DST

Freshers' shows, this term in numbers, two alumni interviews and more!

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FIRST NIGHTMichaelmas 2018

Editor’s NoteJennifer Baker, First Night Editor

Welcome to Issue 6 of the First Night newsletter - and we’ve got some amazing content for you this Janurary!

Durham Student Theatre produced some amazing shows last term, and page 4 is dedicated to an overview of some statistics - who knew we used so many venues? Some of those shows were created by our newest members, first years and new postgrads. Head over to page 6 to find out more about what they did.

Interestd in finding out what’s coming up? Durham Drama Festival returns for another year, and there’s an interview with this year’s festival organiser on page 5 to give you an insight into what to expect. And if you’re thinking about your post-uni plans, don’t worry - I interviewed two Durham alumni to find out how they’re working in theatre.

Thank you for picking up this issue, and we hope to see you in next term’s line up of shows - check out our back page for more information! If you’re interested in checking out our reviews, they’re all on the DST website - stay tuned for more fantastic content.

Happy reading!

Jenny

contents{ issue 6 } january 2019

03 MEET THE EXEC/WRITERS Meet DST’s Outreach/Campaign Officer and First Night writers04 THIS TERM IN NUMBERS DST Michaelmas productions 05 DDF 2019 Durham Drama Festival returns for February 201906 FRESH TALENT The first years show off their skills07 CATCH UP WITH Two DST alums share their tips with First Night08 WHAT’S ON THIS TERM Get excited for our shows happening this Epiphany Term

Photograph by Ed Rees

Charlie Nicholson in ‘Spring Awakening’Produced by DULOG

Photograph by Ed Rees

Cover Page Photographs: The cast of Sightline Productions and Suffragette Theatre’s ‘The Tempest’, photography by Anjoli Guha ; Fionna Monk in Pitch Productions’ ‘Us & Them’, photography by Harriet Willis ; Alexander Cohen in Wrong Tree Theatre’s ‘La Casbah’, photography by Sam Harrison

Editorial TeamJennifer BakerSophie Wright

Contributors Jennifer Baker, Maddie Lock, Imogen Usherwood, Aadira Parakkat,

Georgia Onslow, Molly Herbet, Elsa Kent, Sophie Wright

With thanks to... Experience Durham

Kate Barton

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Maddie Lock, a second-year Education with English student, discusses her role as the newly established Outreach and Campaigns Officer.

What made you want to become the Outreach and Campaigns secretary?When I first saw the role I thought it was so exciting that I could bring so many different things together that I am passionate about! Sharing theatre with the wider community in ways which can help to inspire people, bring them together, and bring joy is something which I really care about and find hugely rewarding.

Your role on the DST exec is a new one this year, can you describe your responsibilities?It involves working with theatre companies to talk through their projects aims and logistics of outreach work. I also work closely with Sophie, our theatre development coordinator, on long term projects for DST members. This term I ran two Tea and Talk events for people to come along to as a continuation from this year’s World Mental Health Day.

How did you first get involved with DST?I knew before I even got to university that I wanted to be as involved with theatre as I could be so I threw myself straight into it! In my first term I was so fortunate to be involved with a devised clowning piece which was something I had never done before but absolutely loved. I also tried my hand at producing, playwriting, and directing as the year went on and went to all the workshops I could – I gained so many new skills and met so many great people.

How can people get involved with outreach and campaigns in DST?If you want to get involved with outreach I can point you in the right

direction for some of the amazing existing projects within DST or if you have your own idea for a new project then get in touch and we’ll see where it can go. Over the next two terms with their being a big push on our wellbeing campaign there will lots of really exciting and rewarding opportunities to get involved with.

What plans do you have coming up and across the course of the year? What are your priorities?I will be continuing to support theatre companies setting up and developing their own outreach projects and would love to see as many of them as possible give it a go. My main focus and priority for the next two terms is going to be DST’s Mental Wellbeing Campaign which is going to grow and hopefully become a really important part of this society by the end of the year. Tea and Talk will be continuing as part of this, and most excitingly, the campaign will be spearheaded by a piece of new student theatre aimed at raising awareness in both the student and staff body.

Do you have any advice for looking after yourself in DST?From my experience so far I would definitely say the two things I have found most important have been making sure I make time to actively have a break from theatre, whether it be taking part in another society or just meeting up with my friends, and secondly, to ask for help when there is just too much going on – there will be people on your prod team/exec or in your group of friends who will be able to help you to make things work in the end.

Meet the Exec

I could bring so many different things together that I am

passionate about!

Name: Imogen UsherwoodCollege: St. Cuthbert’sYear: First year

Describe yourself in three words: Bookish, sarcastic, short.

Favourite show last term: ‘Something Dark’ from LTC - a really impressive and captivating one-man show that crammed so much into one hour. It was such a pleasure to review!Why should students review for First Night:Firstly, free tickets to some amazing shows! Reviewing really improves your understanding of theatre and performance, which is something you can bring to your own productions, whether as an actor or on the prod team.

Meet the WritersMeet some of the First Night’s contributors

Photographs (Clockwise): Maddie Lock, Aadira Parakkat, Imogen Usherwood

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Name: Aadira ParakkatCollege: Stephenson CollegeYear: First year in English LiteratureDescribe yourself in three words:

Indecisive, introverted, imaginative.Favourite show last term:

‘Who’s Afraid of Virigina Woolf’ by First Theatre CompanyWhy should students review for First Night:Reviewing for First Night gives you an opportunity to appreciate the talent that Durham has to offer, as well as allowing you to make a contribution to shaping the theatre landscape, by representing the voice of arguably the most crucial participants in theatre: the audience.

This Term in Numbers

Photograph: Rosie Dart, Oshy Ray, Mark Norton. Graphic: Rosie Dart

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number of venues:

23

number of shows:

36

number of theatre companies:

27

number of showcases:

4

number of workshops:

18

Durham Drama Festival 2019DDF is back for another fantastic year of student written, created,and produced theatre! Jennifer Baker talks to Sophie Wright about what goes into making DDF work.

It’s an excellent way to see and support new student theatre

5Photograph: Mari-Liis DouglasLogo: isabelle Culkin

Jennifer Baker (JB): How are you involved in DDF 2019?Sophie Wright (SW): I’m facilitating DDF this year, as part of my job as Theatre Development Coordinator which means I help out all the students who run the festival. There’s a lot of fantastic students who: run the festival, from judges and organising their stay in Durham, to the shows’ venues, to publicity for the entire festival. Then each show has their own cast, crew and production team, each venue has its own technical team, and so on. There’s a lot to coordinate, but its amazing to have everyone working together!

JB: When did you first become involved with DDF?SW: When I was a finalist last year, I was the DDF Festival Director. It was a very similar role to what I’m doing this year, mostly coordinating everyone to ensure that the festival goes ahead. It was super rewarding to know that I helped writers to put on their work with the support of the entire society, and to provide them with a platform they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience. JB: What does the role of DDF Director consist of?SW: I facilitate a student executive commitee where each individual has their own role, and then as a committee we look after 9 shows (our General Programme) and 1 showcase night (that we call Scratch Night). The Director oversees the whole thing, making sure it runs smoothly. It can be tough, but it’s amazing and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do it two years in a row.

JB: Tell us a little bit more about how DDF works.SW: DDF runs for a week between the 3-10 February. It kicks off on the Sunday with the Scratch Night, a showcase of student writing, followed by the Launch Party which everyone is invited to! The judges will then arrive and start their workshops in their own professional speciality, which is a completely unqiue opportunity afforded to students at Durham. The first General Programme shows start on Wednesday, with all shows finishing on the Saturday. The judges then deliberate, and the awards are handed out at the D’Oliviers, the ‘closing ceremony’ of DDF. The entire festival is an excellent way for people to see and support student theatre in the best possible way - and have fun doing it!

JB: What do you think are some of the highlights of DDF?SW: I love the script selection process - I absolutely love getting to engage in new writing! Getting to meet new people as well through socials, or simply working on the venues has been great - the best bit for me was having all 120 people involved in the festival last year sat in the same room at the end of the week, relaxing and enjoying the fruits of our hard work.

Fresh Talent Take a look at some of the fantastic first years involved in the wide variety of DST Freshers’ Shows this year...

I look forward to producing more shows in the future!

6 Photograph: top taken by HBT, bottom taken by Natalie Ho

Hild Bede Theatre’s freshers play was Denise Deegan’s Daisy Pulls It Off, a comedy set in a 1920s girls’ boarding school. Thrown into a world of midnight feasts, malicious pranks and dangerous trips to the cove, the new scholarship girl Daisy has to make her mark when all the odds are against her. And we had to try and do much the same with our production! With no lighting and minimal tech, we managed to carry this show simply by the enthusiasm and talent of our cast, most of whom had little to no experience on stage. Our favourite scene to do was probably the hockey match, which director Francesca Haydon-White had carefully choreographed, which had our cast very realistically out of breath and exhausted! The cliff scene, where the two ‘bullies’ are rescued from a narrow ledge above the sea by Daisy, was possibly one of the more challenging to stage. Our use of stairs instead of a wild cliff face made the desperate dialogue seem ridiculous and comedic. Overall it was an amazing experience for all of us involved: for some it was an entry into the world of theatre and for others an opportunity to acquire new skills and have an insight into the workings of DST. - Georgia Onslow

In November, freshers from both St. Chad’s College (Green Door Theatre Company) and St. John’s College (Bailey Theatre Company) performed in the fresher plays - Family Circles by Alan Ayckbourn. Director Gabriella Sills proved that she was definitely capable of bringing this play to life in the short period of time allocated for rehearsing and ensured that rehearsals ran smoothly, with the help of Natalie Ho. Family Circles showed itself to be just as chaotic and crazy as we imagined it during the read through, which made it huge amounts of fun to be a part of and produce. l think my favourite part of the whole experience was watching each member of the cast develop their roles and put their own spin on what they believed their character should be like. The end result did justice to the hard work put in by all the members of the cast and crew and the support the play received made it all worthwhile. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with DST and would highly recommend that any future freshers apply to take part. - Molly Herbert

Last term I was fortunate enough to produce the Durham Student Theatre Freshers’ Play, ‘My Very Own Story’ by Alan Ayckbourn. Having directed a couple of shows in the past I had a vague idea of how things might work! Having met the production team, the whole process started off really enthusiastically. One of the greatest difficulties of the whole performance was narrowing down to a final few cast members. Rehearsals were then immediately underway, with only two full weeks until our opening night! The cast and production team all worked tirelessly to bring our vision to light, and spread the word around Durham…from splattering posters across the library, to performing a virtual assault of the senses on Facebook and Instagram. Our location proved challenging. However, as usual, the cast managed to find the humour in lugging set and costumes across rugby pitch after rugby pitch to move them into the theatre. The show was a roaring success with various glowing reviews, large audiences, and a highly eventful cast party...I cannot thank the cast, crew (especially my wonderful assistant Rosie Strong) and DST enough for making the show so enjoyable, and I look forward to producing more shows in the future! - Elsa Kent

The end result did justice to all the hard work put in

Photograph: supplied by George Rextrew and Kirsten Buckmaster

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Catch Up With...Jennifer Baker talks to George Rexstrew about graduating from Durham and studying at drama school. George is 24 years old and is from Epsom, Surrey. He is a former Castle student and is now training at LAMDA on their two-year MFA in Professional Acting programme.

Jennifer Baker (JB): When were you at Durham and what did you study? George Rexstrew (GR): I was at Durham from 2013-2017 (featuring a Year Abroad in the middle), and I studied Modern Languages. JB: What advice could you offer somebody who is hoping to audition for drama school? GR: If you’re going to audition, just make sure that you pick monologues that best represent you, and don’t be apologetic for it. Panels are experts in sniffing out anything fake - so just pick pieces that speak to you, work on them and I’d say you’re in with a shot! JB: What could a typical day at LAMDA look like? GR: LAMDA’s two-year course is extremely intensive, since they’re essentially condensing three years of training into two, which means that no day is ever the same! Classes begin at 10am and often run through until 9pm. I’ll go from a lesson in stage combat, to a session on Shakespeare’s sonnets, to rehearsing medieval dance choreography, to 90 minutes of breathing in semi-supine, to a class in musical improvisation. It’s difficult and demanding in all sorts of ways, but also wacky and wonderful. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! JB: What is the most important thing you learned at Durham? GR: I’m massively grateful for all of the opportunities DST has afforded me, and being so involved in the society has definitely helped me through my first term at drama school. More than anything, DST taught me the value of having a good team. Looking back, the shows I enjoyed most while at Durham were the ones made up of people that were kind and hardworking (with a good sense of humour on the side). Also, the sheer number of shows that Durham puts on provided me exposure to a number of plays and writers, which has proven really useful.

Jennifer Baker (JB): When were you at Durham and what did you study?Kirsten Buckmaster (KB): I studied a BA Combined Honours in English and History, from 2011-2014.JB: What has been your route from Durham to becoming a DSM?KB: A few months before I graduated I was rejected from the MA programme in Stage Management at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I was devastated, but determined to keep pursuing my interest in technical theatre. I got a four-month contract as a technician at the Albany, Deptford in London. I then started piecing together freelance work in London-- I was everything from ASM to Prod Electrician, Prop Supervisor, Followspot, Lighting Programmer-- you name it, I said yes to it! I found a lot of work through Stage Jobs Pro (now Mandy), Facebook, and by sending my CV and cover letters to venues, theatre companies, and General Managers. I worked at Fringe venues and pub theatres like Theatre503, the Hope Theatre, Vault Festival, The Other Palace, Pleasance-- as well as bigger institutions like Guildford School of Acting, and a mid-scale tour produced by WMC. Off the back of all of that experience, I re-applied and got a place on the programme at Royal Welsh (which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend). I finished that course half-way through 2017, and since then I’ve been on tour again with Lyric Hammersmith, worked regionally at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, and Harlow Playhouse, and continued to build relationships with theatres in London like the Gate, Notting Hill, and the Donmar Warehouse. JB: What has been your highlight since graduating?KB: It’s hard to pin-point one particular moment. There are lots of shows I’m proud to have called -- whether because of their size, or the challenges faced by the Production Team, or the number of un-rehearsed changes and new cues put in since the previous show (during previews). Seeing my name published in a new playtext for the first time, with the credit ‘Stage Manager’, was a pretty proud moment. But the highlights are always the day-to-day victories; reaching the end of the final tech session when you never thought you’d make it, having an uproarious audience response on the first preview, fixing a problem backstage seconds before an actor has to go on. They’re the real highlights-- knowing you’ve done the job well and accomplished something close to impossible. JB: What would you say to someone who is interesting in following a career in stage management after Durham?KB:Research your options! That applies not only to routes into the industry (whether you’re considering a drama school course, or an apprenticeship, work placement, or simply emailing every theatre company on your ‘work’ bucket list), but also to Stage Management as a discipline. There’s a huge difference between wanting to work in opera and musical theatre, for instance. And there are huge distinctions between Stage Management and Production Management, let alone the differences in roles within the Stage Management department itself. Talk to and email as many people as you can (be they current stage managers, drama school tutors, directors, designers) to get a better sense of what you want, and what sort of training or experience would be most valuable to you.JB:What’s your biggest piece of advice for working in the industry?KB: Never take it too seriously! That’s not to say I don’t think I’m doing valuable work, or I don’t take seriously the safety of the acting company, technical staff, or the general public. And it’s incredibly important to believe in the work that you’re doing (even if it’s occasionally trivial, or bad), and believe in the ability of the arts to transcend social barriers and bring people together. But, at the end of the day, my job is to facilitate a bunch of adults playing a big game of dress-up. If a lighting cue lands half a second late on Press Night, it’s not the end of the world.

Jennifer Baker talks to Kirsten Buckmaster about her career in technical theatre. Kirsten is a London-based Stage Manager, who moved to the UK from Singapore in 2011, and has extensive credits in professional UK theatre.

Careers Special!

What's On This TermAll ticket listings are at durhamstudenttheatre.org.

25 & Counting17-18 March | Pitch

Friendship and love between young adults in the 21st century.

Bedlam31 Jan - 2 Feb | Wrong Tree

Exploring chaos through the setting of a Victorian asylum.

Jesus Christ Superstar21-23 Feb | CTC

Andrew Lloyd Webber's seminal rock musical about the last week of Jesus's

life.

Stand Up Show4 Mar | Buttered Toast

Fresh new stand up comedyfrom students!

KEITH.22-23 Feb

Fantastic fun new sketch comedy.

Burnt! New Writing Showcase11 Mar | Buttered Toast

Brand new student writing from Durham's new writing company.

DDF 2019: General Programme6-9 Feb | DDF 2019

9 fantastic new student written and created shows, with over 50 actors,

over 4 days.

Birdland2-4 Mar | CDS

Rockstar Paul faces the end of his 15-month international tour.

Into The Woods27 Feb - 2 Mar | DULOG

DULOG presents Sondheim's musical reimagining of your favourite

fairy tales.

How To Succeed In Business Without Really trying

20-23 Feb | TCMSA musical satire of big business and

all it holds sacred.

DDF: Scratch Night3 Feb | DDF 2019A showcase night of

new student writing to kick off Durham Drama Festival 2019.

Skylight16-17 Feb | LTC

Attempts to rekindle a passionate relationship only leads to conflicting

ideologies.

Die Fledermaus22-23 Feb | DOE

DOE's annual opera at the Gala - a tale of New Year's Eve

revelry and fun.

Singin' in the Rain15-19 Jan | DULOG

This year, DULOG brings the beloved musical comedy to the

Gala stage.

Mamma Mia, Here I DIM Again!21 Mar | DIM

Join DIM for a fully improvised Mother's Day Musical!

Mort21-23 Feb | Ooook!

When Death takes on an apprentice, all hell breaks loose.

The Durham Revue: Apocalypse... Now?

20 & 25 Jan | The Durham RevueNew Year. New troupe.

100% new material.

Pippin20-23 Feb | HBT

A mysterious troupe tell the story of Pippin, an ordinary person on an

extraordinary journey.

Northanger Abbey9-10 Feb | CTC

A brand-new promenade adaptation of Jane Austen's

'Northanger Abbey'.

DU Showcase 201922 Mar | DST

Durham's finalists in an amazing showcase of acting talent.

Comedyfest(ft. Cambridge Footlights and

Oxford Revue)24 Feb | The Durham Revue

3 universities. 3 troupes. 1 night.

Check out more DST content online,

and read our First Night reviews!

durhamstudenttheatre.org