"Whoa lady! What, you no eat today?" So says the friendly Tuto as he dishes out from the sweet trolley, mistaking Stephanie's silent sobs for nodding acquiescence. Typical Ayckbourn, turning life's sorrows into something to laugh at.
Both Friday and Saturday at Bridgnorth Community Hall were packed and although the audiences laughed at different things the two nights, both went away buzzing. People made a point of stopping to express their appreciation - "excellent", "I've seen four plays this month and this wipes spots off the others", "slick". My reply? "Tell your friends". It is especially nice to receive praise from fellow thesps, from Broseley, Wellington and further afield.
Perhaps the nicest comment was on how well we all work together. As a self confessed prima donna, amongst several others, I can only think that it is because each individual has taken full responsibility for their own bit. This production has needed massive input from lots of people, for, though it is a simple set and a simple play on the face of it, there are numerous costume changes and changes of table settings. It was organised like a military campaign behind the scenes. Add to that the need to get everything brought to the venue and set up in 2 hours: the scenery, props, lighting, seating staging as well as the bar and front of house and one can see how much teamwork is needed. Amazingly, we were dismantled and out in under 45 minutes, but perhaps the dash for the pub can explain that. Q and I took a little longer tying down the trailer and checking the electrics, so missed a well deserved pint.
Judging from comments from performers and audience the effort is well worth the end result. Lucky Bridgnorth! It is Ditton Priors turn on Friday 4th, followed by Chelmarsh Parish Hall on Saturday 5th.
Some tickets still available from the box office, our friendly local estate agent Phipps and Pritchard 01746 767488.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Monday, 19 October 2009
October oddments
"Can't Pay Won't Pay" by Dario Fo performed by the Define Theatre Company at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
Translated from Spanish into English, transported from Spain to somewhere in the north of England and updated from the 1970's and the Unions by throwing in a rant about bankers.
Oh dear. Should have stayed at home and watched “The Simpsons”.
October meetingI missed the October meeting, but hear that the Mortimer one act went down well as did a couple of amusing playlets by Linda Povey and a Noel Coward recitation.
Meanwhile, down in Cornwall, yours truly was enjoying Newquay's am dram offering at the Lane Theatre - “Girl's Night Out”. It was well done, with super songs and good singing. The theatre was nicely converted from a village hall, although there was a smell of damp about the place, as one might expect in a building used only intermittently.
The charity stall is booked for Bridgnorth High Street for the afternoon of 19th December, 12noon onwards, so, members, start getting creative and prepare to bake.
“Time of my Life” (27th, 28th Nov and 4th 5th Dec) is coming on apace. The set is painted thanks to a set of folk who came armed with paintbrushes and enthusiasm on Saturday. We finished in time for a yummy lunch and continued in the afternoon with the Production Team meeting. It was quite long, but covered a lot of ground.
This is a play which has quite a few challenges for a touring company, not least audience seating in different venues. The play is performed on the flat, with actors seated, requiring either raised seating or chairs laid out to ensure visibility. That in turn requires transport for seating platforms etc. Another issue is the number of props and costumes, but we are well on the way to sourcing all that is needed. The actor playing the waiter(s) needs to be something of a magician or Houdini as he has around 18 costume changes!
Theatre visitsWe plan to see Albrighton Players' comedy “Bums on Seats” in the week before our production and “Maskerade” at the Rose Theatre, Kidderminster the evening after we finish. Other visits are being planned of which more anon.
Monday, 28 September 2009
September round up
Lighting workshop
Norman Jones had his work cut out keeping an enthusiastic group in order at Starlight Theatre Services' workshop on theatre lighting on Saturday, as they hurled questions thick and fast. As a complete beginner I learned loads - about lanterns (Fresnel with soft edges, floods with reflectors to wall-wash backgrounds and sharp edge spots), current loadings, positioning lights to illuminate actors without blinding them, colour effects, not to mention using the control desk and programming sequences. Even the experienced techis learned something.
"Witness For The Prosecution"
Eight of us went to The Rose Theatre and had to wait till the final few seconds of this clever play to discover who did what and why. I do like Agatha Christie plays. The lead role, a hapless young man accused of killing a wealthy, older, woman, was a little too naive for my liking and the woman who brings damning evidence against his disloyal wife a little OTT, but it was well done and the scenes in chambers between his solicitor and barrister were delightfully convincing.
I am becoming rather a fan of the Nonentities.
"She Stoops To Conquer"
It was a good opportunity to visit the new Theatre Severn and I found myself a bit ambivalent about the design of the theatre. I can't agree with my pal up the road, who thinks it looks like an MFI flat-pack assembly from the outside, though I question the wisdom of large areas of timber, however sustainable a material it is, being used as cladding at high level externally. Think long term maintenance! Inside, the foyer is spacious and pleasant enough, though lacks drama or a sense of quality. The most interesting aspect is the incorporation of older riverside building into the structure to provide a first floor bar.
The play was "She Stoops To Conquer" by the 18th century playwright Oliver Goldsmith and was, I guess, the Brian Rix farce of its day. Wealthy Mr Hardcastle invites eligible young Mr Marlow to meet his daughter Kate, so the young man jouneys to the gent's country house accompanied by his friend. Unfortunately they get lost as night falls and are mischeviously directed to the house, but told it is an inn. Mr Marlow gets tongue-tied in polite company, but has no problems with chatting up serving wenches and he woos his intended in the belief that she is a servant. She chooses not to disillusion him till the appropriate moment. A good wheeze. The prominent use of bright red on set was distracting and seemed to serve little purpose, but that aside, it was an enjoyable production and worth a visit to Shrewsbury.
September meeting
Everyone read one or more parts in J B Priestley's "When We Are Married" and there was a lot of laughter. Further chuckles ensued as we read Geoffrey Speechly's "Sabrina". Geoffrey and several of the ladies will be entertaining St Mary's Street Residents to a performance in early December at their Christmas social (they may even get fed too).
Richard Aston has put his hand up for organising future theatre visits, so look out for a varied programme.
Norman Jones had his work cut out keeping an enthusiastic group in order at Starlight Theatre Services' workshop on theatre lighting on Saturday, as they hurled questions thick and fast. As a complete beginner I learned loads - about lanterns (Fresnel with soft edges, floods with reflectors to wall-wash backgrounds and sharp edge spots), current loadings, positioning lights to illuminate actors without blinding them, colour effects, not to mention using the control desk and programming sequences. Even the experienced techis learned something.
"Witness For The Prosecution"
Eight of us went to The Rose Theatre and had to wait till the final few seconds of this clever play to discover who did what and why. I do like Agatha Christie plays. The lead role, a hapless young man accused of killing a wealthy, older, woman, was a little too naive for my liking and the woman who brings damning evidence against his disloyal wife a little OTT, but it was well done and the scenes in chambers between his solicitor and barrister were delightfully convincing.
I am becoming rather a fan of the Nonentities.
"She Stoops To Conquer"
It was a good opportunity to visit the new Theatre Severn and I found myself a bit ambivalent about the design of the theatre. I can't agree with my pal up the road, who thinks it looks like an MFI flat-pack assembly from the outside, though I question the wisdom of large areas of timber, however sustainable a material it is, being used as cladding at high level externally. Think long term maintenance! Inside, the foyer is spacious and pleasant enough, though lacks drama or a sense of quality. The most interesting aspect is the incorporation of older riverside building into the structure to provide a first floor bar.
The play was "She Stoops To Conquer" by the 18th century playwright Oliver Goldsmith and was, I guess, the Brian Rix farce of its day. Wealthy Mr Hardcastle invites eligible young Mr Marlow to meet his daughter Kate, so the young man jouneys to the gent's country house accompanied by his friend. Unfortunately they get lost as night falls and are mischeviously directed to the house, but told it is an inn. Mr Marlow gets tongue-tied in polite company, but has no problems with chatting up serving wenches and he woos his intended in the belief that she is a servant. She chooses not to disillusion him till the appropriate moment. A good wheeze. The prominent use of bright red on set was distracting and seemed to serve little purpose, but that aside, it was an enjoyable production and worth a visit to Shrewsbury.
September meeting
Everyone read one or more parts in J B Priestley's "When We Are Married" and there was a lot of laughter. Further chuckles ensued as we read Geoffrey Speechly's "Sabrina". Geoffrey and several of the ladies will be entertaining St Mary's Street Residents to a performance in early December at their Christmas social (they may even get fed too).
Richard Aston has put his hand up for organising future theatre visits, so look out for a varied programme.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
August meeting round up
“Time of my Life” is cast and a production team assembled. Rehearsals start this week.
Theatre outings are in the offing, with a spontaneous decision to try for tickets for “She Stoops to Conquer” by O Goldsmith, on next week at the spanking new Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury. I stopped by there for a crab, crayfish and rocket sandwich this week (as one does), whilst waiting for Rex the Wind to adjust my husband's clarinet up Frankwell.
Now, the public area inside is a nice space, and imaginative in its inclusion of an old building (possibly a chapel), used as a bar on the first floor level. The exterior is modern, but all that wood screams “Sadolin”. I am sure the architect will say that it is left untreated and will fade to a pleasing weathered silver grey, and he/she may be right, but weathering moves to a further stage – deterioration and rot. That practical quibble aside, I quite liked the overall effect, from the river side at any rate, though my pal up the road thought it looked more like a flat pack.
Other potential visits include a return to see the excellent Nonentities performing Agatha Christie's “Witness for the Prosecution” at The Rose Theatre in Kidderminster in September.
Agatha got a look-in at the meeting too, when Richard A presented us with her “Rats”, a neat one act play. After a break to replenish our cups and glasses with Cinnamon Coffee House's wholesome refreshments we continued with J B Priestley's “When we are Married”, finishing at the end of Act I. To be continued at our next meeting.
A theatre lighting workshop is planned for Saturday September 26th.
Next meeting is Wednesday 2nd September.
Theatre outings are in the offing, with a spontaneous decision to try for tickets for “She Stoops to Conquer” by O Goldsmith, on next week at the spanking new Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury. I stopped by there for a crab, crayfish and rocket sandwich this week (as one does), whilst waiting for Rex the Wind to adjust my husband's clarinet up Frankwell.
Now, the public area inside is a nice space, and imaginative in its inclusion of an old building (possibly a chapel), used as a bar on the first floor level. The exterior is modern, but all that wood screams “Sadolin”. I am sure the architect will say that it is left untreated and will fade to a pleasing weathered silver grey, and he/she may be right, but weathering moves to a further stage – deterioration and rot. That practical quibble aside, I quite liked the overall effect, from the river side at any rate, though my pal up the road thought it looked more like a flat pack.
Other potential visits include a return to see the excellent Nonentities performing Agatha Christie's “Witness for the Prosecution” at The Rose Theatre in Kidderminster in September.
Agatha got a look-in at the meeting too, when Richard A presented us with her “Rats”, a neat one act play. After a break to replenish our cups and glasses with Cinnamon Coffee House's wholesome refreshments we continued with J B Priestley's “When we are Married”, finishing at the end of Act I. To be continued at our next meeting.
A theatre lighting workshop is planned for Saturday September 26th.
Next meeting is Wednesday 2nd September.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Killing Time at The Grand
Oh joy! It was a delight to sit and watch “Killing Time”, directed and produced by Ian Dickens, at The Grand last evening. It's a good yarn and was well acted by Huw Higginson and Hannah Waterman. It must be a challenge to take part in a two-hander, maintaining realistic dialogue and retaining the interest of the audience, but the tension between the two characters was sustained, helped by a good script from Richard Stockwell.
The story is set in the living room of comfortable middle class house. Jane has just given Rick a lift home, to thank him for coming to her rescue at the supermarket check-out. She found herself without her purse and he gallantly came to her rescue, paying for the shopping. She accepts the offer of a gin and tonic and reveals that, despite being financially well off, her marriage is not happy. Rick is a bit more reticent about revealing his background, but as the play progresses we learn that neither is quite as they first appear. As the balance of power shifts from one to the other and our sympathies waver, the story gets darker.
As I entered into the story as an ordinary member of the audience the am dram critic sitting like a parrot on my shoulder was taking notes. So much is down to body language, inuendo, looks exchanged or witheld, tone of voice. Learning and delivering lines is only the first step. This was no comedy, but good lines raised laughs on several occasions.
Well done all and I hope Ian Dickens Productions is back next year.
Dorothy
The story is set in the living room of comfortable middle class house. Jane has just given Rick a lift home, to thank him for coming to her rescue at the supermarket check-out. She found herself without her purse and he gallantly came to her rescue, paying for the shopping. She accepts the offer of a gin and tonic and reveals that, despite being financially well off, her marriage is not happy. Rick is a bit more reticent about revealing his background, but as the play progresses we learn that neither is quite as they first appear. As the balance of power shifts from one to the other and our sympathies waver, the story gets darker.
As I entered into the story as an ordinary member of the audience the am dram critic sitting like a parrot on my shoulder was taking notes. So much is down to body language, inuendo, looks exchanged or witheld, tone of voice. Learning and delivering lines is only the first step. This was no comedy, but good lines raised laughs on several occasions.
Well done all and I hope Ian Dickens Productions is back next year.
Dorothy
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Comedy con
The theatre is a place of darkness and light, a cocoon, where stories are woven and spells created. The audience settle down in comfy seats and wait to be entertained. They will happily suspend belief, accepting that the crook they see in TV's soap is , just for now, a handsome young squire, that someone on stage is capable of committing murder, that the attractive young woman with innocence in every word and gesture has wicked intentions. So it feels like a con, a betrayal, when we are asked to accept something that does not ring true. I can “ooh” and “ahh” with the best of them as Peter Pan flies across the stage but cringe when four ordinary women decide, at the suggestion of a newly arrived neighbour, that the solution to being a bit hard up is to become prostitutes for a week.
This was the premise of “The Tart and the Vicar's Wife” by Joan Shirley at The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton last week. It was billed as a comedy and early scenes looked promising; it could develop as a comedy or even be pushed to farce. Instead, it followed an unreal story line, veered into serious drama, threw in a love story and ended “happily ever after”.
The set up is that a bright young, successful couple find their lives turned around when the husband decides to become a vicar as a result of deliverance from a serious car accident. They sell off their possessions and their house to fund his training and here he is in his first parish, with his wife regretting the loss of the high life she previously enjoyed. Her only source of income is writing risquee stories for lads' magazines, much to her husbands disgust.
Enter the new neighbour, a likely lad, former lorry driver and lottery winner. He bought the local manor at a bargain price, before moving in and discovering that it has a resident ghost. He asks the vicar to exorcise it, but the newly ordained vicar has no experience of such matters and in any case is about to go off for a month's training.
Enter the remaining characters, an American back-packing student en-route to Europe, an attractive middle aged divorcee who has an antique shop, and the farmers wife and mother of five.
Off goes the vicar, in comes the curate, the fun figure, to ask the ladies to organise some fund raising activities for the imminent church fete. Now, forgive me for being pedantic, but I doubt that vicars get sent off for four week training sessions by the C of E these days and any village lady worth her salt would have the fete planning sown up months before the event.
In comes the neighbour, Joe, driven out by Moaning Minnie, and after listening to the moans of the ladies about the shortage of cash, suggests they use the vicar's absence to turn the house into a high class brothel for some American businessmen who are nearby at a conference and looking to spend their expenses allowance before heading home, up to £5,000 each!
This is where I and the author part company. It was also where one of our party decided to sit out the second half in the theatre lobby. I was left with a nasty taste in the mouth and fuming. By next morning I was reworking the story, so here goes:
The ladies challenge Joe, to stop being a wimp and running over every time he sees the ghost (which occurs with dreary regulatory) and let them use the old manor to make money from tempting the American businessmen to “stay a night at the haunted house”. Each of the ladies can use their talents (writing, cooking for the hordes, antiques etc) and a proportion will go to the church funds. Meanwhile, Joe, scared witless, can move into the vicar's house to keep an eye on things.
There is plenty of scope for village misunderstandings as to what is going on at the manor, and for cases of mistaken identity with Joe standing in for the vicar. The student's Dad could even turn out to be one of the visiting Americans. At the end of the week the vicar returns and all is returned to normal, with Joe coming to an understanding with Moaning Minnie and the ladies in profit.
Now, that is a story I can live with and leave the theatre smiling.
This was the premise of “The Tart and the Vicar's Wife” by Joan Shirley at The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton last week. It was billed as a comedy and early scenes looked promising; it could develop as a comedy or even be pushed to farce. Instead, it followed an unreal story line, veered into serious drama, threw in a love story and ended “happily ever after”.
The set up is that a bright young, successful couple find their lives turned around when the husband decides to become a vicar as a result of deliverance from a serious car accident. They sell off their possessions and their house to fund his training and here he is in his first parish, with his wife regretting the loss of the high life she previously enjoyed. Her only source of income is writing risquee stories for lads' magazines, much to her husbands disgust.
Enter the new neighbour, a likely lad, former lorry driver and lottery winner. He bought the local manor at a bargain price, before moving in and discovering that it has a resident ghost. He asks the vicar to exorcise it, but the newly ordained vicar has no experience of such matters and in any case is about to go off for a month's training.
Enter the remaining characters, an American back-packing student en-route to Europe, an attractive middle aged divorcee who has an antique shop, and the farmers wife and mother of five.
Off goes the vicar, in comes the curate, the fun figure, to ask the ladies to organise some fund raising activities for the imminent church fete. Now, forgive me for being pedantic, but I doubt that vicars get sent off for four week training sessions by the C of E these days and any village lady worth her salt would have the fete planning sown up months before the event.
In comes the neighbour, Joe, driven out by Moaning Minnie, and after listening to the moans of the ladies about the shortage of cash, suggests they use the vicar's absence to turn the house into a high class brothel for some American businessmen who are nearby at a conference and looking to spend their expenses allowance before heading home, up to £5,000 each!
This is where I and the author part company. It was also where one of our party decided to sit out the second half in the theatre lobby. I was left with a nasty taste in the mouth and fuming. By next morning I was reworking the story, so here goes:
The ladies challenge Joe, to stop being a wimp and running over every time he sees the ghost (which occurs with dreary regulatory) and let them use the old manor to make money from tempting the American businessmen to “stay a night at the haunted house”. Each of the ladies can use their talents (writing, cooking for the hordes, antiques etc) and a proportion will go to the church funds. Meanwhile, Joe, scared witless, can move into the vicar's house to keep an eye on things.
There is plenty of scope for village misunderstandings as to what is going on at the manor, and for cases of mistaken identity with Joe standing in for the vicar. The student's Dad could even turn out to be one of the visiting Americans. At the end of the week the vicar returns and all is returned to normal, with Joe coming to an understanding with Moaning Minnie and the ladies in profit.
Now, that is a story I can live with and leave the theatre smiling.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Write me a Murder
The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton is without the usual Charles Vance repetory season this year, but its replacement is a set of three dramas, directed by Ian Dickens. I've booked for all three and report here on the first, a thriller entitled “Write me a Murder”.
It is set in Rodingham Manor, the ancestral home of the impoverished Rodingham family. Brothers Clive, and younger sibling David are there at the request of their dying father. Clive, charming and unprincipled, is planning to sell the old place and use the cash to follow his wealthy American fiancée to the States in a bid to secure a comfortable future. David, after an absence of twenty years, is thinking it is time to move back in. There is little love lost between the brothers and before his Lordship's body is even cold the sparks fly when local boy-made-good, Charles Sturrock comes to make an offer on the house. He does little to hide his contempt of the Rodinghams and is patronising to his wife, a hopeful young writer. With a sale agreed he pushes his young wife into the company of David, a successful author, intimating that he should ghost write a story for her to enter into a national competition.
Act I sets the scene and leads the audience first one way then another ending on an unexpected note and the conclusion of Act II was quite unexpected. I am full of admiration for the author, Frederick Knott, who is probably better known for his play “Dial M for Murder”, in the way he directs the audience into thinking they know what is going to happen, then throwing a googlie.
Leslie Grantham was particularly good as the local businessman with a nasty, bullying streak.
P.S. I notice that Horsham DC and the Capitol are included in the acknowledgments. This was my old stomping ground, back in the days when the Capitol Theatre was a cinema and before it became a Bingo Hall; I hear from contacts still living in Horsham that it is a successful Arts Centre with lots going on.
Tonight we're off to see a comedy - "The Tart and the Vicar's Wife" and next week it is another thriller - "Killing Time".
It is set in Rodingham Manor, the ancestral home of the impoverished Rodingham family. Brothers Clive, and younger sibling David are there at the request of their dying father. Clive, charming and unprincipled, is planning to sell the old place and use the cash to follow his wealthy American fiancée to the States in a bid to secure a comfortable future. David, after an absence of twenty years, is thinking it is time to move back in. There is little love lost between the brothers and before his Lordship's body is even cold the sparks fly when local boy-made-good, Charles Sturrock comes to make an offer on the house. He does little to hide his contempt of the Rodinghams and is patronising to his wife, a hopeful young writer. With a sale agreed he pushes his young wife into the company of David, a successful author, intimating that he should ghost write a story for her to enter into a national competition.
Act I sets the scene and leads the audience first one way then another ending on an unexpected note and the conclusion of Act II was quite unexpected. I am full of admiration for the author, Frederick Knott, who is probably better known for his play “Dial M for Murder”, in the way he directs the audience into thinking they know what is going to happen, then throwing a googlie.
Leslie Grantham was particularly good as the local businessman with a nasty, bullying streak.
P.S. I notice that Horsham DC and the Capitol are included in the acknowledgments. This was my old stomping ground, back in the days when the Capitol Theatre was a cinema and before it became a Bingo Hall; I hear from contacts still living in Horsham that it is a successful Arts Centre with lots going on.
Tonight we're off to see a comedy - "The Tart and the Vicar's Wife" and next week it is another thriller - "Killing Time".
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