The Hall Players @HallPlayers premiere a comedy packed with nostalgia. A group of friends reunite after 40 years at an 80s theme party. 19-22 October at Preston Playhouse.
Progress Theatre, The Mount, Christchurch Rd, Reading RG1 5HL
The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh
Audition Dates: Sunday 23 October at 2.30pm or Wednesday 26 October at 7.30pm Rehearsals from 21 November, with a break over the festive season. Performance Dates: 3rd to 11th March 2023 at 7.45pm, except Sunday
The play concerns the exploits of Valene and Coleman, two brothers living in a rural village on the west coast of Ireland, whose father has recently died. They are constantly at war with each other over the most trivial of things and this will require choreographed physical violence between the two main actors.
Their warring antics are interrupted by frequent visits from Father Welsh, a young alcoholic priest, who tries to reconcile the brothers whilst struggling with his own faith, and Girleen, a young village girl who sells illegal booze to the brothers and has a secret crush on Father Welsh. The play is in turns vicious and hilarious, and provides a marvellous opportunity for all cast members to display comic virtuosity alongside emotional pathos. The play is set in the west of Ireland in the 1990s. Characters All characters will be required to do a west Irish accent, but coaching will be provided. Coleman Male. Mid-30s to late-40s. A messy layabout and a smouldering volcano with violence constantly lurking just below the surface. Valene Male. Mid-30s to late-40s. Full of prissy, fussy old maidedness. Claims ownership of practically everything in the house which his brother is constantly trying to steal. Father Welsh Male. Mid-20s to late-30s. A young, maudlin alcoholic priest, who's failure to persuade the brothers to make peace with each other, as well as his own crisis of faith, leads him to a desperate act. Girleen Female. Late teens to early 20s. A not as tough as she seems teenage girl who supplies the village with illegal Poteen. Foul mouthed, feisty, and is in love with Father Welsh. Auditionees are only required to attend one of the audition sessions, and do not need to prepare pieces. If anyone is unable to attend on these dates, but wishes to be considered, please contact the director. The play is published by Methuen Drama, and is available through Amazon.
BELFAST HARBOUR TALENT LAB MASTERCLASSES Saturday classes: 10am – 1pm Directing with Alex Kalymnios – Three Families, Holyoaks, Eastenders, Waterloo Roadv 10am – 1pm Producing with Phil Mount – ITV 2pm – 5pm Production Management with Terry Bamber – Skyfall, 101 Dalmatians, Bridgerton
Sunday Classes: 10am – 1pm Acting with Harriet Cains – Bridgerton, Line of Duty 10am – 1pm Cinematography with Kate McCullough – Normal People, The Quiet Girl 2pm – 5pm Directing with Michael Lennox – Derry Girls Cinemagic Talent Lab Masterclasses promise to provide participants with hands on experience, helpful advice and career guidance from industry professionals practicing in various areas of the film and television industry.
SPECIAL OFFER Each workshop is £30.00 / Special Offer - Book any two workshops for £50.00. To avail of the offer please email: chloe@cinemagic.org.uk
All info here at southdevonplayers.com/crewing.html - previous crew have gone on to Uni etc so we need to re-crew for 2023. Must be Devon based. Happy to chat.
Posted 07/09/2022
Recently Posted Scripts & Playwrights
Scripts by Peter Travell
Actor, Director, Producer involved in amateur theatre for 30 years.
I spent my career in IT and now run the www.dramagroups.com website which supports amateur theatre groups and societies.
Set roughly in the Victorian age.
Dame Hilda Owl has two sons Terry and Freddie. Terry is a schoolteacher and is engaged to Tabitha (Tabby) Kat. Freddie is a bad lot who ran away to escape gaol.
A Mr Fowl is the new Squire. It is none other than Freddie Owl who is now rich. He means to evict his mother from her cottage and marry Tabitha.
Terry and Tabby elope to Bong Island to get married where they meet the Pigg sisters. They discover that Periwinkle was recently married to Freddie Owl who stole her money and ran away. They confront Freddie, who is then arrested by the local village Constable. The Constable then asks Dame Hilda Owl to marry him. Cue celebration.
M/F 7, F 3, M 3, Chorus 6
Set roughly in the Victorian age.
Marmaduke Muffet, a rich man and the owner of a pickle factory, has a daughter, Molly who is in love with Peter Piper (Chief Pickle Blender). Widow Black and her son Jethro Black arrive in the village. The widow has a magical pendant necklace, which makes old men fall in love with her. She sets her sights on Marmaduke.
Darren and Davey Rotter are two market traders who fall in with Jet who cons them into getting Peter sacked. Dazzer and Davey discover Widow Black’s secret. With the help of Peter, Polly, Molly and Willy they expose her evil plan.
Peter and Molly marry. Marmaduke retires. Peter takes over as MD of the Pickle Factory. Widow Black is made to be the Cleaner and Tea Lady while Jethro becomes the Odd Job Man.
M/F 2, F 3, M 5 Chorus 4
I run 'Mainly Military' (MM) costume and prop hire for the First and Second World Wars. The link to the web site for the larger business 'Battlefield Partnerships' is https://andyrobertshaw.wordpress.com
I can costume productions such as 'Journeys End', 'Accrington Pals, 'Dads Army or anything set on the Western Front or from Dunkirk to the fall of Berlin. I have both British and German uniforms, equipment, 'safe' weapons and props. I was consultant on various big screen productions, 'War Horse', '1917', etc, and am happy to act as military adviser or even provide a 'boot camp' in a replica trench system in Kent. See IMDB entry www.imdb.com/name/nm1579398.
We’d love you to join us at our Open Evening next Wednesday 17th August at 7.30pm as we launch our 50th Season of Drama ! More details below:
Stewarton Drama Group start their 50th season on Wednesday 17 August 2022 with an Open Evening for those over eighteen in the local area who are interested in any aspect of drama or theatre arts. On the night, there will be an opportunity to chat to group members, browse the photo gallery, see a slide show of group highlights and enjoy an informal reading of short comedy play.
The Group hopes to recruit new members and new patrons as they build back after two years of challenges brought by the pandemic. Throughout this period, they have maintained their momentum, by performing monologues and short comedy sketches on Zoom to local audiences, and in the past year, they’ve performed short plays in their own small theatre in Stewarton, to invited audiences of patrons and friends.
The Group are now very excited to build up activities in the months ahead, keeping quality local theatre alive and accessible.
In its 50th season, the Group is also acknowledging the contribution of Ismay McKenzie, founder member and first SDG President. Ismay performed in many plays and pantomimes, but she also produced many plays. One of her favourites, was the very funny one-act comedy, ‘The Devil His Due’, by Seamus Fail, which she first produced in 1984. So, aptly, the Group’s first production in season 2022-23 will be ‘The Devil His Due’, produced by Nancy McPherson, the current President. After an informal reading of the play at the Open Evening, the casting will take place the following evening, Thursday 18 August at 7.30pm. The production will be staged on 20, 21 & 23 October 2022 - more details coming soon !
If you’re interested in reading for a part, or taking on any of the many jobs such as building scenery, painting the set, collecting props, operating lighting and sound, managing costumes, doing make-up - or just coming along to join in the fun, you will be made very welcome.
Drama Group President for Season 2022-23, Nancy McPherson said:
"Stewarton Drama Group has connected very well with the local community over its 50 year span. Now more than ever, we value those connections and the friendships we’ve forged over the years. We are lucky to have our own small theatre in Corsehillbank Street, as well access to the larger theatre in Stewarton’s Area Centre. This has given us flexibility in planning our varied programmes. We have also built up a remarkable store of sets, costumes and props - not to mention experience in all aspects of the theatre.
"So, with all this to share, we’d love to meet you if you’re interested in participating. Please don’t hesitate - come along and meet us at our informal Open Evening on Wednesday 17 August in our Premises in Corsehillbank Street Stewarton, next to the tennis courts.
“If you’d like more information please email us at stewartondramagroup@hotmail.co.uk or follow us on Facebook at Stewarton Drama Group by clicking the ‘LIKE’ button at the top of the page to receive all our news updates.”
Best wishes
SDG Publicity Team
Posted on 10/08/2022
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We have lots of technical and theatre-related equipment and items for sale. Bargains galore!
12 x Fresnells and lamps 3 x winch stands for Fresnells set of 5 two-way radios and headsets etc. 4 Black portable ballet barres 15 x music stand lights 2 conductor music stands 3 heavy duty dress rails portable stage lights on stand x 2 Plus lots of props and costumes if interested!
Feel free to DM me for for more info or to take a look and see what you want! Need to go in next 2 weeks due to lack of storage, so open to offers! Buyers to collect from Gorseinon, Swansea. Look forward to hearing from you
The Watermill’s bespoke setting and compact stage wouldn’t be my first choice of venue for a revival production of the musical Whistle Down the Wind based on the book by Mary Hayley Bell, adapted to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Jim Steinman. However, the results were extremely impressive.
The storyline touches upon grief, racism, loneliness, small-town attitudes from 1959 Louisianna and religious practising cults in the form of the Snake Preacher (Elliot Mackenzie).
Swallow (Lydia White) is an older teenager who’s struggling with grief for her recently deceased mother, attempting to reassure and protect her younger siblings while trying to understand her father’s problems. Her faith is the one stable and constant thing in her life and it’s quite easy to see why the “man” she discovers in the family barn soon becomes a victim of mistaken identity.
Robert Tripolinos’ performance as the injured “man” an escaped murderer. Mistaken for Jesus by Swallow and the children he starts quietly with an air of uncertainty about him. Yet, as he becomes comfortable and finds his voice the sinister background stories being discussed by the adults in the village soon become reality. Tripolino’s voice is outstanding and amazed the auditorium when he sang his first number.
Although on the surface the storyline appears far-fetched and improbable. When you look at the events taking place through the eyes of a grieving daughter and the younger cast it’s a befitting story that wild imaginations would create and encourage each other to believe in within their peer groups.
The entire performance is set in and around the backdrop of the barn set in farmland where Swallow and her siblings live. Doubling up as the house of god, the local bar and a railway tunnel. Simon Kenny uses all the space available to its best capacity.
Many of the cast doubled up as the musicians from a range of guitars, piano, clarinets and piccolo. The limited space in the Theatre doesn’t allow room for an orchestra pit as well. Musical director George Francis certainly overcame that challenge.
The smaller scale setting certainly didn’t leave the audience with a smaller scaled production. I am sure the Choreography at times took precision and planning to allow each of the dancers the required space they needed without falling over each other. Director and choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves has developed a memorable production.
For more information on this production which runs until September 10th and future shows coming to The Watermill please check out the link below.
Publishers of Scripts. Pantomimes, Plays and Jukebox Musicals
We are a new publishing company specialising in Pantomime scripts. With over fifty years experience between us, we have a wealth of pantomime knowledge and are here to help you put on your best pantomime yet.
We also publish scripts for plays and jukebox musicals, and our books are open for budding playwrights.
So whether you’re looking for a script for your next production or looking to publish your own work, Upstage Publications is the place for you.
Recently Posted Musicians Required, Music Services, Music Swap
We are so excited to be bringing Legally Blonde to Great Dunmow but are still on the lookout for a musical director! We rehearse on Mondays and Wednesdays and are looking to start this show September/ October time. This is a paid role so if you or anyone you know might be interested then please get in touch!
Contact: via our website or social media
Posted 18/06/2022
Latest from our Advice Column Click here for the complete Advice Column
Post 69
Recent Post from one of our readers - 18/11/2021
Name: Sheila Spatcher
I am looking for.my cousin Janice Parfitt. I know she used to be a member of a amateur group and she was a lead in quite a few productions.
If anyone knows her please could you ask her to contact me. I would appreciate it.
Peter's response:
Hi Sheila,
I'm afraid I don't have any knowledge of your cousin.
I will post your query in the #Advice section of www.dramagroups.com asking anyone who is able to help to contact you directly via your email address.
I wish you luck in your search and would be interested to hear if you are successful in tracking your relative down.
Large church hall with excellent stage for hire. Flexible arrangements by negotiation. Please call for further details. Robert Watersone email Treasurer@thundersley.org
Available: Sundays
Posted 15/10/2021
Recently Posted Script Swap details
Eileen Norton
UK
Available
I have a number of copies of well known plays, (in good condition) looking for a home. These include Noel Coward, ‘ Private Lives’ and Chekhov ‘ The Cherry Orchard’ and various others.
Do you know of any group that would like them? If so, please get in touch, my email is: elnorton49@gmail.com
Posted 03/05/2021
Recently Posted Theatrical Makeup
Make-Up Artist Work Experience Required
Hi.
I’m Amanda. I’m currently doing make up artistry at West College Scotland. I am in my first year level 6.
I am looking for any work experience I could do. Anything at all would be great. Any local groups who need makeup artists for their productions do please get in touch.
