UK Theatre Network

The Questors Theatre - a secret too well guarded

The Quesotrs is an amateur theatre in west London. Much distinguishes it from other amateur theatres. A lot of  would-be actors queue up and clamour to tread its boards, but enthusiasm is not enough. They have to pass an audition. not to go straight on stage, but to be considered good enough to enrol on a two-year course. Why call The Questors a secret too well guraded? It is well known in theatrical circles. Visiting companies use its studio and playhouse for their shows. Nostalgic Musical Productions delighted its audiences with an impeccably sung Two Ladies, featuring sopranos rivalling one another for a handsome tenor; a piano player who got a standing ovation; and romantic costumes.  Jame Judi Dench is The Questors' president, and among its vice presidents is Amanda Redman. Stars practise in The Questors' rehearsal rooms and the staff protect celebrities' privacy so that even the most determined autograph hunters cannot pester them. It is the general public who seem to know little abut The Questors, whose premises are in a residential area of Ealing, aka queen of the suburbs. Ealing has a park, a museum, library, shops, pubs and restuarants, but too few people know about its theatre, with two acting spaces, tickets available to the public, a membership scheme so that enthusiasts can buy tickets and bring guests at reasonable prices; fun and education for children; a workshop where a professional expert builds intricate sets; and a huge costumes department. Every production is dressed to suit the play, whether the  performance demands rags, as in Alan Bennett's Lady in the Van, featuring a wandering lady lacking access to a change of clothes, shower, and other mod cons, or Shakespeare's Henry VI, with kings and queens wearing crowns and sumptuous robes. Treats in the near future include The Marvellous Land of Oz, a followup to the Wizard of Oz; Misery by Simon Moore; and Broken Glass by Arthur Miller. Anyone who remembers The Questors' poignant produciton of Death of a Salesman will want to see this other play by Arthur Miller. Later in the season there will be Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, John Mortimer's adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll. Further information is available from ealingtheatre.com

Richard O’Brien’s  Rocky Horror Show

Produced by Bill Kenwright

Directed By Christopher Luscombe

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 5^th October 2009.

 

What can I say about the Rocky Horror Show? If you don’t know and love it then you should do yourself a favour and go to see it. If like me and I suspect the majority of the audience you do know and love it, you will not be disappointed with this production. Naturally there are concerns about the role of Frank n Furter which Tim Curry made so much his own both on stage and in the Rocky Horror picture show. However, these concerns are unfounded as David Bedella is superb in this his second tour (he took the role in 2006/7) as Frank n Furter.

The other person who talks directly to the audience is the Narrator, a part taken by Steve Pemberton perhaps best known for his role in the League of Gentlemen. Again an excellent performance and I doubt I will ever forget him telling a heckler to “save your breath as you’ll need it tonight to blow up your girlfriend”.

The show is opened by Kara Lane as the usherette and it is only because I have a programme that I know she also takes the role of Magenta as she gives two wonderful but entirely different performances.

We then see Janet and Brad ably played by Hayley Flaherty and Mark Evans, supported by the Phantoms who whilst not having a major part do make a major contribution to the ambience (and are the understudies). A car journey, a flat tyre and a hike in the rain see Janet and Brad arriving at Frank n Furter’s castle. Personally I’ve always wondered why a Transylvanian castle is sat happily in the American countryside but sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief. The door is opened by Riff-Raff played by Brian McCann and they quickly meet Frank n Furter’s other servants Magenta and Columbia played by Ceris Hine. The remaining characters are Rocky played by Dominic Tribuzio and Eddie played by Nathan Amzi who also takes the role of Dr Scott.

This show relies heavily upon its music and therefore needs an excellent band, which are:  Steve Hill Musical Director/Keyboards, Dave Webb Saxophones, Steve Willingham Guitars, Ron Humphrey Bass Guitar and Paul Matthews Drums. The musicians were situated on a mezzanine at the back of the stage which made them an integral part of the show.

The scenery and props were simple but effective; in particular excellent use was made of fabric upon wooden frames which when lit from the back was virtually transparent but lit from the front made extremely effective wood panelling. I particularly liked the minimalist car which effectively consisted of four wheels, two seats, a radiator grille and a pair of hand operated windscreen wipers (but interestingly no windscreen).   Another excellent touch was the monitor screens, steam punk in style and used to enable some excellent cartoon work and puppetry. Perhaps the most obvious and heavily used scenery were the ladders which could be moved about the stage and were rendered more interesting by having gaps and partial rungs.

Excellent use was made of lighting including spotlights held by the phantoms at one stage. Effects were limited but appropriate and included thunder, lightening and the use of a smoke machine.

The costumes are vital to the Rocky experience and this production was no exception. There were slight changes from the original, for instance Magenta wore a rather fetching black lace number rather than the French maid’s outfit of the original, which may possibly have been disconcerting for those members of the audience wearing maid outfits. Traditionally the Rocky ethos encourages audience participation and some of the audience had dressed for the occasion which is fun. However, a few people at the front stood up to dance and wave lighters around and whilst I’m not a killjoy I wasn’t sorry the usher discouraged this. I’m sure the people sitting behind them were relieved too. Any reasonable person would be aware that if they stand up the people sitting behind them will be unable to see. Some people seem to think that fulfilling their personal pleasure overrides the rights of others.  When challenged they react as if people are being mean to them. At the end of the show many people stood up which I consider an appropriate time for such audience participation.

This is a really excellent production that is not to be missed.

Rocky Horror Show plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 10^th October 2009. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee).

The tour then continues playing Bromley – Churchill Theatre from October 12^th to 17^th 2009.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com www.rockyhorror.co.uk

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 5^th October 2009 on behalf of Catherine Brian.

  

 

  

 

 

Palladini Productions Presents '1867' at the Brockley Jack Theatre 26th-31st October (Black History Month)

1867 is a moving new play inspired by the story of Madam CJ Walker, who was the first self made, African American female millionaire. Set during the late 1800’s and a few years after slavery had been abolished the play celebrates the courage, strength and entrapaneuralism of Delilah McAndrew. Having been the first member of her family to be born free Delilah overcame the oppression, race and sexual inequality to not only become a success but to also be renowned for her philanthropic work and willingness to help others. By the time of her death in 1919 Delilah McAndrew had built one of the largest black owned manufacturing companies in the world which included an international network of over 15,000 Delilah McAndrew agents.

Written by Theresa Roche
Directed by Tonny A.

Tickets available on the booking line: 0844 847 2454
Or via www.ticketweb.co.uk or contact Saima Duhare saimaduhare@hotmail.co.uk

 

With sales far beyond expectation and wedges of moolah now in the company’s bank account, Helensburgh’s innovative business, AnElephantCant, scored a major success at the recent Homes & Interiors show at Glasgow’s SECC.

The product this time is, as we’ve reported on before - Waje - and the strapline is ‘Shuffle your Waje’. It’s a hip phrase and it’s a neat concept - WAll JEwellery. The notion is dressing your walls without breaking the bank - and creating different relationships between the artworks as you do with your clothes.

The neat trick has been the creation of a special fabric on which the artwork is printed - one taking a specific adhesive device that allows the prints to be easily moved around. What you get is art on your walls with all the unpretentious serendipity of the poster - but with more substance and durability and a system that makes swopping around and creating new combinations of the objects quick and fun.

They describe it as ‘fine art at consumable prices’ and the art in question is original material by Greenock’s Phil Burns who, with Brian Cairnduff, is a partner in An Elephant Can’t.

Cairnduff says that, with their partners Richard Fildes and Bill Laughlin of 2Canvas, he and Phil had targeted this prestigious show as a market trial for waje - wall jewellery: ‘to test whether the great Scottish public was ready for this radical challenge to how art is packaged, sold and viewed’.

It was.

Reeling from the success of their bold investment, Cairnduff admits: ‘There are now dozens of folk out there with waje on their walls. They looked, they questioned and they bought. Most people took it on board very quickly, loved the idea that you don’t need frames, glass or nails, and were intrigued by the fact that is is moveable. The waje shuffle just took off!’

He pays tribute to the 2canvas team, saying: ‘The work done by Ricky and Bill was critical to this success. The high quality and resilience of the silk-like paper coupled with the ‘magic’ no-residue adhesive was a major factor in allowing Phil’s art-work to be presented in the best possible way’.

Naturally there a few sniffs from the oxygen-thin altitudes of the Scottish art establishment. While one art expert said: ‘You guys have created a new way of selling art’, Brian Cairnduff noted that: ‘Some dealers, of course, were less enthusiastic. But I guess even an elephant can’t please all of the people all of the time’.

They almost bottled it. ‘We were sitting in a cafe outside Partick station, wondering if this was a really dumb idea even by our standards. We had done some market research, of course, but mainly through people who knew us. Taking Waje to an audience of thousands of complete strangers was suddenly an intimidating prospect.

Then the teenage waitress bounced up to our table with that special vitality that characterises so much of what Glasgow is about. I looked at Phil, he was grinning back at me.

“Joie-de-vivre”, he said, “That’s what we sell and people will buy it”.

And we’re taking no bets on what’s coming down the track next. ‘Wait till you hear our next scheme’, we heard, chortling in the ether. ‘We are going on a Great Highland Tour’. Will it be Loch Ness?

Calling the Northwest's brightest freelancers in the media and digital industries. As a freelancer, YOU are YOUR future!

Now recruiting for the 2nd run of the NORTHERN ADVANTAGE WEEKEND INCUBATOR WORKSHOPS

19th/20th September and 10th/11th October 2009.

· Don’t miss your chance to attend these unique business savvy incubator workshops delivered over two intensive residential weekends in the Lake District - offering experienced media freelancers the opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a business.

· Developed by media industry professionals for media industry professionals and with Leigh Wharton from the Manchester University Business School Business Incubator, the programme, which brings together individuals with different strengths and skill bases, is carefully designed to build confidence in idea sharing and encourage collaboration.

· Be prepared to bring along your own idea for development – or join a team working on new entrepreneurial ideas.

· Ideas going into further development from the last course include: a multi media concept for global markets; a not for profit internet medical campaign; a plan to take music making to the third world.

WHAT THEY SAID LAST TIME:

The best thing was the amount of skills and contacts gained in such a short period of time… Hopefully opened lots of doors and certainly helped my creative skills… A great, diverse team running the weekend whose words of wisdom I will carry forward for a long time… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought… Opens minds and opens opportunities… A fabulous opportunity that truly opened my eyes to an entrepreneurial life and changed my thinking from that of an unwilling freelancer to now being excited about trying my own thing – very liberating! ... Excellent weekend and I particularly liked the small group size and access to interesting professionals including Mike Ryan and Leigh Wharton… As for value for money, I'm already starting to see a much bigger return on the knowledge I gained than I expected… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought.

For further information go to: http://www.northernadvantage.co.uk/events.htm

This scheme, delivered by The MDP Training Consortium, is funded by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset and supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. There was a mild scandal because of the homoerotic tone of the story. Wilde later revised this edition, making several alterations, and adding new chapters. This version performed by Keith Drinkel omits the additions and concentrates on the relationship between the three men - Dorian Gray, the artist Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wooton, the society wit.

Drinkel skillfully portrays all characters in this play and keeps the audience's attention throughout. He demonstrates Hallward's dependence on Dorian Gray as his muse, he is "all my art"; Lord Henry Wooton's influence on Dorian Gray as he leads him astray to a life of hedonism; and Dorian's inevitable fall.  Oscar Wilde's lines are excellently delivered when Lord Henry states:"The only way to resist temptation is to yield to it." 
(Carolin Kopplin)

Aug 15 - Aug 22    6 pm nightly
0131 226 0000

The production Palace of the End by renowned playwright Judith Thompson has been nominated for the Amnesty International Award and rightfully so. This play is about the Iraq War and its effect on three individuals - two of them well known to us. However, it is not a docu-drama. Judith Thompson works with facts and transmutes them into a world of the imagination. Seen from three different perspectives including a female American soldier facing court-martial for torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, a British former UN Weapons Inspector exposed as a source for the BBC and an Iraqi mother and political leader who suffered the greatest loss imaginable at the hands of Saddam Hussein this production will stay with you for a long time.  

Kellie Bright reprises her role as Lynndie - a frightened, racist bigot who hates ugly people, prays to her American God and compares herself to Joan of Arc because she "took the fall" for Abu Ghraib. She plans to go to Quebec in exile like Napoleon and then return an American hero! David Kelly is again played by Robert Demeger. Mortally wounded he does not want to be found before he is dead. He had been thrown to the wolves for disclosing the truth about the WMD situation in Iraq to the BBC. David, severely depressed and tormented, feels like Prometheus: "You can only defeat them by disappearing." The third monologue is spoken by an Iraqi mother and political leader (played by Eve Ploycarpou) who was captured by the secret service of the Baath party along with her sons and taken to their headquarters  - the Palace of the End. She sees Saddam as the embodiment of evil - "Some Iraqis think he is not mortal." There was hope when Saddam's government was overthrown but the American troops and "their murderous puppets" turned into monsters.  

This is a very important play and the acting is outstanding. I advise everyone to see it.  
(Carolin Kopplin)

Aug 5 to 30, Traverse Theatre
Tel: 0131 228 1404

The Common Good. At The Roundhouse Theatre. Part of The Camden Fringe.

Going to see a play about Chernobyl may not be first on most people's lists. However, theatre is about storytelling and as stories go, Chernobyl is tragic and compelling. It is one of the most important stories that must be told to every generation. It is also sometimes hard to believe that, yes, it really did happen.

So, did this play live up to it's subject manner? Yes. It was skillfully written. Evoking the time and place beautifully.All of the actors did the writing justice. However, my only criticism is that none of the actors do accents. I sometimes felt that if the actors did Ukrainian accents etc that they would bring you further in.

The story is sad. Could it be anything else? Prostitutes, dying people, children cursed from birth. This play was poignant with killer lines. At one point one of the soldiers is interviewed and asked how, as an atheist, he can speak of God. His answer was that 'we live in Hell'  Later on we find he studied Theology. The play is full of these little twists and plot points. It has great points on morality.

I recommend you go and see this well-directed, beautifully written play. 

All proceeds from the play will be donated to the Chernobyl Children's Lifeline.

The Russian company SSSR presents the story of two young people who meet in an internet chatroom and agree to commit suicide together. Yulia is lonely yet she cannot stand being with somebody else: "Any company is a burden to me." She does not want to be alone in her final moments. August, a lonely boy without friends, responds to her message and they meet in the wilderness to end their lives together.
This tragic story addresses the problem of suicide among young people without sentimentality. The characters are believable in their hopelessness and the acting is brilliant in this flawless production.
(Carolin Kopplin)

Award-winning Tangram present four productions at the Fringe Festival this year - a hilarious musical about Darwin with a terribly long title, the monologue Almost 10, F**KED, and Art House.
Charlie, a gifted but so far under-appreciated artist, craves for fame and fortune so she fakes her death. Her younger sister Viva, who witnessed her alleged suicide, becomes her accomplice and her only lifeline to the outside world. Viva is afraid of the investigation into Charlie's demise but she obeys her sister as she has always done. After a while Charlie becomes tired of being locked up in her studio, claustrophobia is setting in and she begins feeling restless - she wants to break out! Unfortunately, Viva is less than enthusiastic about Charlie's rise from the dead. She has finally got the life that she has always dreamed of - she is a renowned arts dealer in charge of her sister's oevre, granting interviews, featuring on the covers of magazines, she is famous! A perceptive piece of theatre with two outstanding actors. 
(Carolin Kopplin)