Grumble

I set up a drama society in my final year at university. They are still going strong, and produced two successful performances this year, Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" in the Christmas term, and "Much Ado About Nothing" in the summer. All going well then, or so I thought.

I have received a number of phone calls from HSBC recently, but they wouldn't tell me what it was in reference to as I am no longer a signatory on the account. Eventually they got through to the old treasurer, a good friend of mine.

Apparently the account is £300 overdrawn.......

How this happened we're not sure. Whose fault it is, we're not sure. Who is liable to pay the overdraft? The three signatories, all of whom have graduated.

What a mess! Never work with children, or amateurs...

Some new and exciting goings on

Since Oh What a Lovely War (more on that later), I've been "resting" in the sense that I've not been rushing off to a rehearsal every other night. It's been quite nice, but I've also missed being involved in something....That feeling didn't last long as I have auditioned for two shows recently and may be doing the sound for a third...

I recently auditioned for "Little Red Riding Hood", Byfleet Players Panto for January 2007. I have never done panto before, and I won't pretend that the script didn't make me cringe a lot, but I'm sure we can fiddle with bits to make it better. Anyway, excitingly, I have been cast as "Principal Boy", i.e. Prince Charming, which is one of the two leads. It's very exciting as I've not had a big part for sometime, and aside from being the Good Fairy in Pinocchio I don't think I've ever been a lead. Anyway, I shall update this with how we're getting on when we start rehearsing in September.

The other audition was for Ottershaw's Christmas production, "Treasure Island". I have to admit I was a little hesitant about this one. I'm sure Ottershaw will do it very well, and the set will be marvellous, but I wondered whether it would mainly be a lot of yelling "yaaarrrr" on stage. Anyway, I went to the audition for a bit of a laugh. The script is good and it should be a laugh. I'm waiting to hear as to whether I got in though, so watch this space. I've not been that successful in auditioning for Ottershaw shows recently, so I'll have to wait and see.

Back to Oh What a Lovely War... It was a success, we think we just about managed to break even. Some of the reviews were mixed, but the main things that were criticised were the costumes (which were dreadful and I wish we had just run up some more before the show started - at least some trousers that fitted!) and the lighting, which was a little unpredictable. The stage management was obviously exemplary (ahem), and all of Phil's 54 sound cues were on time and in the right place. For me though, it was just great fun to work with the people involved and I made some really good friends, which is more important to me than whether the show was a box office hit...After all, we do it for fun, don't we?

Please come and see "Oh! What a Lovely War" if you're in Woking this week. It has some excellent people in (including, just in case they are Googling themselves again, Alan Arlington, Helen Imison and Tony Richardson!!) and we've all worked really hard.

Last night was the tech...not a lot to say other than we didn't get through it all. Sigh. Tonight is the dress rehearsal, so much less stressful for me - all I have to do it cue people, I don't have to organise them! (well a little)

I've really enjoyed stage managing, though it's taken some time for people to listen to me as though I know what I'm talking about and I'm not just a stupid kid. Some people still talk to me like that, but hey, what can you do.

Anyway, the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking, 11-14th June 2007, 7.45pm. Tickets available on the door, £10 or £8 concessions.

The War to End All Wars

"If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England."

(from 'The Soldier', Rupert Brooke)

"Oh! What a Lovely War" by Joan Littlewood tells the story of World War I using songs and newspaper clippings from the era. Byfleet Players present their production of this thought provoking show at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking on 11-14th July 2007. Tickets are priced at £10 (£8 concessions) and are available from the Box Office 01932 844242.

Oh oh oh what a lovely war...

I went to my first rehearsal in the capacity of stage manager last night. I wasn't there long, as I was doing front of house for "Whose Life Is It Anyway" (GO AND SEE IT), but it will be an interesting experience I think. There doesn't sound like there is a lot of backstage support, which is quite scary, but then there isn't a lot of set either...

I'm looking forward to learning new skills - though this is my 4th play since December (5th if I count doing FOH for "Whose Life..." (GO AND SEE IT)) so I am completely knackered. I think I need to take a break and start saying NO to things. Anyway, come July I'm giving up on all that's fun and concentrating entirely on my thesis for two months, so I might as well make the most of it!

All together now: "Oh oh oh what a lovely war..."

Quick Plug

Ottershaw Players present...

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

by Brian Clarke

Directed by Peter Moore

Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking

6th - 9th June 2007

Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions)

01932 702091

GO AND SEE IT!

A learning curve

I've been an "amateur dramatist" for years. Probably seriously since I was 17 and joined Ottershaw Players, but before then I was in every school play going from the age of 5. I blame it on my dad, who is also an am-dram fan. Before now, I have almost always been on stage, with a few forays into producing and set shifting. But, in the last year I have learnt to direct (Teechers), do sound at the Rhoda (A Chorus of Disapproval) and DSM (The Wind in the Willows).

None of which were things I've done before. And now, I'm starting a new skill. I am stage managing a fairly large scale production at the Rhoda in July for a friend of mine. I have never stage managed before and frankly I'm terrified. But, it'll be a learning curve...A steep one!