOST ExCITINg ASPECT Of wHAT IT&M dOES?Amateur theatre groups and schools provide strong vehicles for well-loved English classics to bring communities and school groups together in a way that almost no other activity can achieve - including sport. Putting on a show is a unique activity and because there’s a common goal for everybody taking part it really does draw people together whether they are involved in singing, acting, makeup, lighting, set design or construction, costume design or creation. The reason I know this works is that during my 10 years of teaching I witnessed how wonderfully a school production brought everyone together.I’m also excited about the fact that we are making inroads into the valuable German market. We’ve had Peter Pan translated by one of Germany’s top musical theatre translators and the show will be running there, on and off, for the next 12 months. Another exciting and unusual aspect of what we do is the process of recording and mixing the concept albums and backing tracks for our shows. I produce the recordings myself and we use IT&M artists in almost all of the singing roles.

wHAT wERE YOuR STANd OuT SuCCESSES IN 2010?Last year we licensed 85 productions of Peter Pan the Musical including more than 40 in North America. It is now one of the most performed musicals in Samuel French’s catalogue. This year it looks as though the figure will be a lot higher having already licensed 110 productions and we’re only in June. As mentioned, 2010 also saw the launch of our new adaptation of Dickens’ Christmas Carol and I was thrilled when we licensed 15 new productions within six weeks of releasing the rights. And good old Mr Toad enjoyed two professional productions last year.

IS THERE ANYTHINg ExCITINg wE CAN lOOK fORwARd TO IN THE NExT YEAR?Yes, I have revised my score for Through the Looking Glass, a show that was produced by the Theatre Royal, Plymouth back in 1983. Because Chris Blackwood had done such a wonderful adaptation on A Christmas Carol I asked him to do a complete re-write of the book for Through the Looking Glass. We needed to take a serious amount of creative artistic licence with the novel which doesn’t lend itself to a musical. I’ve kept several of the original song melodies from the Plymouth show but added considerably to the score. The first draft of the script is already finished and it is breathtakingly original. The new website will be launched in the Autumn and, from mid-November, we will make all the songs available to listen to online. The script is now available for perusal and I’m delighted to say that it is already attracting considerable interest at home and abroad.2012 will see the arrival of our next show – Around the World in 80 Days – and Chris and I will continue our collaboration by devising a new musical adaptation of Jules Verne’s story. In the back of my mind I am also hoping that our formula of adapting classic tales might encourage children and adults alike to visit or re-visit these wonderful novels. I have to say I am fascinated by the musical possibilities thrown up by all the cultures and traditions of the many countries visited by our intrepid heroes Phileas Fogg and Passepartout as they try to evade the clutches of Inspector Fix – I can’t wait. 2012 also happens to be the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth so I am hoping that lots of societies will look to do A Christmas Carol that year.

Amateur Stage spoke to Piers Chater Robinson about International Theatre & Music and their catalogue of shows.

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BACKSTAGE

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHTDIANE SAMUELSDiane Samuels is a playwright, whose play Kindertransport is

about children who were evacuated from Nazi-Germany to the UK during the second world war. It was joint winner of the 1992 Verity Bargate Award and won the Meyer Whitworth Award in 1993, and is now a set text on the GCSE English syllabus. Diane Samuels also writes novels, children’s books and radio

plays. She has worked as an education officer at the Unicorn Theatre, and has been writer in residence at Grafton school in North London since 2007. Diane is also a teacher of creative writing and has worked in secondary schools.

What dreW you to telling this story?

As a young mother with a toddler in 1989, I saw on TV a documentary marking the 50th anniversary of the Kindertransport and how ten thousand entry permits to Britain were made available to children, mostly Jewish and under the age of sixteen, so that they could come to safety in Britain from the danger of Nazi occupied Europe in 1938/39.

I wrote the play because I was very moved by the experience of these children. They were sent to safety without their parents, most of whom were killed and whom they never saw again, and with that there came a sense of repressed rage that they had been in some way abandoned, even though their lives had been saved. I wanted to explore how people survive traumatic loss and mend the damage caused by it.

hoW did you do your research for the play?

I read some very useful books, the most interesting and moving of which is the Kindertransport poet Karen Gershon’s oral history of the experience entitled We Came As Children. There is also And the Policeman Smiled by Barry Turner, and I Came Alone by Bertha Leverton and Shmuel Lowensohn. I read history at university and like to gather my own primary source material so I also interviewed a number of ‘Kinder’ (as those who came on the Kindertransport are called) about their experiences and feelings.

Many of the events that occur in the play were experienced by someone somewhere. Fact and truth are different things. I have woven experience and events around each other to find a psychological truth which

is, I hope, insightful and accurate about the trauma of premature parent/child separation, survivor guilt, the inheritance of trauma by the next generation who did not even directly experience the events.

Was it hard to meet With people Whose lives Were irrevocably changed through having been part of the Kindertransport themselves?

Whilst there are certainly ‘Kinder’ who will not discuss what happened to them and have determined to leave the experience behind, there are many who do want to record their experiences and tell their stories. The Kindertransport Reunion organization put me in touch with a number of people.

the play is performed not just in schools, but also regularly by amateur dramatic groups across the country – What maKes it so popular With these groups?

From the many letters I receive from all over the world about the play - from amateur and professional actors, producers, directors, audiences, readers and students – what seems to be most important is how moving the play is for them. Many identify closely with the very human struggles of the characters to deal with huge historical events in terms of their own personal lives. Also, there is a great deal of scope for staging it in different ways, making it very rewarding to produce.

the story features five strong female characters and only one male – Why did you maKe this choice?

The central character Eva/Evelyn is first a girl and then a woman and the play really explores her inner psyche and particularly her struggles with her mother, stepmother and daughter. So the play is about a woman’s relationship with herself, history, language, identity and family. It puts her under a microscope. The play has a feminine perspective and I wanted to revel in that.

the decision to send your children into the unKnoWn to protect them from harm must be incredibly hard, as it goes directly against parental instinct. hoW do you feel about this question at the heart of the play?

Actually, the vast majority of parents will choose to send a child away to be safe if the family’s life is threatened so that they might be unhurt and survive. On the other hand, in most cases the child will choose to stay with the parent and prefer to risk danger, or even death. In the documentary a fifty-five year old woman described, ashamedly, that the feeling she felt most strongly towards her dead parents was rage at their abandonment of her, even though that abandonment had saved her life. I felt the urge to write about this because theatre brings the paradoxes of life so vividly alive.

Kindertransport is not really a children’s play, although it deals With issues of childhood. from What age can this play be seen and understood, in your opinion?

The central character Eva, is nine years old, and I have successfully worked with children of that age on the story of the play and accompanied them in school groups to see productions of it. In one after-show discussion

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ONSTAGE

This month we will explore the role of the Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) within the production process. In order to understand how a DSM can benefit a production it is important to understand the typical duties that they can be required to carry out:

• Setting up and running rehearsal schedules with the Director and cast• Managing props and set dressing• Keeping the ‘prompt copy’ of the script, which details the performers’ positions

onstage, script changes, props and technical cues• Running the technical rehearsal• Cueing performers to go onstage• Cueing the technical aspects of the production which could include lighting, flying,

sound and stage technicians

As you can see, the main duties of the DSM are performed during the running of the show itself, where they provide the main line of communication to all technical departments.

As productions become more technically complex, it is important that there is a central source of communication not only to ensure that all technical aspects of the show happen at the right and same time. This is also to ensure that the show runs safely with no unexpected or ill-timed technical changes which could potentially lead to an accident onstage. For this to be effective, those in the supporting roles of lighting operator, flyman and stage technician need to be in communication with the DSM which is usually via a communication system consisting of a beltpack and headset.

This highlights the need for each department to work with the DSM by providing a list of cues, for example the flyman may only have a few cues but by giving a numbered list to the DSM and explaining at what point they occur, the DSM will be able to call these at the right time, likewise for the lighting designer/operator and all other technical departments. The sound department can be an exception to this particularly if the show is a musical, as they are more likely to be mixing the show and will run their own sound cues where the timing is less integral.

I have personally been involved with many groups in various roles from stage

manager to lighting designer/operator, some of which have utilised the role of a DSM and some of which haven’t. Where a DSM has been utilised the show has generally run smoothly and therefore if anything out of the ordinary occured such as a performer exiting the stage early, the DSM has been able to adapt the cues to ensure the show continues without any obvious difference to the audience. Should this happen without a DSM calling the show the likely outcome would be a confused technical team unsure of what to do, where they might keep the lights up or take them down which may lead to an obvious pause from an audience perspective.

I have worked with many DSM’s over the years and it is truly a role which you have to be gifted to perform, from an amateur point of view it would not be wise to put someone in this role because you feel there is no other role for them to perform. This could lead to a ‘car crash’ of a show where cues happen at a different time each show or even in the wrong order, such as the flying piece coming in before the lights have faded down meaning the audience see a scene change which should happen in a blackout, all because the DSM has called it in the wrong order!

I’m sure that you will agree that there are many benefits in having someone in the role of DSM within your production process! Obviously there is far more to this role than we have touched upon within this article, but I hope the main points have explained the advantage of using a DSM in your production.

Should you wish to find out more on the topic there are numerous resources online including details of communication systems, cuelight systems and associated equipment which can be found on our website at http://store.dsavltd.co.uk

WHO’S CALLING YOUR SHOW??With the introduction of new technology and the technical side of production becoming even more complex, there has never been a more important time to ensure each department communicates effectively during the pre-production, technical rehearsals and running of a show. Dan Herbert investigates.

techcalling.indd 2 17/07/2011 19:30:56

SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>Absurd Person singulAr15 - 17 September 2011An-Other Theatre CompanyThe Peterborough SchoolPeterborough01733315684

Acorn Antiques - the musicAl21 - 24 September 2011Worthing Light opera companyPavilion TheatreWorthing, West Sussex01903 206206

Albert herring20 - 24 September 2011Surrey OperaBarn TheatreOxted02086577909www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk

Annie get Your gun27 September - 01 October 2011Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocThe Civic TheatreChelmsford, Essex01245 606 505

bAkers Wife, the27 September - 01 October 2011Pendle Hippodrome Theatre CompanyColne, Lancs01282 612402

blitz!13 - 17 September 2011Gainsborough Amateur Operatic SocietyTrinity Arts CentreGainsborough, Lincs01427 676655www.gaos.org.uk

bY request23 - 24 September 2011Falkirk Operatic SocietyFalkirk Town HallFalkirk, Stirlingshire01324 636663www.falkirkoperatic.com

comrie cAbAret 12 - 16 September 2011Carnoustie Musical SocietyComrie HallCarnoustie01241 852715www.carnoustiemusical.co.uk

disneY’s AlAddin Jr28 - 30 September 2011Crigglestone Theatre CompanyLupset Lodge Social ClubWakefield, West Yorkshire07811 407275www.crigglestonetheatrecompany.co.uk

fiddler on the roof20 - 24 September 2011Quarry Bank Operatic SocietyNetherton Arts CentreDudley, West Midlands01384 820902www.qbos.org.uk

gold stAr AgencY17 - 20 August 2011Nomad TheatreEast Horley, Surrey01483284747www.nomadtheatre.com

hAlf A sixPence26 September - 01 October 2011Erewash Musical SocietyThe Duchess TheatreLong Eaton, Nottingham01332 875350

honk!24 - 28 August 2011Centre Stage TheatreThe Buccleuch CentreLangholm, Dumfries & Galloway013873 81196www.centrestagetheatre.org.uk

imPortAnce of being eArnest, the06 - 10 September 2011Centenary Theatre CompanyThe Brindley TheatreRuncorn, Cheshire0151 907 8360www.centenarytheatre.co.uk

iolAnthe (neW version)28 September - 01 October 2011Lewes Operatic SocietyLewes Town HallLewes, East Sussex01273 480127www.lewesoperatic.co.uk

Jesus christ suPerstAr17 - 20 August 2011Starlight Musical TheatreEden Court TheatreInverness, Highland01463234234

13 - 17 September 2011Loughborough Amatuer Operatic SocietyLoughborough Town HallLoughborough, Leicestershire01509 231914www.loughboroughamateurs.com

little shoP of horrors13 - 17 September 2011Five Towns TheatreStoke Repertory TheatreStoke on Trent, Staffordshire01782 321666www.fivetownstheatre.org.uk

london suite 05 - 10 September 2011The Little TheatreGateshead, Tyne & Wear01914781499

much Ado About nothing05 - 07 August 2011Derby Shakespeare Theatre CoDerby Grammar SchoolLittleover, 01332255800

80| www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

Our House. Horwich AODS. Photos: Martin Ogden

costumes

COSTUME HIRE, SHOWSKING & I, PHANTOM, LES MIZ, OLIVER, FIDDLER,

KISS ME KATE, FOLLIES, PINAFORE, ANNIE, ALL

PANTO SUBJECTS, ORIENTAL COSTUMES

www.bpdcostumes.co.uk

P: 01273 481004

diaryjuly11.indd 5 17/07/2011 19:21:55

OklahOma!10 - 13 August 2011Barn Theatre OxtedBarn TheatreOxted01883331400www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk

Oliver!21 - 24 September 2011Morley Amateur Operatic SocietyMorley Town HallLeeds, West Yorkshire07960 766 334www.morleyaos.org.uk

Our hOuse12 - 13 August 2011SOL Theatre SchoolDaneside Theatre, Congleton, Cheshire01260 290050www.soltheatreschool.co.uk

Peter Pan29 September - 01 October 2011Sleaford Little TheatreThe PlayhouseSleaford01529 410348www.sleafordplayhouse.co.uk

Peter Pan the musical11 - 13 August 2011North Devon All StarzGrosvenor ChurchBarnstaple, Devon07766594000www.northdevonallstarz.co.uk

Princess ida wOrkshOP10 - 10 September 2011Julian Light Opera CompanyEaling ChurchEaling, Middlesex020 8426 5586www.julianoperatic.org

rOs Presents musical magic27 September - 01 October 2011Ruislip Operatic SocietyWinston Churchill TheatreRuislip, Middlesex07905 932366www.ruislipos.org

sweeney tOdd shOck n rOll shOw02 - 06 August 2011Young Generation of FalmouthThe Poly Arts TheatreFalmouth, Cornwall01326312873

titfield thunderbOlt17 - 20 August 2011St Ambrose Players St Ambrose Church HallLeyland, Lancashire01257270112www.stambroseplayers.co.uk

tOnight at 8.3027 September - 1 October 2011Nomad TheatreNomad TheatreEast Horley, Surrey01483284747www.nomadtheatre.com

27 September - 01 October 2011The NomadsThe Nomad TheatreEast Horsley, Surrey01483 284747

view frOm the bridge, a05 - 10 September 2011Keighley PlayhouseKeighley PlayhouseKeighley, West Yorkshire08451267859www.keighleyplayhouse.co.uk

when we are married14 - 17 September 2011sleaford little theatreThe Playhouse, SleafordSleaford, 01529 410348www.sleafordplayhouse.co.uk

SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk | 81

Keighley Playhouse - Holiday Snap

DIARY SUBMISSIONSTo have your event listed in the diary pages please ensure that your listing is sent to

diary@asmagazine.co.uk

Please note that your submission should be sent in the format shown in the magazine to ensure your listing is placed.

Diary listings are printed two months in advance so please ensure that your listing is submitted as far in advance as possible.

Deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

High resolution production pictures for publication should be sent to editor@asmagazine.co.uk

diaryjuly11.indd 6 17/07/2011 19:27:48

82| www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

CURTAIN CALL

the last word

Wisteria Cottage Garrick Lane

Dear Hearts,

After the embarrassing debacle in the lighting box, you will be pleased to hear that I managed to enter the auditorium without further incident and was able to watch the other two plays. As I took my seat, my eye was drawn to a make-shift desk bearing a most distracting table lamp. Apparently, this was for the adjudicator, though why they should have special treatment is beyond me.

According to the programme, the fi rst play was something called The Cagebirds, so I settled down expecting to see a production about canaries or budgies, but no. There was not a feather to be seen. The cast were sat at desks in some form of factory and were wearing dingy overalls. They proceeded to spout a bizarre set of monologues and then one of them was apparently murdered. Personally, I found it neither entertaining, nor intelligible. The second performance was in a different league. The group presented an excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the stage was covered with trees and plants, enough to stock a garden centre! It looked a picture! Oberon was covered in gold paint, with Titania in silver. It crossed my mind that she looked more like the Tin Man out of the Wizard of Oz than a fairy, but that’s just me. Their Puck was in a wonderful shade of turquoise and could not have been more than 12, but she moved like an angel, most balletic. And my dears, they all spoke the words so beautifully. It took me back to the days when radio announcers spoke properly, using the King’s English.

After this idyllic interlude, I was ready to pack my bags and leave, but Nicki pushed me back into the seat and said we had to wait for the adjudication. So this woman, dressed as if for a cocktail party, swanned onto the stage and began to talk about our play. At least, I believe it was our play, but from the way she described it, it sounded completely different. She obviously had no imagination and said how disappointed she was that there was neither a door, nor a fi re place and since both were integral to the play that we had given ourselves an uphill task. Uphill, my foot! She made disparaging comments about some of the moves. I mean, when someone has a long speech it is common sense to have them stand up so that the audience can see them and then sit once their diatribe is complete. Nor did she like the speed at which Jeff delivered his lines; left to his own devices the play would have been twice as long, so naturally, I told him to get a move on. However, she then said she had never seen this piece played as a comic melodrama and thanked us for the unexpected entertainment.

After her remarks on the next two plays, I was convinced the woman had no judgement. She extolled the intriguing interpretation of the thing about the birds and complemented them on the atmospheric lighting. It was not atmospheric – it was dark. And as for the Shakespeare team, she tore them to ribbons and said they were acting a play not giving a poetry recital, and gave them absolutely no credit for their wondrous enunciation. Poor little Puck did not escape and was told to consider sharper and more angular movement. Yours, bemused,

Doris Richardson-Hall

P.S. We won the award for Best Comedy

dorisjuLY11.indd 2 17/07/2011 19:17:53