Monday 13 February 2012

Shakespeare skills exchange

Liz Fisher and Liz Herdson at The Swan Theatre

If there is one thing I learned about directing a play, yesterday, it is that my own one and only attempt at a 10 minute playlet was woefully inadequate.

Seeing a professional director at work, working with professional actors, reminds me of the day I spent assisting at the local primary school when my kids first started at school in Bridgnorth. The experienced teacher (now long since retired) would persuade a recalcitrant child by going to them, getting to their level, gently encouraging them to rejoin the group. She never stood and shouted across the room. I learned something from her and that same respect and individual concern was evident in the approach that our visiting director had to the actors. He explained that his job was to support and encourage, not to instruct.

It set the standard for the skills exchange day at Stratford and although the subsequent two sessions were very different they were both delivered with that same professionalism and courtesy.

Thursday 2 February 2012

February open meeting

Pub grub and brain strain

For the third year running we held an “everyone welcome” evening and a change from the usual format by having a light-hearted quiz. The winning team generously shared the prize around and the Broseley crowd forgave me for having a good few Bridgnorth orientated questions. Linda Povey brought a short one act play written by a friend; a good yarn with a satisfactory conclusion. Quite a big group came early to try out the Shakespeare Inn's supper menu before the meeting and that was good too.

Shakespeare Open Stages project

Tempest in a Tea Cup or The Bard's Birds

Dates for the production are planned for 8th and 9th, 15th and 16th and 22nd and 23rd June, subject to venues being available.

The final audition is tonight and with what I have seen, this Shakespeare lark is much livelier than one might imagine. When the director of the Cleopatra excerpt says “Think Absolutely Fabulous, with Cleopatra as wealthy Edina and her ladies in waiting characters like Patsy” it gives one a completely new perspective!


Skills exchange at the RSC

Four lucky members are attending the performers' skills exchange in a week or so and three more the workshop for directors, stage managers and technical support. How good is that? We shall return bursting with ideas, so the March meeting will be an opportunity for participants to introduce other members to what they have learned; the April meeting too if time runs out.

January meeting

All Fur Coat and no Knickers by Mike Harding

Set in the 1970's the stereotypes seem a bit dated, but our read through produced plenty of chortles. The working class Deidre Ollerenshaw is to marry the son of a wealthy businessman and councillor, but friction between and within the families and a drunken stag night puts the wedding in doubt. “All fur coat and no knickers” is the taunt of Deidre's mother at the fiancĂ©e's mother.