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I am pleased
with this newsletter and as I think it is a really interesting one.
Nothing to do with me I hasten to add, John has written his thoughts
on the seriously good Amy’s view and Janet has given her
entertaining answers to the ‘This is your life’ feature.
Additionally
Paul Matthews gives a personal view on the forthcoming play
‘Celebrity’. The play what he wrote.
A Brush With Hare
I
think we knew from the start that it wasn’t going to be easy, and
that a David Hare play is not for the faint-hearted, but I believe
that now and again it’s good to step outside the ‘comfort zone’.
I realise that we had difficult rehearsal periods early on whilst
getting to grips with that mountain of dialogue and those
overlapping conversations and with time slipping by with everything
feeling ‘flat’, I was beginning to have doubts about the venture.
Then, with only a couple of weeks to go and, perhaps prompted by
fear of failure, we had one of those rehearsals where all that had
been worked toward suddenly began to fall into place, energy levels
lifted, and from that moment you knew the game was on, the wait had
been worthwhile, and the relief – evident.
Of course there were flaws, there always are, yet somehow most of
these were overcome with sheer bravura performances, and from the
first night it was clear that something a bit special was happening.
It was strange but fascinating, and I swear to
God that I was totally swept up in the drama, as if I were seeing
it for the first time.
Naturally, after so many weeks working together, it’s difficult to
remain detached, and hard to be completely impartial, that’s a job
for the audience, but there is no doubt that something quite
extraordinary was going on, and I was proud to be a part of it. You
had to be there and anyone who wasn’t missed a theatrical treat.
My grateful Thanks to each and everyone involved, especially to the
cast who responded magnificently to the challenge, and for the
support of a highly organised back-stage team, not forgetting a big
THANKYOU to the “Sunday Bunch”, without whom............?
I doubt that anybody will be falling over themselves to produce
another David Hare play, but please do try and lift that ‘comfort
bar’ once in a while. Progress doesn’t happen without risk, and risk
isn’t risk without some failure, and if you don’t experience some
failure, you probably aren’t improving either
John Ahern
May 2010
Messages from Committee
Audition
for next play CELEBRITY written by our home grown author Paul
Mathews, has been held and the following have been cast:
Amber - Klara
Remmington
Max - Richard
Coleman
Freddy - Linda
Freeman
Sarah - Sarah-Jayne
Bottrill
Stephan - Paul
Mathews
Cherie - Jayne Dugan
Darius - Lawrence
Jerry - Mark Nichols
Director - Trish
Richardson
As this play will
not incur the usual expenses such as royalties, we are anticipating
that we will be making a donation to charity i.e. The Peace
Hospice.
Production Dates
are: 21/22/23 October 2010 with set buildings on the 10th and 17th
October. As the proceeds will be going to charity, please make every
effort to sell as many tickets as possible.
We
are also holding a clear out of under the stage at Henderson Hall,
which for those who go under the stage at set buildings will know,
the necessity to hold this. This is being held from 10am to 4pm on
Sunday 12th September.
We know this is not
a very nice activity but it really is necessary, and many hands make
light work, so please come along and help.
Summer
Activities;
We have held
several play reading evenings at which we have read plays which we
hoped would be suitable for the January production, but as yet have
not made any final decisions. We really need to know availability
for the 200th so that we can make a decision. Diane Booth has very
kindly agreed to produce the play.
The end of season
dinner held at Moor Mill, was well attended and as this came within
the World Cup Football we had a sweepstake, which Lawrence Fanning
won with Spain and Hazel Pratt was runner-up with Holland.
The annual BBQ was
again held at the home of Wendy and Michael, thank you again to them
for their hospitality. It was a lovely day and thoroughly enjoyed
by all those who attended.
The walk, thank you
to Mark Nichols for arranging, took place around the Letchmore Heath
area. A lovely evening taking in a couple a very pleasant
hostelries.
CONGRATULATIONS:
To Helen Ellis and
Daniel Harrison on their forthcoming marriage on 3lst July at St.
James Church, Watford.
To Helen Ellis,
Jenny Nichols and Lydia Murray on achieving their University
Degrees.
Good Luck to
Richard Coleman on his decision to leave work and attend
Hertfordshire University for a three year degree course.
Happy Birthday to
Tim Dugan on his 30th birthday on 24th September.
This is your
Life Janet Thorpe
How long have
you been a member?
I joined in
1968 when I was 20 and, if I remember correctly, had just finished
with a long term boyfriend of three years and needed something to
distract me. My brother John and Sister Wendy had been members for
several years, together with our then neighbour Brian Darling, so I
had been to see Wendy and Brian perform and remember Sailor Beware
very well.
How did you get
involved?
I attended an
audition for All In Good Time (which became the film The Family Way
starring Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett) and being asked to play the
leading role. I was a shy and retiring sort (that was a long time
ago) and had certainly never been on stage before and nearly had a
fit. Fortunately the show never came to fruition.
Which costumes
are you most proud of?
I think
probably the Stepping Out costumes. Not just the costumes, but the
whole play was just a really good, enjoyable production. I even
appeared in a tutu for that play. I am quite proud of some of the
period costumes as well. Although there is always room for
improvement.
You must spend
hours on some costumes, do you enjoy the challenge?
They can be
time consuming, but I do get satisfaction from making something out
of nothing and enjoy the challenge of some. Not so sure my immediate
family have always been too happy with the costumes cluttering up
the house. It obviously made some impression, because my son is
trying to persuade me to retire from work and set up business making
clothes or doing alterations.
Do you get
nervous back stage?
Ha. Yes I do,
very often. I try not to because it doesn’t help the cast, but the
butterflies are quite often present.
Tell me about
your acting experience?
Um, well acting
is not quite the right word, but I appeared as an extra in a
telephone box (can’t remember which play), I was Gwen, the nurse in
Jane Eyre having the line Mr. Rossiter she has escaped (or something
like that anyway), and of course as a member of the Ballet Dance
School in Stepping Out.
Would you
return to a stage role?
Well they say,
never say never, but it would only be a walk on and only if there
was literally no one else to do it.
Do you have a
favourite play?
I would say
Stepping Out. This was a play that was videoed by my husband David
but ironically all copies have mysteriously disappeared. Weird. I
think Abigail’s Party would come in second place.
Do you have any
funny stories to relate about the centralians?
Well maybe not
funny exactly. When Wendy was stage manager and left a teapot off
stage and we ended up cutting the scenery to get it on the set.
Of prompting
when the late Peter Bloomfield appeared on stage saying my name is ?
and having to prompt his name. We also did a festival play at the
pump house and I was prompting the words peanuts, peanuts to Graham
Starkey who had forgotten his line.
Do you agree
that Max Factor is the make-up for make up artists?
The
professionals may use Max Factor, but most of the Centralians make
up was bequeathed by the late Nancy Beer and we are still using some
of it today, and I have always followed her example and purchased
make up from Charles Fox in Covent Garden. If I had the money I
could have a field day in that shop!
When I was
first asked to do “This Is Your Life”, I didn’t think I would be
able to answer any of the questions, but as normal once I get going
you can’t stop me. Hope I haven’t bored the pants off everyone.
Paul
Matthews on Celebrity
'Celebrity' is,
on the surface, a comedy drama about the modern phenomenon that is
celebrity; however, it also touches on familiar themes such as
parenting and childhood.
The action
focuses on an eventful 24-hours in the lives of science-fiction
novelist Max Kettell and his PR guru wife, Amber, as their friends,
family and clients get drawn into various celebrity disasters and
intrigues. The fact that Max and Amber have to look after their
eight-week-old son amongst all the mayhem adds to the tension as
rows, recriminations and reconciliations pepper the play.
The play was
initially inspired by a biography I read some years ago of Sid
James, of Carry On fame. Sid had various children out of wedlock,
who he never really had much to do with, and it got me thinking
about the relationships that exist – or don’t exist – between
celebrities and the people around them. I've tried to give everyone
some sort of connection with the celebrity world, from a nerdy
autograph hunter to a “real-life” celeb.
I actually
started planning ‘Celebrity’ in May 2009, “finished” it in the
autumn, and have been re-writing it since then (with lots of breaks
in between). It had to be edited down by 20% in the two weeks
between the reading and the auditions, which was hectic, but fun.
The fact that I
have had to cast myself in the play – due to actor shortage! – will
be interesting, as I have obviously been living with the characters
in my head for the last year, and I know them all very well. The
fact we have a new director in Trisha Richardson (Sarah-Jayne
Bottrill’s mum, who has lots of experience with the Chipperfield
Players) will help me take a step back, and I see it as still a work
in progress – if the actors/director feel strongly about particular
lines/moves we can change them. Plus, we can film it, as I hold the
copyright, and hopefully get it on DVD!
Finally, the
society is donating all profits from the production to Watford Peace
Hospice’s 2010 appeal (plus there will be bucket collections every
night). The Peace Hospice are really strapped for cash, so I thought
it would be a nice for the group to make a contribution to their
valuable work.
Finally, we
will need lots of help with front-of-house, so if you are not
treading the boards or helping out behind the scenes, please let me
know and, when we get round to appointing a front-of-house manager,
I will be in touch!
Many thanks to
John, Janet and Paul
Steve. | 