o a s the tr oast notes onbr i d g e · margot when tony was playing professional tennis...
TRANSCRIPT
OAST NOTESOAST THEATRE
TONBRIDGE February 2018
2
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 29th January Members’ Evening:
Louise Jameson returns
TUESDAY, 6th FEBRUARY LAST DAY FOR COPY FOR
MARCH OAST NOTES
Sunday, 11th February Quiz Night
Saturday 17th to Saturday 24th
February incl.
Play of the Month
“The Game’s Afoot”
Sunday 18th February
Monday 19th & Wednesday
21st February
Audition: “Dial M for Murder”
Re-calls for “Dial M for Murder”
auditions
Monday 19th - Saturday
24th February
Southern Counties One Act
Play Festival - Oxted
Sunday 11th & Sunday
18th March
Auditions: “Ghosts”
NEXT MONTH’S PLAY – “Lovesong” by Abi Morgan, 17th – 24th
March. A love story of one couple told from two different points in
their lives, as young lovers and as worldly companions looking back
on their relationship.
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PLAY OF THE MONTH
“The Game’s Afoot” or
“Holmes For The Holidays” by Ken Ludwig
The play is set in 1936 at the isolated (of course!) Connecticut
mansion of William Gillette, an actor/playwright famous for his
portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on the Broadway stage. He is holding
a Christmas Eve party for his cast. Outside a snow storm is brewing
which makes it increasingly difficult to escape and when one of the
guests is stabbed to death everyone starts to suspect everyone else.
As the body count starts to rise, Gillette decides that he, in his persona
of Sherlock Holmes, and not the curiously English police detective,
will have to solve the murders.
Come and see this light-hearted who-dun-it but look out for loud gun
shots, storms and flashing lightning while, through the laughter, you
try to keep track of who is actually dead and guess who might have
killed them.
Stuart McCreadie
Director
Now that sounds a bundle of fun. Seats are bound to sell quickly so
do make sure of yours by making an early booking. This you can do
online – www.oasttheatre.com or by ‘phone on 01732 363849 or by
post using an Advance Booking Form which you can get from the
foyer in the theatre.
4
LOUISE JAMESON BACK AT THE OAST –
29th JANUARY 8.00pm
Response for tickets has been disappointing for what promises to be an
excellent Members’ Evening. An audience with a well-known actress. A
lot of time and trouble goes into the organisation of these events and the
least we can do is support them. Those of you who appear on stage will
know how disheartening it is to play to a half empty house. Let us hope
it is just Christmas and New Year that has got in the way of your booking.
The theatre holds 112 – let’s fill it! Contact Maggie Hoiles on 01622
813573 or [email protected]
NEW MEMBERS
New Year – New Members
Welcome to 2018 at the Oast to the following:-
Youth Theatre Members first –
Ella Alemayehu-Lambert joins our very prestigious Youth Theatre
then seniors
David Bewley, Jeffrey Bolam, Jennifer Cloke & Valerie Coombs
have joined as Audience members
Jeffrey Bolam (a former member) is also willing to help in the Bar.
We are very happy to have you all with us and hope that you will enjoy
everything we have on offer.
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FUN IN FEBRUARY! MEMBERS’ EVENT
QUIZ NIGHT
Sunday, 11th February
7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
Our quizmaster, Stephen Pierce, returns to test your knowledge!
Cost - £7.00 a person to include a glass of wine or soft drink with
nibbles placed on the table. The bar will be open.
Teams of 6. Smaller numbers will be made up into a team.
Please book your places by sending a cheque payable to TTAC
to Valerie Armstrong, Candytree Plat, Foxhole Lane, Matfield,
Kent. TN12 7ES or leave the envelope in the ‘Wardrobe’ pigeon
hole at the Oast.
Please include an email address (or telephone number) to receive
confirmation of your booking.
Book your table now!
Jo Pierce
6
AUDITION
Alfred Hitchcock’s
“Dial M For Murder”adapted by Frederick Knott
Auditions: Sunday, 18th February – 10.00am – 2.00pm
(Janet Young Room)
Re-calls: Monday, 19th & Wednesday, 21st February
8.45pm (venue tba)
Performance dates: 19th – 26th May, 2018
Director: Helen Thorpe – 07909881347 or
calamity.thorpe@gmailcom
When Murder calls…hang up!!
Frederick Knott’s intense, darkly gripping thriller, famously filmed by
Alfred Hitchcock just screams – Watch Me!
Ex-tennis Pro Tony Wendice has married his wife Margot for her money,
but subsequently (and with good reason) becomes convinced that she has
been having an affair, so he implements what he thinks is the perfect plot
to have her murdered and to get the inheritance. He starts by blackmailing
a reprobate he used to know into strangling Margot for a fee, whilst
creating an alibi for himself – or so he thinks!
A frighteningly brilliant, claustrophobic plot twisting, passionate tale of
betrayal and murder. It will require strong performances from all the
actors.
The Characters:
Margot Wendice: The charming, naïve, and wealthy socialite wife of
Tony. She is quick witted and intelligent and genuinely kind, good
natured and graceful. Age range mid 20s – early 40s.
Tony Wendice: Margot’s husband. A former English
professional tennis player who has married Margot for her money
7
“Dial M For Murder” cont’d.
as his professional career is nearly over. He is selfish, narcissistic and
arrogant. Age range 30s – early 50s.
Max Halliday: An American crime fiction writer who had an affair with
Margot when Tony was playing professional tennis tournaments in
America. Age range 30s – 40s.
Captain Lesgate: An old down on his luck acquaintance of Tony’s from
Cambridge University, who is now a convicted criminal, and is
blackmailed by Tony into murdering Margot. Fantastic fight scene. Age
range 30s – early 50s.
Inspector Hubbard: An intelligent, good natured stoic British Scotland
Yard detective much sharper than he first appears. A treat of a character
for a heavy hitting actor. Age range mid 40s – 60s.
Thompson: A Police Officer working with Inspector Hubbard.
Supporting character of your own making. Age range 20s – 60s. Male
but possible female may be considered.
Audition pieces:
1. Tony with Lesgate. From start of scene 2 to page 12 & from page
17 ‘Where’s the nearest police station?’to page 19.
2. Margot with Max. From page 3 ‘You look very serious all of a
sudden’ to page 4.
3. Margot with Hubbard. From page 34 ‘Good morning madam’ to
page 39.
4. Max with Tony. From page 48 ‘You mustn’t give up trying. It’s
not over yet’ to page 51.
5. Hubbard with Tony. From page 51 ‘Oh – hullo Inspector’ to page
53.
6. Margot with Tony. From page 32 ‘More coffee’ to page 34.
Ping Helen for a script or scanned audition pieces...
8
SOUTHERN COUNTIES DRAMA FESTIVAL
19th – 24th FEBRUARY, 2018 – OXTED
One of the first rounds of the Southern Counties Festival is held at
the Barn Theatre, Oxted. Our entries this year are:
“Strangers” by Colin and Mary Crowther
Fisherman: Mel Paszkowski
Riverwoman: Annie Young
Stranger: Karen Gorbutt
A hauntingly beautiful, multi-layered tale of love and forgiveness
played out on an abandoned jetty with only a fisherman to help
disentangle the weeds.
“Ghost Story” by Mark Ravenhill
Lisa: Karen Dix
Meryl: Elizabeth McCreadie
Hannah: Natalie Smith
Meryl is a healer who believes in the power of positive thinking.
Hannah is her girlfriend and Lisa needs healing. A moving story of
ghosts, and the lies we tell ourselves to cope with what is really
happening.
Please come to Oxted and support us if you can. Tickets can be
obtained from the Barn Theatre Box Office (£8.00) on 01959 561811.
Performances start at 7.30pm for the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
& Saturday and at 7.00pm on Thursday and Friday. As yet the dates
we shall be performing are not known but do contact Sandra Barfield
on [email protected] for this information.
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100 CLUB – DECEMBER RESULTS
£50.00 Mr A Wheeler
£25.00 Mr & Mrs S Walters
£10.00 Mr F Barnfather
£10.00 Mr & Mrs Izzard
£10.00 Mrs M Weaver
£10.00 Mrs H Simons
You can join this fund raiser at any time – contact Rita Carpenter
on 01732 358282 or [email protected]. It costs just
£13.00 a year. Lucky numbers available:
2 /19 /82/ & 150
WHERE’S IT GORN?
One of the set of four cushions that are on the settees in the bar
went missing during the run of “Wendy & Peter Pan”. There has
been a thorough search of the theatre without it being found. It
would be nice to have it back (no questions asked).
10
AUDITION
“Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen – adapted by Stephen Mulrine
Auditions: Sunday, 11th March – 3.00pm
Sunday, 18th March – 3.00pm
Janet Young Room
Performance dates: 23rd – 30th June
Director: Andrew Taylor – 07743900710, 01622 743746
This is a play where money, property and appearances matter. Helen
Alving is commemorating the life of her deceased husband, Captain
Alving, with the help of Pastor Manders. They are to open an
orphanage in the Captain’s name. She wishes to make a clean break
from her husband’s legacy, but no matter how much she tries, she
cannot escape the past. The return of Osvald, her son, pleases her,
but she cannot protect him from the exploits of his father. He carries
the final legacy of Captain Alving. The ghosts of the past must
finally mould the present.
This is a small cast with five strong characters. Each one presents a
challenge to the actor.
I shall be auditioning actors individually.
11
AUDITION – “Ghosts” contd.
CAST:
HELENE ALVING (40s-60s) – She is like a bird with clipped
wings. An intelligent woman trapped by social convention. Idealises
people. Was deeply in love with Manders at one time. She has a
complex relationship with Osvald.
PASTOR MANDERS (40s–60s) – Pompous. Self righteous.
Moralistic. Regards the opinions of society as paramount. Doesn’t
accept his own shortcomings.
OSVALD MANDERS (20s-30s) – Bohemian. Artist. Difficult
relationship with his mother. He resents her because she left him. He
doesn’t really know who he is, so he acts a part.
JACOB ENGSTRAND (40s-60s) – Carpenter. Rough around the
edges. Feels indebted to Manders. Has had a serious injury which
happened a few years ago and has left him with a limp. Emotionally
insecure.
REGINE ENGSTRAND (20s) – Servant to Mrs Alving. The
illegitimate daughter of Captain Alving. She wants to improve
herself in society and is learning French. She is attracted to Osvald.
Scripts are available from the Director.
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ONE POINT OF VIEW
“Wendy & Peter Pan” adapted by Ella Hickson
Christmas is a magical time of year so how better to get into the festive
spirit than with this enchanting production of a much-loved classic – with
a twist! Originally adapted for the RSC by Ella Hickson, this version of
J M Barrie’s enduring fantasy is written from a feminine viewpoint,
placing the character of Wendy firmly centre stage. We follow the story
through her eyes and share her sorrow at the loss of her little brother who
she is convinced was taken to Neverland by Peter. Only by finding him
can she hope to mend the hearts of her grieving parents and restore their
smiles.
Whilst the ever child-like Pan and his troupe of Lost Boys see Wendy
merely as a mother figure, she herself is determined to be brave and strong
and true to her quest, even if it means taking on the fearsome Captain
Hook and his horde of swashbuckling pirates. She is matched by the
rebellious Tiger Lily and a quirky and punk-like Tinkerbell, who despite
their earlier jealousy of Wendy, find that they are strong when fighting
together.
All the traditional elements of the story are there, of course: the budding
romance between Wendy and Peter, doomed to disappointment by his
refusal to grow up; the ‘death’ of Tinkerbell; the comedy relationship
between Hook and the besotted Smee; and the ominous and ever-present
Crocodile. The sword fights – using individually designed swords
specially created by Samuel Marlow – were played with relish and the
cast really enjoyed themselves during these scenes.
The dialogue was sharp, humorous and streetwise, bringing a
contemporary freshness to the script, and the character of Tinkerbell in
particular used this to great comic effect. The costumes too carried on the
contemporary feel, with the exception of the Darling family who
remained true to tradition. Judy Beer, Alison Miall and their
team of costumiers must be congratulated on successfully
taking on such a mammoth task – their sewing machines must
have been working overtime!
13
“Wendy & Peter Pan” contd.
The cleverly designed set effortlessly transformed from bedroom to Pan’s
den to pirate ship without any longwinded changes, allowing the action
to flow smoothly. Good use was also made of the auditorium, with Lost
Boys and Pirates boisterously pouring in from both sides. The lighting
was effective and atmospheric, and I particularly liked Tink’s cosy den,
appropriately adorned with colourful fairy lights. But by far my favourite
innovation was the addition of the Star Curtain, which produced a
twinkling and truly magical backdrop – especially during the ‘flying’
sequences, which were simply and cleverly staged (and thankfully did not
involve a single use of wires!).
Directors Jason Lower and Phil Burns united the talents of the Hoppers,
Youth, and adults to produce a fine evening of festive entertainment. The
fact that they managed to co-ordinate two full casts, comprising nineteen
characters each, and three sets of Hoppers, over twelve performances, was
quite a logistical achievement!
Finally I would like to give a mention to all the backstage Chaperones,
headed by Cathryn Gahan, without whom the younger members would
be unable to take part in our productions.
Congratulations to everyone involved.
Elizabeth Goodall
BOX OFFICE RESULTS
There were 12 performances of this play and 1,144 tickets were sold,
being 85% of the capacity. There were 138 (12%) Season Ticket Holders.
194 (17%) Members, 601 (53%) Non Members, 208 (18%) Students and
3 Associate Members. On the last night 3 tip up seats were sold. 805
transactions were carried out online, being 71% of the bookings made.
Brian Perryman
14
TAKING FORWARD AN IDEA SUGGESTED BY ONE OF OUR
MEMBERS WE PROPOSE, OVER THE COMING MONTHS, TO
INCLUDE IN OAST NOTES SHORT ARTICLES ON THE
ACTIVITES OF OUR ASSOCIATE MEMBERS.
WE START THIS MONTH WITH –
TONBRIDGE LIONS CLUB – helping those most in need
The lions are:
Members of the world’s largest and most active service organisation
with 1.35 million members operating in over 200 countries.
People who have decided to give something back to their
communities.
People who enjoy working together to help those less fortunate than
themselves.
People who, with their partners, enjoy regular social occasions.
We raise money by organising and running a wide variety of events, e.g.
the Tonbridge Triathlon, Tonbridge Town Carnival and Fete, Classic Car
Tour, Christmas barrel organ collection, a charity golf day and a quiz
night.
Over the last ten years we have raised over £250,000 and most of this has
been distributed to local charities and projects.
Tonbridge Lions Club also serves the local community by providing
many service activities such as the Senior Single Citizens’ Party, Diabetes
Screening, It’s a Knockout competition for teams of people with learning
difficulties, Christmas Pantomime and Talking Newspaper for the Blind.
If you wish to join the Lions Club or become a Friend of Tonbridge Lions
and give come time to help your local community please contact us on
0845 833 9819 or email to [email protected]
John Ruck
Press Officer
15
OAST YOUTH THEATRE
WORKSHOPS
Thursday, 1st February, 7.30-10.00pm
Thursday, 15th February, 7.30-10.00pm
AFTER SHOW
Fancy taking part in “After Show – The Film”? We will be starting work
in the next couple of months ahead of a residential filming weekend 6th
– 8th July.
Those who were in the original will get first refusal, after that we will be
auditioning those who are interested for replacement roles, additional
characters and ‘extras’.
Fill out this nifty little form, which has a few more details:
oastyouth.co.uk/aftershowfilm
Deadline for filling out the form: Sunday, 11th February
CALENDAR
All of our upcoming dates can be found in the OYT calendar:
http://oastyouth.co.uk/oyt-calendar
Jason
OAST THEATRE
TONBRIDGE
THE OAST THEATRETonbridge Theatre & Arts Club
OFFICERS
Box Office: (01732) 363849 [email protected] ROAD TONBRIDGE KENT TN10 3AN TEL: (01732) 350261
www.oastheatre.com
Tonbridge Theatre & Arts Club Registered Charity No. 227035
PHIL PORTER [email protected]
DAVID KEITH [email protected]
ELIZABETH PORTLOCK [email protected]
BRIAN PERRYMAN [email protected]
ANNIE YOUNG [email protected]
PHIL PORTER
LYN PORTER [email protected]
MAGGIE HOILES [email protected]
JO PIERCE [email protected]
JASON LOWER [email protected]
Chairman
Honorary Treasurer
Honorary Secretary
Membership Secretary
Editor
Premises Manager
Hirings and Rehearsal Bookings
Publicity
Wardrobe Representative
Youth Theatre
01732 835460
01732 458876
01732 300551
01732 354368
01732 352084
01732 835460
01622 813573
01892 528166
07812061753
01732 835460