amateur stage magazine jan 2010

amateurstageTHE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR AMATEUR THEATRE JANUARY 2010 £2.95www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

the playproducedSHADOWLANDS

special featurePLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS

technical featureSOUND ADVICE

interviewAMANDA WHITTINGTON

PLUS: PLAYSCRIPTS LISTINGS, UK PRODUCTION DIARY & NEWS

WHAT’S IN A NAME?2010 SEES SOME CHANGES AND EXCITING NEW PLANSAT AMATEUR STAGE MAGAZINE.

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AMATEUR STAGE | JANUARY 20103

amateurstagejan10

31

FROM THE EDITOR

As I write this most of us in the UK are experiencing inclement weather and watching most of the country grind to a halt due to snow. This month sees the start of some further changes here at Amateur Stage starting with the name of the magazine itself (see comment pg 5).Over the next few months various announcements and some further changes are forecast, like the UK weather at the moment I can advise a year of surprises. I hope that the weather hasn’t harmed your Christmas and New Year performance schedules and that 2010 is bright and prosperous for you all.I’m going to profer an apology in advance if we are late this month. With printers in the north and London being snowbound I am hoping against hope that everything comes together to allow us on time delivery.EnjoyDoug

THIS MONTH

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5 NEWS News from around the country.

10 CHADS 50TH CHADS celebrate 50 years at their theatre.

12 THE PLAY PRODUCED Patricia Richardson discusses her recent production of Shadowlands at Bournemouth Little Theatre Club.

12 SHOW DIARY National listings and production shots. 26 SOUND ADVICE Theo Holloway from Orbital Sound starts a series of articles about getting the best sound for your production. 28 PLAY SUCCESS Andrew Dickson discusses the new playwriting.

30 NICK HERN BOOKS Tamara Von Hern discusses the latest releases from NHB.

31 INTERVIEW: AMANDA WHITTINGTON Amateur Stage talks to the successful British playwright.

34 NEW SCRIPT RELEASES We look at the latest playscript offerings.

38 THE FINAL WORD The latest gossip from Doris Richardson Hall!

COVER: Shadowlands

CREDITSPublished monthly by Next Phase Media Limited

Suite 404 Albany House, 324/326 Regent Street, London W1B 3HHP: 0207 622 6670 www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

Publisher - Paul Webster : [email protected] - Douglas Mayo : [email protected]

Subscriptions/ Diary Listings : [email protected]

Advertising : Zoya Berkeley: [email protected]: 0207 078 4893

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.

(c) 2010 Next Phase Media Ltd

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NEWS

5

WHAT’S IN A NAME???It’s always been said that the start of a New Year should be a quiet time for contemplation and for planning the year ahead and here at Amateur Stage we had a series of long discussions over the break.

When we first took over the magazine from Charles Vance we were inundated with a lot of feedback from a vocal few who told us that times had changed and that calling the magazine Amateur Stage was forever going to burden us with negative connotations from the outside world. That’s partially proved to be the case if we are being completely honest. There are still a small number of people who don’t want to associate with anything labelled as “amateur” and rather than acceeding to the few we have decided to rejoin the many.

Over the past year a persistent but growing group of our readers quietly petitioned for us to return the name of the magazine from AS Magazine (as we re-branded it) back to it’s long standing title of AMATEUR STAGE.

A series of discussions ensued with advertisers, contributors and distribution companies and we are pleased to announce that effective immediately, the name of the magazine has reverted.

We tried it our way, but it’s become clear that you wanted it back the way it was and we have acquiesed to your requests.

This year is going to be an exciting year here at Amateur

Stage. Over the next few issues you will see bigger issues, new contributors, announcements about exciting collaborations, and more pictures and news from our readers and other groups across the UK and indeed the English speaking world.

We’ve been madly working on our website and ironing out some early glitches so that in future months you’ll be able to view some of the magazine online as well as delve into our 63 year’s worth of archived material. We’ll be setting up a special online subscriber group and will be offering all manner of reader offers that we hope will give you preference in many events and save you a few pennies in these tough times.

To help us continue to modernise and grow we would like to encourage you to tell your friends about the magazine. If you would like us to send you free sample copies and subscription forms to hand out to your group please contact Zoya on 0203 371 1425 or email [email protected].

Before closing we’d like to thank a small army of people who nudged us, contributed and cheered us on in 2009. Your kind words and help were so greatly appreciated.

It all kicks off next month in our annual Panto issue so keep your eyes peeled. Exciting things lie ahead!!

Many thanksThe Amateur Stage Team.

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NEWS


Theatre groups from Brighton, Southwick and Rottingdean in Sussex recently performed full-length plays to be judged in the annual Brighton & Hove Arts Council Drama Awards. The adjudicator was writer, actor and composer Nigel Fairs.

BHAC was founded in 1974 to promote ‘not for profit’ arts and has a membership of almost 50 organisations embracing music, drama and visual arts. Twenty-five years ago the Drama Awards were launched to promote and recognise the high standards of local amateur drama.

A glittering awards evening took place in December in the Great Hall of Brighton College, in the presence of the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Ann Norman.

Awards presented included:

Best Overall ProductionNew Venture Theatre of Brighton - “Art”.

Runner-up:Brighton Little Theatre for “Blood Brothers”

Best DirectorTim McQuillen-Wright of New Venture Theatre for “Art”.

Best Actor (joint award):Callum McIntyre of Brighton Little Theatre

as Mickey in “Blood Brothers” and Andrew Allen of New Venture Theatre as Yvan in “Art”.

Best Actress:Anna Quick of Wick Theatre Company, Southwick, as Scout in “Popcorn”

Best Technical Achievement:Andy Etter of Wick Theatre Company for “Popcorn”.

Best Stage Crew:Southwick Players for “Jerry & Tom”.

Lighting Design:New Venture Theatre for “Art”

Sound Design:Southwick Players for “Jerry & Tom”

Costumes:Rottingdean Theatre Society for “Kafka’s Dick”

Publicity:Wick Theatre Company for the promotion of “Popcorn”

BRIGHTON & HOVE ARTS COUNCIL DRAMA AWARDS

RED TAPE FORCES CHAPERONE TO QUIT

An amateur theatre chaperone has decided to quit his licence after more than 10 years of volunteering due to ‘silly bureaucracy’.

Tim Hinchcliffe, who acts, performs and directs at the Bromley Little Theatre and the Beckenham Theatre Centre, will refuse to renew his ‘Matron’ chaperone licence this year claiming that form-filling is putting pressure on voluntary organisations.

Photographer Mr Hinchcliffe, from Beckenham, says he even needs a licence for his own child to perform in a play under The Children (performances) Regulations 1968 which include amateur theatre companies.

He claims that this year’s pantomimes have been blighted by rules that have included that young performers should each be licenced, sent home at 10pm and chaperones should man hazardous areas to avoid accidents.

He added: “We need licences for each child to perform, licences for our own child to perform on stage with us and more licences for chaperones to make sure their ‘moral and physical health and welfare’ is not under threat.

“It appears that they have started a new regime over the last 12 months because as far as I am aware last year’s pantomime we didn’t have to go through this ‘pantomime’.

“We make just about enough to keep the roof on and now with more and more form-filling we are spending more time on bureaucracy then acting or performing when we managed to get by alright before.”

Mr Hinchcliffe claims that the increase in pressures on voluntary organisations could deter adults from agreeing to run activities for children. He added: “It is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. I don’t want to be sitting on a staircase like a glorified guard dog, the reason I volunteer is to act, direct or perform in activities that are good experiences for children.

“Local authorities are making it so difficult for voluntary organisations that some may simply say ‘why should we do this when we are not being paid to be here?”

Licences are needed for every child performer if they are in paid work or unpaid work for five days or more. Licences should include a photograph and can take up to a month to process and local authorities should be satisfied that disruption to education is kept to a minimum and rehearsal and performance space is satisfactory.

JAN10_1-11.indd 6 13/01/2010 21:56:37


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NEWS

STRATFORD OPERATIC SOCIETY LOOKS TO THE EVANS FOR NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR

The Stratford Operatic Society choir are starting the new year with a new musical director as Maddy Evans takes over from Andrew Holtom in January. She leads her first rehearsal on 6 January and will be preparing the choir for a concert in March featuring music from the movies.

Maddy is currently the choir’s pianist and, over the last few years, has been musical director for the society’s critically acclaimed productions of The Boy Friend and Guys and Dolls, as well as being assistant musical director for their recent production of Chess. She will also be pianist and assistant musical director for their production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company in June.

Maddy studied piano and violin at Birmingham Conservatoire and Manchester University before returning to Stratford and establishing herself as an in-demand instrumentalist, teacher and musical director. She regularly works across Warwickshire, The Cotswolds and the West Midlands and is the resident organist at St. George’s church in Brailes, where she also directs choral pieces, including a recent production of John Rutter’s Requiem.Dave Fawbert, who sits on the society’s committee says:

“We’re thrilled to be continuing what we hope to be a very long relationship with Maddy. She is undoubtedly one of the region’s most talented young musicians and has been absolutely key to the success of our recent stage musicals. I’m sure she will bring the same creative flair to our choir.”

“We would also like to thank Andrew Holtom, who has done a fantastic job directing our choir over the last few years, and wish him success as he moves on to new projects.”

Maddy said: “I’m delighted to be working with the choir and look forward to exploring an exciting new repertoire as we take Stratford Operatic to the movies in spring.”

The society is always looking for new members of all ages. If you’d like to have a go, please come along to a rehearsal and see what you think. They take place every Wednesday, 7:30pm, at Stratford Racecourse and start on 6 January 2010.

For more information, please contact Dave Fawbert on 07813 15 289 or [email protected].

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NEWS


WOODSEATS RETURNSAt a time when some groups are looking at closure, one of

Sheffield’s most popular theatre companies finally makes its return to the stage.

Woodseats Musical Theatre last performed in 2005 with a revival of Broadway classic Guys and Dolls at the Lyceum Theatre.

Rising costs and the problems of the recession began to bite, however, and it looked like the critically-acclaimed company might have sung and danced its last big routine.

Now, though, the team is back together again and working on a new show which comes to Dronfield’s Civic Theatre in the New Year.

Directed by Sheffield amateur veteran Mary Newey, with choreography by Carla Jane Wade and musical direction by Hugh Finnegan, Woodseats Meets the West End brings together songs from some of the theatre and movie world’s best-loved shows, including smash hits West Side Story, Cats, Chicago, Anything Goes, Blood Brothers, Wicked, Jekyll and Hyde and family favourite Mamma Mia.

The show runs on February 3rd, 5th and 6th and will, the production team hopes, herald a return to full strength for the company which thrilled audiences with a string of critically acclaimed Lyceum shows.

“This really does prove the truth of the old showbiz saying the show will go on,” said director Mary. “For a while we really did fear that Woodseats Musical Theatre might be finished but we were determined not to go under and now we have a show that we are confident can put us back on the road.”

“We have some of the best non-professional talent in the region taking part – names like Richard Carlin, Marilyn Barker, Kate Newey and James Parkin – and a lineup of great numbers from a string of memorable shows.

“I think we can definitely say it’s going to be a night to remember!”

Tickets for the show cost just £8 and are available on 0114 2369 351 or 0114 246 8242.

ARIEL STUDENTS WIN DIANA AWARD

Youngsters from Burgess Hill and Hayward’s Heath received a top National lifetime honour for outstanding and selfless contribution to their communities.

These students at Ariel Drama Plus, support children with Special Needs to be able to access weekly Drama, Singing and Dance classes.

Aged 12 to 18 all students are from Ariel Drama Plus Academy received the ‘The Diana Award for Excellence’ at a ceremony at Oakmeeds Community College on Saturday Jan 9th.

The students had already travelled to London’s Canary Wharf to meet MP Dawn Butler (Minister for Youth Citizen’s and Youth Engagements).

Nicci and Neil Hopson, principles of Ariel Drama Academy comments “We are absolutely thrilled the students have been publicly recognised by the presentation of such a prestigious award”.

We pride ourselves that the Drama School is fully inclusive in every aspect and without these 7 students, I would be unable to teach them, and for that I am eternally grateful’ says Sue Jay, Special Needs Drama Tutor at Ariel Drama Plus

The youngsters were selected from more than 3,000 candidates Nationwide. The Diana Awards still remains very close to the Princes William and Harry hearts, Ariel students were further awarded the highest accolade of the ‘Award of Excellence’ which only 12 received in the whole country.

16 year old Ben of Haywards Heath, one of the recipients of the award says’ I feel privileged to be able to take part with helping the Othello’s.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance there Drama experience, and offer through the Othello’s buddies, greater life skill rewards, which is an amazing opportunity for all the students that come every Saturday” said Nigel Harman, Ariel Patron.

For more details of Ariel’s work please visit www.arielct.co.uk or call 01444 250407.

JAN10_1-11.indd 8 13/01/2010 21:57:24

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FEATURE


Chads Theatre in Cheadle Hume recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of having their own theatre by staging a production of Wait Until Dark.

In October 1959 there was great excitement when “Dinner With the Family” signalled a complete change for backstage and performers alike. From 1921, the theatre group had had to perform in a local Parish Room or a local cinema. Scenery and props had to be assembled in the stables of a large house and transported to the venue by a friendly local coalman who was prepared to wash out his lorry for the purpose.

Although building of the (new 1959) theatre was carried out by professionals virtually everything else was done by Chads members. The car park required levelling and a member on duty with Territorial Army, under training with a bulldozer, managed to borrow it for the purpose. He performed a great service except that one brick built gatepost was inadvertently demolished as he entered the car park; and the other, was equally inadvertently demolished as he departed!

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Chads recently held a display of hats from the theatre’s extensive Wardrobe in no lesser place than the Hatworks Museum in Stockport. The display

CHADS TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS

included hats from the early and late Victorian periods and from the more flamboyant Edwardian era, as well as from the fifties which fitted the celebration. Long time patron of the theatre and former Mayor of Stockport, Ingrid Shaw, was on hand to inaugurate the display together with Councillor John Smith, Executive Member for Leisure Services in company with Anne Harrison, Chads Wardrobe Mistress who had selected and prepared the hats for display.

Since the opening in 1959 the theatre has been enlarged and improved: the wardrobe was multiplied in size the bar area enlarged and most recently a first-floor rehearsal studio installed. Seven productions each year include one by the strong Youth Group and most Sundays from 10.30 to 12.30 the dress hire facility is open making a substantial addition to the theatre’s income.

Find out more about Chads at www.chads.co.uk

Photographs: Main photograph from 1959 shows a working party taking a break from laying bricks and hardcore on the (levelled) car park. Middle photo shows Ingrid Shaw, former Mayor of Stockport, Councillor John Smith, Executive members for Leisure Services and Ann Harrison Chads Wardrobe Mistress. Bottom photo: Pauline Neild’s photo of the dress rehearsal of “Wait Until Dark” with Steve Berrington as Harry Roat and Natasha Johnson as Susy Hendrix.

CHADS.indd 2 13/01/2010 22:13:45

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HERTFORD 90.indd 1 14/12/2009 11:46:54

THE MUSICAL PRODUCED


THE PLAY PRODUCED

SHADOWLANDSShadowlands recently enjoyed a hugely successful West End revival bringing the touching tale of C S Lewis and Joy Davidman back into the limelight. Patricia Richardson discusses her recent production of the hit play by William Nicholson at the Bournemouth Little Theatre Club.

IntroductionAlthough a huge challenge for any

theatre group – if you have two strong actors for the leads and no shortage of men, then this production is well worth thinking about. It is a very rich and wonderful play with a good deal of carefully placed humour to perfectly balance the seriousness and pain in the latter half of the play. This is a powerful piece of theatre, and when we made the decision to stage the play I had no idea of the profound effect it would have on us, not just for the cast and crew, but for our patrons who came to see the production.Seldom have I sat in a theatre and felt such an intensity of feeling.

Plot and CastingIt is set in academic Oxford in the

1950’s and follows the story of the shy Oxford don and children’s author, C S Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman from their initial correspondence and

first meeting, through to the illness and finally the death of Joy towards the end of the play. When originally produced it was staged with 7 men, 2 women and a boy – with some doubling of the smaller characters. As we have a very active Theatre Workshop for new members with little experience, I decided to use some of these members to play the smaller roles and extras, giving myself a cast of 15 in total – 10 men and 5 women. The casting of C S Lewis and Joy is central to the production as it is their story and we need to see their growing relationship and to see Lewis changing before our eyes and falling in love with Joy despite his initial resistance. The part of Joy is hugely challenging as it is a multifaceted character with a massive range. The hospital scenes with Lewis and the final death scenes needed to be handled with great sensitivity. There are some very interesting and contrasting roles for men and we worked a great

deal on the relationships between them and with Joy. A young boy is required for Joy’s son Douglas, who needs to be eight. I was very fortunate in having a young actor who was in fact ten, but he was quite small for his age and looked eight. Because of the subject matter this was a very demanding part for him, and he also needed an American accent. The relationship between Lewis and Warnie is vital to the play as with his relationship with Joy and Douglas which changes as the play progresses.

Rehearsals As we have our own 95 seat theatre

with comfortable seating and raked auditorium we are able to rehearse on the stage from the start of rehearsals, and the set is being created around us as we progress.

We rehearsed the play over six weeks, with three rehearsals during the week

shadowlands.indd 2 13/01/2010 22:05:58


THE PLAY PRODUCED

13

www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk

and also on a Sunday afternoon. The Sunday rehearsals worked well for us and we were able to achieve a great deal during this time. I segmented the rehearsals calling only the actors I intended to work with. As the play is made up of a great number of short scenes we worked on all the scenes with ‘the dons’ or Lewis/Warnie Lewis/Joy etc. This way we had the freedom to work in depth with these actors and get the greatest amount of work done. I also tried to work on all the Douglas scenes on a Sunday to prevent him having late night rehearsals.

By week four I was ready to start to put the play together and by then we could see the results of the in-depth work we had done and our technical team were coming in to add the lighting and sound.

As there are a great number of small scenes my original thoughts about the

production were that from the opening of the play I wanted the whole thing to swirl in and out of the scenes with no delay, using extra characters to set or strike any furniture that might be required for that scene without delaying the action. I had allocated areas for various locations and on a rostra at the back centre left had set the University Dining Hall and in front of it downstage had The Kilns set throughout. During the interval I had two nurses and two extras as porters to strike the Kilns and set the Hospital Room. We have no curtains in the theatre so in order for the audience not to see Joy in bed from the opening of Act 11 we used hospital screens which were then replaced when we wanted to shield Joy from view.

Set and Scenery - Vicci Johnson

The wooden floor already in situ from previous productions, and worn to a lovely patina, was decided on as the

basis of our set, giving the impression of venerable collegiate antiquity required for the scenes set in Magdelen College, and also sympathetic to C S Lewis’s description of his home – The Midden!

The challenge of a multiplicity of scenes quickly changed, with no wings or storage space, meant a naturalistic set was impractical; a few areas were defined with flattage and a raised rostrum upstage to break things up, with minimal architectural features for visual variety courtesy of our skilled stage director Glan. Beautiful toning furniture and dressing from our expert Margaret fleshed out each area as required.

A three colour blend on all the downstage exposed areas of flattage used two similar shades of a colour somewhere between grey and lilac, one warm toned, one cool, defined with black shading in an effort to convey the idea of shadows all around, enhanced by Alastair’s superb lighting. Magdelen College remained sombre grey. Some symbolic touches - a menu from the hotel where Joy meets Jack, and a Greek holiday advertisement were placed on a revolving flat downstage right.

The wardrobe was the biggest challenge due to space restrictions, and it felt important to create a striking contrast between the Shadowlands where the adults were involved in their tragedies, and the fantasy world that Douglas could see beyond the doors. The wardrobe was almost invisible, painted the same colour as the back wall giving an impression of panelling, while inside was painted bright white, dressed with sparkling fabric, accessorised with white twigs and branches, giant snow flakes, glittered holly and similar - hurrah for Christmas looming! Special effects of lighting and smoke machine completed the magic, judging by the audience’s gratifying gasps each night!

Lighting – Alastair GriffithsThe play demands lighting for some 36

different scenes in 14 locations ranging from an Oxford College to a Greek island at varying times of the day and night and to meeting the different emotional moods as the play progresses. With our small stage and a limited stock of equipment this created an interesting challenge. The approach revolved around a careful balance between – colours, direction/angle of the lighting and cue timing. The basic common foundation across all areas in a basic warm cover (152/173) onto which colour washes and specials could be overlaid at various angles. For example the same stage area was used for the Kiln’s living room and the hospital


THE PLAY PRODUCED


area; with careful balancing of the basic cover and a cool wash the desired hospital feel was created. A key effect is the illusion of Narnia to be created inside the wardrobe whose doors magically open; a corridor of white light leading to the wardrobe was achieved with a couple of carefully focused profile backlights with the inside lit with a single PAR downlight and a touch of smoke, the contrast to the basic cover ensuring the necessary wow factor. Finally the timing of cues was paramount to ensure the scenes flowed seamlessly and the desired drama is achieved as Joy finally dies. Getting this timing right involved close coordination between the lighting designer, operator and cast.

Costumes – Sue HelpsThis is a period piece set in the 50’s

and as we have an extensive wardrobe at the club we were able to dress the whole production from the contents, with the exception of one or two pieces that we were loaned. The only clothes we needed to hire were for Douglas as he needed to look right for the period. Shoes were a problem for him too – but a very lucky find in a charity shop gave us just what we wanted in a pair of black lace ups. We needed well lived-in clothes for Lewis and Warnie and for Joy we had a selection of genuine fifties costumes that were ideal. As our Lewis was slightly on the young side I settled on some tortoiseshell spectacles and a period hairstyle that aged him sufficiently rather than go for an aging makeup as our audiences are very close.

Sound - Gary Hayton This production took place on a fairly

small stage so the main function of the sound design was to tell the audience the story location of scenes. However, this did not preclude sound cues from contributing other functions of stage sound, such as setting the period of the play, giving information about a character and setting an emotional tone.

The end time of sound cues was considered as important as the start time, for example by continuing the offstage music cue, which served to set the hotel tearoom scene where the Lewis brothers first meet Joy, until a little after Joy’s entrance, (where it stops), we subtly suggested that this woman is going to change the Lewis brothers’ world. Music was chosen mostly for its emotional content in this production, although referential music was used as well. Two music cues were specifically written by the sound designer for the production, (Gary Hayton). These were for Douglas’ interaction with the magic wardrobe. The music here was intended to give a feeling of magical wonder and to draw Douglas to the wardrobe. The second time this is heard, it is an underscore to the marriage of Jack and Joy in the hospital, so the music needed to be arranged in such a way that it did not distract form the dialogue.

The overall sound design of Shadowlands was quite subtle, which worked well with the strong performances of the actors.

Furniture and Props - Margaret Eaton

As we are able to work on the stage from the start of rehearsals it is possible to have the correct furniture as soon as it has been decided on.

We were fortunate in having a wonderful refectory table in our store at the theatre which worked as a base for the University Dining Hall for the men to sit around. This was set on rostra and with cut glass decanters and glassware it looked very impressive, and we also had a set of solid chairs to go with it. This table was doubled up for the Registrar’s office, when it was swiftly brought down centre by two characters as we went into the scene.

For The Kilns we used two small wing armchairs and a bureau desk with an old desk chair. The space was very limited

so we had to create the right atmosphere and get the required effect.

In Act 11 a Hospital Bed is necessary and we were indeed fortunate that our props lady had a 1950’s hospital bed in her garage just waiting to be used.With hospital screens that we were able to borrow – The Kilns became The Hospital Room.

We have a brilliant props lady and as with the rest of the play we were meticulous about making sure that all the props had the period feel about them. We were even lent a 1950’s Stethoscope for our Doctor.

Special RequirementsFor the characters of Joy and Douglas

it was necessary to have an American accent, but this did not present too much of a problem.

For us, with the small stage we have to work on with no wing space – we had created up right a flat with a curtain at the side of it, making a loading bay for all the small furniture used for the various scenes. It took enormous skill in setting and storing all of this in order for it to be accessed when required and returned in complete and utter silence. It was also an entrance for the actors which further complicated matters.

During Act 11 when the Hospital Room reverted to The Kilns – I made the decision to press the pause button on the play while my nurses and porters changed the set. This I covered with music and it was done swiftly and without any delay to the production.

Provided you have a dedicated team who are all working to the same ends, then any difficulty can be overcome and this will indeed be a more than worthwhile production to take on.

Thank you William Nicholson for writing such a masterpiece.


TWO NEW COMEDIESON YOUR HONOUR

by Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield3F, 5M – 1 set

“In these troubled times what joy it is to find a brand new and extremely funny bedroom farce” (THE STAGE)

(Published by Josef Weinberger Plays)

DOUBLE OR TWINby Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield

5F, 4M – 1 set“A brilliantly constructed situation farce”

(former joint-Artistic Director, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry)

TWO NEW THRILLERSAUDIENCE WITH MURDER

by Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield2F, 2M – 1 set

(Published by Samuel French)“Exquisitely plotted… an evening of taut and suspenseful entertainment”

(ILFORD RECORDER)

SLEEP NO MOREby David Gillespie and Colin Wakefield

3F, 4M“A fabulous play” (NUNTHORPE PLAYERS: Amateur World Première, Oct 2009)

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SHOWdiaryLISTINGS>CLASSIFIEDS>PHOTOS>>>

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diary.indd 3 13/01/2010 11:17:13


42ND STREET13 - 20 February 2010Clitheroe Parish Church AO & DSSt Mary’s CentreClitheroe, Lancs01200 424545

30 March - 03 April 2010Erewash Musical SocietyTrent CollegeLong Eaton, Derbyshire0115 930 1603

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS17 - 20 March 2010One Off ProductionsNew Theatre RoyalPortsmouth, Hampshire023 9264 9000www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS27 March 2010Giselle AcademySt Peter’s TheatreSouthsea, Hampshire023 9264 3385www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

A RAVE REVUE25 - 26 March 2010Glow Theatre GroupBarn TheatreOxted, Surrey01959 561811www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk

ACT YOUR AGE17 - 20 February 2010Ruthin Musical TheatreTheatr John AmbroseRuthin, Denbighshire01824 703748

ALADDIN05 - 07 February 2010Sheffield Grenoside Community Association Grenoside Community CentreSheffield, S Yorks0114 201 7338

ALBERT MAKE US LAUGH15 - 20 March 2010Keighley PlayhouseKeighly, West Yorkshire01535 604764www.keighlyplayhouse.co.uk

ALL SHOOK UP02 - 06 March 2010Marlow Amateur Operatic SocietyShelley TheatreMarlow, Bucks01628 473577

AMDRAM THANK YOU MA’AM11 - 13 February 2010Hampton Amateur Theatre SocietyPeterborough High SchoolPeterborough, Cambridgeshire07757 032286

AMPHIBIOUS SPANGULATOS24 - 27 March 2010Collingwood RSCMillennium HallHMS Collingwood, Hampshire07502 037922www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

ANNIE16 - 20 February 2010Fatfield Musical Stage SocietySt Robert’s SchoolWashington, Tyne and Wear0191 388 5425

23 - 27 February 2010Melyncrythan Amateur Operatic SocietyPrincess Royal TheatrePort Talbot, Neath Port Talbot01639 635502

15 - 20 March 2010Bishop Auckland Amateur Operatic SocietyCivic HallShildon, Durham01388 604275

17 - 20 March 2010Eyemouth Variety GroupEyemouth High SchoolEyemouth, Berwickshire01890 750585

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN16 - 20 March 2010Kelso Amateur Operatic SocietyThe Tait HallKelso, Roxburghshire01573 274756

23 - 27 March 2010TAB Operatic SocietyCivic HallBrierley Hill, W Midlands0121 550 7254

ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA06 - 13 March 2010Richmond Shakespeare SocietyMary Wallace TheatreTwickenham Embankment, Surrey020 8744 0547www.richmondshakespeare.org.uk

ANYTHING GOES09 - 13 March 2010Central Operatic SocietyLandau Forte CollegeDerby, Derbyshire01332 366279www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

22 - 27 March 2010Harpenden Light Operatic SocietyHarpenden Public HallsHarpenden, Herts01582 624147

24 - 27 March 2010Ellesmere Amateur Operatic Society SheffieldMontgomery TheatreSheffield, S Yorkshire01909 770050

BABES IN THE WOOD17 - 20 February 2010Brantham Amateur Theatrical SocietyBrantham Village HallBrantham, Suffolk07523 218270

BAD GIRLS - THE MUSICAL23 - 27 February 2010York Stage MusicalsJoseph Rowntree TheatreYork, Yorkshire07989 586 906

25 - 27 February 2010TheatreworkzThe Masque TheatreKettering, Northants01933 224294

24 - 27 March 2010Worthing Light Opera CompanyPavilion TheatreWorthing, W Sussex01903 206206

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST01 - 06 February 2010Southern Light Opera CompanyKings TheatreEdinburgh, Scotland0131 529 6000

16 - 20 February 2010Shavington Village Festival CommitteeShavington Leisure CentreCrewe, Cheshire07913 372619

17 - 27 February 2010York Light Opera CompanyYork Theatre RoyalYork, Yorkshire01904 623568www.yorklight.com

01 - 06 March 2010Cockett Amateur Operatic SocietyTaliesin Arts CentreSwansea, Glamorgan01792 584706

02 - 06 March 2010Doncaster Amateur Operatic SocietyCivic TheatreDoncaster, S Yorks01302 342349

04 - 06 March 2010Rochford District PlayersThe Greensward AcademyHockley, Essex07722 154052

08 - 13 March 2010Tynemouth Amateur Operatic SocietyPlayhouse TheatreWhitley Bay, Tyne and Wear0191 253 1802

21 - 27 March 2010Glastonbury & Street Musical Comedy SocietyStrode TheatreStreet, Somerset01458 441442

24 - 27 March 2010Hillingdon Musical SocietyBeck TheatreHayes, Middlesex01895 639769

29 March - 03 April 2010Innerleithen Amateur Operatic SocietyMemorial HallInnerleithen, Peeblesshire0845 224 1908

30 March - 03 April 2010Pied Pipers Theatre CompanyADC TheatreCambridge, Cambs01223 300085

BEDROOM FARCE24 - 27 February 2010Belmont Theatre CompanyPump House TheatreWatford, Herts0845 521 3453

BLITHE SPIRIT25 - 27 March 2010Horndean Amateur Theatrical SocietyMerchistoun HallHorndean, Hampshire023 9259 7114www.horndeanamdram.com

BLITZ!23 - 27 March 2010Ruislip Operatic SocietyWinston Churchill HallRuislip, Middlesex07905 932366

BOOGIE NIGHTS23 - 27 March 2010Dundee Operatic SocietyWhitehall TheatreDundee, 01382 643868

BRIGADOON15 - 20 February 2010Bridgnorth Musical Theatre CompanyBridgnorth Sports & Leisure CentreBridgnorth, Shropshire01746 763510

15 - 20 February 2010Penzance Amateur Operatic SocietySt John’s HallPenzance, Cornwall01736 363198

BUGSY MALONE22 - 27 February 2010Guiseley Amateur Operatic SocietyGuiseley TheatreLeeds, W Yorks08453 705045

24 - 27 February 2010Carnegie Youth TheatreCarnegie HallDunfermline, Fife01383 602302

CALAMITY JANE23 - 27 February 2010Selkirk Amateur Operatic SocietyVictoria HallSelkirk01750 21719

17 - 20 March 2010Motherwell & Wishaw Amateur Operatic SocietyClyde Valley High SchoolWishaw, North Lanarkshire078570 57963

23 - 27 March 2010Hessle Theatre CompanyHull New TheatreHull01482 226655

CAROUSEL17 - 20 February 2010Community of HungerfordJohn O’Gaunt Community and Technology CollegeHungerford, Berkshire01488 684011

02 - 06 March 2010Grange & Dist Amateur Operatic SocietyVictoria HallGrange-over-Sands, Cumbria01539 534308

16 - 20 March 2010Walsall Operatic SocietyLichfield Garrick Theatre and StudioLichfield, Staffs01922 611982

17 - 20 March 2010Holy Ridiculous Theatre GroupMayhill County Junior SchoolOdiham, Hants01256 704916

22 - 27 March 2010Lewes Operatic SocietyTown HallLewes, E Sussex01273 480127

24 - 27 March 2010Berwick-upon-Tweed Amateur Operatic SocThe Maltings TheatreBerwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland01289 330999

CASH ON DELIVERY02 - 13 February 2010Highbury Little TheatreSutton Coldfield, W Midlands0121 373 2761

CAUGHT IN THE NET18 - 20 February 2010Hayes PlayersHayes Village HallBromley, Kent07905 210718www.hayesplayers.org.uk

CHESS08 - 13 March 2010Leven Amateur Musical AssociationThe CentreLeven, Fife01334 659348

CINDERELLA10 - 13 February 2010Irchester PlayersParsons HallIrchester, Northants01933 624310

16 - 20 February 2010Hereford Amateur Pantomime SocietyThe CourtyardHereford, Herefordshire01432 340555

17 - 20 February 2010Seaton Pantomime SocietySeaton Town HallSeaton, Devon01297 23202

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

diary.indd 4 13/01/2010 22:22:25

AMATEUR STAGE | JANUARY 2010 19

Mossley AODS - Footloose

SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>11 - 14 March 2010Bingley Amateur Operatic SocietyBingley Arts CentreBingley, West Yorkshire01274 432000

20 February 2010St Mary’s Panto PlayersSt Peter’s TheatreSouthsea, Hampshire023 9229 3020www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

COPACABANA16 - 20 March 2010Wolverhampton Musical Comedy CompanyGrand TheatreWolverhampton, W Midlands01902 429212

CRAZY FOR YOU16 - 20 March 2010Pendle Hippodrome Theatre CompanyPendle Hippodrom TheatreColne, Lancs01282 612402

10 - 13 March 2010Uni of Portsmouth D&MSNew Theatre RoyalPortsmouth, Hampshire023 9264 9000www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

DAISY PULLS IT OFF10 - 13 February 2010Guildonian PlayersMethodist ChurchHarold Wood, Essex01708 341442www.guildonianplayers.co.uk

DANCE ATTACK09 - 13 February 2010Island Dance FusionStation TheatreHayling Island, Hampshire023 9246 6363www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

DICK BARTON SPECIAL AGENT11 - 13 February 2010Thurrock Courts PlayersThameside TheatreGrays, Essex0845 300 5264

DIE FLEDERMAUS23 - 27 March 2010Great Witley Operatic SocietySwan TheatreWorcester, Worcestershire01905 611427

DISCO INFERNO17 - 20 February 2010Pendle Hippodrome Youth TheatreHippodrome TheatreColne, Lancs01282 699799

DROP IN02 - 06 February 2010Revellers Music & Dramatic SocietyPeterborough Indoor Bowls ClubPeterborough, Cambs01733 560449

ELIJAH05 - 05 March 2010Lanchester & District Choral & Operatic SocLanchester Methodist ChurchLanchester, Durham01207 520172

FAME - THE MUSCIAL17 - 20 February 2010STP Muscials AcademyFerneham HallFareham, Hampshire01329 231942www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

FAR AWAY PLACES11 - 13 March 2010Ferryhill Stage SocietyMainsforth Community CentreFerryhill, Durham01740 652551

FAWLTY TOWERS23 - 27 February 2010Chase Theatre CompanyCharles Cryer Studio TheatreCarshalton, Surrey020 8770 6990

FESTEN24 - 27 February 2010CCADSPortsmouth Central LibraryPortsmouth, Hampshire023 9247 7466www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF22 - 27 February 2010Orpheus ClubThe King’s TheatreGlasgow, Scotland08700 606648

23 - 27 February 2010Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocietyCivic TheatreChelmsford, Essex01245 606505

05 - 14 March 2010Kidderminster Operatic & Dramatic SocietyRose TheatreKidderminster, Worcs01562 743745

08 - 13 March 2010Knowle Operatic SocietySolihull Arts ComplexSolihull, West Midlands0121 704 6962

09 - 13 March 2010Croft House Operatic SocietyLyceum TheatreSheffield, S Yorks0114 249 6000

17 - 20 March 2010HEOS Musical TheatreQuestors TheatreEaling, Middlesex020 8567 5184

22 - 27 March 2010CODY Farnborough Amateur Operatic SocietyPrinces HallAldershot, Hampshire01252 329155

23 - 27 March 2010Kings Langley Light Opera CompanyKings Langley Community CentreKings Langley, Herts01442 268839

FOOTLOOSE17 - 20 February 2010Seaham Youth TheatreSeaham School of TechnologySeaham, Durham0191 581 0340

diary.indd 5 13/01/2010 22:22:46

Runnymede - The Crucible. Photos: Colin Dolley


FOOTLOOSE22 - 27 February 2010Edinburgh Music Theatre Company Ltd.Church Hill TheatreEdinburgh, Midlothian0131 332 6558

09 - 13 March 2010SCAMPS Youth CompanyEvans TheatreWilmslow, Cheshire01625 527593

16 - 20 March 2010Woodhouse Amateur Operatic SocietyLawrence Batley TheatreHuddersfield, W Yorks01422 310872

17 - 20 March 2010Clydebank Musical SocietyClydebank Town HallClydebank, West Dunbartonshire0141 952 1886

GASLIGHT17 - 20 March 2010St Austell PlayersSt Austell Community Centre & Arts TheatreSt Austell, Cornwall01726 879500

GIGI02 - 06 March 2010Wellingborough A O & D SThe CastleWellingborough, Northants01536 516661

GLAMOROUS NIGHT17 - 20 February 2010Present CompanyDerby TheatreDerby, Derbyshire01332 255800www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

GODSPELL23 - 25 February 2010Kirkcaldy Youth Music TheatreAdam Smith TheatreKirkcaldy, Fife01592 203161

GOODY TWO SHOES22 - 27 February 2010Burton Bradstock PlayersBurton Bradstock Village HallBurton Bradstock, Dorset01308 897415

GOTTA SING - GOTTA DANCE22 - 27 March 2010Alderley & Wilmslow Amateur Operatic SocWoodford Community HallWoodford, Cheshire0845 603 4505

GYPSY16 - 20 March 2010Yeadon Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocietyYeadon Town HallLeeds, W Yorks0113 202 9524

HAEBEAS CORPUS23 - 27 March 2010Sultan Theatre GroupBrunel TheatreHMS Sultan, Hampshire023 9254 2272www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

HALF A SIXPENCE17 - 20 March 2010The Garrick SingersThe Duthac CentreTain, Ross-shire01862 842311

HALF A SIXPENCE30 March - 03 April 2010Northavon Youth Theatre CompanyArmstrong HallThornbury, S Glos01454 613172

HELLO DOLLY!15 - 20 February 2010CAOS Musical ProductionsMinerva TheatreChichester, West Sussex01243 781312www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

09 - 13 March 2010Basingstoke AOSThe HaymarketBasingstoke, Hants01256 844244

HIGH SOCIETY08 - 13 March 2010Alnwick Stage Musical SocietyAlnwick PlayhouseAlnwick, Northumberland01665 510785

24 - 27 March 2010Newtown Musical Theatre CompanyTheatre HafrenNewtown, Powys01686 625007

HMS PINAFORE16 - 20 February 2010Rugby Operatic SocietyRugby TheatreRugby, Warwickshire01788 541234

02 - 06 March 2010The Savoy SingersThe Camberley TheatreCamberley, Surrey01252 834380

10 - 13 March 2010Knaphill & St John’s Opera GroupRhoda Megaw TheatreWoking, Surrey01483 473657

HONK!16 - 21 March 2010Evesham Operatic & Dramatic SocietyThe Arts CentreEvesham, Worcs01386 442348

HOT MIKADO23 - 27 February 2010Torbay Operatic & Dramatic SocietyPalace TheatrePaignton, Devon01803 290371

02 - 06 March 2010Doncaster Amateur Operatic SocietyCivic TheatreDoncaster, S Yorks01302 342349

24 - 27 March 2010Hebden Bridge Light Opera SocietyPicture HouseHebden Bridge, W Yorks01422 250181

HUMBLE BOY08 - 13 March 2010South Shields Westovian Theatre SocietyWestovian TheatreSouth Shields, Tyne & Wear0191 456 0980

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK04 - 07 February 2010Morley Amateur Operatic SocietyMorley Town HallMorley, West Yorkshire07960 766 334


diary.indd 6 13/01/2010 22:23:13



JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR22 - 27 March 2010Lutterworth Musical Theatre CompanyLutterworth St Mary’s ChurchLutterworth, Leics01455 209108

KEY FOR TWO25 - 27 February 2010Lechlade PlayersNew Memorial HallLechlade, Glos01367 253351

KILLING TIME03 - 06 March 2010Knutsford Little TheatreKnutsfordCheshire01565 873515www.knutsfordlittletheatre.com

KING AND I09 - 13 February 2010Lindley Church Amateur Operatic SocietyThe Lawrence Batley TheatreHuddersfield, W Yorks01484 430528

22 - 27 February 2010Wickersley Musical Theatre CompanyCivic TheatreRotherham, South Yorkshire01709 544643

15 - 20 March 2010Barnsley Amateurs Musical Theatre GroupThe Lamproom TheatreBarnsley, South Yorkshire01226 200075

23 - 27 March 2010Bo’ness Amateur Operatic SocietyTown HallBo’ness, West Lothian01506 827292

KISMET23 - 27 March 2010All Souls Amateur Operatic Society HalifaxThe PlayhouseHalifax, W Yorks01422 205101

KISS ME, KATE15 - 20 February 2010Penzance Amateur Operatic SocietySt John’s HallPenzance, Cornwall01736 363198

LA PERICHOLE - OFFENBACH23 - 27 February 2010Opera SouthHaslemere HallHaslemere, Surrey01428 642161

LA VIE PARISIENNE03 - 06 March 2010Kirkcaldy G & S SocietyAdam Smith TheatreKirkcaldy, Fife01592 566353

LES MISERABLES (SCHOOL EDITION)15 - 20 February 2010Tiverton Junior Operatic ClubThe New HallTiverton, Devon01884 253672

15 - 20 February 2010Centrestage Productions Youth TheatreThe PointEastleigh, Hants023 8065 2333

MACK AND MABEL15 - 20 March 2010Maidstone Amateur Operatic SocietyHaglitt theatreMaidstone, Kent01622 761998

22 - 27 March 2010Hyde Musical SocietyFestival TheatreHyde, Cheshire0161 301 2253

MAGNIFICENT MUSICALS16 - 20 March 2010Fareham Musical SocietyFerneham HallFareham, Hants01329 231942www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

Iver Heath Drama Club - Jack & The Beanstalk

Wick Theatre Co - Popcorn

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS24 - 27 March 2010Elstree ProductionsThe Ark Community TheatreBorehamwood, Herts0208 953 6560

LORD ARTHUR SAVILE’S CRIME09 -13 February 2010Stafford PlayersMalcolm Edwards TheatreStafford Gatehouse, Staffordshire01785 254855www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

diary.indd 7 13/01/2010 22:23:36


MAME16 - 27 March 2010Yeovil Amateur Operatic SocietyOctagon TheatreYeovil, Somerset01935 422884

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS16 - 20 March 2010Stirling & Bridge of Allan Operatic SocietyMacrobertStirling, Stirlingshire01786 466666

MOTHER GOOSE05 - 06 March 2010Utopian Operatic SocietyTyler TheatreEltham, London01322 402528

MURDER MISTAKEN02 - 06 March 2010Radcliffe-on-Trent Drama GroupGrange HallRadcliffe-on-Trent, Notts0115 9332906www.radcliffe-on-trentdramagroup.co.uk

MUSIC MAN02 - 06 March 2010Mansfield Amateur Operatic SocietyThe Palace TheatreMansfield, Nottinghamshire01623 624980

08 - 13 March 2010Hitchin ThespiansThe Gordon Craig TheatreStevenage, Herts01438 363200

17 - 20 March 2010Staines Musical Theatre GroupMagna Carta TheatreStaines, Middlesex01784 456958

MY FAIR LADY17 - 20 February 2010Cary Amateur Theatrical SocietyAnsford SchoolCastle Cary, Somerset01458 273472

01 - 06 March 2010Ayr Amateur Opera CompanyAyr Town Hall, Ayr, Scotland01292 287268

NOISES OFF23 - 27 February 2010Potters Bar Theatre CompanyWyllyotts TheatrePotters Bar, Herts01707 880017

NOT QUITE PANTO04 - 06 February 2010Bolney PlayersRawson HallBolney, W Sussex01444 461320

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR10 - 13 March 2010Pirton PlayersPirton Village HallHitchin, Hertforshire01462 712572

OKLAHOMA!16 - 20 February 2010South Shields G & S Operatic SocietyCustoms HouseSouth Shields, Tyne & Wear0191 454 1234

17 - 27 March 2010Peterborough Operatic & Dramatic SocietyKey TheatrePeterborough, Cambs01733 552439

22 - 27 March 2010Markinch Amateur Operatic SocietyMarkinch Town HallMarkinch, Fife01592 758478

23 - 27 March 2010Ashbeian Musical Theatre GroupIvanhoe CollegeAshby-de-la-zouch, Leicestershire01283 224879

OLIVER!16 - 20 February 2010Heanor Operatic SocietyHeanor Gate Science CollegeHeanor, Derbyshire01773 762042

02 - 06 March 2010St Andrews Amateur Operatic SocietyByre Theatre, St Andrews, Fife01334 475000

08 - 13 March 2010Lancaster Red Rose Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocietyThe Grand TheatreLancaster, Lancashire01524 64695

08 - 13 March 2010Maltby Musical Theatre GroupCivic TheatreRotherham, S Yorks0845 241 2542

17 - 20 March 2010Rock Ferry Amateur Operatic SocietyGladstone TheatreWirral, Merseyside0151 645 1369

30 March - 03 April 2010Redruth Amateur Operatic Society TrustHall for CornwallTruro, Cornwall01872 262466

09 - 13 February 2010Porthsmouth PlayersKings TheatreSouthsea, Hampshire023 9266 0880www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

ONCE UPON A TIME - TALES FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM24 - 27 February 2010Stevenage Lytton PlayersLytton TheatreStevenage, Herts0870 777 7619

PAJAMA GAME14 - 15 February 2010Havering Music MakersQueens TheatreHornchurch, Essex01708 762256

16 - 20 March 2010Canterbury Operatic SocietyGulbenkian TheatreCanterbury, Kent01227 769075

25 - 27 March 2010Forest Musical ProductionsKenneth More TheatreIlford, Essex020 553 4466

PATIENCE17 - 20 February 2010Intake Methodist Musical SocietyIntake Methodist ChurchSheffield, S Yorks0114 248 9971

09 - 13 March 2010New Rosemere Amateur Operatic SocietyThe Albert HallTown Hall, Bolton01204 300666

PETER PAN11 February 2010 - 13 February 2010Coquetdale Amateur Dramatic SocietyJubilee HallMorpeth, Northumberland01669 622856

PIRATES OF PENZANCE16 - 20 February 2010Burton on Trent & District Operatic SocietyDe Ferrers Specialist Technology CollegeBurton upon Trent, Staffordshire01283 541552

17 - 20 February 2010Southgate OperaWyllyotts TheatrePotters Bar, Hertfordshire020 8372 2383

01 - 08 March 2010Wombwell & District Amateur Operatic SocOperatic CentreWombwell, S Yorks01226 758375

01 - 06 February 2010Cupar Amateur Musical SocietyCorn ExchangeCupar, Fife01334 654187

22 - 27 February 2010Hinckley Comm Guild AOSConcordia TheatreHinckley, Leicestershire01455 847676

PIRATES OF PENZANCE JR18 - 20 March 2010The Elizabethans Amateur Operatic SocietyTown HallOssett, W Yorks01924 265248

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE02 - 06 March 2010Derby Shakespeare TheatreThe Guildhall TheatreDerby, Derbyshire01332 255800www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

PUSS IN BOOTS22 January - 06 February 2010St Nicholas PlayersSt Nicholas Church HallDerby, Derbyshire01332 556228www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

09 - 13 February 2010Circle Light Opera CompanySutton Coldfield Town HallSutton Coldfield, W Midlands07960 869250

RAPUNZEL04 - 06 February 2010Woodmansterne Operatic & Dramatic SocietySt Peter’s Church HallBanstead, Surrey01737 555009

RENT09 - 13 February 2010Blaenau Gwent Young Stars - Youth Musical TCBeaufort TheatreEbbw Vale, Gwent01495 301049

24 - 27 February 2010Stampede Theatre CompanyYeadon Town HallYeadon, Leeds07947 535536

RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET09 - 13 February 2010Wilton ProductionsPlowright TheatreScunthorpe, N Lincs01724 330940

22 - 27 March 2010Braintree Musical SocietyThe InstituteBraintree, Essex01376 553395

RICHARD THE THIRD24 - 27 March 2010Southsea Shakespeare ActorsThe Spring Arts & Heritage CentreHavant, Hampshire023 9247 2700www.pad.hampshire.org.uk

RJ - THE MUSICAL25 - 27 February 2010Sosage FactorySolihull Arts ComplexSolihull, W Midlands0121 704 6962

ROBINSON CRUSOE17 - 20 February 2010Lowdham Pantomime GroupLowdham Village HallLowdham, Notts0115 9664143

ROMEO AND JULIET22 - 27 February 2010Romsey Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocietyPlaza TheatreRomsey, Hampshire01794 512987

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD30 January - 06 February 2010Richmond Shakespeare SocietyMary Wallace TheatreTwickenham Embankment, Surrey020 8744 0547www.richmondshakespeare.org.uk

RUDDIGORE03 - 06 February 2010West Norfolk G & S SocietyKing’s Lynn Corn ExchangeKing’s Lynn, Norfolk01553 764864

22 - 27 February 2010Barrow SavoyardsForum 28Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria01229 820000

23 - 27 February 2010Preston G & S SocietyPlayhouse Market Street WestPreston, Lancashire01772 339452

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS24 - 27 March 2010Leamington & Warwick Musical SocietyRoyal Spa CentreRoyal Leamington Spa, Warks01926 425507

SHUT YOUR EYES AND THINK OF ENGLAND17 - 20 February 2010Preston Drama ClubPreston PlayhousePreston, Lancs01772 744771

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN23 - 27 March 2010Brynmawr Amateur Operatic SocietyMarket Hall TheatreBrynmawr, Gwent07932 472638

23 - 27 March 2010Bohemians Lyric Opera Company EdinburghKings TheatreEdinburgh, Midlothian0131 336 3216

SLEEPING BEAUTY29 January - 06 February 2010Iver Heath Drama ClubIver Heath New Village HallSouth Bucks01753 652616www.tinyurl.com/IHDCfacebook


diary.indd 8 13/01/2010 22:23:56

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

Every two weeks you can read the complete, un-

abridged reviews of all the major national drama critics,

reprinted with photos in Theatre Record.

Send for a free specimen copy to:

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CHICHESTER, W. SUSSEX


SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SHOWdiary>>SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS17 - 20 February 2010Brixham OD&CSBrixham TheatreBrixham, Devon01803 857654

SNOW WHITE AND THE CURSE OF THE ICE QUEEN10 - 13 February 2010Darnall Musical Theatre CompanyDarnall & District Community Association HQSheffield, South Yorkshire0114 268 3327

SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE WOMEN03 - 05 March 2010Bourne PlayersThe Corn ExchangeBourne, Lincolnshire01778 393787

SOMETHING’S AFOOT31 January - 06 February 2010Teddington Theatre ClubHampton Hill PlayhouseHampton Hill, Middlesex0845 8387529www.teddingtontheatreclub.org.uk

SOUTHERN COUNTIES DRAMA FESTIVAL22 - 27 February 20101st Round All England Theatre FestivalBarn TheatreOxted, Surrey01959 561811www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk

STRICTLY MURDER09 - 13 February 2010Ecclesall theatre Co.Ecclesall Parish HallSheffield0114 230 8842

23 February - 06 March 2010Highbury Little TheatreHighbury Little TheatreSutton Coldfield, W Midlands0121 373 2761

SUMMER HOLIDAY17 - 20 February 2010Marvellous Amateur Dramatics (MAD)The GuildhallAxminster, Devon01297 561400

22 - 27 February 2010Melyncrythan Amateur Operatic SocietyPrincess Royal TheatrePort Talbot, Neath Port01639 763214

SWEET CHARITY16 - 20 February 2010Shrewsbury Amateur Operatic SocietyAshton TheatreShrewsbury, Shropshire01743 281281

15 - 20 March 2010Ashton Under Lyne Operatic SocietyGeorge Lawton HallMossley, Gtr Manchester0161 456 6560

THE ADVENTURES OF THE FARAWAY TREE11 - 13 March 2010Young Oxted PlayersBarn TheatreOxted, Surrey01959 561811www.barntheatreoxted.co.uk

THE ANNUAL VARIETY SHOW23 - 27 February 2010The Rex PlayersThe Rex CinemaWareham, Dorset01929 551817

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY16 - 27 March 2010Highbury Little TheatreSutton Coldfield, W Midlands0121 373 2761

THE CHICAGO MIKADO24 - 27 March 2010Thurrock Operatic SocietyThameside Theatre GraysGrays, Essex01277 375955

THE COUNTRY WIFE16 - 20 March 2010Henley PlayersKenton TheatreHenley-on-Thames, Oxon01491 576293

THE DEEP BLUE SEA03 - 06 March 2010The Harrogate Dramatic SocietyHarrogate Theatre StudioHarrogate, N Yorks07770 630299

THE FARNDALE AVENUE MURDER MYSTERY18 - 20 March 2010Haverhill & District Operatic SocietyArts CentreHaverhill, Suffolk01440 714140

THE FULL MONTY22 - 27 March 2010Newark AOSThe Palace TheatreNewark, Nottinghamshire01636 655 755

NEXT MONTH

PANTOLANDOur annual special feature covering all things panto.

This year we expand the feature to include

PANTO SCRIPTSSET HIRE

COSTUMESSCRIPT REVIEWS

diary.indd 9 13/01/2010 22:24:31


THE GONDOLIERS09 - 13 February 2010Crosby G & S SocietyCrosby Civic HallWaterloo, Liverpool0151 924 5977

17 - 20 March 2010Wakefield G & S SocietyTheatre RoyalWakefield, W Yorkshire01924 211311

22 - 27 March 2010Melrose Amateur Operatic SocietyThe Corn ExchangeMelrose, Roxburghshire01835 822425

THE GRAND DUKE23 - 27 March 2010Birmingham Savoyards G & S SocietyOld RepBirmingham, W Mids0121 303 2323

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME16 - 20 February 2010St Andrews Youth Fellowship SandonSandon Village HallChelmsford, Essex01245 477872

02 - 06 March 2010Ilkley Amateur Operatic SocietyKings HallIlkley, West Yorkshire01943 602028

24 - 27 March 2010Young Inspirations Theatre CoPromegranate TheatreChesterfield, Derbyshire01246 345222

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST18 - 20 March 2010The Kings Lynn PlayersArts CentreKings Lynn, Norfolk01553 764864

20 - 27 March 2010Rossendale PlayersNew Millenium TheatreRossendale, Lancs01706 228720

24 - 27 February 2010Harlequin TheatreNorthwich, Cheshire01606 353534www.harlequinplayer.co.uk

THE LIKES OF US22 - 27 March 2010Abbey Musical Society BarrowForum 28Barrow in Furness, Cumbria01229 470067

23 - 27 March 2010Market Harborough Musical TheatreWelland Park Octagonal TheatreMarket Harborough, Leics01858 445660

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE25 - 27 March 2010Murton & East Durham Theatre GroupEast Durham CollegePeterlee, Co Durham0191 526 2532

THE MEMORY OF WATER22 - 27 March 2010Arundel PlayersPriory PlayhouseArundel, West Sussex01243 782976

THE MIKADO09 - 13 February 2010St Andrews Operatic SocietySt Andrew’s RokerSunderland, Tyne & Wear0191 548 4621

01 - 06 March 2010Leicester G & S Operatic SocietyLittle TheatreLeicester, Leics0116 255 1302

06 - 13 March 2010Leeds G & S SocietyCarriageworksLeeds, West Yorkshire0113 247 4746

10 - 13 March 2010The St Helens G & S SocietyTheatre RoyalSt Helens, Merseyside01744 756000

THE PRODUCERS01 - 06 February 2010Norfolk & Norwich Operatic SocietyTheatre RoyalNorwich, Norfolk01603 891494

09 - 13 March 2010Paisley Musical & Operatic SocietyKings TheatreGlasgow, Scotland0844 871 7627

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN16 - 20 February 2010Court PlayersThe Memorial HallRangeworthy, South Glos01454 321149

24 - 27 March 2010South Shields Westovian Theatre SocietyWestovian TheatreSouth Shields, Tyne & Wear0191 456 0980

THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN27 - 27 February 2010Centre Stage Theatre ArtsAssembly RoomsDerby, Derbyshire01332 754449www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

THE SHAPE OF THINGS16 - 20 February 2010Kelvin Players Theatre CompanyThe StudiosBishopston, Bristol0117 942 5540www.kelvinplayers.co.uk

THE SHELL SEEKERS25 - 27 March 2010Loughton Amateur Dramatic SocietyLopping HallLoughton, Essex0208 502 5843

THE SORCERER17 - 20 February 2010Dunfermline G & S SocietyCarnegie HallDunfermline, Fife0845 2412 187

16 - 20 March 2010Rose Hill Musical SocietyThe Guildhall TheatreDerby, Derbyshire0115 9258717

THE THWARTING OF BARON BOLLIGREW18 - 20 February 2010Dollar Drama ClubDollar Academy Studio TheatreClackmannanshire, Scotland01259 742173www.dollardrama.org.uk

THE WEDDING SINGER24 - 27 February 2010Cecilian Society - University of GlasgowThe Mitchell TheatreGlasgow, Scotland07595 363006

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD16 - 20 February 2010Godalming Operatic SocietyBorough HallGodalming, Surrey01252 703376

26 - 27 February 2010Godalming Operatic SocietyThe Leatherhead TheatreLeatherhead, Surrey01252 703376

24 - 27 March 2010Hornby OccasionalsHornby InstituteHornby, Lancs01524 222227

THE YORK REALIST06 - 13 March 2010ImpAct TheatreVarious LocationsDorset01202 876007

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE16 - 20 February 2010Letchworth ArcadiansPlinston HallLetchworth Garden City, Herts01462 453801

17 - 20 February 2010Cygnet PlayersThe London Oratory SchoolWest Brompton, London07941 448689

03 - 06 March 2010Alton Operatic & Dramatic SocietyAssembly RoomsAlton, Hampshire01730 827200


DIARY SUBMISSIONS

Diary submissions are published each month for the two months immediately

following publication.

Please note that the submission deadline is the 1st of each month.

Submissions should be sent in the format shown in the magazine to [email protected]

Production photos should be emailed [email protected]

diary.indd 10 13/01/2010 22:24:53



18 - 20 March 2010Skegness Musical Theatre CompanyEmbassy TheatreSkegness, Lincs0845 645 0505

TOUCH & GO30 January - 06 February 2010Heald Green Theatre CompanyHeald Green TheatreHeald Green, Cheshire0161 436 5000www.hgtc.org.uk

TRIAL BY JURY & HMS PINAFORE09 - 13 March 2010Astwood Bank Operatic SocietyThe Palace TheatreRedditch, Worcs01527 546569

UTOPIA LIMITED25 - 27 February 2010Girton Operatic SocietyGirton Glebe Primary SchoolGirton, Cambridgeshire01223 276601

16 - 20 March 2010Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan SocietyKing’s TheatreEdinburgh, Scotland0131 529 6000

23 - 28 March 2010Wolverton G & S SocietyStantonbury Campus TheatreMilton Keynes, Bucks01908 262250

VIVA, MEXICO!04 - 05 February 2010Aycliffe Musical TheatreGreenfield School Arts & Community CentreNewton Aycliffe, Co Durham01325 379048

03 - 06 March 2010Elgin Musical TheatreElgin Town HallElgin, Moray01343 542088

WEST END HITS, BROADWAY GLITZ23 - 27 March 2010Good Companions Stage SocietyGuildhallDerby, Derbyshire01332 721108www.derbyartsandtheatre.org.uk

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN16 - 20 March 2010Heckmondwike PlayersThe Town HallCleckheaton, West Yorks01924 492671

23 - 27 March 2010Penistone Centre Stage MusicalsParamountPenistone, S Yorks01226 370121

WHEN WE ARE MARRIED24 - 27 February 2010Cromer & Sheringham Amateur Operatic & Dramatic SocietySheringham Little TheatreSheringham, Norfolk01692 678010

WHIPPING IT UP24 - 27 March 2010Runnymede Drama GroupRiverhouse Barn TheatreWalton-on-Thames, Surrey01932 253354

WIZARD OF OZ09 - 13 March 2010Carlton Operatic SocietyNottingham PlayhouseNottingham, Notts0115 952 5721

WORKING22 - 27 March 2010The TinhattersConcordia TheatreHinckley, Leicestershire01455 615005

Hayes Players - Little Shop Of Horrors. Photos: Anthony Cake

**NEW**AUDITIONLISTINGS

We are pleased to announce that in February 2010 we will commence an auditions listing section in our diary

pages.

To be included please send your audition information to

[email protected]

Deadline 1st of each month for publication on the 15th

diary.indd 11 13/01/2010 22:25:20

FEATURE

A Few IntroductionsOne of the great attractions of making

theatre is the diversity of people you meet in the process – no matter what your set of skills and strengths, there’s almost certainly a job for you on a production. The extroverts end up treading the boards, the meticulous planners find themselves in stage management, and there’s a safe place for slightly-crazed vertigo enthusiasts in the lighting department. Finally, there’ll be some poor benighted soul who’s asked to “sort out the sound”.

Some sixteen years ago, I stuck my hand up for that particular job, on a school production, and was given a ten-minute lesson with a reel-to-reel machine and a splicing block (thanks, Mr. Peter!). I was fascinated by the possibilities, and ended up making a career out of it – I now find myself, as Orbital Sound’s head of training, being the one who gives the lessons, albeit on rather more complex hardware!

So, when Doug asked me to write a series of theatre sound articles for AS, it was a no-brainer – there’s a mind-boggling number of enthusiastic people

out there (a quick look at the AS listings confirms this – I think I lost count around 340 productions with pages to go!), but, sadly, a real lack of information for people who want to learn about sound for theatre in some depth. I believe that helping people involved in these shows – the people who are putting in so much care and attention – to do sound for themselves, is vitally important. I hope that this and future columns will serve as a good starting point for people who want to learn more about the subject.

The latter point is absolutely central to this series of articles – it will revolve around the idea that theatre groups can and should be handling the sound for themselves. Doing sound is not about acquiring the legendary set of “golden ears” beloved by top record producers, nor does it involve getting hold of the latest and most “professional” equipment. If you understand a fairly basic set of principles, and apply the good practice that has been developed over the last decades of amplified sound in theatre, the sound really will work. It may not be perfect (we should leave notions of perfection in the recording studio), but with informed people and good practice, it’ll work, and work well.

In each column, I will go over the basics of how to address a particular challenge – using radio microphones for example. I can’t provide an exhaustive description in the space of one article, but I hope that going over the essentials will provide a useful framework for people to develop their understanding

to a useful and practical level. Many of you will have been successfully doing the things I discuss for some time – so if something that I suggest contradicts your way of working, please don’t think that I’m suggesting that there’s only one way of doing things – there isn’t. There is, however, a fairly standard set of practices that have developed over the last decades, and I hope that explaining these will be of value.

I should also admit to an ulterior motive in writing these columns – there is a lack of skilled people coming into the industry, and I hope that these articles spark people’s enthusiasm for going out and doing theatre sound. For all the people who enjoy working with audio technology, there are a limited number who’ll successfully turn it into a career – the hours, the stress, and the unpredictability aren’t for everyone. Hopefully, if we can enthuse some of those people about theatre sound, a proportion of them will knock on our door asking for a job!

The chances are that you or someone you love will, at some point in the not-too-distant future, be that person “sorting out the sound”. In this column, we’ll start with the first challenge – where to start!

Do I need to worry about the kit I’m using?

Well, practicalities are important - it is meaningful to say, for example, that a show needs a 48-channel desk with eight groups and four matrix outs. It’s

PROFESSIONAL SOUND FORTHE AMATEUR STAGE Part 1In the first of this series of articles, Theo Holloway, Head of Training at Orbital Sound explores the fundamentals of getting the best possible sound for your upcoming productions.

Soundadvice.indd 2 13/01/2010 10:13:43


FEATURE

27


vitally important to understand why these features are important, and why others aren’t. Sound engineers can get obsessed with irrelevant specifications, and the mystique that surrounds some equipment, but this is often down to insecurity more than anything else. Again, a better understanding of the principles will help you sort the essentials from the expensive toys!

So which bits are important?

The details of this will have to wait for future articles, but it is useful to speak in general terms. There are three critical points in the signal chain – the microphone, the finger on the fader, and the loudspeaker. With the first and last of these, “where” is often more important than “what”, and it is absolutely essential to understanding why this is the case; this will be covered by articles three and four. By “the finger on the fader”, I mean two things – first, specifically, how a show is mixed. No matter what technological wonders a sound designer achieves, they’re only setting up a system to help the mixer do his or her job. Secondly, and more generally, I mean that how people work is far more important than the tools they use – this will the topic of article five.And article two? – Well noticed! Article two will be about good noise, bad noise, and how correct gain structure can change your life!

The venue we rent says they’ll sort out the sound – shouldn’t we leave it to them?

There’s no reason not to accept all the support that the venue offers, but it’s important that you’re an active partner in the process, and are very clear about what you want – they should be helping

you get the sound right, not presenting you with a fait accompli. Be aware also that some venues can treat sound as a lesser priority; they may just delegate these duties to the most junior technical member, who in turn has little or no real knowledge of what should be done – and may well be afraid to admit it! Even if you do leave sound entirely in their hands, developing your understanding of the principles behind what you’re trying to get achieved will help you ask the right questions and set useful priorities.

I need to hire some of the equipment – how do I know I’m getting a good price?

Sound hire is a competitive market – if you go to an established hire company with a set of needs and a budget (rather than a shopping list), they’ll always do their best to recommend suitable options and give you a good quote. When comparing prices, also bear in mind the supplier’s ability (and contracted commitment) to support your show – there’s a big difference between just shipping you some flightcases of kit, and a commitment that everything will work for the duration of your show.

I’ve done extensive reading around what I want to do – what’s the next step in putting it in to action?

Putting technical knowledge in to action is always a challenge to your confidence – especially in the pressurised atmosphere of a technical rehearsal. Aimed at giving people some hands-on experience with the kit and techniques discussed in these articles, Orbital Sound will be running courses throughout 2010 aimed at people doing sound in amateur theatre.

Finally – and most importantly – I need your input. For all the shows I’ve been involved in, and all the experience I can draw from my colleagues, I don’t know about the shows that you’re doing, and the specific challenges that you’re facing.

So please send all questions, comments and requests to [email protected] Thank you!

COMING IN MARCH

SUMMER SCHOOLS ISSUE

A complete guide to what’s on offer this Summer.

Soundadvice.indd 3 13/01/2010 22:00:45

FEATURE


What’s Britain’s biggest growth industry? Playwriting, apparently. According to a recent report by Arts Council England, the amount of new writing produced by mainstream, subsidised theatre has more than doubled in the last six years. Many of these plays have opened in large theatres, with impressive ticket sales. As one of the report’s authors, playwright David Edgar, argued in the Guardian last week, something has happened over the last decade that few people could have predicted: new writing became an honest-to-goodness success story.

But while dramatists like Lucy Prebble, Polly Stenham and Jez Butterworth have all received plenty of attention in the last few months, what’s less well known is the process by which new plays make it on to the stage. Few writers operate in isolation; nor do they turn up to first rehearsals with scripts fully formed. Behind every success story stands a small army of producers, associate directors, agents and editors – and it’s editors, in particular, who play a crucial,

if largely unsung, role. With so much new work in circulation, how do script departments forge strong relationships with writers, to help them produce their best work? And how do they handle plays that don’t make the grade?

The National Theatre’s literary department is on the fourth floor of the organisation’s concrete HQ. The office isn’t what you would call glamorous: there are fluorescent lights buzzing, a carpet that has seen better days. But your eye is drawn to one side of the room where, on shelf after shelf, there’s an A-Z of neatly filed scripts, from medieval mystery cycles to Caryl Churchill – every play the National has ever staged, plus titles it is considering. The literary department is part archive, part foundry, a place where scripts are commissioned, developed, bashed into shape and polished to perfection. It is presided over by literary manager Sebastian Born, who has worked on hundreds of new plays in the last 30 years, from scripts by the UK’s biggest playwrights to first-time studio pieces. He manages a team of three,

making this one of Britain’s largest literary departments.

The job sounds simple but isn’t, explains Born, a 56-year-old with a precise, professorial air. “We present [artistic director] Nick Hytner with options, then make sure the script is in the best possible shape,” he says. “If it’s a new piece, it can mean working on the play, or helping the writer work on the play. Or it might be a translation of an existing play, where you’re trying to get an English version that captures the spirit of the original.”

Some works are commissioned years in advance, then painstakingly teased out in workshops and read-throughs. An increasing number are devised collaboratively, or based on improvisation, but they still need a script for the production crew. Some writers evolve slowly, says Born: “Alan Bennett’s scripts develop over time, like laying down sedimentary strata.” Others – such as The Power of Yes, David Hare’s recent anatomy of the financial crisis – go from

PLAYWRITINGA GROWTH INDUSTRY

playwriting.indd 2 13/01/2010 22:09:01


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first draft to first night in months. But, in one form or another, everything makes its way through the literary department: a crucial bridge between playwrights fretting over commas and the hundreds of people involved in a large-scale performance. “Once you start rehearsal, it’s a runaway train,” Born says. “If you’re trying to fix the script at the same time, it’s very difficult.”

These days, one of the biggest challenges is saying no. Opposite the National’s script library stands a bundle of envelopes and A4 paper, several feet high. This is the slush pile; four or five unsolicited manuscripts land on it each day. The number is rising: the National gets 1,500 a year, and, although its panel of freelance readers assiduously work their way through every one, the theatre has stopped offering feedback on plays it doesn’t intend to pursue.

A FACEBOOK FOR DRAMATISTS

Even theatres that specialise in new writing are struggling to cope with the volume of unsolicited scripts. Edinburgh’s Traverse gets 400 a year. The Royal Court gets 3,000, and valiantly promises to offer feedback on every one. Manchester’s Royal Exchange reads only one script per writer per year (it still gets more than 350) and is focusing efforts on a playwriting competition that accepts anonymous contributions – partly to encourage female writers. According to recent research by campaigning theatre group Sphinx, just 17% of new plays staged in the UK are by women.

Feedback requires a light touch, says 31-year-old Jo Combes, an associate director at the Royal Exchange. “When plays go through many drafts, it’s easy to lose sight of what the original seed was, the thing that really excited you. Writers should be able to listen to notes, but also write what they want. It has to be their play.” Your own taste evolves, she adds. “I cringe at some of the notes I gave even three years ago, some of the plays I really believed in. Your ability to develop plays really shifts.” At the National, Born agrees. “Some people feel that a play isn’t worthwhile unless it’s been through 12 drafts. I completely disagree. The best situation is when someone sends you something that is good, and you do it. Plays die if they’re handled too much. Working with writers is a subtle, delicate and slightly unquantifiable business.”

The Bush in London thinks it may have found a solution to the slush pile. It has launched a bold experiment that has taken two years and £60,000 of Jerwood Foundation funding to create: a website

called Bushgreen. This aims to be a Facebook for playwrights, a destination for the 1,000-plus scripts the Bush receives each year. “We had this simple idea: what if you were able to give writers the ability to publish their work online?” says Josie Rourke, the theatre’s artistic director. “Think how fantastic social networking can be, and how you might use some of those tools professionally.”

Bushgreen does look like a pared-down social networking site, albeit one with echoes of HarperCollins’s Authonomy site, an online community for wannabe novelists. There’s an “editorial” section, containing survivors’ tales from familiar names, such as Neil LaBute and David Eldridge; this will also be filled with rehearsal diaries and how-to tips. And there are a lot of new plays. In the first few weeks, 1,000 people joined the site and some 300 scripts were uploaded.

Directors, agents, and students – as well as other writers – are encouraged to sift through these plays by title, author, even requirements such as cast size or character type. Tasters of new work are available for free, while downloads of full scripts cost up to £2.50. Some writers have been nervous about sharing their work online, Rourke and her colleague James Grieve admit, but there are safeguards, one being that downloads are encrypted: they can only be read through the site’s software and can’t be emailed on.

Bushgreen users can let others comment on their scripts. You can see the appeal: it’s more collaborative and transparent. But, however well meant, is amateur criticism the most useful feedback for a budding playwright? “There’s a quantity of self-knowledge required,” Rourke says. “You have to think: are comments going to help me at

this stage?”

THE WRITING PROCESS DEMYSTIFIED

The newly launched National Theatre of Wales’s online community is integral to everything it does, and even long-established theatres are experimenting online. Still, it seems unlikely that websites will replace literary departments any time soon; as in book publishing, they offer an alternative means of reading and discussing work, not a substitute. And the Bush has no plans to stop reading manuscripts, nor to reduce feedback from its readers. Rourke is deservedly proud of her theatre’s record for putting unsolicited scripts on stage: no fewer than three plays in the current season were submitted rather than commissioned. And she believes that high-quality feedback remains the best way to develop writers, as well as encouraging them to stay in theatre rather than being forced to make a living elsewhere (something the arts council report regards as a particular challenge).

If successful, Bushgreen could transform the way theatres handle new plays. Its hopes to demystify the writing process, nourish new and established talent, open up the submission process and, perhaps most crucially of all, make playwrights feel less alone, whether they’re in Melbourne or Milton Keynes. It won’t be long before we see our first script developed not on paper, nor in the rehearsal room, but online. Who knows – it might even make it on to those shelves at the National.

Andrew Dickson’s article is reprinted by kind permission of The Guardian.

playwriting.indd 3 13/01/2010 22:09:24

FEATURE


Here at Nick Hern Books, our bookshelves are groaning under the weight of exciting plays by new and established writers, for most of which we also hold the amateur performing rights. We try to nurture talent at an early stage and hope to discover writers who are original and intriguing, but also have staying power, to develop their work and rise through the ranks in the theatre world.

It is a tough task, but we have been very lucky to attract a host of wonderful writers, and we thoroughly enjoy following their successes.

In this article I will look at those playwrights who have done exceptionally well with the amateur market, and ask why their plays have proved so popular.

Amanda Whittington has long been a popular choice for amateur groups across the country. Her plays include Be My Baby, a simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting story about a young unmarried mother who is forced to give her child up for adoption. The play is set in the Sixties and features songs from the period, such as Be My Baby and Chapel of Love. Her most popular plays at the moment are Ladies’ Day and the sequel Ladies Down Under, which follow the fate of four women who work in a fish-filleting factory in Hull and win tickets to a day at the Ascot races in the year they took place in York. In the sequel they use their winnings for a trip of a lifetime to Australia.

Liz Lochhead is often described as Scotland’s national treasure, and her plays are extremely popular with the amateur market as well. Perfect Days and Good Things examine the lives of ordinary women on the brink of their next decade. Perfect Days is about a celebrity hairdresser just about to turn forty, and having to decide if she is going to have children, while Good Things is about a volunteer in a charity shop about to turn fifty, and her ageing father, annoying ex-husband and precocious teenage daughter. Both plays, with Amanda Whittington’s Ladies series, are about ordinary people’s lives, their ambitions, dreams and hopes, which ring true to most of us. Sometimes keeping it simple

works best on stage. Everybody can identify with these situations: having to take big momentous decisions, while also cutting someone’s hair, making a cuppa or taking some clothes out to the charity shop. And what is more enjoyable than watching a gaggle of girls getting ready for a rare night out in big hats, when their everyday life is a familiar drudge?

Liz Lochhead’s latest offering to the amateur market is Dracula, a thrilling and very theatrical take on the original by Bram Stoker, which has already generated a lot of interest. This is a rare chance to scare your audiences witless with wonderful imagery such as a wedding dress slowly being soaked with blood.

Other great adaptations on our list are Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adapted by Karen Louise Hebden, which is a seasonal favourite (although you’d be surprised how often it is performed out of season, it’s that good!), his Great Expectations, adapted by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod, and Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd, adapted by Mark Healy. A filmed record of the original English Touring Theatre production of Far From The Madding Crowd is now also available through Digital Theatre www.digitaltheatre.com, should you wish to catch up on that.

Diane Samuels’s Kindertransport is, somewhat similar to Be My Baby, but is a darker story about the transport of Jewish children out of Nazi-Germany to live with families in England. Against this backdrop, the play looks at the relationship of one of these survivors with her own daughter. The play doesn’t shirk away from difficult questions and addresses survivor guilt, family secrets and what it means when the bond between parent and child is violently broken. It seems to fit into a genre of historical, yet deeply personal plays, which explore the emotional impact of situations beyond our control and what these occurrences teach us about our own lives today.

Adaptations of novels are always very popular, because the audience will already be familiar with the story in

question, but the original works that are being produced most often by amateur groups tend to be those that find the extraordinary in ordinary settings. The success of plays such as Kindertransport and Be My Baby suggest that there is also great interest in personal stories in historical settings, but above everything, it is the personal angle that makes one play stand out from other candidates.

If you are interested in having a closer look at any of the above mentioned plays, I’d be happy to send you up to three titles on approval basis (if you return them to us within 30 days in mint condition, you don’t have to pay for them). Our free Guide to Plays for Performance is also available, if you would like to have a closer look at the entirety of our list of plays and playwrights. You can order both the scripts and the Guide by sending me an email on [email protected].

I look forward to hearing from you!

Tamara von Werthern, Performing Rights Manager, Nick Hern Books

PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTSWhat is the secret that makes a play popular?Tamara Von Wethern is the Performing Rights Manager at Nick Hern Books. In this article she talks about some of their prolific playwrights, what’s hot and how to get more information about their catalogue of plays.

playwriting2.indd 2 13/01/2010 22:11:11


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2009 was a phenomenally successful year for you with a huge number of amateur productions of your plays across the UK - what do you think is the reason that plays such as Ladies’ Day are so popular?Fifty amateur productions in 2009, it’s incredible. I genuinely didn’t expect the plays to be as popular as this and it’s hard to say quite why they are. It never ceases to amaze me how well Ladies’ Day is received around the country and beyond. Its success is a happy accident but I think perhaps it’s done well because it’s about ordinary women the audience can relate to. The characters are both familiar and surprising, which has proved to be a winning combination. Staying with Ladies’ Day, what was your inspiration for the play? And did you enjoy writing it?The play was commissioned by Hull Truck Theatre Company and was inspired by the fact that Royal Ascot relocated to York Racecourse for a year in 2005. Hull Truck saw it as an opportunity for a Yorkshire-based comedy drama and we liked the idea of taking four working-class women to a high society event.

The director and I went to York Races, where we saw a gang of well-dressed women in the beer tent, with quarter-bottles of vodka in their handbags they were slipping into their Cokes. That was my starting point for the characters. In a way, it was quite nerve-wracking to write because it was the most comedic play I’d done and I wasn’t at all sure it was actually funny. When the laughs came on the first night, it was a big relief. Why did you decide to write a sequel, Ladies Down Under? Largely because so many people who came to see Ladies’ Day wanted to know what happened next. The end of the play felt like a beginning and I was curious to know how winning the money would change the characters’ lives. [editorial note: They spend some of their winnings on a once-in-a-lifetime trip around Australia] We also had the most fantastic cast for the first production and I was interested in writing specifically for them and explore what they’d brought to the characters in a new story. The original cast all came back to do the second play. To be honest, we were all having such a good time, we didn’t want to stop.

Were there any surprises during the writing process?Perhaps the biggest surprise was the way the story grew to match its setting. In Ladies’ Day, we spend twenty-four hours with the characters but in Ladies Down Under we’re with them for a month. They’re travelling across Australia so they need big emotional journeys to reflect the physical journey they’re taking. I wanted them all to be transformed by the experience but in a credible way. The comedy is still there in Ladies Down Under but I think there’s a bit more depth to the play, which I enjoyed discovering.What makes the “Ladies” so lively and such fun to perform?Both plays celebrate friendship but in a pretty down-to-earth way. The banter between the women is a lot of fun to play; plus they’re all so different and quite eccentric in their own way. There’s a great deal of warmth between the women but despite the camaraderie, they’re pretty unsentimental with each other, which is where much of the humour comes from, I think.Did you know that some groups have invited their audiences to come dressed up wearing Ascot-style hats, and serving strawberries and champagne in the interval – it seems to me that the play really brings out a playful side in its audiences, would you agree?Yes, it’s like the Rocky Horror Show with hats! It’s great fun and I’m all for it. As far as I’m concerned, anything that breaks down the fourth wall is a good thing. I try to write plays which are inclusive, accessible and hold up a mirror to the audience, so when they actually participate in the world of the play, I feel I’ve done my job.What is the darker side to these two plays? What do you give the actors to work with?I’d say all the women are trapped by their circumstances and need to break free of their roles and responsibilities. We meet them as wives, mothers, daughters and workers but as Pearl says, “That’s not all I am.” Hopefully I’ve given each actor a three-dimensional character with their own obstacles to overcome. At the end of Ladies’ Day, it seems the win will set them free but Ladies Down Under shows how life rarely offers those simple solutions.Your earlier play Be My Baby has been successful on the amateur circuit for years and is still going strong today. It is set in the Sixties, about a young unmarried mother who has to give up her baby for adoption. Are you surprised by its ongoing appeal? Why is it still relevant today, when the social norms have changed so much since then?

A Candid Chat WithAMANDA WHITTINGTON


FEATURE


Yes, it’s over ten years since Be My Baby was first produced and I never expected it to be around as long as this. It’s a GCSE and A level Theatre Studies text, so it’s widely studied in schools and I get emails every week from teenage girls saying how much they love it. I find it fascinating the play speaks so directly to them. I think perhaps it’s because it articulates young women’s hopes, desires, dreams, frustrations and fears, which really haven’t changed over the years. The play takes those feelings seriously, gives voice to them and makes them count for something. I think girls find that empowering. Is there a lighter side to Be My Baby, given that the storyline is not necessarily cheerful?There is. The ‘girl group’ music in the play is so optimistic and joyful it’s really lifting the mood. Again, it’s a story about friendship and the way humour can help you through the hardest of times. Mary gives up her baby but she’s awakened and politicised by her experience. She’s a survivor not a victim of the system and the play definitely ends with a sense of hope, as Mary leaves the mother and baby home a wiser, stronger woman.I have noticed that you’ve set up a Facebook page for Be My Baby – is this a good way to interact with amateur groups who have questions about how to perform the play?It’s worked really well with Be My Baby as most students are already on Facebook. I try to reply to all the emails I get but I found I was answering the same questions many times over and felt the students would benefit by sharing information on characters, set, costume and music with each other. I don’t get as many direct questions about Ladies Day but if the need was there, I’d definitely set up a group.

Are you generally this interactive with the groups who are interested in staging your work?I’ve got a website [www.amandawhittington.com] and I like the fact that groups and individuals can Google it and contact me directly. The amateur market is an important part of my career and I have a genuine interest in how the plays are being received. My publisher Nick Hern Books, who license the amateur productions of all my plays, also let me know where the plays are on, so I do like to keep tabs on it all.Have you seen any amateur performances of your plays, and if so, did you enjoy the experience?I do go to amateur performances if I’m asked, particularly if they’re close to home, and I go into schools to talk about Be My Baby. One of the best experiences I had was at a girls school in East London which was almost exclusively Muslim. It was really interesting to see how strongly those particular girls related to the play and how it resonated with their lives. And I recently saw an amateur production of my play Player’s Angels (aka The Wills’s Girls) by The Dilys Guite Players in Sheffield. The play hasn’t been staged for years and it was great to see it revived so well by an amateur company.Do you find that groups are ‘coming back for more’ – once they’ve done one of your plays? Yes, The Dilys Guite Players are a good example. They’d done Ladies Day and Be My Baby, and had been back to my website to see if I had anything similar. I’m also finding many of the groups who did Ladies Day are coming back to do Ladies Down Under, which is great. And none of this would have happened without Nick Hern Books, who do a fantastic job of promoting my plays to new and returning companies. My

success on the amateur circuit is entirely due to the faith they showed in my work and their commitment to getting it out there.When did you begin writing for the stage and what do you like about it?I did Theatre Studies at school and loved everything about it but as a teenager, the idea of being a professional playwright was an impossible dream. So I started out as a freelance journalist, as that was the only way I could think of to make a living from writing. I wrote my first play in my early twenties but it took years to break through. What I like about writing for the stage is the relationship a playwright has with actors, directors, designers and audience. Writing is a solitary activity which I don’t mind at all, but it’s great to see your words come to life in a rehearsal room and to sit in a theatre audience as they react. The fact that theatre exists purely ‘in the moment’ can be a unique and magical thing.Are you working on anything at the moment?I’ve usually got three or four plays on the go at any one time in various stages of development – not because I’m a workaholic, I’m just earning a living! At the moment, I’m working on commissions for Splice Productions, Theatre Writing Partnership, Nottingham Playhouse and talking to producers about a new play on women’s boxing. I’ve also adapted Tipping the Velvet, the novel by Sarah Waters, for the stage. It was showcased at Guildhall School of Speech and Drama last year and we’re now looking for a producer to give it a full professional production. And let’s hope it won’t be too long before the new work starts being performed by amateur companies.


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PLAYSCRIPTS


ONE ACT PLAYS

THE RED CARPETBy Geoff BamberISBN 9781907307027Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast 19 - Various with flexible casting.

Although it retains a skeleton staff, Bungley Railway Station has not seen a train for several years - something of a suprise for the newly-appointed stationmaster. the Stationmaster determines to rectify matters but even the sabotaging of the track the railway company prefer to use is of little benefit. It is only with the proposed arrival of some very special visitors that things look up. Unfortunately, and crucially, a train is not the only thing that Bungley is short of.

KEVINS ABOVEBy Claire ScottISBN 9781907307010Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast 3M 1W 1M/F

Suddenly and without warning, two men named Kevin find themselves dead and in the waiting room of the Afterlife Relocation Services (Earth Division). The problem is only one of them should be dead, but no-one seems to know which one. And as if death wasn’t hard enough, there’s no way back and it seems no practical way forward either. Faced with a harassed afterlife supervisor and an incompetent office trainee, the two Kevins have to find their way through the bureaucratic nightmare of sudden death and find a way to live (or die) together.

PIG TALEBy Rob NicolISBN 97809560209058Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast 12 (Mixed)

An updated re-telling of the tale of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs. Mummy Pig throws the Three Little Pigs out into the big wide world to seek their fortunes. They have to cope with the demands of relating to others, gathering materials, building houses, and keeping the wolf from the door. The Narrator of the story finds he has his own problems to deal with in the shape of an insufferable Prompter and a wily and wilful Sheep. The play was written with youth groups in mind, but can equally well be played by more ‘mature’ companies.

CLOUD HOPPINGBy Jonathan WhitesideISBN 9781907307003Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast M4 F3

Eleanor has been in love with Tom since they were children. At least that’s what she remembers today, but tomorrow she might not be so sure. We try and follow Eleanor’s story of her first love but her memories



PLAYSCRIPTS

35


have a way of blurring until all we can do is fall through them with her. The play looks at how tragedy and love can tear someone apart.

THE DOORBy Tony EarnshawISBN 97809560209065Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast M2

Winner of the Sir Michael Caine Award for Best New Writing, at the Leatherhead Drama Festival. Boyd and Ryan are discovered seated, apparently waiting for something. Boyd is reading a tabloid, dressed in jeans and bomber jacket. Ryan is in chinos and blazer, reading a novel. They ignore each other until the banging of a door (off) provides a trigger for conversation. Over the course of the next fifty minutes they squabble about who should shut the door, argue about politics, religion and lifestyles and gradually reveal their shared history. Ryan was the officer in charge of an army unit which saw service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and Boyd served in the unit. Ryan had a crisis of conscience, Boyd blames him for the impact on morale. They are waiting to explain themselves to a board of enquiry. Ryan is nervous about being underprepared and Boyd takes on the role of prosecuting officer to help him. In a final twist, the roles are reversed and it is Boyd who ends up giving himself up to the military police. Throughout the play the banging of the door acts as punctuation, heightens the tension and provokes changes in the direction of the conversation.

WAITING FOR A WHALEBy Ron NicolISBN 97809560209072Published by Spotlight PublicationsCast - Mixed

Jonah feels that life is treating him harshly and decides to speak out. He acquires a gun and makes a stand in his local jobcentre, hoping to attract attention and somehow change his life. His attempt is a total disaster, simply confirming that Jonah is condemned to be one of life’s perpetual losers.

FULL LENGTH PLAYS

THE LAST WITCHBy Rona MunroISBN 9781848420724Published by Nick Hern BooksCast M5 F3

Dornoch, northern Scotland, 1727. In the claustrophobic heat of summer, a woman’s apparent ability to manipulate the power of the land and sea stirs suspicion. Janet Horne can cure beasts, call the wind and charm fish out of the sea. Or can she? Her refusal to deny the charge of witchcraft puts her in dangerous opposition to the new sheriff. Her defiance threatens not only her own life but that of her daughter. The Last Witch is based on the historical account of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

Wuthering Heightsa new adaptation by April de Angelis,

from the novel by Emily BrontëCast M8 F7, 1 boy. May be played by M6 F4 with doubling.

sCene Various simple settings. Period Victorian.A new stage adaptation brings Emily Brontë’s passionate and spellbinding tale of forbidden love and revenge to life. Set on the wild, windswept Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights is the tempestuous story of free-spirited Catherine and dark, brooding Heathcliff. As children running wild and free on the moors, Cathy and Heathcliff are inseparable. As they grow up, their affection deepens into passionate love, but Cathy lets her head rule her heart as she chooses to marry wealthy Edgar Linton. Heathcliff flees broken-hearted, only to return seeking terrible vengeance on those he holds responsible, with tragic results. Price £8.95

Just the Two of Usa one-act comedy by Ros Moruzzi

Cast M1 F6. SCene A living room. Matt and Ruth are looking foward to a quiet evening at home when their lives are turned upside-down by a visit from eighteen-year-old Freya and her mother, Karen. Freya has discovered that Matt is her biological father, having traced his “donation” to a clinic as an impoverished student. As Ruth and Matt struggle to come to terms with this revelation, more visitors arrive, including Matt’s mother, who’s now a granny, and “Aunty” Bev, who adds to the chaos by revealing herself as Freya’s birth mother. Price £5.00

Spygamea comedy-thriller by Bettine Manktelow

Cast M3 F4. SCene A lounge. From the author of Curtain Up On Murder and Murder Weekend comes this comedy-thriller which weaves “an intense web of deceit, intrigue and secrets” (Whitstable and Herne Bay Times). Prospective contestants for a TV reality show gather in a country house, aiming to win a large cash prize, but only if they survive the rigours of the ultimate Spygame. This excellent play offers seven good acting roles and will grip your audience until the totally unexpected ending. Price £8.95

French’s Theatre Bookshop52 Fitzroy St London W1T 5JR

Tel: 020 7255 4300 Fax: 020 7387 2161Email: [email protected]

Samuel French LtdThe play publisher

Curtain up on our new website!samuelfrench-london.co.uk

NEW RELEASES!


PLAYSCRIPTS



LIFE IS A DREAMBy Pedro Calderon D La BarcaISBN 9781848420601Published by Nick Hern BooksCast M7 F2

To protect the country from the horrors prophesied, the young Prince Segismundo is condemned for all eternity to be shut away from his country and his birthright. Banished to a secret world high in the mountains and cut off from the sun, he can only dream of a life reversed: of palaces, empires, freedom and revenge. A classic from the Spanish Golden Age, Calderon’s richly poetic, epic masterpiece explores illusion, reality, fate and destiny against the backdrop of a mythical Polish kingdom. Helen Edmundson’s exhilirating new version premiered at London’s Donmar Warehouse in 2009.

THE GRAIN STOREby Natal’ia Vorozhbit. Translated by Sasha Dugdale.ISBN 9781848420458Published by Nick Hern BooksCast M14 F9

Ukraine 1929. As Stalin launches the first of his Five-Year Plans, a close-knit rural community stands unwittingly in the path of his drive to create a thriving socialist Soviet Union. The outcome is catastrophic. What begins for the people of the village as an amusingly alien concept rapidly becomes an unstoppable force for change. Robbed first of their land, then their religion and independence, the whole country soon becomes engulfed by a tragedy that will scare a nation for generations.

THE DRUNKSBy Mikhail and Vyacheslav Durnenkov. Translated by Nina Raine.ISBN 9781848420571Published by Nick Hern BooksCast M16 F4

A provincial town is in search of a hero. A shell-shocked soldier downs vodka on his return from the frontline in Chechnya. As Ilya arrives home he stumbles into the epicentre of an extraordinary power struggle that threatens to tear the town apart. In this darkly comic and free wheeling epic, the Durnenkov Brothers get to the heart of small-town politics and what it means to please all of the people all of the time.

THE POWERS THAT BEBy Melville LovattISBN 9781840947427Published by New Theatre PublicationsCast M3 F3 + Boy

Matt & Gary are ‘minding’ a man and awaiting instructions from the powers that be. Instructions which will decide the man’s fate, and also, unbeknownst to Gary, his own. For Gary, the time has finally come to prove himself to the powers that be. “It’s a aptitude test of some kind, that’s all”. The Powers That Be is a claustrophobic thriller which grips by the throat and never lets go. But turns,

very funny, moving and chilling. It is also a very timely reminder of what can happen when humanity is brutalised and manipulated. The Powers That Be was a prize winner at the Sussex Playwrights Club Full Length Playwriting Competiton.

A TASTE FOR MURDERBy Angela LanyonISBN 1852052694Published by Hanbury PlaysCast M3 F4

This is the second title in Hanbury’s new Audience Participation Murder Mystery series. The entertainment is in two parts. The first part tells the story leading up to the murder. During the interval, members of the audience are given slips on which they register their guesses - the name of the victim, the murderer, the motive and the method. After the slips have been collected, the second part of the story is performed. This reveals the answers. A prize is given to the audience member, or the team, with the most correct guesses. The rules, of course, could be exchanged by the company. In this mystery, members of the Banks Family are gathered together to celebrate the return of the plant hunter Fiona. But there is dirty work afoot in the nursery garden. Deep seated resentments bubble to the surface and, after plenty of hints and innuendos, a murder is committed. The total running time, excluding interval is about 90 minutes. The ages of the cast are very flexible.

NEW PLACE AND TIMEBy Richard MacaulayISBN 1898740852Published by Drama Association Of WalesCast M4 F2

The play supposes a fold or overlap in time between a spring afternoon in our present world and Will Shakespeare’s last days in his garden at New Place. Bartholemew Green and Thomas Kemp are two aged actors, earning a pittance as fringe performers in a Shakespeare birthday festival. They are joined by Ann Barker, a journalist with ambitions, and her photographer fiance Nick Cooper. Their present-day concerns are interwoven with those of a past age, when Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton arrive from London to visit an ailing Shakespeare, cared for by Anne his wife. Thus we have a playwright at the end of his journey, his work done but questions still unanswered, and a young woman at the beginning of hers, with her own doubts, looking for guidance. Green and Kemp find themselves acting as links between the two worlds, and as voices of resolution in both. Their afternoon is a gentle comedy of frustrations, puzzelment within time’s overlap, and finally a decision at their own journey’s end.

THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO MURDERING YOUR HUSBANDBy David MuncasterContact the playwright direct - [email protected] M2 W3

This play is presented as though it is an instructional video that the audience are watching being filmed. Maddy will present a variety of methods for disposing of an unwated husband, aided by Jim, her real life husband, and her faithful employees. But is she really trying to get rid of her husband? Is the video just a ruse to lull him into a false sense of security? The parallels with their real life relationships give Jim plenty to worry about, as the play reaches its climax, we realise that nothing is what it seems.


PLAYSCRIPTS

37



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THE LAST WORD

AS MAGAZINE | JANUARY 201038

Wisteria CottageGarrick Road

Campton Royal

Salutations!

May I take this opportunity to wish you a fulfilling year on the boards and may your parts grow in size to the satisfaction of your audience.

I personally, am already engaged on an exciting theatrical venture. New Year’s Eve saw me at something of a loose end. I considered staying up to midnight with a small sherry, but found the proffered televisual entertainment sadly lacking. Gone are the days of Andy Stewart and The White Heather Club. There is something very gratifying about a man in a kilt don’t you think? Instead there was some jazz type with a bizarre name, who kept shouting ‘Shoot a granny!’ at every opportunity. It is possible that I could have misheard because I did indulge in more than one amontillado.

Still, be that as it may, the very next morning I received a phone call from Reverend Wilson. My first thought was that he had called to congratulate me on ‘Blithe Spirit’ and beg to be involved in my next production. I was nearly right. It seems he had indeed missed the smell of the greasepaint and had a little project in mind. Would I like to be involved in ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ to be performed in the local church? Naturally, I jumped at the chance.

For the uninitiated, ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ is not a whodunnit, but the dramatic rendering of the martyrdom of Thomas a Becket. In my view, somewhat overwritten, particularly the Christmas sermon and those townswomen do repeat themselves a great deal. I was mentally reaching for a blue pencil to remove the dross, when the reverend announced that he wanted me to perform not produce. The words ‘Good Lord!’ were out of my mouth before I could stop them. He said he understood my delight at the prospect of acting without the stress of doing everything else and went on to inform me that he would not only be directing, but that his congregation were set on having him as the sainted Thomas.

In the long silence that followed this announcement, he said that rehearsals would start in a week or so and that he was sure I would make a wonderful peasant. I was still staring at the phone a good five minutes after he had hung up. My first thought, somewhat uncharitable I confess, was that given his penchant for delivering speeches at breakneck speed the whole debacle would be mercifully short. On reflection, my good nature got the better of me and I decided to accept the role. At least then I could have some positive influence. I will allow him to retain his illusion of authority but make it my business to pass the benefit of my experience to the cast when the opportunity presents itself. Having decided on this satisfactory course of action, I proceeded to the recycling centre with the sherry bottle in an old plastic bag, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Rest assured, I will keep you abreast of developments.

Yours

Doris Richardson-Hall

38-39.indd 2 13/01/2010 14:30:04

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