Players Notices

  • Committee
  • Henderson Hall Refurbishment
  • Productions 199 to 201

        Submissions for the notice board can be sent to paul@thecentralians.co.uk

Play Dates 2010/11

 29/7/2010

199     21/22/23 October 2010
20027/28/29 January 2011
20119/20/21 May 2011

Committee Meeting 

 15/8/2010

The next committee meeting is will be in September, T.B.A.

All members are welcome to attend, either as a non participating observer, or to address the committee on any issue..

If you would like to attend, and we really do encourage it, please let Janet know in advance. 


Newsletter

22:45 25/7/2009

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.


Production 199 - Oct 2010

20:35  25/07/2010

Is now cast and in Production

Paul Mathews has offered his own play as part of the '200th production' charity season.


Production 200 - Jan 2011

12:35  16/08/2010

Diane Booth has offered to produce. The Ayckbourn comedy Ten Times Table is under consideration.

Production 201 - May 2011

12:35  16/02/2010

A play is required as well as a producer.


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